link 2020, Zuid Nederland Special by henjuitgevers.nl

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY MARKET AND MAN April 2020 | Volume 22 | Issue 2

SPECIAL SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS THEME ‘WORKING TOGETHER’ AND ‘SYSTEMS THINKING’ SKILLS MAKE SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS RESILIENT FINANCING RABOBANK WANTS TO DRIVE INNOVATION WITH INVESTMENTS AND COLLABORATIONS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT INALFA’S LLMS ENSURES SOLUTIONS ARE SHARED GLOBALLY

GERRIT VAN DER BEEK AME

‘THE ENGINEERS HERE EXCEL IN COLLABORATION’

pneumatic electric digital

Your motion pneumatic | electric | Our solution

www.festo.com/nl

CONTENTS

GERRIT

5 SHORTCUTS 10 THEME ‘WORKING TOGETHER’ AND ‘SYSTEMS THINKING’ SKILLS MAKE SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS RESILIENT • Two typically Southern Dutch qualities crucial for rapidly growing AME • Role of system architect in strengthening Brainport ecosystem increasingly decisive • What do informed outsiders think of us?

23 CHAIN INTEGRATION KMWE sees a clear increase in trend of co-engineering

24 MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY ‘Some suppliers have become true strategic partners’

29 PROCESS IMPROVEMENT Inalfa’s Lessons Learned Management System ensures solutions are shared globally

33 FINANCING Rabobank wants to drive innovation with new products, investments and collaborations

34 BRAINPORT German, Dutch and Belgian cooperation wants to accelerate digitization of the manufacturing industry

35 SHORTCUTS

‘WORKING TOGETHER’ AND ‘SYSTEMS THINKING’ SKILLS MAKE THE REGION RESILIENT

What makes the Brainport region so strong? ‘Working together!’ Yes, that’s right. But what do we mean by that? In my view, it’s all about properly discussing things, coordinating and helping each other out. In order to have access to a tightly connected network or - to put it another way - a well-orchestrated value chain. That is an important strength of the Brainport region and it really inspires me. It creates the so-called ‘collaborative advantage’. My contribution to that lies in wholeheartedly performing my role as a member of the supervisory boards of both Brainport Development and Rabobank. Both organisations are all about ‘co-operation’. Together we are strong. That’s why I think it’s fantastic that the Rabobank in Eindhoven has recently begun operating as the Brainport Bank and is financially supporting our ecosystem. At the invitation of Link But I also see another dimension to the concept of ‘working together’ in the Brainport region: ‘systems thinking’. That is the key Magazine, Gerrit van der to successfully developing complex product systems. There are good Beek, CEO of AME, is electronic, mechanical and software engineers everywhere, but the the guest editor-in-chief of important thing is to ultimately build a system that is functional and this special edition. has a high added value. The architects and the systems engineers Photo: Bart van Overbeeke make sure all the parts of a complex system work together properly. In that sense, it’s just like in a human body. Every organ has a function and everything is connected to everything else. In the Brainport region, we build incredibly complex systems, such as ASML’s steppers, Thermo Fischer’s electron microscopes and Philips’ cardiovascular X-ray systems. I have had the opportunity to see the development of these products up close. The success of the Brainport region lies primarily in systems thinking, which has arisen through the development of complex products. We can also successfully use this quality in new applications and products related to global trends. Our society is becoming increasingly electrified and everything is connected to each other (internet of things). All kinds of things are measured and recorded and this information is used for automated and self-managing operations. It is the basis of Industry 4.0. The trend is towards ever smarter systems. And that is exactly what we are working on at AME. A new, smart world, based on cooperation and systems thinking. The unique combined skill of ‘working together’ and ‘systems thinking’ in the southern Netherlands is not easily copied and is invaluable. It is the basis of our resilience. And it can’t be captured in patents. This aspect is wrongly overlooked in political discussions about breaches of our IP, which often leads to incorrect conclusions. In the current crisis, it is more important than ever to work together, both internally and with other companies, agencies and the government. Our region in particular can lead the way in finding a way out of this crisis. Together we will come out stronger. We have proven that in the past. GERRIT VAN DER BEEK GUEST EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THIS SPECIAL EDITION AND CEO OF AME

PUBLICATION INFORMATION Magazine COLOFON

This special issue is a supplement to the April 2020 issue of Link Magazine. Link Magazine is a management journal that discusses contemporary forms of co-operation between companies themselves and between companies and (semi)government bodies, universities and colleges of higher education. Link Magazine is published six times a year.

APRIL 2020 PUBLISHED BY H&J Uitgevers Mireille van Ginkel Bosscheweg 76, 5151 BE Drunen The Netherlands +31 10 451 55 10 +31 6 51 78 41 97 www.linkmagazine.nl

ADVISORY COUNCIL ing. P.A.M. van Abeelen (ISAH), J. Beernink MSc (Golden Egg Check), ing. D.M. van Beers (Festo BV), J.C.A. Buis MBA (RR Mechatronics), ing. B. Draaijer (V en M Regeltechniek), F.M. Eisma (Trumpf Nederland), ir. R. van Giessel (voormalig ceo Philips CFT), H. Gijsbers (Thermo Fisher), ir. M.H. Hendrikse (NTS-Group, HTSM-boegbeeld), ing. J.B.P. Hol (Legrand Group), ir. T.J.J. van der Horst (TNO), ir. M.W.C.M. van den Oetelaar (Bosch Rexroth), dr. ir. M. Peters, dr. ir. D.A. Schipper (Demcon), E. Severijn (Siemens PLM Software Benelux), J.A.J. Slobbe VMI), H.G.H. Smid (Variass Group), ir. W.W.M. Smit MMC (DBSC Consulting), ir. H.H. Tappel (Bronkhorst High-Tech), W.B.M. van Wanrooij (IBN Productie), ir. S.J. Wittermans (ASML) EDITOR IN CHIEF Martin A.M. van Zaalen FINAL EDITING Lucy Holl, redactie@linkmagazine.nl THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ISSUE Gerrit van der Beek, Pim Campman, Koen van Ham, Philip Regi, Wilma Schreiber

TRANSLATION Powerling Nederland, Bunnik GRAPHIC DESIGN Primo!Studio, Delft PRINTED BY Veldhuis Media, Raalte SUBSCRIPTION € 71,95 per annum ADVERTISING OPERATIONS John van Ginkel john.vanginkel@linkmagazine.nl +31 010 451 55 10 +31 6 53 93 75 89 ISSN 1568 - 1378

No part of Link Magazine may be copied or reproduced without the publisher’s permission. This publication has been compiled with the utmost care. Nevertheless, the publisher cannot be held liable for any inaccuracies. No rights may be derived from this publication.

This April issue has been produced in a period in which the reality for companies mentioned in articles may have changed (dramatically).

Special Issue - April 2020

LINK1_Inhoudsopgave_v1.qxp_LINK3 04-02-20 11:38 Pagina 4

DO YOU HAVE AS MUCH PASSION AS WE DO?

VDL ETG HAS VACANCIES FOR:

Do you like technical challenges? Development and production on the edge of what is possible? Then VDL ETG is a perfect match for you!

SYSTEM ARCHITECT PROJECT MANAGER MECHANICAL ENGINEER SOFTWARE ENGINEER MANUFACTURING ENGINEER QUALITY ENGINEER

www.werkenbijvdl.nl recruitment@vdletg.com

With almost 3,000 colleagues we work on complex and innovative mechatronic systems for high-tech production equipment for the further development of computer chips, breakthroughs in fighting diseases, study the universe and understanding the details in cells and molecules. Working at VDL ETG means a lot of freedom and diversity. Diversity in projects and customers, freedom through the amount of responsibility you will get within your job. The combination of engineering and high-tech production facilities is what makes VDL ETG a unique employer with lots of career opportunities at home and abroad.

VDL Enabling Technologies Group bv De Schakel 22 • 5651 GH Eindhoven • The Netherlands T +31 (0)40 263 86 66 • info@vdletg.com • www.vdletg.com

V VDLVD VDLVDL_VD VDLVDL_VDL_EVD VDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVD VDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVD VDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VD VDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVD VDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVD VDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVD VDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VD VDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVD VDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVD VDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVD VDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVD VDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VD VD VDL VDL_ VDL_E VDL_ET VDL_ETG VDL_ETG_ VDL_ETG_A VDL_ETG_Ad VDL_ETG_Adv VDL_ETG_Adv_ VDL_ETG_Adv_L VDL_ETG_Adv_LI VDL_ETG_Adv_LIN VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_ VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_20 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_201 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-1 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_ VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_2 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_22 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x3 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x30 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+ VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3m VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_ VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_D VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_DE VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_DEF VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_DEF. VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_DEF.i VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_DEF.in VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_DEF.ind VDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2VD VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_DEF.indd DVDL DVDLVDL DVDLVDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL DVDLVDL_VDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL_E DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_E DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ET DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_E DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ET DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETG DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_E DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ET DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_E DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ET DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_A DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_E DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ET DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_A DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_Ad DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_E DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ET DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_A DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_Ad DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_Adv DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_E DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ET DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_A DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Ad DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_E DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ET DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_A DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Ad DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_L DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_E DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ET DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_A DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Ad DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_L DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LI DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_E DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ET DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_A DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Ad DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_L DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LI DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LIN DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_E DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ET DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_A DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Ad DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_L DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LI DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LIN DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_E DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ET DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_A DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Ad DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_L DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LI DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LIN DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_E DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ET DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ETG DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ETG_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ETG_A DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ETG_Ad DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ETG_Adv DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ETG_Adv_ DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ETG_Adv_L DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ETG_Adv_LI DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ETG_Adv_LIN DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_ D DVDLVDL_VDL_EVDL_ETVDL_ETGVDL_ETG_VDL_ETG_AVDL_ETG_AdVDL_ETG_AdvVDL_ETG_Adv_VDL_ETG_Adv_LVDL_ETG_Adv_LIVDL_ETG_Adv_LINVDL_ETG_Adv_LINKVDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2 V V V V V V V VD V VDL VDL_ VDL_E VDL_ET VDL_ETG VDL_ETG_ VDL_ETG_A VDL_ETG_Ad VDL_ETG_Adv VDL_ETG_Adv_ VDL_ETG_Adv_L VDL_ETG_Adv_LI VDL_ETG_Adv_LIN VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_ VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_20 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_201 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-1 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_ VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_2 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_22 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x3 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x30 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+ VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3 VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3m VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_ VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_D VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_DE VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_DEF VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_DEF. VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_DEF.i VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_DEF.in VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_DEF.ind VDL_ETG_Adv_LINK_2019-11_225x300+3mm_DEF.indd V V V 1 V V V V V 1 12-11-201912 12-11-20191212-11-201912-1 12-11-201912-11 12-11-201912-1112-11-201912-11-2 12 12-11-201912-11-20 12-11-201 12-11-20 12-11-2 12-1112-11 12-1 1212-11-2019 2 1 11:13 1 11 11: 11:1

