Simex from Valli del Pasubio in northern Italy has been supplying construction companies with milling attachments, hydraulic hammers and screening buckets for over 30 years. The company is among the specialists that do not operate with their own carrier equipment, but develop attachments for hydraulic excavators, wheel loaders and mini excavators. Now the mid-sized company is attracting attention – not through marketing, but through its broad product range and technical solutions for earthworks, road construction and pipeline installation.
Product portfolio: Mills, hammers, screens – over 60 model variants
Simex manufactures milling attachments in several performance classes. The smallest models fit excavators from 1.5 tonnes, the largest work with carrier equipment up to 45 tonnes. The milling widths range from 600 to 2,500 millimetres. The equipment is used for trench excavation, breaking up asphalt and concrete, and soil stabilization. For earthwork operations, Simex also offers rotating screening buckets that separate material directly on the excavator. This saves transport distances and reduces the need for stationary screening plants.
The company also supplies hydraulic pulverizers that crush demolition material and special trench cleaning equipment for pipeline construction. The equipment is adapted to standard hydraulic excavators via quick couplers. This enables quick changeover on the construction site. If you operate a 20-tonne excavator with a Simex milling attachment, you can switch to a deep bucket or hydraulic hammer in the same shift.
Market positioning: Specialist between mass production and custom-built solutions
Simex occupies a niche between the attachment divisions of major OEMs such as Caterpillar and Liebherr and local workshops that manufacture individual pieces. The company produces in series but remains flexible enough for customer-specific customizations. For example, milling attachments with reduced working width and adapted tooth arrangement are supplied to municipal utilities with narrow sewer trenches. For quarry operators, there are reinforced models with hardened tool steel.
Prices are below those of premium manufacturers but above Chinese imports. A milling attachment for an 8-tonne excavator costs between 18,000 and 25,000 euros at Simex, depending on equipment and wear protection. For comparison: OEM equipment often costs 30 to 40 percent more but offers integrated telematics and warranty coverage tied to the carrier equipment. Chinese alternatives start at around 12,000 euros but often have shorter service life and less well-designed hydraulic connections.
Technical details: Hydraulic flow, wear protection, maintenance intervals
Simex mills operate with hydraulic flows between 80 and 400 litres per minute, depending on equipment size. The milling roller speed is 50 to 120 revolutions per minute. This is deliberately lower than some competitors: Simex focuses on high torque instead of high speed. This reduces wear on the milling teeth and lowers fuel consumption of the carrier equipment. A 20-tonne excavator with a Simex milling attachment consumes approximately 18 litres of diesel per hour in continuous operation. With a high-speed mill from other manufacturers, consumption is 22 to 24 litres.
The milling teeth are designed as wear parts and can be replaced individually. Simex specifies a service life of 200 to 300 operating hours for standard soils. In highly abrasive material such as basalt or recycled concrete, service life is halved. Changing teeth takes about 5 minutes per piece if the operator is experienced. For a complete milling roller with 40 teeth, that is approximately 3.5 hours of downtime. Costs per tooth range between 25 and 60 euros, depending on material and supplier.
Applications: Where Simex equipment actually works
Typical applications for Simex mills are cable trenches for power grid operators, drainage ditches in agriculture and foundation excavation in residential construction. A mid-sized earthworks company from southern Germany uses a Simex mill on a 14-tonne excavator for fibre-optic lines. The milling width is 800 millimetres, trench depth up to 1.5 metres. The excavator achieves 80 to 100 metres of trench per hour in loamy soil. For comparison: with a deep bucket and manual finishing, performance is 50 to 60 metres.
In road construction, Simex equipment is used for asphalt removal and kerb stone removal. A rotating mill partly replaces the cold mill here, especially on small construction sites or in city centres with restricted access. The work quality is lower than a self-propelled mill, but economically worthwhile for repair areas under 50 square metres. Payback is approximately 300 to 400 operating hours when accounting for saved outsourcing costs.
Why Italian specialists are becoming more visible
Simex is not the only Italian manufacturer growing in attachment technology. Companies such as MB Crusher or Allu dominate the market for screening buckets and pulverizers. The reason lies in the combination of technical expertise, flexible production and favourable cost structure. Italy has a long tradition in mechanical engineering, especially in northern Italy around Brescia, Bergamo and Vicenza. The region has been producing hydraulic components, tool steel and wear parts for decades. This ensures short supply chains and low procurement costs.
At the same time, specialists benefit from market saturation among major OEMs. If you buy a Komatsu or Volvo excavator today, you pay for the brand but not necessarily for superior attachment technology. Many operators therefore turn to third-party manufacturers as long as the hydraulic connection is correct and spare parts are available. Simex supplies over 60 countries and has service partners in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Spare parts are typically delivered within 48 hours from the central warehouse in Italy.
Competition and market development
Simex competes with manufacturers such as FAE (Italy), Seppi (Italy), Rotar (Netherlands) and numerous Chinese suppliers. The market for milling attachments and rotating screening buckets grows by approximately 4 to 6 percent annually, driven by infrastructure projects and demand for flexible attachment technology. Demand for equipment that combines multiple functions is particularly increasing in Northern Europe and North America. A screening bucket with integrated gripper function or a mill with variable tooth system saves changeover time and increases equipment utilization.
Major excavator manufacturers such as JCB and CASE offer their own attachments but often only cover the best-selling standard models. For specialized applications, the market remains open. Simex exploits this gap and focuses on modular systems: a mill can be adapted for different soil types by exchanging the roller or teeth. This reduces inventory at dealers and increases availability for end customers.
Conclusion: Solid specialist without revolution
Simex supplies proven technology at market prices. The company is not a hidden champion with disruptive innovation but a reliable supplier for operations seeking attachment technology without brand markup. Product quality is in the upper mid-range, spare parts supply works, amortization periods are calculable. For fleet operators wanting to equip multiple excavators with attachments, Simex is an economical alternative to OEM solutions. Those focusing on maximum service life, integrated telematics and warranty coverage are better served by major manufacturers.
Simex's rise shows that in the construction machinery industry, it's not just global corporations that grow. Specialized mid-sized companies with technical expertise and flexible customer service gain market share, especially in segments too small or complex for the large players. This applies not only to milling attachments but also to other areas of attachments – from grippers to pulverizers to sorting systems.
