Customized production line provides even more efficient processing of profiles

Deliberate choice of a local machine builder

Bringing as much free daylight as possible to people' - that is Skylux's mission. This family business from Stasegem (Harelbeke) has specialized for three generations in the development and production of flat roof windows and skylights, tilt roof windows, skylights, veranda systems and terrace coverings. The manufacturer recently put into operation a Soenen Hendrik customized production line. This allows all profiles to be processed on one machining center and multiple operations to be realized in one run, quickly and efficiently.

The company's history dates back to 1954 when Albert Glorieux founded a wholesale glass and mirror business. After nearly 70 years, flat roof windows and skylights, tilt roof windows, skylights, conservatory systems and terrace coverings are synonymous throughout Europe with quality, innovation and durability. Jean Glorieux, the third generation, provides new impetus to continue to grow and further improve the speed of delivery. 

"We are committed to the digitization and automation of production processes. At our site in Stasegem, we are building new facilities including a new paint line and packaging line," says Kjell De Bruyne, project manager of automation at Skylux. 

"We also recently commissioned a custom machining center: an important investment looking to the future. Therefore, we took the time to compare all brands and solutions. In the end, we chose to work with Soenen Hendrik. We were immediately impressed by the quality and performance of their high-tech custom production lines for machining profiles." 

Custom production line

Also for Skylux, the Izegem-based manufacturer's team developed a Smart Machine that is specifically tailored to the needs and can machine all the necessary profiles. For example, a veranda consists by default of 40 profiles, which must be sawn straight or mitred and then undergo several other operations. Until now, several machines were used for this purpose, but the latest addition can perform all operations, such as sawing and milling, in a single pass. "The system recognizes the profiles placed on the feed table by the operator and performs the requested operations perfectly. There is also automatic tool breakage detection, after which the operation is automatically taken over by other available tools. Machine downtime is therefore always avoided," explains Pepijn Carlier. 

"Control instruments prevent any error before and during the processing of the profiles. Cameras check the color and contours of the profiles and, together with the length measuring system, ensure that any error is avoided during production. If the operator places a profile of the wrong length on the machine, it automatically adjusts the program to avoid downtime and prevent costs. This machining center will significantly increase speed and efficiency on the shop floor and further reduce the risk of errors. In addition, the production process can also be further automated in the future."

No middleman

This machining center is part of the company's strategic plan for further growth. For example, it will play an important role in the production of a new veranda system, which is currently under development. 

"We always want to get the most out of our machinery. At Soenen Hendrik, every project is carried out in-house from A to Z, which allowed them to respond flexibly to our needs. Besides, the open source software seamlessly picks up everything from our Shopfloor production software," concludes Kjell De Bruyne. 

"We ordered the machining center just before the 2021 construction holiday and in September of last year it was in the hall at Soenen Hendrik's as agreed. A lot of tests were carried out before the system was finally delivered and installed at our place. In the initial phase there will certainly still be questions and then we find it important to be able to speak directly to the manufacturer without an intermediary. If he also comes from the neighborhood, that's convenient."