Artificial Intelligence is being deployed in the workplace

Always want to improve production processes and products!

Thanks to its constant focus on quality, service and speed, Sunconfex Group has been the reliable textile partner of sun protection system builders throughout Europe for more than twenty years. From its two branches in Ypres (Belgium) and Leipheim (Germany), the company distributes both roll-to-roll and custom-made cloth for screens, awnings and window blinds. In order to continue to offer customers excellent service, the group has invested heavily in digitalization in recent years.

"The integration of modern technologies makes our production process smarter, more efficient and more flexible," said Robert Delbecque, COO of Sunconfex Group. "It also ensures that our employees can work safely and ergonomically."

4.0 industry

"Sunconfex is surfing the waves of the fourth industrial revolution," Robert continues. "In practice, it means that we are digitizing our machinery and optimizing our workflows. Our machines are connected via the Internet, which allows real-time data exchange. We use that data to predict trends and make decisions."

Robert is clear about the place of artificial intelligence within the company: "We use AI as support for our operators, not as their replacement. Modern technologies can teach us a lot about potential problems and the necessary solutions. That frames us in continuous pursuit of operational excellence."

Self-designed control table

One of the industry's pioneering innovations is a self-developed digital control table equipped with a camera system. The result? The number of external claims dropped by 50 percent in three years. Says Robert, "The control table performs automatic quality checks on our canvases, checking dimensions, finishes, squareness and numerous other critical operations, among other things. The technology was born from a combination of our employees' expertise and experience."

"Our awning fabrics must fit not only into our customers' systems, but also into their manufacturing processes," says Robert. "A product goes a long way before it reaches the end customer, and we are a crucial link in that chain. Thanks to our digital innovations, our part in that process is even more efficient."

Wrinkle-free result

Sunconfex also applies those modern techniques to the production of zipper cloths. "That's a complex process," Robert explains. "It is not easy to guarantee a perfectly tight screen: textile is a material that shrinks and expands, and cutting and welding are critical operations. AI helps us keep track of the various variables."