- With nearly 150 years of history and an ever-growing patent portfolio, Rodolfo Comerio brings technological solutions to the rubber and PVC industries at PLAST 2026.
- A story that began in 1878
May, 11, 2026 - Founded in 1878 by Rodolfo Comerio, the company, based in Solbiate Olona (VA), is now a world leader in the design and manufacture of calendering lines for rubber and plastics. Rooted in precision mechanics, it expanded in the early 20th century into rubber processing machinery, introducing its first calenders for rubber and plastics. In the following years, with the construction of a new, modern facility in Solbiate Olona, the company further strengthened its global leadership through an expanding patent portfolio and a continuous drive for innovation. Today, Rodolfo Comerio is led by a team of specialized managers who have taken up the baton from Mr. Carlo Comerio, an influential figure in the industry and a global leader in calendering processes.
Innovations in the Rubber Industry
At the heart of Rodolfo Comerio’s portfolio to the rubber industry are its patented innovations. Applications range from car and truck tyres to conveyor belts, as well as from hoses for the offshore industry to technical products such as gaskets, air springs, fabrics for the printing industry and aerospace components.
RC Unwinders with automatic threading and joint;
A patented system for automatic joining of two fabrics.
One of the most innovative systems introduced by the company involves unwinding units with automatic threading and joining of the fabric and rubber strip. According to the company, the system automatically threads the new head of fabric and inserts the rubber strip into the press to join it without manual intervention. The manufacturer claims that the results include a 70% reduction in reel change time, an 80% reduction in waste generated during joining, a 70% reduction in required manpower, and a 50% reduction in pre-calender storage requirements. All this comes with a 100% increase in safety standards, fully compliant with CE regulations, and a guaranteed minimum saving of 500 mm of fabric per joint, Rodolfo Comerio says.
RC SF-Free System — Friction Free Laminating System
It is a laminating system that allows for an optimal incorporation of steel and fabric into rubber through a low-friction sliding mechanism with adjustable pressure between calender rolls no. 2 and 3. Rodolfo Comerio claims the system offers several advantages: improved rubber penetration into textile or steel cord, higher thickness accuracy, and better cord distribution (end-count per inch). The company also says it enables reduced thickness, delivering direct benefits for tyre performance in terms of rolling resistance, mechanical strength and stability. This also makes a tangible contribution to fuel savings and reduced raw material costs.
RC Fast Change of End-Count Rolls and Fast Change Production
It is a system designed to enable rapid change of end-count rolls in combined textile and steel cord rubberizing lines, as well as fast switching between textile and steel cord production. Rodolfo Comerio says it has pioneered the world’s first combined calendering line, and later introduced the first three combined line for textile cord rubberizing, steel cord rubberizing and inner liner production. Results include faster production and end-count roll changes, showing a 50% reduction in change time, a 50% reduction in machine downtime, and a 60% reduction in the number of personnel required, along with a 50% increase in productivity, the manufacturer claims. All of this is achieved in full compliance with EC regulations.
RC Advanced Cut and Ultimate Winding and AGV and RGV compatibility
This is a new-generation cutting and winding system with rotary-translational cut, capable of operating without accumulator at an output speed up to 80m/min without interrupting the material flow. Full integration with automatic winding systems, shuttles, and automated guided vehicles (AGVs or RGVs) makes this system a benchmark for the tire industry, the company claims. In addition, the AGVs themselves are stored in automated vertical warehouses. According to Rodolfo Comerio, benefits include: elimination of downtime, full automation, reduced human error, improved ergonomics for operators, and reduced waste and line footprint.
RC Automatic threading for winders and AGV and RGV compatibility
These are a new-generation winders that allow for the automatic threading of the new head of material without manual intervention and with 80% staff reduction, Rodolfo Comerio says. The design, featuring carriages that can be pulled out perpendicular to the line, facilitates the removal and insertion of reels, eliminating the need for hoists and allowing integration with AGV and RGV systems for fully automated handling.
RC new modular calendering lines
According to Rodolfo Comerio, the new modular design philosophy of its calendering lines represents a radical change in the way a plant is designed, installed, and commissioned. Each machine is designed for fast mechanical and modular installation and is equipped with independent electrical panels that are pre-wired and interconnected at the factory. The customer only needs to connect the power supply cables to the electrical panel. The result is a 60% reduction in installation time, a 50% reduction in commissioning time and an 80% increase in safety standards during assembly operations, the manufacturer claims.
