Ahead of our time

- In the mid 50s the area around Tione has been interested by massive public construction work. Dams, tunnels, streets etc. are being built.

 

- Adelmo Pellegrini and Pietro Caresano, 2 traders of protective garments for the construction workers decide to team-up and start a Company to sell protective garments, called Urania.

 

- Soon the business picks up to the point where it becomes convenient to buy the rubber coated fabric and to internally saw the garments.

- In the early 60s, Urania buys used mill mixers, dissolving mixers, spread-coaters and autoclaves from Pirelli. At the same time one of the first solvent recovery systems in Europe for rubber coating is installed in 1962.

- This marks the beginning of Urania in the rubber coated fabric market.

- In the early to mid 60s the big construction projects in the area are finished so the marketing efforts are redirected into supplying different agencies of the Italian State.

- Railroad, Post Office and Military workers are dressed with Urania garments.

 

- An opportunity to expand into inflatable products (floating bridges for the Italian Armed Forces) leads to the birth of Novurania in 1964 which manufactures inflatable products with the fabric made by Urania.

- Production of inflatable boats starts soon thereafter to become a time filler between one public contract and the next.

- Also in the 60s, Urania begins offering rubber coated fabrics on the market, not using it only internally anymore.

 

- In the 70s, the production of rubber coated fabric for outside customers, and the production of inflatable boats outgrows the production of rubber coated fabric for internal use and the production of military inflatable products respectively.

- In the second half of the 70s, Zodiac, the biggest manufacturer of inflatable boats switches from glued rubber coated fabrics to welded PVC, thus changing “the rules of the game”. Novurania is forced to heavily invest in quality, design and image, to justify the higher cost of the products manufactured by hand with a traditional technology.

 

- Pietro Caresano dies in 1972. His family has no interest in the business and his shares are bought by outside investors.

- Urania sets up an R&D department with laboratory, to properly prepare competing in the global market of rubber coated fabrics.

- In 1981 the production of protective garments is discontinued. The orders still coming in are filled out buying the garments from outside contractors.

- In 1982 Urania and Novurania are merged, to simplify interchange. Since Urania is selling rubber coated fabric to industrial customers, while Novurania is selling inflatable boats to the public, the name Novurania is kept after the merger.

 

- In 1983 Novurania of America, Inc., is born in Torrance California, to sell into the US market the inflatable boats manufactured in Italy.

- In 1984 the first offset underblankets are produced.

 

Marine Business

- 1986 The first RIBS are produced and put in the market. The new series MX are launched on the market.

- 1989 The first fiberglass hull is built in the US by an outside contractor. The MX 430 is made in California, and marks the first US made Novurania RIB.

- 1991 Novurania of America is moved from California to Florida, to take advantage of a more developed marine business environment.

- Fiberglass production is started in-house by Novurania of America in 1991 in Miami.

 

- In the course of the next 10 years, the production of all fiberglass hulls for all models is moved to Florida.

- In the same time Novurania of America starts specializing the products more and more as tenders for megayachts.

- 1995 The R&D department for the marine business is moved from Italy to the US.

- In 2000 the fiberglass for all models is being produced in the US, and the last complete boat is manufactured in Italy.

- 2010 The production of tubes (which are the last part of the boat still manufactured in Italy) is moved to the US.

 

- Novurania of America has brought to the marine market a number of important innovations:

• - First white inflatable tenders
• - The DL line was the first completely accessorized tender with built in components
• - The Equator line was the first half tube tender with increased internal space
• - The Equator LP was the first low profile inboard tender, suitable for internal garages
• - The Protex collar was the first tender with foam filled tubes
• - First automatic inflation and deflation system to be used for internal garages which are too small for the tender
• - First custom line RIB, to be configured by the customer

 

Technical Fabrics

- 1981, after the production of protective garments is finished, Novurania converts the historical seat, based in Tione di Trento, into a technical rubber coated fabric specialist.

