More productive and flexible thanks to automated production line
Swiss companies are known to set the bar very high when it comes to quality. This also applies to Buchs Frères SA, which has a strong reputation for wood processing and production of windows and doors in wood, wood-metal, aluminum and PVC. In the spring, this family-run business replaced an outdated machining centre for PVC profiles with a custom-made, automated production line from Soenen Hendrik.
The result: faster and more efficient production, without compromising on quality.
The history of Buchs Frères SA dates back to 1934, when Oscar and Robert Buchs started a wood processing company in La Côte-aux-Fées. Today, their brainchild employs 40 people and has a reputation as a sawmill, joinery and carpentry shop. They saw the most diverse types of wood in various forms. The experienced team produces and installs roof and facade structures, as well as interior doors, cabinets, stairs, kitchens and parquet, among others.
In addition, the Buchs name has been synonymous for years with high-quality windows and doors in wood, wood-metal, aluminum and PVC, also EI30-certified fireproof solutions.
Some two thousand five hundred windows are produced annually, most of them for the demanding Swiss market.
Quality is key
“This family business may have evolved enormously, but our vision has always remained the same: we always want to guarantee our customers the highest quality and reliable delivery times. Moreover, everything is produced in Switzerland at competitive prices.
That is why we continue to invest in facilities, people and machines. The machinery, for instance, has been completely modernised to make production even more flexible and efficient, without compromising on quality”, says managing director Pascal Buchs.
““For example, we recently decided to replace an outdated machine on which PVC profiles for windows and doors were still largely processed manually in several steps. In doing so, we made a thorough comparison of the possible suppliers on the market. Word-of-mouth advertising from some partners also brought us to Soenen Hendrik.
We were not familiar with the company and its solutions, but the first contact with Jean-Marc Ramadier, their technical sales representative for Switzerland, was very promising. Especially the expert explanation and no-nonsense approach with direct communication to him and the parent company in Belgium was an important asset for us. However, we were completely convinced only after a trip to Belgium, where we visited not only the factory with its engineers, but also a customer who already had experience with a similar custom-made PVC production line by Soenen Hendrik. They told us that the production lines are purely custom-made, and we established ourselves that much more was actually possible than what we had originally thought and envisaged.”
“We always want to guarantee our customers the highest quality and then this high-quality production line fits the bill perfectly.”
Automated customised production line
As with every project, Soenen Hendrik's specialists first listened to the customer's needs. This way, it became clear which profiles are used at Buchs Fréres SA and which operations should be possible. Subsequently, the West-Flemish machine builder developed an automated production line that is precisely tailored to those needs and wishes.
“In the existing situation, the operator received the drawings and performed the operations one by one and often manually. In the process, the profile had to be moved and retaken several times to perform all the operations”, Jean-Marc Ramadier, explains.
“Thanks to our intelligent machine centres, the production process is much more efficient, faster and the risk of errors is greatly reduced. As soon as the operator places the profiles on the feed table, they are recognised by the system, after which the requested operations are automatically carried out. Sawing, milling, drilling, transom milling, ..., everything is also done in one run. Should a tool break, the machine immediately detects it and another available tool continues the job. So machine downtime is avoided at all times.”
“After a preliminary reception in Belgium, the new production line was installed at our premises in mid-March. We obviously still have a lot to discover, but it is clear that the processing time is significantly shorter. Our operators place the profiles on the feed table, which are cut one by one and machined very precisely.
This also applies to the reinforcements, which play a very important role in the production of our typical windows for the Swiss market. Since the machine can operate unmanned for long periods of time, our people can be called in at other parts of the production process in between”, summarises Pascal Buchs.
“The first experiences with their technology are positive, and so is the cooperation with the people at Soenen Hendrik. They fine-tuned the production line completely to our wishes and details were also adjusted during the process, even up to the final reception. The support does not stop with delivery and commissioning, because even now we can still contact the manufacturer directly with all our questions. Buchs always wants to guarantee its customers the highest quality and then this high-quality production line fits perfectly into the picture.”
