FOCUS ON SURFACE FINISHING
Above and right : Components manufactured on-site .
machine construction and medical sectors , as well as various mechanical applications in a wide range of industries . It also produces customised design parts .
At the end of last year , WWD Metaal bought a new tube laser cutting system . It is now also the first company in The Netherlands to purchase a Timesavers 22 RB series rotary brush machine for surface finishing applications . Waelbers ’ strategy has been to focus on growing his company , even during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ We are always looking further ahead . We are no longer just busy with tomorrow , but with next week …..,” he explains .
Looking , listening and planning
WWD Metaal manufactures frames that serve as the basis for its customers ’ machines . It is crucial , when working with stainless steel , to be able to deliver burr-free material , especially in the food and medical sectors . Any material unevenness , confirms Waelbers , can lead to contamination of customers ’ products .
“ We have to think alongside our customers . That means that we must find solutions together with our customers , whilst not losing sight of the economic aspects ,” he explains .
“ When you start a project , you look at the way your customer has set up his business . We look at the way it is set up and together we work out how we can make things run even more efficiently . Which order is best ? Where are the possible obstacles ? Helping a customer really starts with looking and listening ,” he told ISMR .
Attention to the company ’ s own processes is also essential to compete in these unprecedented times . WWD is therefore continuously investing , even when the economy is tough in The Netherlands . During the previous crisis in 2014 , Waelbers finalised a new building that was three times the size of the previous one . He also invested in machinery by purchasing , among other things , a blast cabinet and a waterjet cutting system . WWD Metaal therefore had the space , the machinery and the expertise to offer a total concept when the economy picked up . Investments were key for this .
Process optimisation
A second improvement to Waelbers ’ own process is better planning …..
“ It is difficult to get skilled workers , because everyone is looking for them . So , we looked for a new approach . Instead of trying to speed up the process , we started to make it smarter e . g . by looking further ahead . That means no longer thinking about tomorrow , but about next week …..,” he adds .
Process optimisation is also a key focus . In the past , a product that was processed in one department would sit for too long before being processed again by another department . Because the flow of work in departments has improved , employees ask for work sooner . They can therefore move on to the next product sooner , which means that more work can be generated .
This means , that waiting times are shortened and rush orders or firefighting
The 22RB series uses rotating brushes to deburr , round and finish parts .
Waelbers ’ strategy has been to focus on growing his company , even during the coronavirus pandemic
‘ are now a thing of the past ’, according to Waelbers . In the past , orders could pile up in every department and rush jobs would result in a lot of overtime , confirms Waelbers .
Compact deburring operations
At the end of last year , the company bought a laser tube cutting system from Swiss manufacturer , Bystronic . This was intended to speed up production of the frames . Waelbers has now purchased the Timesavers 22 RB series as a ‘ new step in a better process at WWD Metaal ’, according to Waelbers .
“ The 22 RB series is a compact dry machine for deburring , edge rounding , finishing and removing laser oxide from sheet metal . The machine offers a solution for
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