The Allen key is the key. a well-known name, especially for a Brianza like me who lives here; born and raised, never infected by the charm of the great Milan. In fact OEB is one of those companies which, despite having almost 100 years behind it, does not give up on Italy, on the contrary. It remains faithful to that small portion of Brianza where it all began, dividing between Lissone and Desio.
A FAMILY-RUN ITALIAN STORY 
Born in 1926 by Egidio Brugola, in 1945 the company obtained the patent for the hexagonal hollow screw with twisted leg, clearly improving the hexagonal head screw which had been invented in the United States by W.G. Allen.
Brugola, which immediately became eponymous and is also used by those who do not have the slightest idea of who Egidio was and where the Italian company that is based is based. a pride in the world, he managed; to solve the criticality; of Allen's project by improving its tightness by using the twisted stem. The “allen screw” was born.
It is precisely the characteristics of mechanical resistance, combined with a quality control; very high who checks every single piece (and discards many), which have made Brugola's products something fundamental in the automotive market.
Almost all of us have an Allen screw on our cars [I don't, but…], or in any case we have driven a car in our life that uses these small metal objects which are also responsible for our safety as well as for the functioning of the cars.
Even today OEB remains a company; within which the Brugola family is; in command and is actively involved: after Egidio & egrave; It was Giannantonio's turn who deserves credit for bringing the company into the automotive world. Since 2015 it has been passed on to the third generation, that of Jody Brugola, born Egidio Stefano, who inaugurated the only plant outside Italy, the one in the United States.
It was 2015, and the plant was closed. born in the USA due to the very strong synergies with Ford, without however; overshadow the 5 production sites in Italy between Lissone and Desio. From these sites the vines travel to then be sorted in 11 logistics centers around the world, obviously destined for more general uses. taller and taller critical of the screws that any of us could buy in a hardware store, given that Brugola speaks directly to the manufacturers and has very close contacts with OEMs in the automotive world that are already born; in the planning stage.
Above, the 16-cylinder Bugatti that uses Allen screws, below two electric motors. At the antipodes to each other, but always with components developed in Italy.
Today the company employs 500 people between Italy and the USA and has no intention nor é to abandon our country, nor; to stop in the innovation process, having already embraced the world of electric motors, also expanding with the production of components that are not necessarily screws, but which are nonetheless essential for mobility; whether thermal or electric.
THE PRODUCTION 
Brugola produces over 1,000 types of screws at a rate of 9 million a day, all pieces designed based on customer specifications, engineered in-house and designed for very specific uses, for example for motor heads, or for functions even more; criticisms such as the brakes or the wheels.
The companies in the world that have the knowledge and the ability to make them can be counted on the fingers of one hand. production that Brugola has: through the cold forging technique, where each "blow" deforms the material and therefore creates the screw, in fact a product is obtained with better mechanical characteristics which, moreover, does not create waste material.
The volume that enters the machinery is exactly what is needed to create the finished product, since; even the threading is done by deformation using "combs" that avoid the need for of the removal.
However, don't be fooled by the name: cold forging does not mean that a pleasant breeze passes through the production lines.
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In fact, I enter the factory and the heat is felt, with the fires of the ovens interrupted only by industrial air conditioning systems that give a little comfort. of refreshment, but they do not allow the temperature to be sufficiently reduced on a day in which even Mother Nature puts her own with 31 & deg ;. They tell us, however, that it is much better in spring and autumn, and that in winter the heat generated is less. conveyed by a recovery system implemented precisely to reduce waste and be more; sustainable.
Chatting with the staff, I then discover that the cold molding technique " an exact science", but it is; the result of decades of development and each company has created its own “recipe” over time, a very important know-how which must be protected and handed down given that it is an excellence appreciated by the whole world and by brands such as Ford, Renault, Mercedes, BMW, the Hyundai-Kia group and in 2024 also the Stellantis group and another manufacturer not yet officially communicated.
The steel used comes from Italy, it is collected in large spools and the thread automatically enters the machine which will take care of the threading. to cut exactly the quantity; necessary to produce the piece.
Through mechanical pickling, an alternative to the use of acid, the creation of "bubbles" of hydrogen inside the raw material, the risk would lead to splitting the screw from the inside with disastrous consequences in many cases.
Critical components in terms of safety, in fact, have much more parameters than the others. stringent and should only be handled by expert operators.