SHORTCUTS DUTCH TECHNOLOGIES AND A TIGHT SUPPLY CHAIN ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE The AdVac® and PER.C6® platform technologies, developed by Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies in Leiden, part of the American pharmaceutical group Johnson & Johnson, are thé tools being used to quickly develop a COVID-19 vaccine, much faster than the eighteen to 24 months that it normally takes, according to Dirk Redlich, Vice President, Head of CMC Development and Clinical Trial Material Production. The platform, according to his colleague Paul Ives, Senior Director Drug Substance Development, also present in the conference call, is best understood when compared to the platform with which the car manufacturers work: ‘That specifies the configuration of the chassis and on top of that, different bodies can be built, sedan, hatchback or convertible – in our business different vaccine candidate vectors. In 2014-2015 we used the same platform in Leiden to develop the vaccine against Ebola. So a lot of things are already in place, which is why we can now make a lot of speed in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.’ In this case, ‘speed’ means that the first clinical tests on humans will already take place in September and the first doses of the vaccine used to quell the pandemic could be available for emergency use authorization early next year. But it is far from over, as both men make clear. Currently the lead candidate vaccine has been selected with the AdVac platform

and is being tested in animal models. Parallel to this, production is being scaled up for which the PER.C6 technology is important. This cell line gives a high yield, Redlich points out. ‘Thanks to the high quality of the output, we can quickly scale up our production, from the usual 10 liters to 1000 liters. Within Johnson & Johnson we have the capacity in people and resources available for this. In addition to the production facility in Leiden, we are in the process of setting up one in the US and also in other places in the world.’ An important part of the development process is data analysis. Johnson & Johnson has invested heavily in precisely that specialism. ‘It is not possible to develop a vaccine without an understanding of the interaction between virus and antibodies. This requires model development for which we use tools such as AI and machine learning. We also use these technologies to develop the production process. We can make a digital version of our factory – a digital twin - and analyse many thousands of data points in it to identify all possible bottlenecks at an early stage.’ Very important is the cooperation of various partners, parties that ensure the supply of, among other things, the basic raw materials, test equipment and single-use materials such as plastic vessels for fermentation processes, Dirk Redlich emphasizes. ‘The cooperation we get from those parties,

Photo: Janssen

the willingness to help, is unprecedented. Everyone is committed to delivering what we ask for. I have never experienced the openness with which this happens: the supply chain acts as one organization without company boundaries’, says Redlich, who adds that this not only concerns companies, but also governments and BARDA, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Together with this division of the Uni-

Brilliance in engineering

BKL stands for high-quality. We are specialized in engineering, production and inspection of hoisting- and lifting tools, modules and machines. We work for well-known OEM’s serving several markets. Thanks to the combination of outstanding production facilities, experience and creativity of fifty professionals we are able to build customized machines. BKL excels in :

POWERING SENSORS WITH THREE DEGREES’ TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE Researcher Daniel Vakulov of Eindhoven University of Technology has developed a microgenerator that can extract 30 microwatt of electrical power from a temperature difference of three degrees Celsius. This may not seem much, but because hundreds of these micro-generators fit on a fingernail, together they can power an IoT device, such as a sensor glued to the ceiling. On these surfaces a temperature difference of three

degrees Celsius is very common. The microgenerator uses nanowires made of indium antimonide (InSb). Due to the thermoelectric effect, all thermal energy added to the nanomaterial should be ‘lost’ as electrical current. After confirming that this was the case, the researcher of Russian origin built a full-fledged generator. www.research.tue.nl/en/persons/daniel-vakulov

ted States Department of Health, Johnson & Johnson has committed to $ 1 billion investment to develop, clinically test, and produce the COVID-19 vaccine on a large scale. ‘Yes, we are beginning production imminently at risk. But we have already demonstrated many times with our AdVac platform and PER.C6 technology that we can achieve good results quickly.’ www.janssen.com

EXPERTS IN SAFETY

› Engineering

› Inspection

› Production

› Services

EXPERTS IN SAFETY BKL tests and inspects “tooling”. In addition we design and deliver sophisticated hoisting- and lifting tools (IIA declarations, CE) which are assembled at our production location in Nuenen, The Netherlands . Collse Heide 1 | 5674 VM Nuenen | The Netherlands +31 (0)40 2951444 | info@bkl.nl | www.bkl.nl

Mechatronic and mechanical solutions Inspection maintenance and repair Hoisting - & lifting tools, special machinery

Special Issue - April 2020

I want the whole package! Do you need a powerful, smart, and reliable drive system? One that comes with an electric motor, gearhead, controller, housing, connectors, software, and more? Then contact our specialists: systems.maxongroup.com

Precision Drive Systems

SHORTCUTS SOCIAL ROBOTS, A GOOD REMEDY FOR LONELINESS, AND CORONA-PROOF At the moment, hundreds of thousands of elderly people are forced to sit alone at home, without the possibility of visits by loved ones. The corona crisis will increase the feeling of loneliness among large groups in society. In order to do something about this, a great deal of time and energy has been invested in social robotics by science and industry in recent years. A well-known video is the one of an elderly lady living alone who, as part of an experiment, is given a social robot at home for two weeks. ‘That robot wasn’t yet functioning fully autonomously. Behind the scenes, someone was typing in answers that the robot could then give to questions of that lady. But it worked. After those two weeks, she was very sorry that the robot was taken away’, says Raymond Cuijpers. Together with Emilia Barakova,

he is the founder of the Social Robotics Lab and associate Professor of Cognitive Robotics and Human-Robot Interaction at TU (University of Technology) Eindhoven. ‘It has been proven that people can quite easily connect with social elements at home, even if they don’t reply.’ In his laboratory, TU students conduct research into which behaviour of robots is most effective. ‘It has been proven that people can quite easily connect with social elements at home, ‘For example, into the even if they don’t reply.’ Photo: Social Robotics Lab question of how a robot can positively stimulate the current crisis makes it clear the client. In addition, together present one causes a great deal of that robots cannot only unburden with other scientific disciplines loneliness. So it would be great if informal carers and other and the business community, additional funds could be set aside healthcare professionals, but can we are looking at certain social to speed up this research.’ also prevent the transmission of applications and how they could www.tue.nl/en/research/researchdiseases. ‘Besides all the other help prevent loneliness.’ areas/humans-and-technology/ problems, a pandemic like the When asked, Cuijpers says that social-robotics-lab/

Smart enclosures for electronics

Electronics enclosures must meet

Cortexon is a supplier to the top of the Dutch and Belgian high-tech industry.

strict requirements. Think of the design and functionality, but also of cooling and EMC protection.

Cortexon develops and produces electronics housings for this industry – from completely new designs to redesigns.

A challenge that Cortexon likes to take on!

Always customer-specific!

Delivery according to “surface cleanliness grade 4” supply chain management

Assembly of electronics components

Testing according to customer specification

Lifecycle management of built-in electronics

WWW.CORTEXON.COM

Special Issue April 2020

creating machines together

together we create the best industrialized mechatronic solutions

www.m-t-a.nl

SHORTCUTS MIDIAGNOSTICS RAISES 14 MILLION FOR DIAGNOSTIC PLATFORM FOR FUTURE PANDEMICS miDiagnostics, a spin-off from imec that uses silicon-based chip technology to bring compact, fast, user-friendly and reliable tests directly to patients and doctors, end of March announced an investment round of 14 million euros. The technology allows rapid test results to be obtained for acute, chronic and epidemic diseases, such as for future pandemics. The investment was made possible by the existing shareholders and by leading life sciences and tech investors, Rudi Pauwels and Urbain Vandeurzen. With these resources, miDiagnostics will be able to accelerate development and prepare for the large-scale production of its nanofluidic processor-on-chip, a unique technology that allows a rapid, comprehensive and relatively inexpensive analysis of a wide range of health conditions. miDiagnostics’ solution has potential in a variety of applications, including: home monitoring

of chronic patients; rapid screening by physicians or in remote health centers in developing countries; large-scale diagnosis during pandemics. Founders of miDiagnostics technology are imec, a leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technology, and Johns Hopkins University, a leading US research and medical center. Rudi Pauwels and Urbain Vandeurzen join the existing investors and successful serial entrepreneurs Marc Coucke (Alychlo) and Michel Akkermans (Pamica), the PMV (Flanders Participation Company), and imec and Johns Hopkins University (JHU) – the founders of miDiagnostics technology. Nicolas Vergauwe, Chief Executive Officer of miDiagnostics: ‘The continued commitment of our founders, imec and JHU, to our existing shareholders, along with the recent endorsement by two highly successful serial entrepre-

neurs, strengthens our confidence in the future of miDiagnostics. Like us, they are convinced that miDiagnostics can thoroughly reform the industry by making diagnostics as accessible as digital information on a smartphone. Together with the recent advancements in the development of our technology and bringing on board the right expertise to make this a commercial success, we now have everything we need to make rapid progress.’ ‘Since joining miDiagnostics’ Board of Directors in 2018, I have been impressed by the rapid technical advancement of its proprietary nanofluidic processor-onchip, and its potential to revolutionize the global diagnostics market’, said Dr. Rudi Pauwels, President of miDiagnostics. ‘I have therefore actively collaborated with the excellent team of miDiagnostics to accelerate its commercialization.’ Urbain Vandeurzen, Chairman of

