A visit to the Arduino factory on DomusWeb
The entire manufacturing process (except for certain purchased components) [of Arduino boards] takes place in and around Strambino, Ivrea, in a context dominated by the small- and medium-sized companies that are typical of Italian industrial districts and of the “Made in Italy” phenomenon itself.
Ivrea’s history is another interesting part of the picture. The city was intimately tied to the presence of Olivetti, a company with a legacy of incredible electronics know-how, and an entire generation of experts. In fact, the Interaction Design Institute was established in a former Olivetti building randomly covered with blue tiles — just like the Arduino boards. The company still exists as a brand, but it is no longer involved in design and development. If Olivetti had not been there before, maybe Arduino would not exist today.
This is an extract from an article by Alice Mela and published today on DomusWeb.
March 16th, 2013 at 18:29:01
Sorry Arduino
“Made in China” is higher quality an “Made in italy”.
March 18th, 2013 at 02:09:50
I remember Olivetti. a Hello from Indonesia.
March 21st, 2013 at 01:05:00
@ FX. Absolute nonsense! I’d go for Made in Italy any day over Made in China. I have an RS-485 network of Arduinos running constantly and they have never failed. The minimal OEM packaging is delightful and the English instructions are actually in proper English! The online community and documentation are also both excellent and very helpful. Keep up the good work Arduino factory! 🙂
March 21st, 2013 at 01:47:14
Let’s be honest, it’s not where it’s made, it’s who makes it and what quality controls are put in place.
China has cheaper labour.
March 23rd, 2013 at 10:39:14
A nice picture above – showing that these companies working as DIY hobbyists without any knowledge of ESD issues – I would never use such companies. They are far away from industry standards …
– ESD handling as mentioned
– proper lightning of workplaces
– cleanness of workplaces
March 25th, 2013 at 04:22:06
I learned to type on Olivetti typewriter in the late 70′ greetings from Iceland 🙂
March 28th, 2013 at 11:59:03
Great Article..!!
April 4th, 2013 at 05:51:40
My Dad worked for Olivetti for a while and, back in the late 70s, after he’d left and after I had left college (with my trusty Olivetti Dora) I moved to London and also got a job at Olivetti. Some years later I was in Italy for work (for another company) and I found time to visit Ivrea. Most recently I have just bought an Arduino Uno and it’s a pleasant surprise to discover the Olivetti connection. Olivetti were renowned for their cutting edge product and graphic design. It’s a real shame the company no longer exists.
(Wellington, NZ)
April 9th, 2013 at 01:26:50
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April 10th, 2013 at 03:54:31
Wow, such nationalist fervor!… China, Italy, USA, wherever. All have good and bad… What do you like best, Chinese or Italian women (or men… or American)? If you get the right one, they’re good (great, even) – a bad one can ruin your life…
My point is this: observe and adopt the best stuff you see, don’t worry about where it came from, but maybe look into why it is/isn’t good. Don’t succumb to your (irrational) prejudice.
Olivetti was a great one, and I had one of their typewriters too, until it just became too antiquated to keep. Electronic innovation got rid of that once great mechanical innovation… stay tuned