“We make door panels and exterior door leaves. It may sound like a niche, but it’s one that’s evolving rapidly. We work almost entirely to order, because every project requires its own door type with specific dimensions, colours and styles. This focus on bespoke production has built our reputation with customers in Belgium and abroad. But automation in a non-standardised context is far more complex than in a production environment with thousands of identical pieces. That’s our daily challenge.”

“Doors are becoming larger and heavier. That’s partly due to stricter insulation standards, which call for thicker panels and heavier materials. Design trends play a role too: architects and customers increasingly opt for sleek, tall and wide doors, often in darker shades and with large pull handles. These doors don’t just require different production methods – they also demand a different logistics setup. A warehouse designed for standard doors can no longer store doors of 2.7 metres high. Packaging that used to suffice is suddenly no longer strong enough. Everything shifts accordingly.”

“Every link – from assembly and packaging to storage and dispatch – has had to be adapted to accommodate larger, heavier doors. The old buffer system could no longer cope, so together with Fraxinus we built a future-proof installation capable of handling current and upcoming variants.”

“The new buffer system was the most challenging project, because production could only be halted for a short time. Now the flow runs automatically: from assembly and packaging to buffering and night-time order picking. In the morning, the doors are ready, arranged according to the delivery route. In addition, we installed a gluing machine that makes the process more consistent and faster, with fewer intermediate steps and a more ergonomic workstation.”

“In the past, a lot of know-how was concentrated in a few experienced employees. Today, every door gets a barcode containing its length, width, weight and order details. Based on that data, the system automatically determines the correct route: packaging, buffering or dispatch. That brings peace of mind and certainty, and it also helps new employees get up to speed quickly. They arrive into a system that guides them step by step.”

“We’ve been working together for decades, so there’s deep trust and little need for words. Early-morning meetings are when we do our best thinking: sketching, mapping out scenarios, and aligning on the approach. First, we look at how the process runs manually, then we jointly explore how to automate it. What I appreciate is that Fraxinus has been working for years with the same control and cabling partner – Codius (formerly Engico and DD Engineering). For us, it feels like a single team. Everyone knows what everyone else is doing and approaches it in the same way. There’s no noise in communication, and that makes all the difference.”

“The Magnetude arose from a problem, actually. We occasionally received complaints that, after some time, doors would start jamming. Aluminium and PVC expand with heat, causing the door leaf to warp and stick. One day, while sitting on a terrace, I noticed the magnetic cover of my iPad – securely attached yet still allowing movement. That was the spark. With magnets, you can fix the door leaf while allowing it to move. This means the outer panel can expand without distorting the frame. We tested it extensively, patented it, and only then brought it to market. It turned out to be a bull’s eye: it not only prevents jamming but also saves time during production and installation. Today, some construction companies explicitly request Magnetude doors. For us, that’s proof that innovation pays off.”

“We always look for the shortest route. Every extra step costs time and increases the risk of errors. That’s why we first map out the flow as simply as possible before we start automating. If you reach for the technology too quickly, you often make things unnecessarily complicated. That approach takes discussion, but it’s worth it. Once the machine is running, it must above all be reliable and easy to use.”

“We want to continue growing and expanding Magnetude while keeping our processes simple. Automation is not a goal in itself, but a lever. It helps us keep our wide range of bespoke products under control, guarantee quality, and give our people pride and peace of mind. If we can maintain that balance, we can keep moving forward for many years.”