VMF Invest: ‘Thanks to its unique chip technology, miDiagnostics has everything to become an important international player in screening, diagnostics and monitoring. Its user-friendly and relatively inexpensive testing will revolutionize the possibilities of point-of-care testing. After all, they will enable patient testing, which can lead to a faster intervention. The efforts made to contain the coronavirus demonstrate once again how much we need a technology that can quickly provide answers to doctors and patients. We believe that with this funding the strong management team at miDiagnostics is capable of bringing a unique technology to the market, delivering a reliable test to physicians and patients that can be used outside the hospital environment.’ www.midiagnostics.com www.imec-int.com

Special Issue - April 2020

TWO TYPICALLY SOUTHERN DUTCH QUALITIES CRUCIAL FOR RAPIDLY GROWING AME

COLLABORATE AND KEEP TRACK

THEMA ‘WORKING TOGETHER’ AND ‘SYSTEMS THINKING’ SKILLS MAKE SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS RESILIENT

The high-tech region Southern Nether-

Gerrit van der Beek has become one with the Southern Dutch high-tech region. But that does not apply to AME that he is in charge of. This Eindhoven-based system supplier operates in various markets with often foreign customers and has – vertically integrated as it is – a modest local supply base. But that region is crucial for the quality of his staff. People with the ability to collaborate and system architecture. The two core qualities with which the region has gained world renown.

BY MARTIN VAN ZAALEN

errit van der Beek knows the Southern Dutch high-tech industry like the back of his hand – a sector that he has experienced in his career from a variety of perspectives. Earlier as vice president purchasing and senior vice president R&D at two major OEMs, Philips and FEI (later acquired by Thermo Fisher) respectively. Then as CEO of Liteq, a start-up and one-stop manufacturer of machines for semi-conductor backend processes (now part of Kulicke & Soffa). And now as CEO of AME, a medium-sized, highly vertically integrated system supplier. In order to underline his connection with the Greater Eindhoven region, he currently also holds supervisory directorships at machine builder/system supplier AAE and at Brainport Development, the network of high-tech suppliers, mainly from the south of the Netherlands.

THREE POPULAR TECHNOLOGIES The state of being one with the region applies to Van der Beek personally, but not so much to his AME. It goes without saying that the fastgrowing company (with an average annual turnover growth of 20 percent over the past decade) is heavily dependent on the Brainport labour market for the recruitment of technical staff. But that does not apply to the clientele and the supply chain. ‘We focus’, he begins his explanation, ‘not so much on markets, but on three technologies: power conversion, IoT and sensing & actuating. Three technologies that are very popular because they are needed for the electrification that is going on in many different markets. A great many companies in a great many divergent markets need our technologies to make their products smart.’

Special Issue - April 2020

VEHICLE-TO-GRID SYSTEM One of those companies is Nissan Automotive Europe in Paris. With the close involvement of stakeholders such as grid managers and energy suppliers, AME has developed a module with which electric cars can be charged ‘interactively’. ‘When a lot of electric cars are on the

lands excels in collaboration and system engineering. It is precisely thanks to these two qualities that it distinguishes itself with machines and equipment that are unparalleled worldwide.

many other smart electronic modules. Such as the HMI (human-machine interface, ed.) front panel and the power module for industrial coffee machines. And for the control of a Bruynzeel filing system: On an interface, the user enters the book or document he wants; then the rack where it is opens up and you are led to it by a trail of light. We also use them for the system we developed and built to control Vanderlande’s distribution technology. All companies in totally different markets. Where many companies in this region would seriously suffer if the semicon were to collapse, it would hardly affect us’, says Van der Beek, showing a graph of the turnover development achieved in 2019 and forecast for 2020 on the big screen in the meeting room where the interview takes place. ‘Last year turnover was 38 million euros, this year we expect to grow to 43 million euros. A conservative estimate; I myself think we’re more likely to reach 50 million.’

‘OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE BUILT UP AN ENORMOUS KNOWLEDGE BACKBONE’

road in the near future and everyone plugs in their cars at six o’clock in the evening, the electricity grid becomes overloaded. Our vehicle-to-grid system (V2G, ed.), equipped with an app, ensures that the charging rate takes your schedule into account. If you enter on your smartphone that you have to go out for a long drive the next morning at seven o’clock, the system will make sure you have enough power in the battery the next day. But it may well be that in the first hour after you return home, power was drawn from the battery in order to meet the great demand for power at that particular moment.’

DIVERGENT MARKETS The development of this ‘bi-directional system’ requires the use of all three of AME’s core technologies. ‘But we also use these for

STANDARDISED It is striking that he refers to a number of large international companies. Companies that you would say have the capacity to develop those systems themselves, also because these systems are close to their own core technologies. ‘We can do it faster and cheaper. Over the years we have built up an enormous knowledge backbone on which we can draw for new products. A great deal of what we develop is based on knowledge and is built up from components that we have previously developed for completely different products.

Of course, we do this in close coordination with our customers. The customer-specific systems we develop and build are therefore largely based on reused knowledge, often and increasingly laid down in standardised platforms.’

GREAT DEAL OF TECHNOLOGY IN-HOUSE What also stands out in the graph he shows (made in SAP, based on current data from ERP, PDM and MES, he proudly says) is the great added value that AME produces. This has everything to do with the strong vertical integration of the company, which has a great deal of product technology in-house. Within walking distance of each other, the two buildings in Eindhoven house an SMT (Surface Mount Technology) line, milling equipment, 3D printers, an injection moulding plant, ultrasonic welding equipment, et cetera. ‘We can injection-mould pianoblack here: produce high-gloss black plastic parts. Hardly any other compa- AME benefits from the availability of people with qualities in collaborating and system architecture, two qualities with which the Southern ny in Europe is capable of that’, Netherlands region has gained world renown. Gerrit van Beek is convinced that ‘without these qualities, this region would never have been able to develop and build the highly complex systems with which it scores worldwide, the ASML EUV chip machine being the first.’ he says, sounding convinced. ‘And we’ve developed a techno- Photo: Bart van Overbeeke. logy here for making integrated can produce very large series. The same goes connectors. They cost me a few cents now, does many things in-house. AME attracts for PCBs: A specialised EMS (Electronic compared to a few euros if I were to purchase above all engineers from the surrounding Manufacturing Services) company is not intethem separately.’ industrial ecosystem. People boasting the wide rested in relatively small series of one hundred range of engineering qualities his company to a few hundred thousand pieces at most. In needs, from mechanical and electrical to MORE EXPENSIVE? addition, they have to adjust their systems (embedded) software. At the same time But does keeping so many processes live and specially to the size of the board we need, people equipped with two other qualities. up-to-date not make AME actually more whereas that is the standard size for us.’ Qualities that are characteristic of southern expensive for the customer? ‘Pianoblack is Dutch industrial culture. extremely vulnerable: It is very susceptible to scratches. If we could have it made elsewhere, PEOPLE it would have to be properly packed there, AME thus has customers in various markets, COLLABORATE AND KEEP TRACK carefully transported and unpacked here in the semicon, as well as in automotive, ‘No, it’s not for the engineers that I should be again. That costs money. Another advantage is medtech and logistics, and in the Southern based here’, Van der Beek says. ‘Still, I wouldn’t that we are a high-mix, relatively low-volume Netherlands region, but also in Germany, dream of leaving this region, because for one company. A specialised injection moulding France, Belgium, Great Britain and Turkey. plant only becomes more cost effective if it And AME has suppliers from the region, but TO BE CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

Special Issue - April 2020

Affordable interferometers by applying integrated photonics

Figure 1. Chiroptera Layout. A PIC-based dual wavelength three phase interferometer integrated with a Reference (A) and Target/ Probe (B) laser. The system has a FOS head and can be inserted in various applications.

Typically, photonic integrated circuits (PIC) for sensing applications are still considered a topic of limited to basic research, illustrated by the numerous academic papers published every year. The growing number shows that the topic is gaining interest, however the number of industrial available products is still rather modest. Compared to its “older brother” integrated electronics, integrated photonic technology is not yet at the same level of maturity, however its commercially availability is catching up quickly.

Figure 2. Results (blue) of a PIEZO step (black) modulation of 1 nm.

In the past few years Technobis has introduced its Gator

three-phase interferometric signal: the optical eﬃciency,

product range: a plug&play desktop Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG)

thermal management and low-noise electronics of the

interrogator, a spectrometry-based product that are OTS

photonic package, and both Reference/Probe and Target

commercially available. Technobis is also introducing another

laser quality. The performance of a PIC-based interferometer

state-of-the-art ASPIC-based product line: the Chiroptera,

requires optimization of all these parameters together in

an ASPIC based ﬁber-optic interferometer. The Chiroptera

order to achieve λ/10000 interpolation, i.e. sub-nanometer

a solution for extreme sensitive, accurate and high-speed

displacement resolution.

measurements of target displacement without the need to physically connect a sensor to the object of interest.

