Coating specialist Alural makes its production more sustainable with Siemens
Installing a powder coating and anodisation system that is not only more efficient, but also far more sustainable: that was the aim of the FOX or ‘Flash Oxidation’ project at the Lummen-based aluminium coater Alural. Siemens partners Breemes and IE Tech took care of supplying energy to the new installation using a Sivacon S4 power distribution board. Thanks to strong partnerships, the project was practically flawless.
As an independent aluminium coater, Alural is continually working to maintain its position as a market leader in Europe. The company provides powder coating for aluminium products in all colours and textures, and also provides storage, picking, packaging and transport. No less than 270 employees work in the two Belgian branches in Lummen and Tisselt-Willebroek.
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Innovation and competitiveness are two key words in Alural’s vision: it is therefore no surprise that in recent years the company has invested more than 15 million euros into getting its site and installations ready for the future. And at Alural, it sounds like that future will be sustainable.
“We are producing more and more sustainably, says Kenni Lembrechts, Plant Manager at the Alural site in Lummen. “We see that that’s how the market is evolving, and that installers and architects are also demanding longer guarantees for products such as window profiles. They want to work with materials that will last longer, especially in coastal areas or industrial environments.”
New pre-anodisation line
How to achieve those stronger products? The secret is in pre-treating the aluminium. “We are going to start pre-anodising, where we give an extra protective layer to the aluminium by dipping it in an acidic liquid. In the past this was done on a separate line, but thanks to the new installation it is included in the existing anodisation paint line. It means that as much as 14,500 square metres can be painted and pre-anodised on the vertical painting line per day.”
A brand-new installation must of course have a power supply. For the energy distribution, Alural worked with Siemens partner and specialist electrical components distributor Breemes, and with independent panel builder Guy De Proft.
Strong partnership
“This was a great project for Breemes,” says Robert Koloszewski, technical commercial representative for Breemes. “We’ve been working with Siemens for a long time as a distributor around automation and PLCs, but this is the first time we’ve started a collaboration involving energy distribution. It is important to mention here that we have recently become a Power Distribution Centre. For this installation at Alural, we chose a Siemens board that we developed on our own, as that way we could be closely involved and respond quickly. For the construction of the board itself, we brought in independent installer Guy De Proft (IE Tech).”
“This first collaboration with Siemens around energy distribution was a success, thanks to strong cooperation between all partners”
Sivacon S4
“Realising the new installation requires a huge level of power,” says the latter. “After all, anodisation is a power-driven process. It was my first Siemens board, but the installation went very smoothly. I am very satisfied with the quality and robustness of the device. Siemens offered the right configuration, and more importantly, the company was able to quickly deliver all necessary materials. The latter is not always a matter of course, especially today. Building the board went smoothly, and I was always able to count on the assistance of both Siemens and Breemes while installing it.”
“Thanks to the smooth delivery of all materials and assistance from Breemes and Siemens, I had no problems with the construction of the board”
Kenni Lembrechts is satisfied that the electrical element of this FOX project was successful. For Alural, the new installation is already a landslide. “It means our capacity and turnover will be far greater. From windows and doors for individuals, to skyscrapers in Dubai, we can easily facilitate small to very large construction projects, thanks to our redesigned installation that can serve everyone on short notice. We can bring large volumes to market very quickly. That flexibility is absolutely an added value.”
“This new installation is causing a landslide in our capacity and turnover”
“Finally, this project also went well in a technical sense: as a client we actually did not notice very much about this process. That’s how it should be: the less I hear about something, the better it’s going.”
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