Lemmens Metaalbewerking has been an established name to the many suppliers in the Netherlands for over 30 years. The company was founded in 1985 by Jan Lemmens, who passed on the torch in 2015 to business manager Peter van der Zwaan and works manager Leon van Leeuwen. Together with their team, they’re shaping the future of Lemmens Metaalbewerking with renewed energy.
Like so many suppliers Lemmens Metaalbewerking provides components and assemblies that are largely turned and milled. In a market that is extraordinarily tough and competitive, Lemmens endeavours to make a difference by applying the right processes and continuously improving on this. For example it continuously tries to exceed the expectations of its customers, with motivated employees who work in a safe working environment. In addition Lemmens continues to invest in order to be able to offer competitive pricing in the future.
Peter van de Zwaan, Business Manager, Leon Van Leeuwen, Works Manager:
"Although Lemmens Metaalbewerking has been around for over 30 years, we can’t just rest on our laurels. Indeed, the competition isn’t doing that. In order to remain competitive, we have to automate. That much is clear. That's why we went looking for a party who could help us with this. This was our next step towards automation and with this project we just want to gain experience in automation for our turning components.
When you start such an exercise, the most important thing is to make the right choice. We're then talking about both the solution and the supplier. As we all know, it’s a big investment, and so you want to make sure that your investment pays off.
With RoboJob we’ve found a partner that offers a very accessible solution. “RoboJob is able to offer us a proven concept: a stable solution without teething problems. They’ve become an established name in the world of automation, and you very quickly come to realize that they really know what they’re doing.
You also have to realize that automation is a big change for your employees. They have to be ‘ready’ for it. Today automation is a very topical issue, but at the end of the day it’s your employees who need it to work with it. That’s why your people have to realize that a robot isn’t a threat but a tool. The robot must work for them in order that they have the time and room for other projects and processes.
If you succeed in removing people’s fear, then you considerably increase the chances of success. RoboJob was able to help us in doing this: the interface of their products is so simple and intuitive, and our employees were able to experience just how easy the operation is. The robot loads and unloads, and does this also in conjunction with a bar feeder, in the course of which the robot, if desired, breaks off the component and sets it aside in a tray.
Moreover, the installation went very smoothly, also thanks to the smooth collaboration between RoboJob and the supplier of our machine. Our VICTOR V26Y was automated with a Turn-Assist 180. The installation went impressively quickly, after which our operators could immediately set to work. Since then, the Turn-Assist is doing exactly what we expect of it.”