Displacement measurement By eliminating the displacement noise originating from the

Figure 3. Result (purple) of manual steps of

Chiroptera: a compact interferometer

ﬁber, the resolution limit is dominated by the laser phase

roughly 50 μm. The result is the measured “target”

In contrast to linear-encoders and ‘classical’ geometrical

noise and electronic noise (optical power level). The following

corrected by the “reference” measurement

optical interferometers, a PIC-based interferometer consists

plots demonstrate the sensitivity and dynamic range of

of a small-formfactor package and a ﬁber-optic sensor to be

the Chiroptera with the target displacement measured

aligned to a target (Fig 1).

in two diﬀerent applications: manual micrometer-screw

Summary / conclusion

displacement (Fig 3) and piezo step modulation (Fig 2).

We demonstrate the use of commercially available interferometers that utilize

To overcome the fiber lead sensitivity, which is inherent to the three-phase configuration (principle first demonstrated

Our results (Fig 2) show that sub-nanometer displacement

integrated photonics for accurate remote

in 1981 by S. K. Sheem et al, JAP 52, 3865), multiple

resolution is feasible using integrated photonics. The

sensing. The Chiroptera includes the

wavelengths can be applied. Each wavelength will be

resolution limit in these setups is understood, well under

state-of-the-art integrated photonics

aligned to its own target, being able to reject common-

control and has room for improvement.

packaging solution that enables small

Within integrated photonics a combination of three-phase

Depending on the application diﬀerent choices can be

range of new applications that suﬀer from

interference principle and a dense wavelength division (de)

made to accommodate the Chiroptera to the requirements

the limitations of conventional systems.

of the targeted measurements, e.g. a high- or low-end

Further developments are ongoing

volume, and low-cost devices for a broad

mode behavior (like ﬁber temperature- and vibration noise).

multiplexing becomes feasible.

lasers, high-speed or low-speed electronics, few or multiple

in collaborative projects with leading

In addition to the speciﬁc design of the Photonic circuit, the

measurement points, etc., if cost-performance balance needs

companies such as Lionix and Settels.

following key aspects need to be considered to optimize the

to be optimized.

Please contact us for more information:

Pyrietstraat 2

info@technobis.com

1812 SC Alkmaar, The Netherlands

www.technobis.com

Tel: +31 72 30 200 40

CONTINUATION OF PAGE 11

thing the engineers here generally excel in collaboration. And there are plenty of people here with system architecture qualities who are able to keep track of complex development projects. Without these two qualities, this region would never have been able to develop and build the highly complex systems with which it scores worldwide, the ASML EUV chip machine being the first. Precisely because our engineers can work well together with the client, they are able to gain an excellent understanding of their application, which our module is going be a part of. It is precisely by working closely with their people during the development process that we are able to deliver a module that really adds value. At the same time, we develop complex systems in which a multitude of different disciplines come together. We have the people in-house who know how to keep track, who ensure that all those subsystems work well together. Our system architects are crucial to our success.’ Development and construction region Van der Beek’s conviction is that without those two social qualities, high-tech technology in the South of the Netherlands would never have become the development and construction sector for the most complex, most accurately functioning systems manufactured on this globe. ‘These two core qualities are indispensable. That is why

AME: ORIGINAL DESIGN MANUFACTURER AME (Applied Micro Electronics) is an developer and manufacturer of high-quality electronic modules and products, an original design manufacturer, as CEO Gerrit van der Beek calls it, alluding to OEM (original equipment manufacturer). The Eindhovenbased company, in which investor Gimv acquired a majority share in March, has around 260 staff, most of whom work in product and process development. The focus is on three core technologies: power conversion, the internet of things and sensors and actuators, with the corresponding highly automated production facilities. In order to attract suitable talent, the company maintains close contact with universities for work placements and

I’m personally not at all afraid that an EUV machine can be copied by an Asian customer. Certainly not if you have to do it without the code of the embedded software, which is the glue that bonds all the components together.’

MULTINATIONALS So AME is growing fast and wants to keep growing, especially with the large, multinational customers, according to Gerrit van der Beek. ‘At the beginning of my career, I was

graduation projects, especially Eindhoven University of Technology, where the founders graduated. The company motto is contained in a saying that one of the founders, the late Marc van Sloun, once found on the wall of the zeppelin shipyard in Friedrichshafen, Germany: ‘Dort, wo die Idee entspringt, Vision und Mut das Herz bestimmt, beginnt die Reise durch die Zeit, und Träume werden Wirklichkeit.’ (‘Where the idea is born and where vision and courage lead the heart, the journey through time begins, and dreams come true.’)

• www.ame.nu responsible for the global procurement of imaging systems at Philips, worth EUR 1 billion a year. AME already existed at the time, but was much smaller than it is now and that’s why I totally overlooked it. Now, as a purchaser at Philips, I would definitely work with AME. No, we’re not doing any business with Philips yet. And not with Thermo Fischer and Kulicke & Soffa either. But I’m sure we can add a lot of value to them.’

Special Issue - April 2020

Tailor-made for our manufacturing industr y

Meet Wouter. He works for our project forwarder Varekamp Project Services.

KH HQVXUHV WURXEOH IUHH WUDQVSRUWV ZLWK Ă DZOHVV VXSHUYLVLRQ 6HFXULW\ VSHHG DQG

Wouter organises the worldwide special transports of Varekamp. Tailor-made

safety are of paramount importance to Varekamp. Everything is tailor-made.

transport assignments for the Dutch manufacturing industry. Wouter has mastered

5RWWHUGDP LV RIWHQ WKH RSHUDWLQJ EDVH DQG WKH ZRUOG LV WKH SOD\LQJ Ă&#x20AC;HOG :RXWHU

this unique profession down to the very last detail. Along with his team of specialists,

is everywhere and knows the right solution for every type of project shipment.

Do you have a transport challenge? Contact Wouter via vpservices.com/contact or call +31 (0)10 - 4367 717

Varekamp Project Services is part of

THEME ‘WORKING TOGETHER’ AND ‘SYSTEMS THINKING’ SKILLS MAKE SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS RESILIENT

ROLE OF SYSTEM ARCHITECT IN STRENGTHENING BRAINPORT ECOSYSTEM INCREASINGLY DECISIVE

LINCHPIN IN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS The products and subsystems developed by a few large first tiers in the Brainport region for their end customers are becoming more and more complex – and the time to market needs to be shortened more and more. As a result, multidisciplinary development teams have started to work smarter, almost holistically, with the system architect in one of the leading roles. ‘Without very strong and experienced system architects, you have no business in the high-tech playing field.’

‘three in the box’, referring to the three key resources for each multidisciplinary development project: the project leader, the system architect and the business representative. In order to ensure that the project remains on par with the specs, wishes and expectations of the client, he would like to see them form such a trio too. ‘It increases the chances of success considerably’, he says subtly. After all, the customer pays, and he who pays the piper calls the tune. That doesn’t mean that the first tier is in the ‘your request is our command’ mode, on the contrary. Ron Willems, managing director of Development & Engineering at Sioux, says: ‘Over the years, we have evolved into an integral system partner for our OEM customers and, with more than 400 engineers in Eindhoven, we are one of the largest partners in the region. We can fulfil that role because in areas such as mechatronics, mechanics, electronics, (opto)physics, (embedded) software and – very distinctive – mathematics, we can provide solutions that really help the customer further.’

OUTSOURCING TREND CONTINUES Arend-Jan Beltman. ‘At Sioux we allows the beginning system architects already to be the project leader’s number two in smaller projects.’ Photos: Sioux

BY PIM CAMPMAN

TS and Sioux Technologies, two large primary suppliers based in Brainport, devote a great deal of time and energy to recruiting and training technicians who have the skills – and the ambition – to become system architects. Which is a challenge, because not every technician can or wants to become a system architect, says Arend-Jan Beltman, mechatronics manager & technology program manager at Sioux. ‘Most of the technicians are looking for depth in the discipline they graduated in. They prefer to stay far away from the more generalist work, which is fine. These experts are also indispensable in the complex multidisciplinary development projects we carry out.’

group leader of the system architects since 1 February. This department consists of twenty people, mainly mechatronics engineers but also specialists in (opto)electronics, embedded software and optics. He also worked at that intersection in his previous positions at Philips, TNO, PNO and ASML. ‘An important quality of the system architects is their ability to look and think beyond their own discipline (in his case biomechanics, ed.). This overall view enables them to bring together all the disciplines required for a development project.’ Beltman is on the same wavelength. ‘The system architect connects disciplines/competencies on the technical content. This calls for exceptionally good communication skills – and a fair amount of hands-on experience. That is why at Sioux we allows the beginning system architects already to be the project leader’s number two in smaller projects.’

TIME TO TECHNOLOGY

THREE IN THE BOX

Rens van den Braber, senior system architect at NTS (with a history at TNO and ASML), agrees. He also sees the role of the develop-

Once they are ready for ‘the big job’, they remain the number two. Beltman talks about

TO BE CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

CONNECTOR The system architect operates at the inter-section of technology and people, says Sander Gielen, who has been working at NTS as

Gielen mentions how the outsourcing trend originated in development projects, first in aviation and automotive and then in the hightech sector. ‘OEMs were faced with the task of developing and building (sub)systems and equipment that were becoming increasingly complex technically and had to be marketed more quickly. Doing everything in-house was unwise, impractical even. So they started entrusting a first tier with development packages that they did not consider to be core because these no longer had any added value. Whereupon this first tier started investing heavily in increasing its capabilities, making that its core business.’ The result: a handful of large, strong, integral system partners of OEMs, examples being VDL ETG, Sioux Technologies and NTS. This trend is continuing and will continue at an increased rate, he ventures to predict, with the interaction with the customer changing.

