Creating an enterprise like Demler (which later became Adler) in 1977 was a bold gamble. The construction sector had been facing a crisis for a few years and it was necessary to invent more efficient tools and to develop new techniques so that manufacturers of precast concrete products could restore their productivity and competitiveness.

Research efforts rapidly gave the first tangible results:

• ADLER Technologies developed a state-of-the-art machine to manufacture blocks, more efficient than the existing models in the market.

• ADLER Technologies developed new concepts such as the single vibrator table with an agitator mixer and sound-proofing.  

Adler therefore proved that it is possible .

These innovations enable to :

• obtain a better mastery of the vibration, leading to smooth concrete,
• get a superior quality of end products,
• increase the rate of manufacturing while reducing cement consumption.

Then Adler concentrated on manufacturing processes, particularly on logistics. The company developed new concrete preparation solutions (a higher-speed helical cement mixer that is more efficient and easier to maintain) and concrete feeding solutions

This increase in the rate of production and of the quality of the material would not have been possible without development of:

• a new drying system, a solution that used self-curing enclosure

• new material handling based on suspension systems.  

The rapid development of IT solutions gave ADLER Technologies the opportunity to put a programmable robot on the market that helped keep an accurate count of production and quickly troubleshoot breakdowns. This made management better and more effective. Adler would continue to leverage the advances made in this new technology, automating the supervision of entire installations, and remote technologies via a fieldbus, Ethernet, WIFI and Bluetooth.

In parallel, the research and development department fine-tuned innovations and worked towards extending the product range. It developed:

• synchronised vibration – thanks to which mould wear-and-tear has considerably reduced, thus reducing maintenance of the installation itself; 

• engineered solutions for consumables: the technique of torch-cut moulds appeared for the first time in France thanks to Adler, followed by casting on profile sheets.  

Diversification also played an important part in Adler’s strategy. The best example is the design and manufacture of a concreting train sold to the TML consortium during the construction of the tunnel below the English Channel. An identical project is underway for the construction of the Saint Gotthard tunnel.

More generally speaking, alongside the manufacture of concrete block production equipment, Adler also developed a suite of complementary equipment for the manufacture of technical products: deferred casting, cement batching and lastly rectification of blocks. Adler perfected a production line different from those that were prevalent in the industry.

These R&D efforts resulted in Adler’s having 15 world-wide patents and several dossiers with Oséo, often branded (like Euréka), that were run successfully to their conclusion.