Sustainable rebar production thanks to automation and software

'You have to know the traditions to be able to apply them in modern life'. True to this motto, GP Wapening is now expanding its machinery fleet of second-hand purchased reinforcement production lines with a new high-efficiency mesh welding plant, a special bending solution for basket production and the full suite of software solutions for bending plants from Progress. There is little to no delivery to construction sites because the focus is on the special needs of precast plants in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, it is generally common for reinforcement to be supplied by specialized bending plants. Therefore, it is important to always remain innovative to keep up.

In 2022, the young bending center, founded in 2017, has acquired a new netting laser installation M-System Power Mesh from Progress Maschinen & Automation and advanced software solutions for production planning from Progress Software Development. Both of these are Progress Group companies. But not only the new machines ensure that quality is high and delivery times are respected. On the contrary, GP Reinforcement also uses machines it has purchased second-hand. These include an MSR straightening, cutting and bending machine from 1999 and two EBA bracket machines from the late 2000s, which have been doing fine work for several years. The mindset is sustainable, which is why well-functioning automated machines will remain in service as long as they continue to function well. 

"Personally, I first worked with Progress in 1999. There I bought a new MSR. That was the first type with automatic bending mandrel change at the time. It was a prototype. I really liked that machine because its maintenance is simple and repairs are usually easy to make. The replacement parts are also easily available," said Pieter de Haart, business manager of GP Reinforcement. "My experience with Progress is that it is an open organization where things can be arranged quickly."

The need for sustainable and efficient construction methods is also great in the Netherlands and is becoming increasingly urgent. The precast industry expects great growth. Because of the great housing shortage in the Netherlands, very often prefabricated concrete elements are already being built. Because of the time saved by this, and consequently also the reduced CO2 emissions on the construction site itself and the long life span of a building in concrete prefab elements, this market will only become more important in the future. GP Reinforcements is preparing for this by increasing its machinery and focusing on thoughtful innovation in automation and software solutions to modernize production. It all started in a 3,000 m2 hall in a small village near the current site, There, because of the new mesh welding plant, a new 9,500 m2 hall was immediately built. Thus, investments were made in the future and planned growth. According to its own statement, GP Wapening is the right party to supply the prefab plants in the Netherlands and Belgium, and should the need arise, of course also in Germany, with reinforcement baskets. 

"For us it was a future-oriented decision to take the step toward maximum automation," says De Haart. "The net welding installation that can produce all types of baskets optimally and fully automatically and the software with data processing and work planning: everything is automated to the maximum. We have e^rpforest® implemented. For example, together with stabos and profit just about the entire Progress 'bendcentral software package' in use." 

When investing in Power Mesh, the machine that could deliver the most output in square meters per machine area was chosen. The goal was to generate the largest possible output with high quality and little residual waste. Especially considering current steel prices, coil production, standard on all Progress machines, is the more sustainable solution because residual waste is kept to a minimum. The M-System Power Mesh with 20 welding heads and a sophisticated bending solution that places the net elements from a combination of single and edge benders and can then mount a corresponding 2D upper net on top of it, are the ideal solution to generate the high output of specially bent coils. The plant operates in three shifts: two during the day where baskets are produced and a night shift where flat nets and simpler curved baskets are on. It can produce baskets and nets for floors and walls with recesses, with a wire diameter between 6 and 16 mm, as well as beam baskets and beams.

As mixed production continues today, both traditional and automated, planning has become more difficult and some new solutions were needed in terms of software. Progress' software solutions now address that. The new ERP system e^rpforest® ensures that when a curved lower basket lands on the welding table, the welder can already see the basket projected as a 3D view on a monitor or projector. Consequently, it is immediately clear what the final product looks like according to the schedule. This makes the work easier and reduces the number of errors. And it ensures paperless and therefore even more sustainable production. e^rpforest® thus helps organize production properly and is supported by the software profit which takes over production planning and sends all data directly and cleanly to the MSR straightening, cutting and bending machine and the EBA bracket machines. This happens, thanks to the excellent interplay between software and automated machines, exactly at the right time because the additional material is already ready at the assembly site, no matter when the M-System produces. With the innovative software and automated machines, everything is planned, produced and monitored correctly.

"Automation and software go hand in hand," confirms De Haart. He continues, "Yes, the Power Mesh and the whole automated system are fantastic. But the software really completes the whole system."