Special Issue - April 2020

mapp View. WEB MEETS AUTOMATION. AUTOMATION. www.br-automation.com/mappView www.br-automation.com/mappView

CONTINUATION OF PAGE 15

ment teams on the first tier side gradually changing. Although there are major differences per project and customer. ‘An ASML goes to extremes with long-term planning, has already worked out what the next product should be and by when the customer should have it. You are faced with all kinds of technologies that are not yet mature and as a development partner you must be able to deal not only with time to market, but also with time to technology.’

DIFFERENCE IN DYNAMICS It is completely different for start-ups and mid-sized manufacturing companies that turn to NTS, says Van den Braber. ‘They typically want to have a system developed to be able to

with the customer, ed. – you have a more advisory role in those cases. To give an example: “You ask for serial production, but wouldn’t it be better to first make a prototype and test it on the market, instead of immediately setting up the entire supply chain at the risk of a flop?” It just goes to show that the dynamics differ per customer and per project.’ According to Beltman, this means that the system architects must have excellent communication skills and be able to understand what the customer wants. They must be able to convince that customer – through previous experience and state-of-the-art knowledge of all those new technologies that exist or are in the offing – of what would otherwise be better in their case. They must be able to convey that message about these complex issues in a language that all stakeholders can understand.

ONLY TAKE ON WHAT FITS In brief: the interaction with customers is changing – and in order to manage this satisfactorily, the role of the system architect is becoming more comprehensive and also more decisive for success. Willems is crystal clear about that: ‘The system architect is crucial for us even to be able to develop the complex products and subsystems we focus on. We only take on a new lead if the system architect, together with a very strong multidisciplinary project leader, can indicate which disciplines are needed in the development project.’ Because that much is clear: Sioux and NTS

‘WITHOUT VERY STRONG SYSTEM ARCHITECTS, YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS IN THE HIGH-TECH PLAYING FIELD’

run serial production in, say, six months and expect zero risk because they call in an experienced party. As a system architect – who has to determine the most suitable product and process architecture for the customer and

SYSARCH: ADVANCED HANDS-ON TRAINING The science and art of purposeful and decisive design and construction of complex multidisciplinary (sub)systems; that is a concise definition of system architecture. Within this framework, the system architect is responsible for translating the requirements of the many stakeholders (including the client, management, production/assembly, potential investor...) into a system architecture blueprint. They do so on the basis of thorough knowledge of the problem domain, the commercial and human context, the resolution domain, technology road maps and relevant, previously developed architectures. The system architect develops the sketch for an integrated design, keeps track, ensures design consistency and provides the context for the development activities carried out by multidisciplinary teams of specialists. That high acting level is not a given. It requires talent, experience and education/training. SysArch is a course/training programme that has been running successfully for several years within the High Tech Institute in Eindhoven. This institute, which has sprung from Philips Research and the former Philips Centre for Manufacturing Tech-

niques, provides complete training programmes in electronics, mechatronics, optics, software development and leadership. SysArch is intended for system architects with at least four, five years of hands-on experience. The course provides them with a complete overview of the wide playing field and of the various points of view they have to manage. Short exercises, worked out in small groups, help to see and understand the width of the playing field. The topics covered in the course provide insight into the influence of the organisational structure and the importance of focusing not only on technical, but also on business, process and human aspects. The course simulates what a system architect is constantly doing in their head: very quickly reviewing multiple points of view. To this end, SysArch provides tools to tackle architectural problems, such as how to balance the many, often conflicting requirements and how to set up a road map and the basis for a business case.

• www.hightechinstitute.nl

Ron Willems: ‘The system architect is crucial for us even to be able to develop the complex products and subsystems we focus on.’

only take on development projects that are up their alley and allow them to prove their added value. Van den Braber says, ‘In the past we sometimes took on projects that didn’t quite fit. We don’t do that anymore. Leads go through a funnel; if they have little or no added value for us, we drop them immediately. Because we really want to focus on where we can make a difference.’

CAREER Willems says, ‘Our system architects complete the entire process: from the first customer contact at trade fairs and conferences to delivering the project to assembly. An extremely versatile and challenging job, with plenty of freedom to introduce original and creative solutions that really matter. We can offer people with the relevant skills and ambitions a great career.’ The same goes for NTS. A strategy that bears fruit: OEMs that want to continue to make rapid progress in areas such as high-precision optics & motion and various other capabilities can no longer disregard those large, strong first tiers. Partly because they have invested heavily, and will continue to do so, in the latest digital design methods and tools. Willems concludes, ‘Without very strong and experienced system architects, you have no business in the high-tech playing field.’

STRENGTHENING THE REGION TOGETHER As a result, these first tier suppliers will gradually find themselves more in the spotlight of OEMs from outside Brainport – a trend that is of course welcome, because it will strengthen the ecosystem in that region.

• www.sioux.eu • www.nts-group.nl Special Issue - April 2020

FRENCKEN IS ‘EMBEDDED’ IN

TOP 10 HIGH-TECH COMPANIES WORLDWIDE

PRECISION COMPONENT MANUFACTURING

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & ENGINEERING

HIGH LEVEL ASSEMBLY

LET’S CREATE SUCCESSFUL SOLUTIONS TOGETHER Frencken is the connector in the high-tech chain: for semiconductor, analytical equipment and medical technology that make a real difference to the quality of our lives. Add more value to your product development, manufacturing operations and business processes with Frencken as your partner. www.frencken.nl

Your career starts here...

leading at the edge of technology

THEME ‘WORKING TOGETHER’ AND ‘SYSTEMS THINKING’ SKILLS MAKE SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS RESILIENT

PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH OF THE NETHERLANDS REGARD THEMSELVES AS GOOD COLLABORATORS AND SYSTEM ARCHITECTS

BUT WHAT DO INFORMED OUTSIDERS THINK ABOUT THAT? The Dutch like to see themselves as people who can work well together and who are able to keep track when engineering complex configurations. Good colleagues therefore, even if they are a bit blunt at times. Link Magazine asked a few outsiders with a rich work experience in (the south of) the Netherlands about their opinion of these people. ‘Generally they don’t bother to sugar-coat a message, so there’s no need for interpretations. It’s a good thing that you don’t waste any time on that.’

overall system. In the U.S., people with that quality are much scarcer.’ He also likes the fact that there are plenty of good suppliers available in the southern Netherlands. ‘We do the high-end development work ourselves, but when it comes to the slightly less exciting work we are able to find very good engineers in Eindhoven and the surrounding area to complement our own people.’

SHIFT FOCUS? Chylak is therefore very enthusiastic about the engineering quality and capacity of the ecosystem in the southern Netherlands. Would that be a reason for him to shift the focus of Kulicke & Soffa’s R&D to this region? ‘Our policy when acquiring companies is to leave the engineering where it is. So nowadays we have R&D centres in the Netherlands and the US, at our headquarters in Singapore, but also in China and Israel. These centres complement each other well, so we have no reason to change our policy.’ In mid-2017, K&S did invest in a Process & Applications lab in Bob Chylak, CTO of Kulicke & Soffa (left), with John Jorritsma, the mayor of Eindhoven, at the Opening Ceremony of the new Process & Eindhoven, a facility covering an Applications lab in 2017: ‘There are plenty of systems architects in Eindhoven who are able to maintain a good mental picture of the overall area of 180 square metres. This system. In the U.S., people with that quality are much scarcer.’ Photo: K&S is a research and testing facility boasting state-of-the-art equipment for testing customers’ new machines in conjuncare very committed and have a lot of knowtion with them. BY MARTIN VAN ZAALEN ledge of mechanics, electronics and software, so they really know their stuff. And they go ob Chylak, CTO of Kulicke & Soffa, VERY PRAGMATIC about things just a little more systematically was closely involved in the acquiAlexander Megej, CTO of the Industrial than our R&D staff in the US, so they also sition of Assembléon in 2014 and business unit of TE Connectivity based in have an eye for detail. In Pennsylvania they frequently worked at the Eindhoven Switzerland, has spent several stints of his work fast, but sometimes they miss things. site at that time, but also afterwards. This career in the Netherlands. He worked with And our Dutch people are a bit more innoallowed him to gain a nuanced impression SRON (Space Research Organization of vative than our engineers in Asia. Innovations of the southern Netherlands’ high-tech ecoNetherlands) in Groningen and later as a come from the Netherlands or the US.’ system, its qualities and the people who work contractor for TNO Defence, Safety & Securthere. ‘The approximately one hundred ity in The Hague. Nowadays, he is in regular engineers we have in Eindhoven work closely contact with his team members at the TE GOOD SUPPLIERS with their R&D colleagues in Pennsylvania on Connectivity office in Den Bosch. ‘I find the He also acknowledges the Dutch quality of the development of machines for electronics systems engineering. “There are plenty of Dutch well educated with in-depth mechaniassembly. And that collaboration is extremely systems architects in Eindhoven who are able positive. The people in Eindhoven work hard, to maintain a good mental picture of the TO BE CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Special Issue - April 2020

Brainport industries is a supplier network of more than 100 high-tech companies active in high-mix, low-volume, high-complexity in the Netherlands. Brainport Industries provides a fertile ground and a solid structure for collaborative projects whether they are related to technology, market or people and represents the interests of its members on political level.

