Optimal blackout guaranteed

Continuous innovation is in the DNA: Innovations with greater ease of installation for the professional and optimal comfort for the end customer

For more than forty years, Soprofen has been developing and producing quality roller shutters, garage doors and awnings. Now the company is unveiling no less than three innovations that increase the comfort of both the installer and the end customer. Clara Burtscher, product manager for roller shutters at Soprofen: "Innovation is in our DNA and we make it happen in close consultation with the people who use our products every day."

Innovation is the beating heart of Soprofen. The in-house R&D department works daily on new products and solutions for installers and private customers. "Mostly these are patented applications," says Clara Burtscher, product manager at Soprofen for all things shutter-related. "To do this, we ask for feedback from installers and end customers. We also receive input from our commercial representatives. All these exchanges contain a wealth of information and are indispensable in the development process."

Thus, the Goodnight front-mounted roller shutter was created after talking to a hundred or so customers about their needs. The end customer chooses a roller shutter to darken a room. "Yet during tests with very bright light, we noticed that not all shutters create optimal darkness. They still let light through because the inside of the shutter is made of raw aluminum. That reflects the light so you lose blackout."

Patented darkness

Soprofen's Goodnight front roller shutters are innovative on three levels. First, a black PVC profile was installed along the full length along both sides and two additional brush seals were provided to prevent light reflection. This patented solution no longer allows light to pass through. "In addition, the first slat of the shutter blade contains a preformed seal that seals the box above the shutter and ensures blackout. Finally, we provided an additional seal on the last slat. This was optional at first, but is now standard on all roller shutters to further improve blackout," Clara explains. 

Goodnight was presented to representatives and installers in a room in which a Goodnight shutter and another shutter from the market were mounted. Outside the room, bright spotlights shone on both shutters. "The difference was amazing. Our people wanted to do something similar to show their customers the difference between the Goodnight shutter and any other shutter. And so we set to work with a mini-cabin measuring 1.4 square meters in area and 2.5 meters high. The end customer thus experiences the darkening effect of Goodnight shutters on a smaller scale. Since not everyone has so much space in the showroom and some representatives often go on-site to customers, we also developed a convenient and much smaller microbox. These tools are available to our customers in the Netherlands, France and Belgium."

Simple solutions, strong service

The Easycharge is another Soprofen innovation aimed at all solar-powered front roller shutters. Here, a subtle flap was incorporated inside the shutter box that provides quick and easy access to the battery connection from the outside. "The Easycharge is in an easily and safely accessible place. Even for roller shutters installed on a floor," says Clara. "This way you charge the battery with minimal intervention. Also the private person can easily do this himself while waiting - if necessary - for the arrival of an installer."

Finally, Soprofen added a QR code to all products. This is neatly concealed as a sticker on the inside of the last slat. Mechanics scan it to consult the technical data sheets, call the hotline, etc. "We hardly provide any paper documents for the roller shutters. For more complex products such as garage doors, we still provide them. Not only is the QR code more practical, it also fits within a sustainability process by using less paper."

What can we expect from Soprofen in the future? "I can tell you in advance that for surface-mounted roller shutters we are working on an invisible solution on the inside and outside, which we will call Undercover," Clara concludes.