Case Studies

The Challenge

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.

The Solution

Our team designed a machine with an extremely powerful welding head. The high temperatures and multiple fabric pullers which feed the fabric and the core into the machine enable production at very high speeds. A heavy-duty structure was designed, with components and motors selected explicitly to withstand the high-volume manufacturing output required by the customer. Individual software modifications were made to perfectly synchronize the welding speed with the temperature of the heating element.

When tested, this machine was so fast that we had to spread the keder strap and the core on the full length of the floor in our production hall. In just over a minute, the material was finished.

Custom-made manufacturing software, nozzles, and welding wheels.

To supervise the production and performance of the machine, our software team developed a program to monitor the total amount of welding hours, the total amount in which the heating element would be operative, and a daily counter to monitor and register the hours the machines operated throughout the week. A series of guides, welding wheels and nozzles were created to ensure creation of high-quality keders.

This machine was successfully installed in the Netherlands.