Thirty years of precision engineering: the journey of a rotary union manufacturer
From a 100m² workshop in Opera to subsidiaries across three continents, Rotoflux celebrates three decades of engineering expertise, excellence and innovation as a rotary union manufacturer serving industrial markets worldwide.
30YEARS OF ACTIVITY |
20 000 +CUSTOMERS SERVED |
1 000 000 +ROTARY UNIONS PRODUCED |
Company Story
On October 10th 1996, Rotoflux opened its first workshop in Opera, a small municipality in the Province of Milan. A handful of engineers. Two product series.
Three decades later, those foundations of technical expertise, quality-driven manufacturing and continuous innovation have enabled Rotoflux to serve customers across three continents and become a trusted rotary union manufacturer. This is the story of how it happened.
The journey, year by year
| First HQ — Opera (Italy)
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1996 |
FOUNDED Doors open in Opera. A workshop in the Province of Milan becomes the birthplace of Rotoflux. The first two product lines target the most universal industrial fluids: the S Series for Water and the T Series for Air. |
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1997 |
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Machine tool market. Demand arrives earlier than expected. Rotoflux responds by developing the A Series and B Series, entering the machine tool industry for the first time. |
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1998 |
A complete product range. Within two years of opening, Rotoflux has developed rotary unions for plastics, rubber, printing, machine tools, continuous casting, rotary tables, and calenders. The catalogue is essentially complete in structure. This rapid expansion reflected the company’s growing industrial know-how and commitment to engineering excellence across multiple sectors. |
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| New HQ — Opera (Italy) | ||
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2000 |
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Sealing technology for machine tools. Investment in advanced sealing solutions specific to the demanding requirements of machine tool applications. The focus on specialised engineering solutions strengthened Rotoflux’s reputation for technical expertise and product reliability. |
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2002 |
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FIRST MOVE A larger workshop, still in Opera. Growth in the Italian market makes the first facility too small. Rotoflux relocates to a new warehouse in Opera, approximately 500m², about one third the size of today’s facility. |
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2006–2007 |
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3D measurement and new product lines. Both contact and optical three-dimensional measurement machines are introduced, raising quality control standards significantly. The European market opening makes seal kit and bearingless solutions viable. The K25 series is born specifically for the steel industry. These investments reinforced a culture of precision engineering and manufacturing excellence that continues to define Rotoflux today. |
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2008
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Asia opens up. A strong commercial agreement with distributors in China and Taiwan marks Rotoflux’s first footprint in the Asian market. |
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2010 |
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INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION — GERMANY Rotoflux Deutschland opens. The first international subsidiary is established in Germany, the gateway to European industrial markets. Distribution agreements with partners across Europe follow in subsequent years. The company’s growing reputation for quality, expertise and customer support enabled further expansion throughout European industrial markets.
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Current HQ – Trezzano sul Naviglio (ITALY)
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2012 |
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HEADQUARTERS MOVE Two facilities in Trezzano sul Naviglio, 1500m² total. One building dedicated to design, quality control, and assembly. A second for the production of individual components using CNC machine tools. The operational model that remains in place today. |
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2013 |
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ROTOFLUX ASIA — CHINA Rotoflux Asia opens in Ningbo, China. Strong demand in China leads to a direct subsidiary in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, allowing Rotoflux to serve Chinese customers with the same responsiveness it provides in Europe.The move reflected international recognition of Rotoflux’s engineering capabilities and commitment to supporting customers through a local presence.
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2016 |
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New agreements and a breakthrough in high temperature. Distribution partnerships signed in Brazil, Japan, and other markets. A new rotary union for extreme temperatures is developed using a proprietary bellows sealing system, achieving performance at very high temperatures that competitors could not match. This breakthrough demonstrated the company’s innovation-driven approach and deep technical expertise in demanding industrial applications such as rotary unions manufacturer. |
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2017 |
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Leak detector sensor. A new integrated leak detection sensor is introduced, adding a layer of real-time monitoring to rotary union installations. |
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2021 |
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INDIAN SUBSIDIARY Rotoflux India opens in Chennai. A fourth international subsidiary brings Rotoflux into one of the world’s fastest-growing industrial markets. |
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2024 |
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Automated assembly machines. Purpose-built automatic assembly equipment is introduced for rotary union production. Assembly processes are simplified and optimised, enabling higher production volumes while further improving quality consistency. The investment improved efficiency, consistency and manufacturing quality while supporting future growth. |
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2026 |
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TODAY New machine tools and new subsidiaries on the horizon. As Rotoflux turns thirty, the focus turns to expanding mechanical workshop capacity with new CNC equipment and to opening further international offices. The fourth decade begins. |
Thirty years of activity. More than 20 000 customers served. One million rotary unions produced. Each one tested before it left the facility. The numbers tell part of the story. The other part belongs to the engineers, technicians, and commercial teams across four countries who built Rotoflux into what it is today. For thirty years, our growth has been driven by expertise, innovation, quality and long-term customer relationships. These values will continue to guide us as we develop reliable rotary union solutions for industries around the world.
 First catalogue, 1996 |
 Latest catalogue, 2026 |
Whether you have been with us since Opera or discovered Rotoflux last week, thank you. We will keep building rotary unions that simply work.
Explore the full product range at rotoflux.com or contact us for technical enquiries.
We respond within 24 hours.