In 1945, Carlo Leopoldo Lualdi, a former partner in a surgery clinic, decided to produce surgical instruments in post-war Friuli, interpreting the demands of the market, that was experiencing a lack of supply for these products. The first Lima plant (where Lima stood for Lualdi Industrie Meccaniche Anduins) was established in Anduins, a small town in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, in north-eastern Italy.

1950-1960: The industrial activities expanded to new, highly technological sectors. In 1953 the first helicopter prototype was created, the first model relying solely on Italian technology. In the following years, Aerlualdi, another company, was founded, which built other helicopter models called L57 and L59. The latter received airworthiness certification in 1960.

1960-1970: In 1968, Carlo Leopoldo Lualdi handed over the company management to his son Gabriele, who became sole director of Lima at the early age of 24. In 1969, Lima SPA (Lavorazioni Industriali Metalli ed Affini) was founded; it was based in Flagogna. The factory was designed for the processing of titanium, a new material which was recently being used in the industry, and of other special materials. The employment of innovative materials in the production of components for the aerospace, motor, and mechanical sectors, and of orthopedic devices represented a turning point in the life and development of the company.

1970-1980: The 1976 earthquake resulted in a profound transformation of the group: the earthquake destroyed the Anduins plant, which was replaced by a new production plant in Casiacco; the Flagogna plant was seriously damaged, but it was quickly made operational again.

In the Casiacco plant the production of orthopedic supplies rapidly developed. In cooperation with an important Orthopedic Surgery Institute in Udine, hip and knee prostheses were designed, patented, and produced; these prostheses were very successful both in Italy and abroad because of their markedly innovative features. On 16 January 1980, Carlo Leopoldo Lualdi passed away, marking the end of the first part of Lima's history, a time of great industrial development, diversification, and ongoing technological progress.

1980-1990: The activities developed in the course of the previous decade gained new impulse, growth required greater specialization, and several new companies were founded, transforming the company into a Group. Consistent investments in new technologies opened the way to the use of computers; their application to management, planning, and numerical control of machine tools confirmed the Group's tendency to pursue high technological standards.

1990-2000: Fifty years after its foundation, a period of time marked by constant growth, the Group today employs 200 people in four strategic business fields: orthopedics, aerospace, mechanics, and motors. Significant cross-strategies between the various sectors have been developed in research, planning, and production. All companies in the Group now implement total quality assurance systems.

Dal 2000: The changed market conditions suggested the need for new strategic choices and a company reorganization, in order to seize important opportunities for growth. Tommaso Lualdi, who represents the third generation in the company, has taken charge of production activities, which are not only based in Flagogna any longer, but also abroad. The Group's organizational development has created a management that is fully equipped to continue the vast program of research and product development, and international expansion, making use of the best suited financial tools to support the company's growth.