Solutions for PVC and Plastics Department
In the plastics sector, Rodolfo Comerio offers complete calendering lines for PVC and technical films, with a range of products covering every stage of the process: from the calender to the tension unit, from cooling to thickness control, all the way to temperature control units (TCU) and the final winder. The company explains its philosophy: a complete line supplied by a single vendor ensures the customer a single point of contact for achieving qualitative objectives, eliminating the risks associated with integrating machinery from different sources.
For SPC and LVT resilient flooring applications, Rodolfo Comerio has developed — in collaboration with ICMA San Giorgio, a long-standing Italian leader in extruder manufacturing — an integrated, turnkey solution for the production of vinyl and polypropylene flooring with a high content of inorganic fillers. The line, already available at the company’s new Calendering Technology Center, uses an exclusive, patented technology fed directly from a co-rotating twin screw extruder without a flat die, ensuring superior surface quality, higher processing speeds compared to traditional extrusion, and optimal management of process waste in line with the circular economy, the manufacturer claims.
According to Rodolfo Comerio, among the most significant technical features is the EIR (Embossing-In-Register) process, patented by the company, which enables in-line embossing of the decorative coating in register, ensuring a perfect alignment between the printed pattern and the surface texture. The gravimetric dosing system integrated with the extruder software ensures extremely high precision in recipe management, while the cooling system using modular air ovens — followed by a water stabilization tank — guarantees the complete removal of residual tensions in the product, the Italian supplier says. Edge trimmings are recovered, ground, and reintroduced into the process in accordance with the principles of the circular economy. Furthermore, Rodolfo Comerio is a pioneer in the PVC sector for quick calender and embossing roll changes, an innovation developed over 40 years ago by the company over 40 years ago.
The new Comerio Calendering Technology Center
Among the most significant innovations introduced by Rodolfo Comerio is the opening of the new Calendering Technology Center, a unique research and development hub of its kind. Designed to explore new applications of calendering, including alternative polymers, the center supports customers from laboratory-scale trials through to full industrial production. The hub features two calendering lines in different configurations:
Tech Lab 1 (FloorEng Line) — A complete prototypal line for the production of resilient SPC and LVT flooring, provided with a pneumatic storage and conveying system for resins and CaCO3,
gravimetric dosing systems, one calender with proprietary configuration internally developed and undisclosed, laminating system with printed film and wear layer, patented EIR Embossing-In Register, set of air ovens, a water stabilization tank and plank cutting. A plant on industrial scale that allows to faithfully replicate the production conditions.
Tech Lab 2 – A versatile calender fed by an ICMA co-rotating twin-screw extruder, suitable for simulating a wide range of processes – from 30-micron to 10-micron films, made of elastomers and thermoplastic resins. Applications include furniture, packaging, membranes, conveyor belts, tires, natural rubber and elastomer products, adhesives, and silicone rubbers. The simple line configuration also enables in-line lamination with materials in reels like fiberglass, technical fabrics and supporting structures.
Rodolfo Comerio´s Technology Center operates through a structured process that begins with the signing of a Non-Disclosure Agreement and continues with feasibility testing, raw material validation, and the definition of goals. It ends with accurate and repeatable data collection, which forms the basis for the offer of the industrial production line.
TIElemetry: Industry 5.0 AND Sustainability
In response to the challenges of the transition towards Industry 5.0 and to the increasing sustainability reporting requirements, Rodolfo Comerio, in collaboration with TIE, has developed TIElemetry, an advanced digital service for real-time monitoring of production lines. The system collects data from sensors and PLCs using all major industrial communication protocols (OPC
UA, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, Modbus and many more), processes them, and makes them through an intuitive web-based portal.
TIElemetry enables the monitoring of energy consumption and CO2 footprint, essential for ESG reporting, as well as product quality control during production. The system also enables predictive maintenance through component wear tracking, historical data analysis for anomaly detection, and automatic alerts in case of alarms. The system can simultaneously monitor multiple production lines, even in remote facilities, using a cloud-based architecture (AWS) and end-to end encrypted communication that ensures maximum data security, along with artificial intelligence algorithms for predictive process analysis.
PLAST 2026: an event not to be missed
Rodolfo Comerio will exhibit at PLAST 2026 with a stand (B31, hall 11) offering visitors the opportunity to explore its full range of solutions for rubber and PVC, meet technical and sales team and discover the latest innovations in preview.
