Sky-Frame AG manufactures an internationally leading sliding window system with a development and production facility in Frauenfeld in Switzerland.

The art of Swiss engineering was also used in the warehousing system: fehr honeycomb lets Sky-Frame integrate the warehouse in the complete production process, from goods receipt via coating, right down to processing. All of the processes have been automated and adapted precisely to the customer’s requirements – employees no longer have to intervene manually.

4B AG ancient Kronenberger AG, with its headquarters in Emmen, is one of Switzerland’s leading manufacturers of top-quality plastic windows.

The honeycomb light system grants the window builder direct access to fast-moving products with no waiting times. Thanks to specially designed access points, the sawing machines can also be connected directly. The removal and storage process directly from a forklift truck is also possible with fehr honeycomb light.

The constantly growing demand for high-tech windows has prompted the family-owned firm of Baumgartner Fenster to invest in one of Europe’s most up-to-date window manufacturing plants over the past eight years. For this, the company relies on the latest production technology such as CNC machines, gluing robots, automated painting systems and automatic glazing – and more recently on fully automated warehousing technology from fehr. The result is impressive: Baumgartner now manufactures and assembles 250,000 m2 of windows annually at the highest of quality levels.

In cooperation with the project-planning consultants, Lüchinger Gasser + Partner AG, all material flows were analysed and translated into a comprehensive logistics concept. The storage systems were to be incorporated into the existing manufacturing halls with as few changes to the building as possible. To this end, fehr, among other things, developed the very slender fehr side stacker system for storing profiles with lengths of up to 6.5 metres on an area that is only seven metres wide. The system and accompanying cutter are now located in the basement, the required storage area has been reduced by 60% and access now only takes a few seconds.

The customer’s containers (baskets) are managed without any additional load carriers. The goods receipt is carried out with a side stacker. A positioning aid facilitates the correct placement of the baskets before they are taken over by the system. The material is moved automatically up to the corresponding double mitre saw. Each saw has two outfeed roller conveyors so that various articles can be processed in parallel. Fast-moving articles are stored on the lower level and can be removed by hand at any time.