Synergies of success

Interview with Lazzaro Simoncini, owner of INFISTIL 

“INFISTIL had the distinction and honour of being the first window and door manufacturer in the world to choose V-Perfect technology since its debut in 2013: we were the first to purchase the GRAF Synergy SL4 FF number 1 welder [see dedicated article link].

Actually, the collaboration with GRAF Synergy started even earlier, in 2011, with the purchase of a profile cutting centre then, when we purchased the FF welder, we replaced the cutting centre with a more modern cutting and machining centre that could adequately “feed” the FF, a reinforcement screwing and drilling centre, a multi-spindle frame drilling and hardware assembly centre and finally the EVO with which we replaced the FF.

We chose GRAF over other competitors because we wanted a company that was a pioneer in the industry, one that focused on innovation and industrialisation of production processes, which we needed precisely at that time.

With the innovative FF, we had finally found a way to make PVC a higher level product, a goal that our company had set itself some time ago as it sought to shift production away from the large shipbuilding industry and towards a market with more sophisticated aesthetic quality. Furthermore, a special relationship had been created with GRAF’s in-house staff, such that we also felt part of the project to launch the FF.

The appearance of our PVC windows has reached levels that were unthinkable before the V-Perfect patent, and with the automation of work processes, speed of execution, and the synergy between machines and work scheduling software, we have achieved a significant increase in productivity, while at the same time avoiding errors in production due to the misinterpretation of worksheets. With the barcode readers at the various stations, and thanks to the possibility of receiving production information, we are able to avoid errors and speed up work cycles. The advantages are such that there are times when demand does not saturate our increased production capacity.

All of this was also possible thanks to the relationship created between our team and GRAF’s engineers, with whom we worked completely in synergy, followed closely during all phases of the project and in the periods following the commissioning of the production line.

The compatibility of the GRAF machines with other equipment in our company has not been a problem; on the contrary, thanks to small adjustments to coordinate production, all work cycles have benefited in terms of quality and speed. Compared to the production system prior to the purchase of the new line, the leap in quality has been radical. Before, we still had a fairly high-performance equipment: a cutting centre, a reinforcement screwing and machining centre, a 2-head and a single-head welding machine, a semi-automatic bench for sash hardware assembly and 2 glazing benches with jib crane. All these machines, of different brands, introduced in later years, had their own times and characteristics, often not in tune with each other. With the introduction of the cutting centre, the screwing and drilling centre, the FF welding machine, and the frame drilling and assembly centre, we also had to review the glazing and assembly part.

The working times of the various phases were set according to the potential of the welding machine and in this way we eliminated “dead”times before and after the welding operation, optimising both in terms of time and logistics, eliminating or reducing “buffer zones” between the various stations that had different working times. In addition, with a simple control of the number of frames welded and the number of pieces cut and processed by the centre, we had a much more precise knowledge of product progress, production times and costs.

Prior to the introduction of the GRAF integrated line, we could consider ourselves “big” craftsmen, so it was necessary to know the product well in order to carry out the various processes semi-automatically. For this we only needed trained and experienced personnel. With GRAF’s automation, years of experience and training are no longer strictly necessary, because it is possible to achieve excellent results in a much shorter time, so that even new personnel can become autonomous. In an increasingly dynamic and fast labour market, with ever more frequent personnel changes, these aspects are crucial: automation and simplicity of use are the basis for continuity of production.

To conclude this story of our adventure as pioneers, I could define the relationship with GRAF as almost “familiar”, especially after we bought and shared the FF seamless experience. From that moment on  we were able to collaborate in a truly synergetic way, as the name GRAF Synergy suggests, to be able to experience first hand how revolutionary and safe the V-Perfect innovation could really be. GRAF opened its doors to us, we both proved to be serious and reliable, working closely together to create a special relationship of mutual trust, which goes far beyond the supplier-customer relationship.”

In the photo Lazzaro Simoncini