Ufkes Greentec manufactures all kinds of forestry machines, such as wood chippers, stump grinders and tree saws. “We develop, produce and maintain these machines for customers all over the world. With ready-to-use building blocks, we can meet their specific requirements.”

Some of these building blocks come from Zuidberg. “In the past, we sometimes designed components that turned out not to be feasible in practice. To reduce that risk, we attended a course at Zuidberg about the technical possibilities. Since then, our ideas and processes have aligned even better.”

INCREASING EFFICIENCY

Zuidberg mainly supplies cutting and bending components, including those for the framework of the forestry machines. “We order, for example, four, eight or sixteen kits that contain all the custom steel components,” Henderikus explains. “That way, we can weld and assemble them directly in our factory. It’s a very efficient way of working.”

For larger production series, it can sometimes be more efficient to have Zuidberg handle the welding instead. “That requires some extra thought, since the welding process has to be set up. But once that setup is complete, it pays off with every new order. That’s an opportunity for the future.”

SUPPLIER AND MANUFACTURER

Henderikus appreciates the fact that Zuidberg is not just a supplier but also a manufacturer. “This means the company understands how OEMs operate. We both feel responsible for the process as well as the product. The fact that we’ve purchased more than six thousand components in ten years says everything about our collaboration.”