Nel 1981 Marco Zambolin, attuale presidente SINTRA, deposita il primo brevetto di quella che diventerà la tecnologia MiX-IND®. È l’inizio del periodo di ricerca di base e la nascita dei canali perforati. I primissimi prototipi di canali perforati sono stati realizzati in polietilene trasparente, simili a quelli utilizzati per la ventilazione delle serre. Ciò permetteva di modificare facilmente le forature in loco durante le prove.

Il periodo di ricerca di base continua in collaborazione e con il contributo di CNR-ENEA Comitato Nazionale per la Ricerca e lo sviluppo dell’Energia Nucleare e delle Energie Alternative. Questo periodo ha permesso di consolare esperienze importanti, in particolare sui fenomeni di stratificazione e di pressurizzazione nei fabbricati di grande altezza.

It all began in 1981 with the analysis of air stratification and underpressure issues in a 10,000 m², 18-meter-high building at the PIRELLI plant in Milan Bicocca.
It was during this time that the first patent was filed for what would later become the MIX-IND® technology—a unique approach to HVAC system design based on the physical principle of “induction,” using supply air to set the entire ambient air mass in motion at the desired velocity.
This led to the invention of the first perforated ducts.

A two-year period of fundamental research began in collaboration with, and with the support of, CNR and ENEA. This phase helped consolidate numerous experiences and further establish MIX-IND® technology in the market.

This was followed by 12 years of applied research under the most extreme and challenging conditions, aimed at defining the limits of the technology’s applicability—particularly in the automotive industry and with the PSA Group, a long-standing SINTRA client for over 30 years.

SINTRA was officially founded with the mission of promoting MIX-IND® technology across all industrial sectors, including the tertiary sector.
The company quickly specialized in the most aerodynamically complex buildings—characterized by large volumes and high ceilings—offering unique performance unmatched in the market.

Starting in 2009, SINTRA began filing new patents based on the development of innovative technologies known as QPE (Quality Performance Efficiency). More than just products, these patents focus on technical solutions applicable to projects using perforated ducts.
In 2009, the SPIROPACK patent marked a turning point for SINTRA, enabling the company to scale up through a high-capacity automated production line: fabric ducts were progressively replaced by metal ducts.

The following year, in 2010, a new laboratory was established to enhance the performance of SINTRA’s technologies and strengthen its research and development efforts.

Since 2012, leveraging its new research and production laboratory, SINTRA has introduced a new approach to HVAC system design, launching next-generation installations that employ patented MIX-IND® technologies, applicable to the SPIROJET range of perforated ducts.
This allows SINTRA to offer both competitively priced perforated ducts on the open market and the exclusive MIX-IND® technologies, which—when integrated during the design phase—can reduce system costs by up to 50%.
The integrated training center within the production facility hosts technical workshops that bridge theory and practice, enhancing understanding of the company’s innovative technologies.

SINTRA is the leading European manufacturer of perforated metal ducts capable of combining ambient air induction and supply air diffusion for all types of applications.
The company continues its overseas expansion with the establishment of SINTRA USA in 2019, backed by a share capital of €150,000.