Shining in customisation
De Jager RVS designs pneumatic lift for ATEX environment
Every machine leaving the factory in Dokkum, Friesland (the Netherlands) is the result of a specific customer request. The team at De Jager RVS translates such ideas into final designs that fit in perfectly with practice. Their specialisation? Building customised machines in which stainless steel plays the leading role. This was the case when a large dairy producer asked them for a vertical transport solution. The choice of a pneumatic actuator was an easy one. In order to get everything that was connected with this critical application right in one go, they invited itsme and Festo to the design table. “You want to integrate a bit of security for yourself.” 
When you encounter stainless steel solutions in the food industry, you can safely assume that they come from De Jager RVS, says Hans van Oosten. As a designer and constructor he designs machine lines and tanks. As a project manager he is also in close contact with customers, monitoring the whole process, including the commissioning. “Our machines and devices are always built in compliance with the directives of EHEDG and HACCP. In the food sector, stainless steel is often a requirement, especially when machine parts come into contact with food. For example, we manufacture lifts and tippers for bakeries, where a container holding dough is tipped into a machine. Or think of dough dividers to further process the dough. And to finally coat the biscuits in a layer of chocolate, we can manufacture a covering machine.” And that is only a small selection of the possibilities that De Jager RVS has been proficient at for more than half a century.
Good at specials
At De Jager RVS they are not into standard machines. They always work on a project basis, Hans says. That includes not only long-running processes, but also, as most recently, one-time solutions. “A large dairy producer required a lift for 1.7 metres of vertical transport of bags containing a semi-finished product for medication. They extract that product from dairy sugar, lactose, and it is then further processed in a machine that is situated one floor above. The operator could take such a bag with him via the stairs, but a lift is safer, because the content is extremely valuable. And on top of that, from the standpoint of health and safety it is better to automate this logistical part of the job. We also manufacture such lifts for the baking sector. Applying a few modifications, we converted a baker’s lift for this customer with a platform of 60 by 40 centimetres.”
“As soon as it becomes specialised, it is convenient to have the right discussion partners with you”
Originally, the customer requested manual control, because the lift would be placed in a so-called ATEX zone – an environment in which there is a risk of dust explosions. This would virtually rule out an electrically controlled lift. “It is possible, but in that case you are talking about building under rest
rictions. For a relatively simple solution this is not exactly interesting price-wise. But manual control is not very user-friendly. So we proposed to integrate a pneumatic cylinder with an actuator.”
Hans invited itsme to discuss the implementation. “itsme has been doing business with us since I was hired about 25 years ago. What I find pleasant about this collaboration? If I have a technical problem, they will look for an appropriate solution. Just like this time. Our end customer almost exclusively uses Festo for pneumatic solutions and for this lift they also wanted this brand. However, the range of cylinders is very wide, so in that case what would be the best choice? And on top of that there are also aspects like safety and control. We know a bit about pneumatics ourselves, but as soon as it becomes specialised, it is convenient to have the right discussion partners with you, so that you are sure that eventually a machine will do what it is supposed to do.”
“Together, you quickly reach an appropriate solution”
Herbert Sturing, technical sales engineer at itsme arrived together with Willem van der Wal, sales engineer at Festo’s dedicated Dealer Team. “It is good that you suddenly have a lot of knowledge at the table. And what I like just as much is that although it was all about a minor one-time order, everyone went for it with equal attention and enthusiasm”, says Hans. Herbert explains: “The lift will be placed in an ATEX environment and therefore you cannot afford any mistakes. ATEX is very specific. In such an environment, security and product responsibility are important. That is why we wanted to involve Festo’s expertise so we could supply the right components. Their product and solution range is so wide, that they can support us in many situations. That is one of the reasons that customers like to apply this brand. For example, they have various ATEX-certified components in their product range.” In the end, the choice fell to a pneumatic cylinder with a manually controlled valve. An excellent solution for such a high-care environment, partly because of the simplicity of movement and control.
Support as soon as it becomes specific
One of the aspects that was scrutinised more closely, was safety. “You don’t want the platform to fall if the air pressure drops. It also has to come to a standstill. The solution was to fit check valves to the end of the cylinder”, says Herbert. Hans looks back on a successful collaboration. “It is a one-time project, so you have to do it right in one go. If you have to start something all over again, then you run the risk that as a machine builder you make no profit. That is why we look for that support from itsme, especially if things become more specific. Together, you exchange ideas and you quickly reach an appropriate solution. And it also provides insight in your costs. We do the fitting and commissioning ourselves, but that support in the preliminary process brings a lot of certainty. Our customer now has a customised solution that is not for sale anywhere else. Everything has been tested and delivered, the machine works, everyone is satisfied!”
About De Jager RVS
De Jager RVS in Dokkum employs some 30 people. For over 60 years they have been manufacturing stainless steel machines and devices, always produced to specification, for customers in the Netherlands and far beyond. Their core activities include customised solutions for processing, transporting, cleaning and handling. Although De Jager RVS is primarily active in the food sector, customers also come from the paint industry and the chemical sector. For example, at ten airports around the world you will find their special toilets for drug balloon swallowers. The company carries out the entire process, from design to engineering.
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itsme Technical Support never replies ‘no’Read moreitsme Technical Support is there for all your questions about industrial automation. Product specialists look into the problem along with the customer and share their thoughts with them; be it at the head office in the Netherlands or at the offices abroad. Feel free to call it a challenge in this rapidly changing world to have all the knowledge at the ready, but that’s what it is all about for his team, says itsme’s William van Heel.