Idra Group

Idra Group (Idra S.r.l.; originally Idra Presse S.p.A.) is a manufacturer of die casting machinery, founded in 1946 in Brescia, Italy.^[1] The company is notable for producing the largest high-pressure die casting machines in the world.^[2]

Idra Group

Formerly	Idra Presse Idra Costruzioni Idromeccaniche Bresciane
Company type	Private
Industry	Die casting
Founded	1946; 79 years ago (1946) in Brescia, Italy
Founder	Adamo Pasotti
Headquarters	Travagliato , Italy
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Riccardo Ferrario
Products	Giga Press Die-casting machines
Revenue	€87 million (2015)
Number of employees	161 (2015)
Parent	LK Machinery
Subsidiaries	Idra North America inc. - Idra Mexico - Idra Pressen GmbH - Idra China ltd.

History

The company was originally founded by Adamo Pasotti in 1944 or 1946 with the factory located on via Triumplina in Brescia.^[3]

By 1956, Idra was seeking to export its die-casting machines outside Italy.^[4]

By 1971, an Idra OL-1200 S machine was being used to cast motor components weighing 7 kilograms (15 lb) for Porsche cars.^[5]

Idra General Manager John Stokes (left) with Sandy Munro in front of the 9000t Giga Press for the Tesla Cybertruck

In March 2024, Riccardo Ferrario retired as general manager of Idra, with the role being taken over by John Stokes.^[6][7]

Hot years

During Italy's Years of Lead in the 1970s, Giovanni Maifredi worked at Idra as a warehouse worker, having been provided with a job without having any qualifications.^[8] Following the Piazza della Loggia bombing in Brescia on 28 May 1974, Idra factory workers organised a fifteen-day strike action and picket line outside the Idra factory.^[9]

Original site

The original factory site at via Triumplina 43 in the north of Brescia was developed into the Triumplina Retail Park, requiring construction of new roundabout junctions.^[10]

Ownership

Sunrise over Idra factory

As of 2006^[update], Idra was 30% owned by the Intesa Sanpaolo Bank, with 70% of the remaining shares acquired by LK Machinery, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.^[1]

For the year 2015, Idra employed 161 people, and had a turnover of €87 million, with a profit of €3 million.^[3]

By 2016, LK Machinery had acquired the remainder of the outstanding shares.^[1]

Development

Boxed up Giga Press die casting machine outside Idra factory

In 2000, Idra filed a patent application for die casting machine designed to produce two separate castings simultaneously from a single injection of liquid metal.^[11]

On August 20, 2020, the first Giga Press installed at a U.S. electric-car-only manufacturer customer produced good castings, astounding the market and sweeping away skepticism about the viability of the final product: a light alloy structural component weighing more than 100 kg. Today IDRA continues to amaze the world with its innovations and impressive die casting machines, which reach capacities of up to 9,000 tons. From the launch of the first manual press in 1947 to the introduction of the Giga Press in 2019, the company has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to excellence and leadership in the industry. Its history is a testament to the strength and determination that characterize the industrial fabric of Brescia and its impact on the global manufacturing landscape. IDRA’s technological insights and achievements have changed the foundry world by helping propel it toward the goals of sustainability and decarbonization.

As of May 2025^[update], Idra were providing sponsorship to Prema Racing starting with the Indycar 2025 Indianapolis 500.^[12] The Idra-sponsored car driven by Robert Shwartzman took pole position in qualifying.^[13][14]