Automated production line takes production of pool covers to next level

Technics & Applications (T&A), one of the largest pool cover manufacturers in Europe, was looking for a way to optimize their production process and significantly increase capacity. Due to increasing demand for their products, production on their existing semi-automatic machine was becoming a bottleneck. The company knocked on ACE's door with a challenging request: the development of a fully automated production line that would take speed, precision and efficiency to the next level.

T&A was growing steadily and urgently needed a new production line that could increase production output without compromising the known high quality of its pool covers. Until then, much of the production process was done manually, with a heavy reliance on the so-called 'silicone machine'. This method offered advantages on a small scale, but proved less suitable for large-scale, efficient production:

• Processing time was long, as the silicone - used to attach the end caps to the slats - took up to 10 days to fully cure.
• Manual work increased the risk of errors and inconsistent finishing.
• Production speed remained limited, inhibiting T&A's growth.

So T&A formulated a clear objective: a future-proof, fully automated robust production line that could ensure consistently high quality, produce faster and be scalable for future growth.

ACE developed an ingenious automated production line that brought together several innovative technologies. One was ultrasonic welding of end caps - an alternative to slower silicone technology - which ACE was able to seamlessly integrate into the broader process.

The new facility integrated several advanced technologies:

• Ultrasonic welding developed by T&A replaced the earlier silicone method. As a result, the pool covers no longer need to cure for days, but can be processed and shipped immediately. ACE ensured seamless integration throughout the production line.
• IT-OT integration: Saw lists, which determine how a pool cover is assembled, are automatically pulled from T&A's sales system and processed directly by the production machine. This minimizes manual input errors and speeds up the production flow.
• Vision technology: cameras monitor the correct placement of snap and weld parts to prevent errors and ensure that only the correct material is used.
• Servo and pneumatic control: With as many as 31 driven axes, 23 servos and 8 frequency-controlled motors, as well as various pneumatic valve silencers and decenbral I/O islands, the machine is controlled with extreme precision and flexibility.
• Energy efficiency: Thanks to Siemens S120 servo technology, braking energy is recovered and reused within the system and even returned to T&A's grid, leading to more sustainable energy consumption.

The partnership with ACE allowed T&A to achieve significant efficiencies. The results speak for themselves:

• Production output significantly increased: the new installation delivers many times the output that the old machine was able to produce.
• Faster processing time: the ultrasonic welding process allows pool slats to be processed and delivered immediately, with no waiting time for curing.
• Automatic error detection and quality control: thanks to vision technology and smart data analysis, errors are detected and corrected early.
• User-friendly operation: the machine's interface was designed with a focus on intuitive use, allowing operators to work quickly with minimal training.
• Scalable technology for future growth: through IT-OT integration - applying data analysis via Edge and linking to the customer's IT systems to automatically read in production orders - and by applying smart automation, the plant is easily expandable.