Case Studies
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Anti-Vandalism Straps
Welding Machines
One of Europe’s chief manufacturers of truck curtains and a long-time SMRE customer requested the development of a fully automatic welding machine to produce anti-vandalism straps. The straps were to be used on the automatic welding station. The SM-321-HA that we previously supplied to this customer created perfectly cut and welded anti-vandalism truck curtains with 13 horizontal straps and up to 92 vertical straps with one operator in just under 30 minutes.
Truck Tarpaulins
Welding Machines
Following the inception of our SM-321-HA series conveyor welding station, which reduced the production time of a single truck tarpaulin from many man-hours to 18-25 minutes), we developed the SM-370-HA. This flatbed multiple tool, multiple bridge index welding machines is built for the fully automatic production of truck tarpaulin and roofs in record-breaking cycle times.
Multiple Technologies Fabric Cutting
Cutting Machines
The largest manufacturer of roller blinds in zebra and other fabrics in Brazil requested a custom-sized cutting plotter that would allow them to cut an infinite range of technical fabrics in a single machine. The company uses polyesters, acrylics, PVC-coated fiberglass, blackout PVC, and crystal (clear) PVC. The shapes are generally square or rectangular but can include cuts in triangular or other complex shapes. An additional challenge was that the company is located in the center of Sao Paulo, where available warehouse space was limited, and they were required to process rolls with widths up to 3,2 m.
XXL Sun Screens
Sunshade production
One of our large customers – a company from Belgium that previously acquired panel cutting machines, a cutting plotter, and a welder with combined hot air and hot melt (liquid glue) technology, requested a custom-sized plotter with rotary blades to square-cut extra-large panels of welded or stitched-together screen materials used to make XXL roller blinds for public buildings.
Camper Awnings
Welding Machines
One of the largest manufacturers in the world of RV campers, based in the U.S, commissioned the development and construction of a hot air welding machine that would produce camper awnings in high volumes. The seams were required to be both aesthetically pleasing and extremely durable to withstand the tension on the awning’s surface, including the fact that the produced awnings would be frequently opened-and-shut.
Cinema Screens
Cutting and Sewing Machines
A Dutch international manufacturer of movie screens requested a solution to automate the cutting and sewing of their products. Movie screens are made with a costly PVC-coated material to enhance the quality of the projected videos. The patterns are rectangular, with straight or curved edges and small holes that are used to mount the screen on an aluminum structure. After the cut, velcro straps are sewn to the back of the fabric.
Tents and Shelter
Welding Machines
A leading manufacturer of PVC-coated tents in Abu Dhabi commissioned us to develop a continuous welding station to produce wall panels for their extra-large tents. The goal was to speed up their semi-automatic production cycles while simultaneously creating durable and aesthetically pleasing seams. The seams’ ability to withstand pressure was critical due to the safety issues concerned once the heavy PVC panels are mounted in the tent structures.
RV Awnings
Welding and Cutting Machines
A leading manufacturer of RV accessories commissioned the construction and development of a multiple-head welding machine for the high-volume production of PVC-coated awnings. This machine was required work straight off the mother-roll and make a pocket with rope insert on both sides of the fabric. Occasionally, it would be required to weld a 50 cm wide strip to the mother roll. The seams had to be both extremely strong and aesthetically pleasing. The pocket around the rope insert would have to be tight and without crinkles.
Pool Covers
Welding and Cutting Machines
Located in Amsterdam, NY, one of the global leading manufacturers of PVC-coated textiles commissioned the development of a continuous welding and cutting machine to speed up their production of swimming pool covers. Until this time, they had been cut manually and welded with HF and impulse welders. Pool-covers contain extra-large panels of bubble wrap that, once spread on the water surface, keep the heat in and the dirt out of the water.
Stabilization of Crystal PVC
Cutting Machines
A manufacturer of quality terrace covers for domestic and commercial use, with large see-through walls and windows in crystal (clear) PVC, commissioned the development of a solution to stabilize this challenging material. When exposed to sunlight and heat, crystal PVC can shrink and ruffles, creating ugly crinkles in the end-product. This shrinking can be serious in large crystal PVC sheets, so much even that the sides where a keder or a zipper is welded are pulled out of the structure.
Keders
Welding Machines
One of Europe’s prime manufacturers of high-quality keders initially procured a SolarEdge Automated Machines’ welding machine. As the company grew and its order processing increased, they made the decision to commission a new machine that could manufacture twice as fast. Like the original machine, the seams had to be extremely durable due to the heavy-duty applications of keders (automotive, tensile structures, etc.). The customer required the welds around the core to be fitted and closed. Wrinkles in the fabric were to be avoided at any cost, and the final product was required to look perfect.
Roller Blinds
Welding and Cutting Machines
One of Europe’s foremost sun-protection system manufacturers, located in Austria commissioned to SolarEdge Automation Machines a complete production line for roller blinds. Ultimately, they were looking to automate their manufacturing process in order to create a high-quality product of variable dimensions in under two minutes. The finished product was strong, so seams had to be thoroughly welded and appealing. For this client, the aesthetic component of the product was just as important as its durability.