YOUR HIGH TECH OPEN SUPPLY NETWORK

Enabling product launchesÂŽ

www.brainportindustries.com YOUR HIGH TECH OPEN SUPPLY NETWORK

CONTINUATION OF PAGE 19

cal and electrical engineering knowledge. At the same time, they’re very pragmatic.’

TIME PRESSURE These qualities are very important for TE Connectivity’s Industrial business unit, a company that specialises in the development and production of hardware needed to make electrical or data connections. Connections on a PCB or in a PLC, but also for machinemachine communication. Connections that

ly developed and produced on a project basis. Megej leads teams that carry out such projects, which also include Dutch colleagues. ‘That work is often done under time pressure. And then it’s pleasant that the Dutch – I’m generalising now – communicate directly. Generally they don’t bother to sugar-coat a message, so there’s no need for interpretations. If you need to come to a practical solution quickly, it’s a good thing that you don’t waste any time on that.’

SYSTEM-THINKING QUALITY

‘GENERALLY THE DUTCH DON’T BOTHER TO SUGAR-COAT A MESSAGE’

are capable to function in harsh environments – including high temperatures, toxic gases and high humidity. The hardware – cables, connectors, as well as sensors, instruments and insulation material – is often produced for high-mix low-volume applications. In addition, customer-specific solutions are frequent-

At the TE Connectivity’s website, Megej is described as an engineer who can stay focused on what is important rather than getting lost in detail. ‘As a leader, he empowers his teams to step back and evaluate the entire perforAlexander Megej, CTO of the Industrial business unit of TE Connectivity mance challenge, guiding them in based in Switzerland, has spent several stints of his career in the taking a systems approach to helping Netherlands. ‘I find the Dutch well educated with in-depth mechanical customers achieve more integration and electrical engineering knowledge. At the same time, they’re very within industrial machines and facto- pragmatic.’ Photo: TE Connectivity ry networks.’ He also recognises this system-thinking quality in the Dutch you to quickly arrive at a robust, feasible and engineers he has worked with. ‘In order to cost-effective solution. Many Dutch engineers quickly arrive at a good client-specific possess precisely that quality.’ solution, it is important to have knowledge of what has worked in previous jobs for other clients as well as having a good insight into www.kns.com the current technical challenges. This allows www.te.com

• •

Development and Engineering of Mechatronic systems Would you enjoy developing ground-breaking new technologies in a multidisciplinary team? A great opportunity is waiting for you at DEMCON! We are a high-end technology supplier of products and systems in the areas of hightech systems, industrial

systems and medical devices. We support our clients along the entire system development chain, from proof of principle, prototyping and pre-production to series production. Join us at DEMCON and experience how your own capabilities grow in a team of technology professionals! www.demcon.nl

Special Issue - April 2020

CHAIN INTEGRATION

KMWE SEES A CLEAR INCREASE IN THE TREND OF CO-ENGINEERING WITH CUSTOMERS

‘IT HAS TO BE CLEAN, CLEANER, CLEANEST’ Cleanliness is a hot topic in the high-tech manufacturing industry. Reason why KMWE took over ATM Oirschot and ATM Mould Cleaning in June last year. ‘The missing link in our process, said CEO Edward Voncken’, adding that significant investments are being made in the cleaning specialist. BY PIM CAMPMAN

aving visitors is no longer possible now that the Corona virus sows death and destruction in our country. Thus the interview takes place through Microsoft Teams. ‘We use that a lot lately. And we actually quite like it’, says Edward Voncken from the Brainport Industries Campus (BIC) in Eindhoven. The specialist in high-precision machining & assembly and supply chain management has ‘not really’ suffered from a major drop in orders, according to Voncken. ‘We do see shifts in the four markets we serve: the civilian aeroplane activities have, as it were, stagnated, but the military aero activities, semicon, healthcare and industrial, are on a par or even increasing. A few months ago, there was still so much demand from customers in commercial aviation that we were short of the military parts in the supply chain. We are now working to eliminate that shortage. So that market mix is more than helping us to keep running at a good level.’

MANUFACTURABILITY Apart from the Corona misery, Voncken has for some time seen the clear trend that the contribution of tier 1 suppliers, including KMWE, to the product development by their end customers is increasing. ‘Co-engineering, or concurrent engineering (in which different teams develop in parallel, ed.) is increasing thanks to all this advanced digital tooling. As an OEM, if you let your tier 1 participate early in the design phase and provide input, this improves the manufacturability, the time to market, and so on. We therefore see an enormous need for ICT and data, which is now further fuelled by the Corona crisis. Logging in and programming and engineering at home will become increasingly normal. We are preparing for this.’

THE ROLE OF THE MANUFACTURING ARCHITECT KMWE employs over 25 engineers and also works closely with engineering agencies. ‘We

are looking for a combination with them: they have real system knowledge, we are in the role of, say, the ‘manufacturing architect’. Because we do not design whole machines or subsystems, our strength lies in the industrialisation of the process. So it could happen that we say: ‘Nice idea, nothing wrong with it, but if we design it this or that way, it is better, easier and faster to produce and assemble.’ These partnerships, with engineering firms and with design teams at the customer, are becoming increasingly intensive and increasingly multidisciplinary.’ KMWE-ceo Edward Voncken: ‘It has to be clean, cleaner, cleanest. That is why we took over ATM last June. The missing link in our process.’ Photo: Bart van Overbeeke Edward Voncken mentions in this context the Asian supply chain that KMWE is redesigning according to Voncken. ‘Of course, OEMs who together with customers who have transferred make complex machines do not want to find production from Europe to there. ‘We do out after the machines have been put together that with engineers here and at our location that they are internally unclean so that they in Malaysia. We are now hiring the first do not function well – and it is almost imengineers who will arrange this with the possible to find out which part caused this. customer.’ So they are industriously looking for ways to measure and test very early in the chain whether each part meets the cleanliness criteMISSING LINK ria. That is why we took over ATM last June. High mix, low volume, high complexity; the It specializes in surface treatments and the manufacturing companies and tier 1s in the precise cleaning and packaging of metal parts Brainport region are good in this. According to the KMWE CEO, this is about in smaller series and dimensions. The missing product(assemblies) that, for example, must link in our process.’ meet very strict accuracy and/or cleanliness KMWE has and will continue to invest heavily requirements. ‘That can be a combination of in that daughter. Among other things, to go factors. A product with greater tolerances can even cleaner and to be able to measure it probe complex after all because there are all kinds perly, and to increase the cleanroom capacity. of critical following steps involved.’ ‘We think there is still a lot to be achieved in improving the entire flow of cleaning, smart packaging and shipping.’ CLEANLINESS A trend that is also unmistakable is cleanliness. ‘It has to be clean, cleaner, cleanest’, www.kmwe.com

•

Special Issue - April 2020

CHAIN INTEGRATION

MEDICAL-TECHNOLOGICAL MANUFACTURING COMPANIES IN THE NETHERLANDS (1)

‘SOME SUPPLIERS HAVE BECOME TRUE STRATEGIC PARTNERS’ The Southern Netherlands excels in medical technology. Companies continuously put innovative, useful, smart machines and applications on the market. How do they collaborate with their suppliers and research institutes? What do they do, what do they want, what do they need? A small tour of four completely different companies, with each and every one having a worldwide market and a solid production base in the region.

TOUR OF THE DUTCH MEDTECH – STAGE 1 ‘In the four interviews with the companies you sense that people speak the same language and know each other’s expectations. They have the same blood type. That makes for excellent cooperation and innovation’, says business developer Steven van Roon of maxon benelux (50 employees) in Enschede. Headquartered in Switzerland, maxon (3,000 employees) is the ‘global market leader’ in the field of high-precision drive systems. Maxon’s system solutions can be found in surgical hand-held devices, humanoid robots and high-precision industrial installations. Approximately 40-45 percent of the worldwide turnover comes from the medicaltechnology sector. Together with Link Magazine, maxon has devised a plan to take a Dutch medtech tour. For this first ‘stage’, companies in the south of the Netherlands were interviewed, remotely because of the corona crisis. Round-table discussions will follow in other parts of the Netherlands about which Link will publish in subsequent issues. ‘Proximity and meeting each other in person are important’, Van Roon concludes from the interviews.

• www.maxongroup.nl Heikoop, managing director of IME Medical Electrospinning in Waalre, a spin-off from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and manufacturer of electrospinning machines. The electrospinning technology is used to produce scaffolds for regenerative medicine. Liquid polymer is ingeniously ‘woven’ into, for example, a stent to strengthen a vein. The body grows its own tissue Judith Heikoop (IME): ‘We also have suppliers who work for ASML. They know what it’s like to between those work with very exact specifications.’ Photo: Erik van der Burgt synthetic fibres. The scaffold can be biodegradable and over time make room for BY LUCY HOLL that natural material. ur extended team is in the Eindhoven region. Here we find the manuWORLD LEADER facturing companies who help Research institutes and companies in the medical-technological and pharmaceutical develop our machines, the designers sectors buy the electrospinning machines for who work on the appearance and usertheir own research. IME supports its clients friendliness of our products, and the suppliers in scaling up and improving medical applicaof the necessary raw materials’, says Judith

‘O 24

Special Issue - April 2020

tions for the machines. In addition, the company produces scaffolds on its own machines on contract. The majority of clients are based in Europe, the United States and China. ‘We want to become the ASML in our market’, said Heikoop in a previous interview with Link Magazine. ‘IME is the world technology leader in electrospinning. Mind you: That’s what clients have said about us. They are our true ambassadors’, says Judith Heikoop. IME has undertaken various co-development projects with clients. One of them was supposed to share the results one of these days at a major conference in Silicon Valley, Napa, but that conference has been postponed due to the corona crisis. IME works with clients worldwide on specific applications. The innovation of the machines themselves is done with suppliers in the Brainport region. Heikoop is enthusiastic about the (South) Dutch ecosystem. ‘We’re in a unique knowledge region. We incorporate our own medical knowledge and electrospinning know-how into our machines, as well the expertise of the local industry. How do we make sure together that the machine does exactly what it’s supposed to do? How can we optimise its production? In a number of cases, our suppliers have become true strategic partners.’ Worldwide IME actually only finds these kinds of partners in the Brainport region, the

managing director of IME adds for good measure. ‘We also have suppliers who work for ASML. They know what it’s like to work with very exact specifications. We are dealing with nanofibres, which requires utmost precision. There are only few companies that can deliver the quality we need.’

