CAMS: a Quarter-Century Serving the Recycling Industry

Anniversaries are not only a moment to celebrate the journey so far: they are above all an opportunity to look ahead. A future that CAMS, an Italian company specializing in the design and manufacture of machinery and plants for recycling aggregates, milled asphalt, glass and various other materials, has been building for 25 years through a concrete vision of the industry: identifying unmet needs and finding solutions to address them.

On Friday 22 and Saturday 23 May, at the Extrema Kart circuit in Finale Emilia (MO), more than 400 guests – including customers, dealers, partners and stakeholders from across Italy, Europe, the USA, Latin America and Australia – attended the event organised to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary. The celebration featured go-kart races, concerts and convivial moments in true Emilian style, as well as an opportunity to discuss the evolving prospects of the market.

From the very beginning, CAMS chose to develop machines capable of shifting perspective: on one hand, reducing the use of new raw materials through material recovery; on the other, cutting emissions linked to processing and to end-of-life stages. This vision has translated into the design of advanced technological solutions for the treatment and recycling of complex materials, with applications in construction, road infrastructure and, more recently, agriculture.

Hybrid for Recycling: the CAMS’s Way

CAMS machines are therefore designed to be sustainable on two levels: they enable the recovery of materials that would otherwise be destined for disposal, and they operate through hybrid, electric and renewable energy systems. The company’s technological development path has led over the years to a progressive evolution of its solutions, culminating in increasingly efficient and sustainable systems, including machines that integrate new forms of energy supply, from solar to wind.

Among the key technical features is slow-speed shredding, which preserves the quality of processed materials while reducing noise and dust.

“Every year, 40% of our turnover comes from customers who already use our machines. This is an important recognition for us and a solid foundation on which to build our future,” says Marco Trentini, CEO and Chairman of CAMS.

“Our approach is simple: if you identify a need, meet it,” explains Marco Venturi, the company’s technical director. “In our industry, we have always developed machines designed to solve concrete problems that traditional technologies were unable to address“. Among the most recent areas of development are the recycling of materials such as plasterboard and polystyrene, and the agricultural sector. Cams technologies are applied in the processing of prunings and organic materials for biomass production, as well as supporting the operations of farming businesses and agricultural contractors in the construction and maintenance of rural road infrastructure, helping to extend operational activities beyond seasonal constraints.

Key Milestones since 2001

Founded in 2001 by a group of technicians and engineers with over 15 years of experience in the industry, Cams was initially established to provide assistance and maintenance for road machinery.

“From the very first months, however, a broader vision emerged: the acquisition of the Tem brand – a historic manufacturer of glass crushing plants – marked a strategic turning point even then,” recalls Filippo D’Addato, COO of the company. “A move that allowed CAMS to integrate consolidated expertise and begin developing innovative solutions for the recycling of inert materials“.

Technological innovation has therefore been the true driving force from the outset. Key product milestones include:

• 2003: expansion of the UTS range, the first transportable, compact, self-loading, electrically powered plants;
• 2005: introduction of the UTM range, self-propelled shredders on tracked undercarriage with hybrid power supply, a true “power revolution” in the industry;
• 2009: development of the “Centauro” plant, integrating shredding, screening and metal separation in a single machine. The Centauro 100.32, the first of the range and present at the event in both its vintage and current versions, represented a turning point thanks to its high performance and advanced telemetry systems for remote control via PC and mobile devices, in line with the principles of Industry 4.0.

Cams today: 7 product lines and 23 available models. Dozens of registered patents, including innovative solutions for simultaneous machine operation and hydraulic pushers.

In 2024, CAMS further strengthened its position with the acquisition of Malavasi G., a historic Italian company specialising in the design of machinery and equipment for the road-building Industry. The operation not only broadens the Group’s technological offering but also opens up development prospects in complementary markets.

There is more. Cams’ priority is to build awareness in practical terms: in partnership with a certification body, the company has trademarked the designation “Centro valorizzazione materiali” (Material Valorisation Centre) for recycling facilities that meet specific technical and environmental requirements.

“Why call them landfills? Words matter, they shape the way we perceive the material to be recycled: something to be given value, not a waste product,” says Andrea Trentini, Sales Director of Cams. “This initiative represents a cultural and linguistic shift before it is an industrial one. ‘Material Valorisation Centre’, exactly as they say in France, is a place where materials are recovered and given new value, making a concrete contribution to the circular economy.“

Machines on display at the event

During the two days, some of the most representative solutions from the Cams and Malavasi G. ranges were showcased, including:

• Centauro 100.32
• UTM 1200
• UTM 1800
• Pavijet MG7 Super
• Pavijet MG7 Super-e