Automation Case Study: Texprofin

Belgian OEM uses Inovance products to set new automated towel-folding industry standards.

Customer Profile

Texprofin is a Belgian manufacturer and seller of automated towel-folding machines for industrial laundries and related industries. A relatively recent entrant to the European market, the company specialises in creating fast machines without compromising fold quality or impacting customer costs.

The Challenge

Texprofin developed a high-performance towel-folding machine capable of easily folding up to 1,500 towels per hour, while also efficiently processing mixed linen, fitted sheets, and incontinence pads with consistent quality and reliability and high production levels. The challenge was to combine exceptional performance with the best ergonomics, ease of maintenance, consistent safety, smart software, and an all-in-one interface without compromising cost. As servo motors are relatively new to the towel-folding industry, Texprofin also had to fine-tune the motion control of the motors to reach high-quality production levels and consistent folding patterns. Other challenges the company faced included complex optimisation of the electronic components within the towel-folders and preparing for the future release of a feeding robot. Texprofin not only required industry-leading components, but also expert knowledge to put them to effective use. The company also needs industrial automation products for a robot feeder it is currently developing.

The Solution

After a thorough review of the market, Texprofin identified Inovance as the right partner for the towel-folding machine. The company used a wide range of Inovance products to help meet the performance requirements of the towel-folders, as well as technical support for a range of electrical components.

Products used included:

  • SV660 high performance AC servo drives
  • MD800 compact AC multidrives
  • SV680N single-axis servo drives
  • MS1H1 servo motors
  • A range of other peripheral Inovance products

Servo motors and drives are used for high precision and high speed movements and folding actions in the towel-folder. In the robot feeder prototype, they are used to deliver high speeds and precision grasping actions.

The Benefits

Inovance servo motors allowed Texprofin to reach unprecedented speeds of 1,500 pieces per hour, which outperforms their competitors. Other benefits include increased versatility, as Texprofin folders can be used for towels, mixed linen, fitted sheets, incontinence pads, and more, without compromising fold quality. The parts provided by Inovance also allowed Texprofin to adopt a simpler machine design, reducing overall costs for end-users.

The collaboration with Inovance is a crucial step toward Texprofin achieving its goal of becoming the market leader in automated towel-folders for industrial laundries and the company is now developing a state-of-the-art feeding robot to complement its portfolio.

Key benefits

  • Market-leading speed
  • Increased versatility
  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong technical and engineering support
  • A wide portfolio of drives, motors and peripherals

 

Yves Dabrowiecki, CEO at Texprofin, says: “We aim to become the market leader in automated towel-folders for industrial laundries. A key factor in achieving this is the support of strong business partners like Inovance. Their contribution goes beyond supplying high performance products, extending to expert advice and reliable after-sales support as our company goes from strength-to-strength. Thank you to the Inovance France team for their great support over the years.”

Cedric Pujols, General Manager at Inovance Technology France, adds: “The collaborative process with Texprofin went smoothly from start to finish, and it is especially rewarding to see the fruits of our labour. We were impressed by the dedication Texprofin has to providing the best technology at a reasonable cost. Their ambition to become market leaders is inspiring, and we look forward to continuing to work with them on their journey.”

Download the case study