Regardless of whether a component is critical to the safety of the car's occupants or not, all products are analyzed by machines, with cameras scanning at a breakneck paceand algorithms that determine if the finished product will be; worthy of the basket intended for packaging or it will end up; in that of waste. Scraps which, in any case, are not wasted, but are controlled and eventually returned to the foundry to be recycled.
Over the years, the ability – to meet the specifications of critical uses and quality controls; tight contracts allowed OEB (acronym of Officine Egidio Brugola) to obtain important contracts with the automotive world, from the one with the Volkswagen group in 1981 to the one with Ford, first for the I4 engine in 1996, then with the exclusive all Ford Europe engines in 2006.
A TALK WITH JODY 
Jody is a great guy. a pragmatic man and an entrepreneur who is not afraid to get his hands dirty. In the midst of the answers to the questions of a small round table, the figure of an innovator faithful to the image of the classic Brianza entrepreneur emerges, one of those still directly linked to the company and actively involved in its management.< /p>
The need to to pass on knowledge
When asked about the future of the company, Jody tackles the issue of training and the need to develop new skills. to pass on knowledge to a new generation that seems to no longer want to; compare with manual work. Although OEB has embraced all welfare policies, with wages already in place. above minimums and incentives for the lowest salary ranges. low, up to 50,000€, the shadow of a trend remains perhaps marked by a generational shift.
To deal with it OEB is the best way to deal with it. committed to multiple fronts: the Brugola Academy trains the new recruits internally, given the high need for of specialization, and almost certainly guarantees placement in the company. In addition there is a a constant evolution of machinery and systems, in order to simplify the life of line operators, always however; necessary and fundamental given that it is not; a job that can be automated with robots.
The trend is; obvious: who is it? more young, and he is entering the world of work now, it is not so; attracted by production jobs even if these offer a permanent place, welfare and stability, but this also has repercussions outside the corporate context and there is no longer a job; that generation made up of people who knew where to put their hands for small maintenance or repair jobs on cars and mopeds. The mechanics are; become unattractive…
Electricity is available. a threat?
Jody does not hide that, on a personal level, he still prefers the classic internal combustion engine, but this does not mean being blind to the changes, and this is demonstrated by the OEB orders themselves which are growing significantly in the electric world on all fronts. However, it remains convinced that the transition will not be; immediate, and that the heat engine still has a lot to say: after all, its screws are the basis of these units, and if the orders and numbers remain high, there will be more. a reason, right?
By launching, like several other entrepreneurs, an appeal to politics to draw a clear line since there is now a crisis. even geopolitics to complicate an energy transition that seemed written in stone, Jody replies that OEB is still the case. destined to grow, regardless of the direction it takes; the wind. Allen key is ready for conversion, should this be definitive, and has already clear plans for expansion.
What about sustainability?
This is a theme dear to Jody, a supporter of many initiatives in OEB. In 2019 it is started the process of eliminating plastic within the production process, compensating for the 20% that could not be eliminated. Disposable paper is also safe. been eliminated, replaced with washable and reusable technical cloths, and CO2 compensation initiatives have been embraced as well as the use of LEDs, the channeling of heat from the production departments to the rest of the building for heating, the choice of new inverters for the machinery(more efficient) or the aeroponic cultivation project using the CO2 emitted for the plants which will then be used by the zero kilometer canteen which will open next year in an old disused building to be equipped with photovoltaics and the latest energy saving technologies.
Perhaps the most difficult process. important is; still in progress: it is the recovery of the oils which are ubiquitous and fundamental in production. The first year, however, yielded very encouraging results because the students were able to study. 100 tons have been recovered in order to use them again. The work obviously continues and on the one hand the aim is to increase the amount recovered, on the other we want to reduce the consumption of both oil and gas for the six kiln lines.
At the end of the process, all the residual emissions that will not be was possible to eliminate, it will be; plywood with Forever Bambù already launched in 2021 for the creation of new forests in Italy.
Are screws in danger?
Are die-cast frames, the frantic pursuit of weight reduction and 3D printing threats to screws? I think not, there is a It was the glue trend in the past, but the screws survived. Do they have technology that can; sound stupid but it's very functional and 3D printers are yes; It's a great tool for prototyping, but I can't keep up with the pace and volume. necessary in the world of production. Progress can lend a hand to the development, but it must be exploited well and sensibly.
Price and top performance? Xiaomi 13, buy it at the best price from eBay for 469 euros.