Sustainable action as a corporate principle
As the market leader in the prefabrication of concrete building systems in the Paris area, A2C Préfa is committed to sustainable development. The vision is to be a pioneer in all their practices – from the extraction of the granulate to the building system. This contribution to sustainable development within A2C Préfa is called ID Concrete – an approach that is built and thus actively supported by all employees
Automation for sustainability
Automation supports sustainable production. For the production of the wood and concrete BB slab, the company relied on sustainable technology from Progress Group and implemented machines from several companies in the group:
• A Form Master shuttering and de-shuttering robot works automatically and accurately according to the provided CAD data. This saves time, avoids errors and hence
waste.
• A multifunctional Pluristar machine for bending, cutting and welding the reinforcing steel, works directly from the coil. It means less waste, better quality and less physical work for the employees.
• A lattice girder welding machine Versa with automatic height adjustment during ongoing production. This saves time, material and in this design, it is unique on the market.
• An automated concrete spreader eCon Drive® distributes the exact amount of concrete needed on the pallet according to the received data while saving resources.
• The high-pressure waterjet cutter for insulating materials – jointly developed by Progress and A2C. It can irradiate compressed wood fibre blocks in such a way that the grooves for the tubes can be plotted and milled into the slabs or the slabs can be cut to size. It can also be used to remove the milled or cut material, glue the ceilings in a fully automatic process and store the product.
• An automated transport trolley provides more safety in the plant and brings the panels quickly to the storage location.
• The overall control system solution ebos® clearly dis- plays the current production status and thus facilitates the work of managers and employees. It is a comprehensive solution for work preparation, production and process analysis, continuously covering all aspects of the production process.
Sustainability = employee well-being
When it comes to sustainable action, the importance of pro- viding good and safe working conditions for employees is often forgotten. Social sustainability also includes designing the employees’ environment according to the most work-friendly conditions possible. All employees agree that the physical strain has decreased significantly since the installation of the new machines. “Initially, we chose Progress Group because they offered us a turn-key solution for the entire plant – today, they are a true partner for the future!” says Sébastien Straub, Directeur Industriel.