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Donaldson Door Systems, part of the Donaldson Group, is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of high-quality door sets, supplying both internal and external doors, staircases, and bespoke joinery products. With a commitment to delivering value to major housebuilders and local authorities, the business has continued to invest in automation to stay ahead in a competitive construction landscape.
Faced with rising demand, capacity constraints, and a desire to improve manual handling processes, Donaldson Door Systems partnered with JJ Smith to transform its production capabilities.
The Challenge
Prior to automation, Donaldson Door Systems was operating its internal door production across three shifts, running 24 hours a day to meet demand. Their CNC machines were maxed out, and scaling further with existing equipment was no longer viable.
There was also a heavy reliance on manual handling during the production process. The company needed a smarter, safer way to scale up production without compromising quality or putting strain on its workforce.
“We were operating in three shifts and were maxed out across the factory. We needed to introduce more capacity into the business, and that meant looking at new door and frame lines,” said Billy Cameron, Director at Donaldson Door Systems.
The Solution
Donaldson Door Systems engaged JJ Smith, a specialist in woodworking machinery and door automation solutions. The brief was clear: dramatically increase door production speed, reduce manual handling, and accommodate custom ironmongery specifications for various clients.
The outcome was a custom-built Essepigi door and frame line, integrated with industrial robotics for loading and assembly. The new system now enables doors to be processed from raw to fully assembled – with ironmongery installed – in just one minute. What previously took 12 minutes with multiple manual steps is now streamlined and automated.
“We set JJ Smith the challenge of helping us produce a door a minute while taking out a lot of the offline manual handling,” added Billy. “Now, the product goes on via a robot, comes off the other end fully assembled, and goes straight to final assembly. It’s been a game-changer.”
The Results
The impact has been transformative:
- 3x Increase in Productivity: What took three shifts can now be done in one.
- Improved Safety: Manual handling is drastically reduced, enhancing workplace safety.
- Greater Flexibility: Freed-up capacity allows for additional shift scheduling or diversification.
- Consistent Quality: Automated ironmongery insertion meets stringent client specs reliably.
“The solution we provided was designed not only to boost throughput but also to address key operational pain points like safety and labour intensity,” said Paul Parker, Sales Director at JJ Smith. “Donaldson Door Systems had a clear vision, and we were proud to help them turn that into a high-performing, automated reality.”
Looking Ahead
For Donaldson Door Systems, this investment is about more than technology – it's about future-proofing the business. By automating a once labour-intensive process, the company can now focus on scaling with agility while delivering quality at volume.
“We gave JJ Smith a very specific set of criteria – from increasing capacity to dealing with complex ironmongery setups – and every challenge was met. It’s been a really positive experience,” concluded Billy Cameron.
