1956

Ferriera di Cittadella was founded in the 1950s as a company specialized in hot rolling of iron. The experimentation with granite cutting began in the late 1950s. At that time, there were about 30 manufacturers of blades for marble in Italy. The product gained recognition for its quality and consistency. The company established warehouses in Carrara, Bagni di Tivoli, Verona, and Trapani and began exporting to the Middle East, primarily to Iran.

1960

These were years of great collaboration with machinery manufacturers and sawmills in Carrara. The marble frames were modified, switching from silica sand to metallic grit. Granite cutting was also introduced. Among the pioneers of these experiments were the Corsi Nicolai, Biselli Locati Luciani sawmills. It took 2 months to cut a block into slabs.

1970

THE GROOVED BLADE: In the 1960s, the grooved blade for marble was developed from a French patent, which Ferriera di Cittadella adapted for granite cutting by modifying the mechanical and chemical properties of the materials. This led to the creation of the grooved blade for granite, an exclusive product of Ferriera di Cittadella, designed for perfect cutting and low abrasive consumption during polishing, optimizing processing costs.

PRE-TENSIONING (“stretching”) is a technique developed by Ferriera di Cittadella to reduce elongation and prevent blade deformation during cutting.

1976/79

The renewal of the plants at the Cittadella facility begins, with the design of automatic machines for stretching. The plant now exclusively produces blades. The Riese Pio X facility takes over the production of hot rolled flat bars from Cittadella and continues the development and research in the special steels sector. The first foreign warehouse opens in Spain.

1980

The previous techniques, after the expiration of their 20-year patent protection, were copied by all global competitors. However, the quality was inferior in terms of both quality and technical characteristics.
The blades are custom-made for each customer, tailored in both quality and thickness.
The ability to roll thin gauges and to produce superior-quality products allows Ferriera di Cittadella to maintain its competitive edge, expanding its share in a growing market. Production continues to increase steadily, as do exports. The global granite cutting market depends on our product and its qualitative and quantitative development. Ferriera di Cittadella’s market share is estimated to be over 85% of the global market, with Italy absorbing 50% of FC’s production.

1982

The increase in demand leads to the modernization of the facilities for special steels as well.

The Riese Pio X plant is expanded, updated and enhanced.

1990

New cutting technologies and innovation developments have not provided valid alternatives to traditional frame cutting. This created the need to develop increasingly advanced blades with hardness levels adaptable to frames, mechanical stresses and continuously increasing cutting speeds. It takes 4-5 days to cut a block into slabs. New markets are opening up to granite processing. Ferriera di Cittadella is expanding globally, becoming a multinational group with offices, branches and warehouses across various continents to ensure excellent service, even for the most distant customers. Spain, India, Brazil, and Taiwan have become key markets. Foreign markets absorb 80% of Ferriera’s production.

2000

Ferriera di Cittadella continues to develop its products with the support of the technical office and the research and development department.

The results of the new blade designs are tested at its headquarters. The contact with the sawmills is constant.

The FC PLUS is created, a new blade that restores the cutting surface.

2006

Ferriera di Cittadella celebrates its 50th anniversary since its founding.

2013

Despite the negative economic conditions and the rise of Asian countries, technique and quality remain a priority.

The modernization of the plants continues, along with the expansion of the structure with new warehouses for material storage.

The production of merchant rolled products continues to receive good market appreciation.

2014

In just a few years, diamond wire technology develops rapidly to meet the growing demand for cutting a wider variety of materials in shorter times compared to traditional solutions. Ferriera di Cittadella follows this trend by investing in research and development to acquire the knowledge needed to create its own products using synthetic diamond. The research has a strong experimental character and aims to develop innovative solutions. Development projects require collaboration with external technicians and consultants from various sectors to test and evaluate new technologies and raw materials. Ferriera di Cittadella thus initiates a new innovation process alongside the traditional production of rolled products.

2016

In order to make production more efficient, the rolling process is consolidated at the Riese Pio X facility.

2018

Thanks to the know-how gained in the field of metallic powders and synthetic diamonds, an ambitious new research and development project is initiated. The aim is to produce blades with diamond segments, specifically designed to cut granite and hard stone.

Tests begin at the sawmills and, at the same time, the patent application is filed.

2019

The development of the diamond blade continues with tests on various types of gang saw and with materials of different degrees of hardness, including marble. We also continue to develop diamond wire and increasingly focus on thin-diameter wires. We file a patent based on the results achieved.

In continuity with past actions, and to safeguard both the staff and the company itself, an ethical code and the organizational, management, and control model pursuant to Legislative Decree 231/2001 are adopted.

2020

On the 65th anniversary of its founding, a prototype of a frame is designed, built and installed to test our diamond blades at the Riese Pio X facility.

2021

The diamond blade begins to operate in conjunction with the new frame and we cut various types of materials in-house with different hardness levels, including those that have proven particularly difficult to cut with diamond wire and traditional blades.

2023

The improvements and innovations in the diamond wire developed by us demonstrate performance and potential superior to other cutting technologies.

We therefore decide to increase investments and focus on this technology, responding to the needs of the market.

2024

The market demands ever smaller bead diameters, also with the aim of experimenting with cuts on materials different from granite and quartzite; new market opportunities are emerging.
We promptly respond with the patent for a new diamond wire, produced with a structure different from what has been used so far, featuring an initial bead diameter of 4.3 mm and the potential to reduce it further.

2025

An important year for Ferriera di Cittadella with the launch of the Grooved Wire.

Developed thanks to our know-how and previous patents, this wire optimizes the cutting process, ensuring concentricity of the pearl and a longer lifespan. At the same time, it reduces stress on the machine, improving its efficiency and lowering maintenance costs.

The innovative design, featuring two plastic rings, makes the cutting process more stable, enhancing quality and reducing scrap between slabs.

With the Grooved Wire Cobalt-Free, Ferriera di Cittadella continues to meet market demands with sustainable and efficient solutions, reinforcing its leadership in the industry.