Alex Aluminium Profiles, based in South West Belgium, has been sonsolidating its new operation since mid-2008. The green-fild plant, near the city of Kortrijk,is based on a highly automated press line capable of handling 8-in dia billets. The low-cost operation incorporates a highly-flexible packing line with a focus on customer-specific handling.The Joint Managing Direcotr is Ben Elfrink who shares joint responsibility with Christine Seynaeve who has almost 30 years experience in aluminium extrusion. Mr Elfrink has been associated with extrusion plants in Holland, Sweden and Belgium for 26 years.
The Italian short-stroke extrusion press, rated at 2500 tonnes, has a capacity of 14000 tonnes per year. The press handles billets wiht a maximum length of 1200 mm. Extrusions are produced from 0.25kg per m to 8 kg per m. The down-stream packing plant delivers profiles automatically to the packing stations. The operations at this point are carried out manually, inaccordance to the needs of the customer. Thereafter, all operations including bundling, wrapping,etc, are automatic. The company only uses overhead cranes to handle bundles of profiles, thus minimisiing possible damage imparted by forklift trucks. The transport companies employed by Alex Aluminium Profiles have long experience in handling extrusions.No extra unloading is involved. All deliveries are made directly to the customers with no intermediate handling at transit docks.
The organisation services companies who do not require the additional costs imposed by research and development, a worldwide presence and co-design facilities, ect.