Aluro, the Belgian specialist in Thermal Break assembly of aluminium profiles with plastic strips, is celebrating its Aluroller EVO. This machine is the newest development of the Belgian specialist, and is now the only machine in the world to consistently deliver correct, stress-free insulated aluminium profiles and for the first time right, with zero defects. It also allows for quick conversion from one to the next kind of profile with its own specifications and measurements.
Aluro celebrates the Aluroller EVO
Celebrations are in order at Aluro. For no less than 6 years, the Belgian market leader in Thermal Break Assembly of aluminium profiles has invested all its R&D resources to develop an innovative machine that is ready to assemble the most futuristic and qualitative aluminium window and door profiles. To celebrate the launch of the Aluroller EVO, Aluro has published a new website – www.aluroller-evo.com. It is clear that Aluro is ready to address a market which has undergone significant changes in recent years.
“We’ve noticed that the market of window isolation is rapidly changing”, explains Head of R&D Peter De Roovere. “Since a few years, consumers are demanding better isolation. Not only in Europe, but also in the Middle East, North America and over the entire world really. Partly, this is because consumers are feeling the effect of rising energy prices in their wallet, but people are also growing more conscious of the effects of global warming. Energy consumption has increased tremendously, and will only incline further in the years to come.”
“But this has not been the only evolution in our market”, De Roovere continues. “In several parts of the world, governments are also imposing stricter regulations when it comes to isolation standards. In Europe, for example, all new buildings need to be passive by 2021. This has been determined by the EPBD directive (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive). That means that these buildings need to be more energy efficient, reducing their ecological footprint. This can only be achieved by using high quality isolation. Window manufacturers and providers of isolation technology have recognized this drastic change in legislation and in consumer demand. They are already developing new technologies to live up to these changing market requirements.”
“At Aluro, of course we are in close contact with our customers who are active in window manufacturing. But we also maintain close relationships with the providers of isolation strips and other isolation technologies. Both groups have come to us with the request to build a new machine that will allow a qualitative assembly of the aluminum profiles in which these new isolation technologies can easily and effectively be inserted. Plus they asked for a machine that could to be set up quickly and that would achieve shorter cycle times than is the case with any other machine that is currently available. Not an easy task, but a challenge we have gladly taken on with our dedicated team. All of these requests have been carefully assessed, and they have now resulted in the Aluroller EVO. This machine is not the next version of an already existing product line. It is a completely new generation of our Aluroller, enabling much more flexibility, efficiency and profitability, but also allowing our customers to implement Lean Manufacturing.”
The first Aluroller EVO has already been installed at Reynaers Aluminium in Duffel, not too far from Aluro’s headquarters in Heist-op-den-Berg. For over 50 years, Reynaers has grown into a leading European specialist in the development and marketing of innovative and sustainable aluminium solutions for windows, doors, curtain walling, sliding systems, sun screening and conservatories. Besides offering an extensive range of standard solutions, the company also develops solutions that are tailored to the individual customer or project. Research, product development and testing are conducted at the Reynaers Institute, the sector’s largest private innovation and testing centre, located in Duffel (Belgium). In addition, the company also provides extensive technical support and advice to fabricators, contractors and architects.
Robert Van Herck, Production Supervisor at Reynaers Aluminium Belgium, is thrilled with the recently installed Aluroller EVO: “The Aluroller EVO doesn’t only increase our efficiency, it’s also a huge step forward towards Lean Manufacturing and a more ergonomic way of working for our operators. This is now the only machine in the world to consistently deliver correct, stress-free insulated aluminium profiles and for the first time right with zero defects.”
With the new Aluroller EVO, customers will
- Significantly improve the efficiency of the assembly process, resulting in less waste
- Need less tooling, and reduce their costs while increasing their flexibility
- Achieve even faster set-up times and much shorter cycle times
“Moreover, this machine has been built to allow the effective assembly of new profile types as well as of new isolation technologies. We have run extensive tests with a variety of new profiles types as well as with complex isolation strips and other isolation types, and the result has been astonishing,” states a proud De Roovere. “Our unique assembly process allows for profiles to be clamped in over their entire length. This means that the profiles that are assembled with the new Aluroller EVO are free of any internal stress. So there will be no distortions or deformations of any kind when the isolated profile comes out of the machine. So waste is reduced to zero. And that is not only positive for the profitability of the customer, but it also has a positive impact on the ecological footprint of the production process as such.”
“Since we have built the Aluroller EVO in such a smart way, our customers will also be needing less tooling. The Aluroller EVO has been built to assemble any profile type, using any isolation technology whatsoever. So it will increase the customer’s flexibility.”
Flexibility is a key word in a market where more profile types and isolation technologies are being developed. Batch sizes are becoming smaller, and a production site needs to be able to switch quickly from one profile order to the next. “And that is why we have reduced the set-up time. Both the user interface and machine set-up allow for extremely fast set-up times, again improving flexibility, efficiency and profitability.”
There is no doubt that the Aluroller EVO will bring about a buzz in the market. Both Aluro’s customers and the providers of isolation technologies have been looking forward to this moment.
“We’ve already taken the first orders for our Aluroller EVO, and have already installed the very first of this revolutionary new machine at Reynaers Aluminium. What is striking, is the enthusiastic reaction of the operators. Not only are the ergonomic features of the Aluroller EVO to their benefit. They are also glad to be included in the change process that many of our customers are undergoing. All too often, all the focus and energy is invested in the Research & Development of new profile types and new isolation types. But with the Aluroller EVO, our customers are also investing in their production unit. This is the best proof that our customers understand the benefits of this innovative machine, and how it will help them to take the next step towards the assembly and isolation of the newest profile types,” De Roovere concludes.