CLEANROOM-PLUS One of the strategic partners is Eindhovenbased BKB Precision, a high-grade plastics machining company. In early March IME and BKB received a €50,000 grant from the Stimuleringsfonds (Incentives Fund) of the Eindhoven Metropolitan Region for their project ‘Next-Level Inert Production Environment’. The production of scaffolds requires a very clean, stable environment. IME and BKB are building a cleanroom-plus, based on inert plastics. Heikoop says, ‘We are constantly talking to our partners about our needs, how things can be done differently and better.’ Suppliers find IME interesting because of the leading role it plays, because it innovates on the edge of what is possible. Moreover, a global market for electrospinning machines is on the horizon, according to Heikoop: ‘We often use the competitive argument that our machines are so good because we can do things with our partners that can’t be done in other countries. Americans like to proclaim that everything is better and more innovative in the USA. But the fact that they are working with a Dutch party like us means that they can’t find that knowledge there. We may end up producing scaffolds for clients at various locations around the world, but the engineering and development activities will remain here.’

PASSION-PROOF Industrial designer and managing director Peter van de Graaf has rented business space at Strijp-S in Eindhoven for his company Choice for Women. That is a former Philips

‘OUR MACHINES ARE SO GOOD BECAUSE WE CAN WORK WITH PARTNERS’

site: the former Philips buildings are home to a range of young, knowledge-intensive, hip companies. ‘Such a complex has it all. You feel that everyone here is working on new things, thinking and working in an unconventional way.’ Van de Graaf has for a long time been mulling

over an idea for the ideal contraception for women: A high-tech method without hormones, which requires no discipline and is passionproof, i.e. available 24/7 without having to think about it. Choice for Women is what the product-in-development is now called: in the future, a woman will receive a minuscule implant in both fallopian tubes and be able to open and close two valves with wireless energy from the outside at will in the course of her life.

GROWING NETWORK

Hans van Wijngaarden (Xyall): ‘I see an excellent supply base for high-tech mechatronic-

Peter van de Graaf has optical systems in Eindhoven.’ Photo: Sam Rentmeester already discovered we’re talking about a tube with a diameter of through many reactions that women cannot 1.6 mm and a length of 5 mm.’ Can the body wait to start using Choice for Women. But it hold such a device in the fallopian tube for a will be many more years before a complex prolonged period of time? It must be safe. medical-technological product such as this ‘We rely heavily on the network. An imporcan be marketed. With a growing network of tant part of my role is always to choose intelliresearchers and companies in medical technogently which expertise we need and where to logy, especially in the south of the Netherget it. One advantage: our story appeals lands, he is working intensively to make Choiimmediately.’ Van de Graaf wants to sense ce for Women a reality. Large-scale clinical personal enthusiasm in the parties he teams trials are expected in about four years’ time. up with. ‘If people are as passionate as we are, ‘It is crucial to be based in Eindhoven, because this will boost our cooperation enormously.’ there is a lot of technological and medical Choice for Women develops everything inknowledge available here.’ Van de Graaf ’s first house. The tiny motor works on the basis of job at Eindhoven University of Technology memory metal. ‘We transmit wireless power was at the Centre for Wireless Technology. to it to set the motor in motion. We made A number of professors from the faculties of indirect contact with Thales in Paris, which is Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Technoworking on graphene energy carriers. Based logy and Industrial Design now sit on the here in the south of the Netherlands, we advisory board of Choice for Women, as well acquire knowledge from Europe.’ as a gynaecologist from the Máxima Medical Center. Van de Graaf also labels the University’s Equipment & Prototype Center as indiCYCLING WITH FES spensable. ‘They build the most complicated Every year BerkelBike from Sint-Michielsresearch set-ups and equipment there and gestel in Brabant supplies about a hundred have numerous contacts with interesting special bikes to people with paraplegia or companies.’ There he finds the microtechnowith, for example, Parkinson’s disease or mullogical expertise he needs. ‘It’s a huge developtiple sclerosis. The BerkelBike is a combinament process. Without a nearby network of tion of a handcycle and a recumbent bicycle knowledge partners and companies, this and is controlled with both arms and legs. would remain a fantasy.’ Cyclists with paraplegia activate their leg muscles via the Functional Electrical Stimulation System (FES). Chemist and exercise LIVING TISSUE physiologist Rik Berkelmans saw universities LifeTec from Eindhoven has conducted expein various countries trying to build a bicycle riments on living tissue for Choice for Women. LifeTec carries out pre-clinical for paraplegic patients. They all made more or contract research to accelerate biomedical less the same mistakes, he discovered, for innovations. Various animal experiments can example by not finishing a design from now gradually begin. The day before the interscratch. And it is very important that both view, a veterinarian and Peter van de Graaf legs and arms move, as this generates more introduced the first prototypes in rabbits in power and trains the body much better. an animal testing centre. ‘We’re still not sure if it’s going work. Technically we will no doubt get the valves working one way or another, but TO BE CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Special Issue - April 2020

The key Exploring Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to everyday life Technology Today. The Pulse of Time knows no Place, it is Where You are! Get Connected with the Best now.

Visit us 24/7 online: www.ebv.com

Technology. Passion. EBV. ebv.com

CONTINUATION OF PAGE 25

SUPPLIERS CLOSE TO HOME Berkelmans worked at a physics lab at the time. In his spare time he developed a plan for his own bicycle, which won him the prestigious Millennium Prize. Suddenly he had 100,000 guilders of start-up capital and an idea with a ‘good plan’ label on it. ‘When I had to start building, I wasn’t able to weld or to design electronics, so I first went to talk to recumbent bicycle manufacturer Flevobike from Dronten. That’s how one contact led to another.’ Suppliers close to home are important to him. It makes collaboration easier and more pleasant. Matas Electronics in Best mounts the components on the printed circuit boards. The plastic housings of the stimulators come from Formit in Valkenswaard. The front foil for the control panel is produced by Metafas in Asten. Battery Fact in Nijmegen supplies the batteries. The motors come from V-bike in Amsterdam. He also wanted the aluminium frames to be produced in the Netherlands, but that proved to be difficult, so these come from Taiwan. Berkelmans says, ‘In the selection of suppliers, knowledge and reliability are key criteria. Our products are complex and have to be reliable. We have clients in Australia, South Africa, the United States and Brazil, so you don’t want any complaints. And we need a short supply chain. For example, if we order the motors from Taiwan or China, you get unwanted hick-ups. Clients often have special requests, for chin control for example. This requires short lines of communication with the suppliers: if we know exactly how the control of the motor works, we can make the proper connections. If the price allows it, I prefer parties close to home, with which we can continue to innovate.’

Rik Berkelmans (BerkelBike): ‘In the selection of suppliers, knowledge and reliability are key criteria.’ Photo: BerkelBike

‘À LA MAN ON THE MOON’ A problem in the Southern Netherlands region is that there is cut-throat competition for good, technical people. At BerkelBike (now a staff of seven), someone with a technicalbusiness background and someone for testing and co-development can start straight away. BerkelBike is ideally based in the Netherlands. Rik Berkelmans would, however, like to see the government initiate more projects with entrepreneurs, ‘à la first man on the moon’: set an ambitious goal and along the way the partners will undoubtedly come up with all kinds of other innovations together. ‘We wanted a bicycle for people with paraplegia. Now, completely contrary to expectation, other target groups use the bicycle as well. Some sleep with FES trousers to stimulate their muscles. That’s how you make progress together.’

WORKFLOW Xyall from Eindhoven is set to launch its first high-tech tissue dissection system by the end of the year. This allows the workflow of pathologists and histologists to be digitised and automated: it is an extremely fast and accurate way of working that produces a very reliable diagnostic test result, for example in cancer patients, says Hans van Wijngaarden, one of the founders of Xyall. Tumour dissection has so far been labour-intensive and error-prone. The first Automated Tissue Dissection solution is intended for large laboratories where up to thousands of samples are tested daily. Next March, at an international pathologists’ conference in the United States, a smaller version of Xyall will be introduced, especially for hospitals with a molecular diagnostics laboratory.

INGREDIENTS

Peter van de Graaf (Choice for Women): ‘We started from scratch. We rely heavily on the network we’re building around us.’ Photo: Choice for Women

Van Wijngaarden was involved in setting up Philips Digital Pathology. A similar product was already under development, but Philips did not want to take it any further. At that time he worked together with CCM in Nuenen (supplier of high-quality mechatro-

nics) and Sioux Technologies in Eindhoven (with state-of-the-art knowledge in the field of optics, image analysis algorithms, medical robotics and data processing), as well as with Motic, a leader in optical components. Sioux (now the owner of CCM) wanted to invest.

