FACE TO FACE
ACCENT ON INNOVATION
“ Innovation has fuelled many of Timesavers ’ latest developments , particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic .”
As Timesavers celebrates its 25th anniversary , its managing director and sales and marketing director discuss the company ’ s latest new initiatives and technology developments .
Surface finishing specialist , Timesavers International BV , specialises in a broad selection of rotary brush machines for precision grinding , finishing , edge rounding and deburring metal plates . Operating from three facilities in the USA , the Netherlands and China , the organisation supplies customers worldwide and has placed a strong focus on innovation and R & D ( particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic ).
ISMR caught up with Paul Hartendorp , its managing director , and Piet Kooman , its sales and marketing director , as they celebrate Timesavers ’ 25th anniversary to discover the company ’ s latest new initiatives and technology developments .
Right : Paul Hartendorp , Managing Director , and Piet Kooman , Sales Director , Timesavers .
ISMR : Congratulations on your 25th anniversary ! What would you say are your greatest successes and achievements over this period ?
We have doubled our turnover over the last ten years with the help of strategic partners
PH : Officially , we started as Linden Machine Factory in 1939 and merged with Timesavers USA in 1996 , 25 years ago , so we have a very long pedigree in wide-belt sanding machines .
The 42 series RB machine won a Red Dot award for industrial design in 2016 .
We are the biggest player internationally in wide-belt sanding and , here in Europe , in metal finishing applications . We are proud to have developed such a strong reputation in this industry .
I am also delighted to say that we are a diverse and friendly company , where everyone is called by their first name . We are what I call a ‘ mini-national ’ company - all the aspects of a multinational , but on a smaller scale . We do everything we can to make it attractive for employees to work here : training programmes , teambuilding activities and plenty of opportunities for employees to progress and develop with us , if they want to .
We have doubled our turnover over the last ten years with the help of strategic partners who have joined us over the years and with whom we have strong relationships .
PK : In terms of technology milestones , in 2009 we developed a new leading deburring process in the market . In 2014 / 5 , we redesigned the 42 series machine completely and won the Red Dot award in 2016 . Our standard machines are now becoming more computerised – every machine now has a PLC and an HMI . Screen control is becoming more important . In 2004 , we started offering precision grinding and are now a leading company in that area .
PH : What also distinguishes us from our competitors is that we can make a wide range of machines from very small manual
56 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR September 2021