- Over the years Novurania develops new technical rubber coated fabrics for new applications, as well as with new technologies.

 

- Today’s production range of technical fabrics include:

• Fabric for inflatable products. For example:
  • - Fabric for inflatable boats marketed with the brand Hypair
  • - Fabric for oil-booms or hovercraft skirts
  • - Fabric for life-rafts
  • - Fabric for collapsible tanks (drinking- or waste water, fuel, etc.)
  • - Fabric for dunnage bags
  • - Fabric for secondary containment of fuels
  • - Fabric for LTA (Lighter Than Air)
  • - Fabric for inflatable fenders
  • - Fabric for helicopter floatation bags
  • - Fabric for water-proof bags

• Uncured fabric for reinforcement of various rubber articles. For example:
  • - Fabric for reinforcement of teeth of timing belts
  • - Fabric for reinforcement of backing of poly-v belts
  • - Fabric for flat transmission belts
  • - Fabric for v-cups, u-cups and packed seals in general
  • - Fabric for hoses and manifolds
  • - Fabric for armed diaphragms

• Fabric cured, for various technical articles. For example:
  • - Fabric for bus, train, underground or air-terminal bellows
  • - Fabric for blinds for train cars
  • - Fabric for convertible cars’ soft-top
  • - Fabric for suction hoses (clipped or sewn)
  • - Fabric for membranes (cng or lpg powered vehicles, air or fluid pumps, regulators or actuators)

• Fabric for protective garments. For example:
  • - Fabric for anti-acid protection
  • - Fabric for slaughterhouse or fishing aprons
  • - Fabric for biological protection

• Fabric for protective garments. For example:
  • - Fabric for NBC tight flexible containers
  • - Fabric for NBC poncho
  • - Fabric for NBC tight protective suits

Novurania Image Transfer

- After the start in 1984 with underblankets, Novurania has started developing its own technology offset printing blankets.

- Coming from technical fabrics, instead than printing blankets like most competitors, Novurania has brought a number of innovations in this field. Some of the innovations have been copied by competitors, others are still protected by secrecy of know-how.

- In the 12 years after starting with underblankets, Novurania has developed a complete line of products, and tested these products at various friendly printers, to come on the market with a relatively complete line of products.

- In 1996 Novurania introduced calendering as coating technique for the facing of the blanket. This has eliminated problems typically associated with spread-coating, such as pin-holes, solvent residue, etc.

 

- In 1998 Novurania introduced the first blanket backed by a polyester film instead of a cotton fabric. This patented construction, called 303 Revolution, is still state of the art in coating applications.

- In 2000 Novurania introduced the first pressurized microsphere based compressible layer “Pressurized sinkless technology”. As of today the technology has not been disclosed or utilized by other coaters.

- In 2001 Novurania introduced the de-aired cotton to avoid sinking of the blanket on press.

- In 2005 Novurania introduced the first microsphere based calendered compressible layer.

- In 2006 Novurania started developing flexographic plates which could be laser-ablated.

- In 2007 Novurania started developing a new generation minigap web-blanket which will be launched shortly.

 

Further developments down the line include:

• - Real dual purpose blankets or plates (conventional and UV inks or coatings)
• - Increased life blankets for price sensitive applications
• - Sleeves

 

Novurania Group today

- Novurania S.p.A. in Italy and Novurania of America, Inc. U.S.A. are fully owned by the Pellegrini family.

 

 

- The group currently employs approx. 200 persons, and has aggregated sales of 40 million US$. A young, motivated team of managers is helping the Company staying “Ahead of Our Times”. Research, teamwork, attention to customers’ needs, and continuous investment into new technologies help the Company maintain its technological leadership.

- The Company holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications, issued by DNV GL Businnes Assurance ITALIA.

- The Mission of the Company is to produce rubber coated fabric that satisfy expressed or inexpressed market needs, also in market niches, favouring recyclable materials, processes with low environmental impact and with the utmost care for safety and health of its workforce, and of all stakeholders.