'Workmanship and precision' are two key terms at Ramaco, a company specialising in the manufacture of windows and doors made from aluminium, PVC and wood for almost 50 years.

The Eeklo-based firm relies on a team of professionals and also uses state-of-the-art machinery.

A custom-made production line from Soenen Hendrik was recently installed and commissioned. This hybrid (ALU & PVC) manufacturing centre, which is the result of close collaboration between the machine manufacturer and the end customer, should help to ensure faster and more accurate production and guarantee even better service. This high-tech centre will mainly be used for processing aluminium profiles.

Next year, Managing Director Frans Huysman and Directors Nick Gasnier and Olivier Bouckaert will celebrate the firm’s golden anniversary. For 50 years, they have purposely opted for quality when it comes to products and service. The windows, doors and sliding windows leaving Ramaco’s workshop are the product of excellent workmanship and technological innovation. Moreover, the company guarantees extremely accurate installation.

"We deliberately chose to specialise in the production of aluminium, PVC and wood systems, as this means that we can always offer our B2B and B2C customers suitable solutions.

We provide customisation for all types of homes and other projects - from sleek and modern through to traditional and retro - for both new builds and renovations. Customers will find that we offer a comprehensive solution including window and door hardware, hinges and handles, shutters and blinds. Our revamped showroom features 60 different models,” says Nick Gasnier, Sales Manager.

Olivier Bouckaert, Head of Research and Production, adds: "Excellent workmanship depends on the quality of the raw material, but more importantly on how it is made. We can count on our team of 50 driven employees with an eye for detail to achieve this. We pay a great deal of attention to high-quality machinery, which is constantly kept up-to-date. Every investment is well-thought-out and we never leave things to chance. When we had plans to purchase a new profile machining centre, we took ample time to compare all brands and solutions."

Tailor-made

'We wanted the freedom to think about what the machine should look like and what features it should have'

Soenen Hendrik's team was finally commissioned to develop a Smart Machine, which was designed in full consultation with Ramaco, specifically to meet their needs. This system performs all operations including drilling, milling, sawing, tapping, counter-profiling, labelling, etc. in a single pass.

"As soon as the profiles for windows, doors and sliding windows are placed on the feed table by an operator, the machine performs the requested operations fully automatically and with flawless precision. An additional special saw head was even added, allowing the system to perform 360° sawing operations in one pass. This means that all possible corner connections can be implemented with ease," explains Pepijn Carlier, Sales Representative at Soenen Hendrik.

"The machine is the expert and it can be controlled with any of the customer's packages thanks to the open source software. Adding new profiles or operations is child’s play. Ramaco will mainly use this centre for manufacturing aluminium profiles, however if required, PVC profiles can also be manufactured without changing tools or settings.

The machine also features automatic tool breakage detection, which always takes over operation using other available tools. Machine downtime is therefore avoided at all times. For this reason, this machining centre will significantly increase speed and efficiency on the shop floor, reduce the risk of malfunctions, operate autonomously and further automate the production process."

Continuous cooperation between the manufacturer and customer

The relationship between Soenen Hendrik and Ramaco goes back a long way. But that relationship had been weakened somewhat over the years, with the machine manufacturer only visiting the shop floor regarding maintenance and repairs for older machines. This is now changing.

“We headed to Polyclose in 2020 with our investment plans in mind. We were then also introduced to Soenen Hendrik's technology, but there were still doubts about the how, what and when. We wanted to develop this project further throughout the COVID period, and Pepijn came along at the right time", explains Nick Gasnier. "While he was not allowed on the premises, he slid his catalogue 'under the door' and that’s how their systems came under the spotlight again."

Olivier Bouckaert adds: "Above all, we wanted the freedom to think for ourselves about what our system should look like and what capabilities it should have. Besides the quality of the machine, it was also interesting to work with a machine manufacturer who carried out everything in-house and was able to respond flexibly to our requirements. For this reason, there was close collaboration from the initial consultation to receipt of the product. After all, a lot of tests were carried out before the system was eventually delivered to us and installed."

Pepijn Carlier concludes: “This project will not end with the commissioning of this production line. Communication between both our teams remains underway so that adjustments can be made where necessary. Thanks to the MR glasses, we will be able to assist with any technical questions even more quickly, without having to physically be on site. If necessary, a technician will drive to Eeklo. This is another benefit of working witha local machine manufacturer."