(Società Apparecchi Elettrici e Scientifici) was formed in Florence at the initiative of Ernesto Gabbrielli, an engineer from Montecatini Terme and two other shareholders.

The impetus for the foundation of the company was the discovery by Gabbrielli of a new method for the production of getters, with nickel lids to protect barium plastics, to prevent the phenomenon of oxidation.

A period began that was distinguished by major innovations, supported by the Research and Development Laboratory, notably the invention of ring-shaped getters in barium-aluminium alloy.

continued to invest in scientific research during a period of major change in the electronics sector, characterised by the extensive spread of transistors, to the detriment of vacuum tubes intended for radio and television reception and transmission.

presented a new configuration of getter, consisting of a metallic tape coated with St 101 alloy, obtained from the combination of zirconium and aluminium.

[3] During the second half of the 1990s, with the succession of technologies in the field of televisions, SAES Getters, sensing the importance of new market developments, expanded its own field of production and focused on technologies widespread in the flat display sector, in particular, mercury dispensers for backlight lamps for LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) for monitors and televisions.

Furthermore, during this period, the company developed highly innovative technologies and processes for the depositing of getters on silicon wafers for so-called MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems), miniaturised devices intended for various applications, such as sensors and gyroscopes.

NiTiNol is the commercial name of shape memory alloys used in medicine and the SAES group is one of the major international suppliers of this material.

SAES then launched the production of SMA wires and springs for industrial applications at its Italian facilities, with these now concentrated at its headquarters in Lainate.

[7] The group is also strengthening its presence in the field of purification, with the acquisition of a division of the company Power & Energy (Ivyland, Pennsylvania, United States), with the aim of expanding its production of palladium membrane purifiers.

From 2013 onwards, further developments of the polymer technological platform have permitted the group to execute new functional polymer compounds, with the properties of interacting with the gases and optical, mechanical and surface modifying functions, according to the requirements and applications of interest, including implantable medical devices, food packaging and the field of energy storage (lithium batteries and super condensers).

SAES Getters deals with designing new materials on a theoretical level, developing new alloys on an industrial scale, and modeling and manufacturing new components.

It is a bundle of technologies grown at SAES to develop advanced polymeric materials that integrate getter properties and rapidly expand towards other functionalities.

The SAES group provides advanced technological solutions to the electronic devices of a wide range of markets, including the aeronautical, medical, industrial, security, defence, and basic research sectors.

The products developed in this division include getters of different types and formats, alkaline metal dispensers, cathodes, and materials for thermal management.

The company produces pumps based on non-vaporable getter materials (NEG), which can be applied in both industrial and scientific fields (for example, in analytical instrumentation, vacuum systems for research activities, and particle accelerators).

The SAES group produces semi-finished products, components, and devices in shape memory alloy, and a special alloy made of nickel-titanium (NiTinol), characterized by super-elasticity (a property that allows the material to withstand even large deformations, returning then to its original form) and by the property of assuming predefined forms when subjected to heat treatment.

Originally designed and used for the protection of OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) displays and lamps, these new materials are now being tailored also for new areas such as food packaging and implantable medical devices among others.

Relying on the same FPC platform, the group is also active in the field of new-generation electrochemical devices for energy storage, such as super-capacitors and lithium batteries, primarily intended for the market of hybrid and electric engines.