Zuidberg welding

“Welding is like cooking”, says Rudolf Koopman, Team Manager of Zuidberg's Welding Department, as he explains what is so great about his job. “Sometimes you have to add a bit more of this, other times a bit more of that. It's really instinctive work, you have to review it constantly.”

Rudolf is one of 36 people working in Zuidberg's Welding Department. In his department, the Zuidberg front linkage systems are welded together, among other things. Rudolf: “That's where it all started, of course. Later, various product groups were added, including parts for tracks, transmissions and tractor accessories, such as weight carriers.” After the acquisition of Staalservice some twenty years ago, components were also added to the range. “That's the real made-to-order work, the special items.”

Converted within fifteen minutes
Each product requires its own approach. Rudolf: “Our strength is the ferris wheel and track system we work with. They ensure high efficiency. The stations turn automatically towards the robot and the operator. As a result, the work is never at a standstill. Moreover, the system can be converted within fifteen minutes. This allows us to make a lift for different brands of tractors in one day. If we make one for brand A now, in fifteen minutes, we can get the system converted and get to work for brand B or C.”

An extra pair of hands
One of Rudolf's close colleagues is Johannes de Vries. He has been working for Zuidberg since 2014 and is a programmer for the welding robots. Johannes: “When a new product has to be welded, I receive the product order and work drawing with work instructions from the Logistics Department. Based on moulds made by the Production Support Department, I then set up the welding robot.” A mould is not made for all products. Johannes: “We make moulds for the products we make in series or for the simple designs. A complex design or a product of which we only need to make a limited number, i.e. piece production, we weld by hand. What is also increasingly happening is that we first attach and assemble a product by hand and then weld it with the robot.”

The number of welding robots within Zuidberg has recently increased to seven. In addition, Johannes and his colleagues have a dozen hand welding boxes at their disposal, including one cobot system. “That is a handling robot that supports the hand welder. You can think of it as an extra pair of hands,” says Johannes.

Securing processes
In the forty years of Zuidberg's existence, the various production processes have evolved considerably. “Over time, our customers’ wishes and demands also change,” says Team Manager Rudolf. “Customers expect quality, and that is what we offer them. We weld to a high level. That includes securing all the processes and validating programmes so that as little as possible can go wrong.”

Autonomous robotic welding
Developments within the welding sector are not standing still. Rudolf: “Since we make many different products, automating everything is difficult. However, we are constantly investigating how things can be done better, easier or faster. For example, we are now looking at whether it is possible to robot-weld a lifting arm, a typical series product, autonomously, so that a handling robot can replace the operator.” Johannes adds: “It might also be possible to robot weld without using a mould. We don't know if that will work, but we are looking into it. In any case, the production facilities within Zuidberg are top-notch, and if something can be improved, we are always open to that.”