DRIESSEN NETHERLANDS. Successfully adapting. to a rapidly. changing world

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1 Successfully adapting to a rapidly changing world

2 Located in the so-called Brainport Eindhoven area, the southeastern Netherlands leading technology region, the sheet metal part company Driessen keeps up with today s societal challenges by choosing adaptability. With the next generation taking control, they have ensured a successful transition from a declining traditional manufacturer into a high value-added supplier in a very short time. Text: Erika Claessens Photos: Erik van der Burgt The sheet metal part company Driessen Las- en Plaatwerk B.V. is situated in one of Europe s leading technology regions, a stone s throw from Eindhoven and home to many renowned knowledge-intensive companies. The Dutch firm manufactures sheet metal parts and assembles them to the highest quality standards. When selecting a second-tier supplier such as Driessen, the demanding customers require expertise in the precise, rapid, and efficient processing of serial repeat orders covering everything from individual parts to volume production. To meet these demands Driessen is equipped with a hypermodern range of machinery and can boast of solid craftsmanship. For the last eight years the company has also collaborated with its subsidiaries Kempmetal and TeamWorks for the turning and molding of metal parts. Their synergistic corporate activities complement each other, especially when it comes to providing all-in solutions and manufacturing complete mechanical (sub)components. I meet Stefan Driessen, 35, on a rainy day in June in the rural village of Eersel where the company is situated. He is a former attorney-in-law with years of experience in urban planning, but now takes care of the Driessen sales department. At the end of 2009, Stefan and his brother Dennis, 36, took over the company from their father, together with the former General Manager of Kempmetal, Olaf Janssen, 48. With his years of experience in the metal sheet industry Olaf is the company s Technical Manager, while Dennis, a former project Hans van de Meerakker (right), Head of Bystronic Benelux BV, knows the needs of his customers. He and Driessen Las- en Plaatwerk B.V. co-owner Stefan Driessen are happy with the company s successful turnaround. 31

3 manager in urban planning, is in charge of Finance, HR, and Project Management. Their totally different backgrounds make the team very complementary. I want to find out how the new young-blooded directors can meet the demanding needs and high standards of the knowledge-based Eindhoven industries in this competitive era. Old school Stefan takes me on a guided tour through the factory and proudly shows me the company s brand-new equipment: two precise Xpert bending machines and a ByStar Fiber 6000 laser cutting system, equipped with an automatic loading and unloading system. We didn t invest in brand-new machines from one day to the next, he says. My father, Ger Driessen, who founded the company in 1979 and retired after 37 years at the helm, was a die-hard believer in the old-school methodology. A good level of understanding of the client s requirements helps save time and facilitates the coordination of the tasks. Stefan Driessen, Co-owner, Head of Sales and Marketing He had a wide range of knowledge and expertise, and in the 1980s helped the company become more successful than ever. Getting things done was his slogan. My father could make accurate calculations for precise metal sheet orders from memory. It was hard to believe that a computer could do better than him. But the more automation was fostered and the more things got digitalized, the more we realized we needed to change. Communication and adaptability Stefan continues: When my brother Dennis and I took over the company together with Olaf, we knew that just being smart and taking firm decisions as my father had, was no longer enough for a sustainable business strategy. As a second-tier supplier we realized that the only way forward, to outperform our competitors, was to improve the machinery and communicate more effectively with the client. A good level of understanding of the client s requirements helps save time and facilitates the coordination of the tasks during the manufacturing process. Because in today s rapidly changing world, excellent communication skills and adaptability are required more than ever. We regularly talk with our clients about the different aspects of the manufacturing process, like budget or time allocation, and brainstorm to find solutions. Our aim is to ensure our clients are satisfied with the end results and every project is deemed Every part is made with the same high level of precision. 32 BystronicWorld 2/2017

