AGRATI AEE celebrates the people who turn ideas into innovation
On the occasion of Confindustria Bergamo’s “Eccellenze al Lavoro 2026”, AGRATI AEE has chosen to recognise the team behind MATRA 3438. Born from listening to the market, the project evolved into a new machine for precision die casting: a combination of technology, expertise, sustainability and industrial vision, firmly rooted in the Bergamo area while looking to the future.
Behind every industrial innovation lies a question, an idea and, above all, people with the ability to turn that idea into a tangible project.
This is the meaning AGRATI AEE has chosen to give to its participation in “Eccellenze al Lavoro 2026”, the initiative promoted by Confindustria Bergamo to recognise individuals and teams who stand out for their talent, professionalism, capacity for innovation and team spirit.
AGRATI AEE has chosen to recognise the team behind MATRA 3438, the new machine designed for the die casting of small components in light alloys.
The recognition therefore goes beyond the technical achievement itself. It celebrates a way of working: listening to the market, understanding how it is evolving, bringing together different areas of expertise and having the foresight to invest in a new solution.
MATRA 3438 was developed in response to a specific requirement: the need for an effective solution for die casting small components in light alloys. The project focuses on precision and on the ability to deliver both performance and cost-effectiveness when producing smaller parts.
But before engineering comes listening.
Through its ongoing dialogue with customers and industry professionals, AGRATI AEE identified a gap in the market and turned it into an industrial opportunity. This led to the initial concept put forward by Alessandro Betti from the Sales Department, followed by a development process involving engineering, technical teams, production and a range of specialist expertise from across the company.
“We are seeing a very tangible shift in market requirements,” explains Alessandro Betti. “On the one hand, there is growing demand for small components made from light alloys, particularly aluminium, which can be difficult to manufacture efficiently on conventional higher-tonnage machines. On the other, material selection is increasingly being influenced by recyclability and by the possibility of returning materials to the production cycle at the end of their service life. This is precisely where aluminium takes on a strategic role: compared with zinc alloys, it is better aligned with this growing focus on circularity and creates new opportunities for smaller components and applications.”
MATRA 3438 therefore embodies a fundamental principle of innovation: technology creates value when it starts with a genuine market need.
From the initial commercial insight came the engineering challenge. This is where the team led by Project Manager Simone Viscardi, Eng., transformed the concept into a fully developed machine.
MATRA 3438 incorporates AGRATI AEE technology into a compact solution. The Ecodrive3 injection system is designed to provide precise control throughout the different stages of the injection process, while the exclusive motor/pump system combines performance with energy efficiency. The machine has also been developed in line with Industry 5.0 standards.
Its technical specifications give a clear indication of its performance: a maximum injection speed of up to 7 m/s, an injection-unit valve response time of 10 milliseconds, and a maximum metal pressure of 906 kg/cm².
“The technical challenge was to develop a new type of ‘non-conventional’ cold-chamber die-casting machine, drawing on a combination of technologies from the two machine ranges we traditionally manufacture: hot-chamber machines for zinc alloys and cold-chamber machines for aluminium die casting,” explains Project Manager Simone Viscardi, Eng.
“From an expertise perspective, we brought together all the experience available to us, both in engineering and in machine construction. Given the innovative nature of the project, it generated considerable interest and encouraged collaboration across the entire team.
Our greatest satisfaction came from seeing the machine operating automatically with two robots at the trade fair in Nuremberg in January 2026 – particularly considering that the project had only begun in May 2025.”
With MATRA 3438, sustainability is not something added at the end of the development process; it is embedded in the machine’s design choices.
The motor/pump system was developed to combine efficiency with competitive operating costs. The machine has a maximum installed power of 17 kW, with pump motor power of up to 14.7 kW.
Compactness is another important factor. According to the technical specifications, the machine measures 4,293 × 1,893 × 2,116 mm – a significant advantage for manufacturing environments where optimising production floor space is itself an important contributor to efficiency.
This reflects a distinctly industrial approach to sustainability: making better use of energy, technology, space and resources to create a more efficient manufacturing process.
There is also an important connection with the local area. AGRATI AEE is based in Verdellino, at the heart of Bergamo’s mechanical engineering industry, an industrial ecosystem where technical culture, manufacturing capabilities and specialist expertise represent a heritage built up over generations.
MATRA 3438 was born here and is Proudly Made in Italy.
This is why the recognition at Eccellenze al Lavoro 2026 carries particular significance. Recognising the MATRA team means placing human capital at the heart of industrial excellence – the people who enable Bergamo’s manufacturing industry to continue innovating and competing internationally. People who listen to the market, share their knowledge, tackle complex engineering challenges and turn an idea into an industrial solution.
MATRA 3438 is a machine. But first and foremost, it is the result of a collective effort.
It demonstrates that innovation, engineering, sustainability and industrial vision do not exist independently. They create value when different areas of expertise work together towards the same goal.
And this is precisely the message AGRATI AEE brings to Eccellenze al Lavoro 2026: the future of industry is built with technology, but it starts with people.