The Challenge
In the fall of 2015, one of Europe’s major sunshade-protection, based in Austria, contacted us. They were looking to set up a complete production line for roller blinds and required a solution to automate the manufacturing process for high-quality products of variable dimensions in under 2 minutes.
The finished product had to be strong, with flawlessly-welded seams. Furthermore, the aesthetic component of the final product just was as important as its strength. The edges of the fabric needed to be clean-cut and seared. The lower pocket-with-keder had to be visible in the finished product, in addition to being of superior quality. The tolerance of the diagonals on the finished product had to be less than 2 mm. The machine was to accommodate rolls of various weights and dimensions.
The Solution
Starting from the base of our SM-500-ZA machine for the automatic production of retractable insect screens, our engineering team designed a machine that automatically pulls the fabric off the roll, then cuts the fabric to size with twin motorized rotary blades while applying a coextruded PVC profile to the top while simultaneously creating a pocket-with-rope to the bottom. The last step is an automatic ultrasonic cross-cut and rewinding of the created products on an aluminum tube.
The new machine produces a perfectly cut and welded roller blind, rewound and ready for insertion in the box, in less than 90 seconds: 30 seconds less than the original goal!
Drastically reduced cycle time. Computerized order management.
Additionally, our automation team developed a software interface connecting the machine’s manufacturing software and the customer’s order database system for total automation of the order management and handling.
A series of cleverly designed tools ensure the welded seams are perfectly flat and straight. The powerful motorized electric rotary blade cuts through the profile and pocket with speed and precision, while the ultrasonic blade creates perfectly seared cuts on the sides of the blind.
The machine has been operating in our customer’s plant in Austria since 2015.
