Facade-ready. That is the concept ofSpaansen that lives up to its name: completely finished facades that are produced under conditioned conditions and guarantee high reliability and a long lifespan. The production uses a carousel system that Hendriks precon developed in close cooperation with Spaansen and the robot supplier. "A clever piece of cooperation that we are very satisfied with," says Spaansen director Ab Knook.
Facade Ready is the result of a rich history in precast facade construction. A history that starts with precast concrete shell elements. "Several years ago, we made a conscious decision to start delivering more added value," says Ab Knook. "The solution for that was found in façade elements that have the existing concrete shell, including pour-in facilities for electricity and water pipes as a basis. Those elements were enriched with window frames, insulation and ceramic stone strips."
A completely new factory was developed for the production of these façade-ready elements. Soon the choice fell on Hendriks precon for automation of the production process. "In 2016 we did a project with Henriks precon to increase our production and not much later they were also involved in the expansion of a production hall," says Ab Krook. "The choice was therefore quickly made. Together with Hendriks precon and the suppliers of the robots and equipment for processing the insulation boards, we formed a team that took care of the complete automation of the production process. Smart engineering and tight coordination ensured that everything was delivered on time and according to our wishes. A real piece of art!"
Anyone entering the production hall will soon realise that this statement is no exaggeration. The production process looks like a tightly organised and smoothly running machine. The concrete elements that enter the Facade Ready factory on A-legs are placed on a tipping frame by Hendriks precon using an overhead crane. There is room on the frame for two large façade elements that are tilted into horizontal position. A sophisticated game of displacement in longitudinal, transverse and vertical directions then begins. Transport of the elements in longitudinal and transverse direction is done via an electrically driven longitudinal guide. "The art lies in the high requirements we set for displacement in x, y and z directions," says Ab Krook. "For that, we maintained an accuracy of ±1 mm!"
The pinnacle of precision and speed is evident at the point where the robots come into view. The insulation panels are then fully automated with adhesive beads. In the next production phase, the façade elements are fitted with stone strips by robotic arms. To this end, the table with façade element is hydraulically pushed up and secured with clamping blocks. What makes it so interesting is the high speed at which the 25-tonne element is then moved again to make best use of the robots' capacity. The robot has a reach of 60 cm; once the stone strips have been stuck, the table with the façade element must be moved as quickly as possible. In total, the move takes no more than 6 seconds, including hydraulically raising and lowering the façade elements.
To be able to meet the required tolerance of 1 mm, the drive of the longitudinal guide is equipped with servo motor and frequency inverter in order to quickly increase the speed and gradually speed down, but also to guarantee the exact location of the table to be transported. The corresponding controls and smart operation with touch screens were also supplied by Hendriks precon. In addition, Hendriks precon also engineered and supplied all safety provisions around the carousel. Examples include the practical safety gates and light barriers, platforms and machine safety, but also advice following risk analyses and working with safe zones.
Ab Knook is rightly proud of the result: "In the Netherlands, we are currently the only ones to do it this way. Our elements have a high insulation value and ensure a very clean building site. You can confidently say, the application of this has a huge impact on sustainability. It is great to see that we have achieved this with suppliers like Hendriks precon. A fine party to work with and a feat of engineering and technology."
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