When T&A pioneered an innovative welding method, ACE built the automated precision line that took the entire manufacturing process to the next level

As a leading manufacturer of swimming pool covers, T&A (Technics & Applications) was faced with a strategic choice: keep working with an outdated, slow production process - or go full steam ahead with a new, faster method.

The choice fell on innovation: including ultrasonic welding of the end caps instead of gluing with silicone, an important step toward higher efficiency. But such a technological shift requires more than vision alone.

To apply their innovative welding method at scale, T&A needed an automated line that could guarantee speed, precision and reliability. ACE became the partner who helped build that line - from nearly blank sheet to full-scale installation.

We developed the welding method ourselves. That makes us unique in the market.

Herwig Van Aelten

Technical Director, T&A

A conscious step into the unknown

“We didn't just want to upgrade our existing machine,” says Herwig Van Aelten, technical director at T&A. “Not a copy of what we already had. We invited several parties, but deliberately gave few guidelines. It had to be an open process.”

T&A knew what they needed: higher production speed, more consistency AND the ability to seamlessly integrate their in-house developed welding method into the process.

One of those innovations, ultrasonic welding of end caps, had overtaken their existing production line.

ACE as a partner, not a supplier

In ACE, T&A found a partner who dared to work without a set pattern. “It was really a blank sheet,” Herwig says. “ACE listened, asked the right questions and translated our needs into a technical solution. The initial installation was certainly not easy - there were growing pains. But ACE kept looking, adjusting, improving. Just that kind of people with métier made the difference for us.”

The result? A machine that integrates T&A's ultrasonic welding technology into a fully automated production process, tailored to their market and seasonal demand.

The value of experience

Although the first project was intensive, a second installation soon followed. “Because we had all learned from the first one,” Herwig explains. “What took three years with the first line, happened in less than a year with the second. That says something about the mutual trust as well as the knowledge that had been built up.”

Both installations are unique, only two exist, and both are at T&A. “That also means that you can't go anywhere else to see how it's done. So you really have to be able to count on your partner.”

Customization = speed

At T&A, just about every product is unique: each cover is custom-made for a specific pool. “That means speed and reliability are crucial,” Herwig says. “The installation has to run, always. Because when the customer has his pool ready, the cover must also be ready.”

With ACE's automation and their own innovative welding method, T&A now has a robust, scalable solution that allows them to deliver fast and consistent customization.

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