Introduced at an event for a selected group of customers and dealers, the new solution by SCM caters to the demand of more and more efficient technology.
Happy birthday, SCM! We had not wished happy birthday to the Rimini-based giant, yet. The opportunity arrived at the end of June, at an event restricted to dealers from all over the world and a short list of customers interested in window technology.
The star of the days at the SCM headquarters was the new window manufacturing cell “windorflex”, the result of seventy years of experience by SCM in this specific segment. This machine was developed after listening to and interacting with thousands of window manufacturers all over the world, producing all kinds of windows with great flexibility and excellent finishing levels.
“This project builds on our constant focus on this specific market segment, which we have always monitored to identify developments and key trends”, said Walter Biagi, Business unit manager SCM for window-specific systems. “Windows have changed a lot over the past twenty years, turning into elements where design is a key factor: today, a new model is created mainly by architects and designers who want to attract an even-changing target of customers. The same “variability” has characterized this market, just think about the construction crisis between 2008 and 2010, and its impact on production operations.
Starting from an accurate analysis of these and more factors and changes, we have decided to develop a highly innovative technological solution to meet the market needs and an increasingly diversified demand of products, which requires very fast response from the entire window industry.
The motto “Spread your wings with Windorflex” and the image of the eagle clearly represent our vision: a powerful animal, flying high and looking far, with boldness and intelligence, the same qualities that help us give our customers the opportunity to be ready and to move into the right direction to follow today’s market trends”.
The name does not seem to be randomly chosen…
“Exactly, we picked a name that reminds of windor, the historical naming of SCM’s machines for window production, and then we stressed the flexibility that distinguishes this solution! We currently see different types of demand, as I mentioned: those who want a basic machine, those looking for specific operations, those who aim at a certain level of productivity. We imagined, and then built, a machine to meet all these requests. And don’t forget that, when you change product, i.e. the window model, you need to reset the entire line, it’s a long process that basically stops the production.
We tried to develop a different solution, combining all operations into the same cell, creating a “place” where wood parts get in and come out perfectly ready to be assembled into any type of window. It’s a strong, rugged machine for big volumes, that can process parts of any size at high speed, even the big parts that are now predominant in some European countries.
These results have been achieved with a number of factors, as we should never forge that technology is just a part, however significant, of the production process, which also requires skills, software, materials, tools…
Another issue we have solved is related to the milling units, all of which can execute the same operations, to the benefit of easier and faster cycle programming. The combination of the two 48-tool magazines allows to change tools in masked time. Quick tool replacement and software developments have enabled us to slash the cycle time from 18-20 seconds to 10.
We have also designed a new automatic worktable – in lengths of 3,500. 4,500 and 6,000 millimeters – with clamps that constantly lock the workpiece, so as to maintain excellent finishing quality in any condition”.
A high-automation solution…
“Sure, it’s a machine that operates unattended. Don’t forget that the companies are searching for the best efficiency, which also means that no operator should stand waiting before the machines, as these resources can be dedicated to other tasks.
The operator only has to load the raw material on workbenches where it is loaded into the machine and delivered ready to be assembled. We also have the possibility to entrust loading and unloading to a robot that picks parts from a raw material carriage, checking their dimensions and then loading/unloading them to/from the machine, onto another carriage, after completing their processing. At this point, a traffic light warns the operator – who has performed other tasks in the meantime – when the next carriage must be moved close to the machine.”
Software is another key asset in this kind of solutions…
“Sure. For many years now, SCM has been investing in the development of software to manage all the solutions included in the catalog, a trend that has been further consolidated by the Industry 4.0 paradigm. This strategy has led us not only to control machines, lines and plants, but also to monitor productivity and efficiency, to make decisions also remotely, in a simple, user-friendly way…
The same applies to “windorflex”; with this new cell, we are collecting the results of the work we have done to “insert” our machines into all the solutions currently available in the market, so that customers do not need to program every movement or step; they can just send all order-related information from the technical or production planning department to the factory, and the machine will create its own process. In other words, we have built a real “translator” so that our machines can dialog with the software used by our customers all over the world. As your readers know, SCM offers the widest solution portfolio, and this is definitely a great value recognized by customers and a capacity we are very proud of.”
What’s the initial feedback from the market?
“I daresay that the feedback indicates that we have hit the target!”, Walter Biagi said. “Several “windorflex” are already up and running and we are confident we can grow significantly in the near future. We must consider that we are talking about a “significant” solution which, despite an affordable investment, requires a critical decision to change the production methods of a workshop.
It’s an advanced, powerful and flexible technology that we have simplified leveraging our great experience in this industry and the relationships we have built, which played a key role both for the “concept” of the new machine and across the entire development process.
But let me tell you that the feedback we are most proud of is about programming: we just explained to our customers how they could transfer the information from their systems to “windorflex”, and within few weeks, they got the best results”.
Mr. Biagi, how do you get to a solution that, according to you, is “innovative”?
“For an organization like SCM, with its heritage of expertise, experience, technology and a rich portfolio of solutions, a significant portion of a project comes from the continuous optimization of existing solutions. This is a key starting point, the source of innovation and new features, such as the worktable with a brand new configuration.
With “windorflex” we have achieved even higher standards of speed and ease of use, but most of the merit goes to the decision to create a virtual “windorflex”, a digital twin of the real machine, where our designers and engineers have carried out the early tests. This tool has helped us become more confident with the new machine long before it was physically built.
We got to the first version of the machine with a long list of tests already performed, which helped us reduce the number of potential issues dramatically and execute only 30 percent of the actions normally required to optimize a prototype of the real machine. Furthermore, we interacted from the very start with the software team, so that we could slash the development time and fully integrate mechanical and digital aspects.
It was not easy, but we immediately realized that we were writing a new chapter and that “windorflex” would become a key asset for the group strategies, the first step of a revolution that will bring our customers to the next level, involving them more directly in the design and construction process of this new cell: I really believe this will be clear to those who will test and operate our latest creation.”