4 Customers require precise, constant bending results and these are easy to achieve with the Xpert press brake. successful. That means adapting to the different needs of our customers, so we might have to create prototypes for metal pieces when their product requirements do not fit the standards. The 3D breakthrough The young director walks with me to one of the production rooms and introduces me to two employees in their sixties. These two workers illustrate perfectly one of the major challenges manufacturing faces with increasing automation and digitalization. When they retire, there will be no one to succeed them, because the younger generation is not trained in the same ways as the older generation. With the breakthrough of 3D computerization in the metal forming industry, younger employees simply lack the skills and the competence of old-school techniques, Stefan states firmly. Nevertheless, our clients are leading firms in the world of chip-making equipment and component technology and they require fast, proven services and high-quality precision. Therefore, we had to update our machinery. Our first priority was to renew the bending machines. We owned six press BystronicWorld 2/

5 Almost like playing Tetris. The 3D model is scanned in the office and the machines are programmed offline. Since the installation of the new software for the ByStar fiber laser cutter, our productivity has increased significantly. Stefan Driessen

6 brakes in total, so we started by replacing two of them. The choice of the ByStar Fiber 6000 laser cutting system was determined by the purchase of the press brakes. The remaining four presses, as well as another laser cutter, will be renewed in the next five to six years. The press brake rules As he stands in front of the extra high Xpert 200 he shows me the technological benefits and explains: The Xpert is a press brake with a very high position and repetition accuracy because it doesn t produce angle errors. It offers first-class bending results with a fully automatic and dynamic crowning system that uses pressure sensors and corrects in real time. We therefore achieve precise, constant bending results. It s obvious we cannot afford to lose clients due to slight deviations of a bending angle. Accuracy is key for the products we offer. The 3D BySoft 7 Bending CAM software is comprehensive and easy to handle even by younger employees. The 3D model is scanned in our office and the machines are fully programmed offline. This saves a lot of time at the machine and gives a perfect up-front feasibility check. With the six- axis back-gauge Xpert we are often surprised when we need to bend. The machine is already set and ready to go. As simple as Tetris Stefan has now evolved into a professional tour guide and entices me to the ByStar Fiber laser cutting system: Right now we are forming the metal casings of 78 parking lot pay terminals. At the end of the process we deliver an entirely assembled product that meets the client s high-end requirements. I notice a monitor screen that resembles the colorful Tetris game, and Stefan tells me that the software program is a huge advantage because of its simplicity. While pointing at the graphics, he explains that the software of the ByStar Fiber laser cutter is as easy as the game, while still offering a comprehensive range of functions. This way we maintain an overview while completing the metal planning and cutting quickly, affordably, and reliably, Stefan says. Since its installation our productivity has increased significantly, and our turnover in 2017 is up by 20 percent compared to the same period in 2016, he concludes. Leaving the picturesque Eersel, I understand that Driessen could only handle the challenges of the future by adapting to the rapidly changing world. Rather than regarding automation as a threat, the management team has chosen to focus on the opportunities. Investing in new high-quality machines and improving the communication with their clients was key to countering the defeats. The transition of a traditional company into a highvalue- adding supplier has proven to be a successful one. Erika Claessens works as an independent journalist out of Antwerp, Belgium, with her principal topics being entrepreneurial innovation and technology. About Brainport Brainport is one of Europe s leading technology regions. Located in the southeastern Netherlands near Eindhoven, it is known worldwide as a center for innovation. Brainport plays an important role in the Dutch economy and is key to the Netherlands competitiveness abroad. Many of the technologies used in smartphones, houses and cars (such as chips) were developed here. Among the companies that are part of Brainport are spin-offs from Philips, such as ASML, NXP, Sapiens SBS (Medtronic), and Silicon Hyve, and manufacturers like FEI, DAF, and VDL. Many Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) start-ups have converted their ideas into highly successful companies. Disruptive start-ups also benefit from the enormous wealth of experience and the unique competencies of large corporations nearby. Founded by Ger Driessen in 1979, Driessen Las- en Plaatwerk B.V. has automated the production of sheet metal parts. BystronicWorld 2/