Flexible Duct Pipes
Welding and Cutting Machines
A French manufacturer of mining industry ventilation tubes commissioned us to build a complete production line to fully automate their manufacturing process. The end-products are tubes with diameters up to 3 m in very heavy, flexible PVC.
Trailer Curtains (SM-321-HA)
Welding Machines
A major manufacturer of trailer curtains commissioned the development of a machine that would speed up the production process of their trailer curtains. This market-leading customer produces up to 500 curtains per week, and their manual process took up to three people around 3 hours per curtain. Their goal was to reduce the cycle time to under 40 minutes, with a single operator, while retaining the automotive quality requirements of having durable seams.
Curtains with Anti-Vandalism Cables
Welding Machines
A truck curtains manufacturer requested the transformation of our SM-321-HA for the automatic production of truck curtains into a machine to weld the horizontal and vertical anti-vandalism straps (PVC straps with steel cable insert). On a standard truck curtain, 90 vertical anti-vandalism straps and 13 horizontal straps had to be applied.
Complete Awnings Production Line
Sunshade Production Machines
A newly established company from Northern Italy reached out to us to develop a complete production line for quality awnings. SolarEdge Automation Machines was contracted to not only supply a series of cutting, welding and sewing machines, but integrate the manufacturing stations with a custom developed software to keep track of orders, production progress, and available stock of fabrics and other materials.
Roller Blinds in Zebra Fabrics
Sunshade Production Machines
One of Spain's leading manufacturers of high-end roller blinds requested an automated solution to create panels, both square-shaped and rectangular, using hard-to-handle materials such as zebra-fabrics and screen. This machine needed to cut with extreme precision: panels for roller blinds must be perfectly square to ensure that they roll up-and-down perfectly straight. Since the blinds' edges are in plain view, the cuts must be immaculate and seared to avoid fraying.
Agricultural Covers
Welding Machines
A Dutch customer who specialized in the production of very large agricultural covers in polyethylene requested a fully automatic multiple-roll welding station with hot air technology. The machine we created would be required to create sheets of infinite lengths with overlaps and left and right pockets with a rope insertion. Fabric came from two heavyweight bobbins, with widths up to 2,9 m. Off-cut material would need to be rewound so that it could be reused on the same machine.
Green Houses
Welding Machines
A Belgian manufacturer needed to multiply its production output of high-end polyethylene thermoplastic fabric greenhouses and agricultural covers. These sheets are exceptionally large, with widths up to 7 m and lengths up to 11 m, and consist of up to 4 individual panels welded together. The short sides of each sheet require a pocket with a steel cable insert to mount the sheet over the aluminum greenhouse structure. The long sides also have reinforcing hems.
Static Worktop Machine for Pergolas
Welding Machines
A leading manufacturer of quality pergola systems in Italy needed to significantly increase their manufacturing output. At the time, their pergola system production line, including the cutting of the PVC-coated panels and the application of the omega and anti-drip profiles, was completely manual. The company was initially focused on the production and marketing of awnings and blinds, but made the strategic decision to push their pergola systems.
Cutting Solutions for Shade Sails
Sunshade Production Machines
A manufacturing company in Istanbul, Turkey, purchased a very large cutting plotter to produce shade sails. As the sails were up to 21 m long and mostly in PVC-coated textiles, we recommended our “classic” SM-330-TA cutting plotter with a conveyor belt for infinite cutting lengths. However, the customer had a lot of space available and was interested to see the patterns spread out after each cut to provide a fast, visual quality inspection. For this reason, they insisted on a static bed cutting plotter from our SM-375-series.
Conveyor Machine for Pergolas
Welding Machines
One of Europe’s largest high-end pergola system manufacturers requested an automated machine to apply extruded omega profiles on PVC-coated textiles, while significantly increasing their production volumes. The company specialized in large and XL pergola systems supplied globally and was interested in a solution to automate their manufacturing processes and apply multiple profiles simultaneously, as opposed to one at a time.
Double Edge Welded Roller Blinds
Sunshade production
A leading manufacturer of roller blinds in the USA requested to develop a machine to automatically create quality blinds in PVC-coated screen fabrics. The panels had to be perfectly square and, more importantly, the cuts needed a double seared edge. This is done by first using a hot wheel that rolls over the fabric during the pull, then again with an ultrasonic knife. The customer also required the machine to be compact and easy to use, with automatic fabric feeding and rewinding of the cut panel on the aluminum tube.
Tents
Sunshade production
The leading manufacturer of PVC-coated tents in Abu Dhabi reached out to us with a request to develop a continuous welding station that can produce wall panels for their extra-large tents. Their goal was to speed up their semi-automatic production cycles while creating durable yet visually appealing seams. The seams’ durability of was of utmost importance due to the safety issues involved with heavy PVC panels mounted on the tent structures.