‘WHEN SELECTING SUPPLIERS, MUTUAL TRUST IS PARAMOUNT FOR ME’

All the ingredients and all the parties necessary to have Xyall get off to a good start were close at hand. A large American moleculardiagnostics company, which advises specialists on whether or not to use chemo treatments for cancer, has turned up as the first client.

AGILITY Van Wijngaarden says, ‘Eindhoven has an excellent supply base for high-tech mechatronic-optical systems. Together with partners, we can develop quickly and change with great agility. When selecting suppliers, mutual trust is paramount for me. I want to be able to look people in the eye on a regular basis. Of course there are issues, for example about price or delivery time. But in a good mutual relationship, you always manage to settle them.’ Sioux is an informal investor. Motic also proved willing to take a risk and take on part of the financing. ‘We bear the responsibility together.’

• www.ime-electrospinning.com • www.choiceforwomen.org • www.berkelbike.nl • www.xyall.eu Special Issue - April 2020

move forward WWW.APEXDYNA.NL | +31 (0)492 509 995

APEX Dynamics supplies the essential parts for the mechanical drive of tomorrow ’s machines and robots. With our innovative products, in-depth knowledge, fast response, short delivery times and years of experience, we not only help you as a customer, but also ensure that the world around us moves forward!

LOW-BACKLASH GEARBOXES, RACKS AND PINIONS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY

Expertise – Passion – Automation

Your Semiconductor Partner in all areas The semiconductor industry is one of SMC’s key markets. Production in this sector requires the highest purity. SMC has been working closely with leading semicon companies for many years. We carry everything, from thermo chillers, high quality components which meet strict requirements – such as nonleakage, clean specification and corrosion resistance – to high vacuum components. In Eindhoven the SMC Technology Center is close to its customers, offering customized subassemblies, also in ISO 6 validated cleanroom, and chiller services. As your partner we accept every challenge. Get the decisive edge with SMC.

www.smc.nl

Special Issue - April 2020

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

INALFA’S LESSONS LEARNED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ENSURES SOLUTIONS ARE SHARED GLOBALLY

SAVING MILLIONS BY ONLY INVENTING THE WHEEL ONCE In a multinational corporation with numerous locations around the world, it is a challenge to make sure a problem that arises in one place is shared with colleagues elsewhere, along with the solution found for it. At sliding roof manufacturer Inalfa Roof Systems, they have found a structured solution: the LLMS. The roll-out is now underway and has saved €1.2 million in costs in Europe alone.

to the point at which it is installed in thousands of cars around the world. Problems of the latter type in particular cost a lot of money. And this despite the fact that those problems could often have been solved more quickly or even prevented if the engineers or production people involved had been aware that an identical or similar problem had occurred before. The proverbial wheel had already been invented to solve it. ‘The fact that employees were unaware of one another was not just an issue between our people in China and those in Europe or the US. In some cases, the engineers on the second floor were unaware of solutions which the operations employees had already introduced one floor up’, Mojtaba explains.

NO SYSTEM IN PLACE There was no proper system in place to prevent this kind of duplication. There was a kind of PowerPoint application, but it didn’t support the The LLMS application developed and built by Feri Mojtaba Hajmoosaei (right) ensures that problems and solutions are now shared worldwide. ‘In some cases, the engineers on the second floor were unaware of solutions which operations had already introduced one floor up’, Mojtaba explains. On the left user in asking more Egbert Boersma, in the middle Maarten Martens. Photo: Com-magz questions to establish all the characteristics of the tackled. The cost savings from the problems problem. As a result, if they were identified at DOOR MARTIN VAN ZAALEN solved are estimated by those directly involved all, problems were frequently described in an at €1.2 million, while the costs that will be unclear and incomplete manner. If corporate etting up the LLMS (Lessons Learmanagement then had to make investment ned Management System) only took incurred if the outstanding problems are not six months and cost €20,000. The solved are put at €2.3 million. In short, the decisions aimed at solving the problem, often not all the necessary information would be developer and driving force behind work of business IT project manager Mojtaba it, Feri Mojtaba Hajmoosaei, proudly points is of demonstrable value. available. There was also no unambiguous to the screen on the wall of the room where way of developing a solution and it was not we are talking to him, Maarten Martens, specified which employee should perform WHEEL ALREADY INVENTED senior director business excellence, and Egbert which role. So Mojtaba was given room to The LLMS application which he developed Boersma, senior director operational excellenbuild a properly functioning system. and built is an answer to a number of major ce. The dashboard which is part of the cloud‘challenges’ faced by the manufacturer of car based system is visible. It shows that since the sliding roofs. An inventory revealed that the STRUCTURED RECORD-KEEPING start of the roll-out of the LLMS across the same problems were arising at different The LLMS enables the employee now to European locations in March last year, 229 locations within the global conglomerate – record a problem he detects in a structured problems have been solved by the production encompassing every stage of the life cycle of a departments, with 369 currently being sunroof model, from design and engineering TO BE CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

Special Issue - April 2020

We bring high-tech to life Sioux Technologies supports the high-tech industry with:

Software Mathware Mechatronics Electronics Assembly

www.sioux.eu

CONTINUATION OF PAGE 29

way, using the 5W2H problem analysis tool, by answering seven questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How and How much? ‘Suppose that when testing a new sunroof model, an employee notices that the control mechanism of the roof panel is malfunctioning. Using key words such as ‘rollo’ and ‘derailing’, he can then determine whether a similar problem has occurred before and, if so, how it was resolved. If a solution already exists, he can use that information to tackle his problem. If the problem has not occurred before, he describes it using the five Ws and two Hs and estimates the cost if it remains unsolved.’ Because every employee worldwide takes a course in ‘sliding-roof English’ immediately after being hired, he is able to submit that written report, according to Mojtaba.

LESSON LIFE CYCLE A local reviewer then assesses whether the investment needed to solve the problem can be recouped. If so, the resolvephase begins. An 8D project team, consisting of an 8D leader and 8D performers, get to work to establish the root cause and find a solution. This is then assessed by a global reviewer to see whether it is good enough to be implemented worldwide as a lesson learned. If so, it is recorded – sustain – in an upgraded design. Finally, every person concerned must be informed about the solution and trained in its application. The company has set up its own Inalfa Academy specifically for this purpose. To clarify: engineering and production problems are not necessarily solved by Inalfa’s engineers or operations people. If the root cause leads to a supplier, that supplier also has to work on a solution. And the LLMS also structures the solutions and lessons learned from non-technical problems worldwide: so HR and Finance can also use the system.

CHANGING BEHAVIOUR Developing and building IT systems to make processes more flexible usually represents no more than ten percent of the effort needed to make them successful. That is no different in the case of the LLMS, says Egbert Boersma: ‘Ninety percent of the energy goes into changing people’s behaviour so that they

detect errors and record them in the system. Fortunately, at this company, the operators on the factory floor at every location on every continent are very aware of their targets. If a problem requires a lot of rework, the operator will not go home until he has met the production targets and the customer has been served on time. So that drive to solve problems also comes from the factory floor.’

PUSH AND PULL ‘But also from the top’, adds Martens: ‘Like the entire automotive industry, this company is currently experiencing testing times economically. In order to economise, the travel policy was recently amended. But when the implementation of LLMS required training employees in China, the management made an exception for the trainers. And if the management sees on its dashboards that the waste stream or the amount of rework at a particular site is increasing, they use their influence and finances to make sure LLMS is used to identify the cause and develop and implement a structured solution. The successful roll-out of LLMS is a matter of bottom-up and top-down, of push and pull.’

FASTER IN CHINA The roll-out is going according to plan, says Mojtaba. It began in March last year at the European locations, quickly resulting in a sig-

nificant number of problems being identified and solved. But even in China, where the roll-out only began in November, 28 problem suggestions have already been made. ‘Yes, you’d expect that in that Asian culture, detecting problems – and therefore acknowledging mistakes – would make implementation more difficult, but actually I think it will now go faster there than here.’ ‘Dutch people’, adds Martens with a knowing glance, ‘ask a lot more questions before adopting a new system.’

FEWER PROBLEMS? Looking further ahead, Mojtaba expects the number of problems identified to fall over time. After all, every solution means one fewer problem. And thanks to the cloud-based LLMS, that solution will be applied throughout the global conglomerate. Egbert Boersma is not so sure: ‘Employees will become more critical. Once the big problems have been solved, there will be room for the nagging details.’ In any case, customers are happy. ‘We presented the LLMS to BMW and they were so impressed that we no longer have to record problems and solutions in their portal. They consider recording them in the LLMS to be sufficient’, says a proud Feri Mojtaba Hajmoosaei.

PERFECT STORM For Inalfa Roof Systems, the cost savings thanks to LLMS are particularly opportune. Because the firm, which supplies sliding roofs to the automotive industry, is facing something of a perfect storm. While the demand for cars – and therefore also roof systems – from China has decreased due to the trade war, car manufacturers are having to invest in the electrification of their portfolios, which means less focus on and money for sliding roofs. Added to that is the coronavirus crisis, with all the resulting supply and delivery problems. And on top of that, particularly for the Dutch production plant that supplies OEMs in Great Britain, there is Brexit. That is why Inalfa’s – architecturally striking – office building in Venray has quite a few empty workstations following last year’s round of dismissals.

This was part of a rescue and restructuring plan, as was a financial injection of several hundred million euros from its Chinese owner BHAP and the banks. The plan is designed to return Inalfa to long-term profitability following several loss-making years. In 2019, the company had revenues of half a billion euros. Inalfa was originally a Dutch family business but has been in Chinese hands since 2011. The company has production sites on every continent, close to the plants of major customers (including BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Volvo), with a local supply chain at each location. Its head office, which also houses engineering, is in Venray.

• www.inalfa-roofsystems.com Special Issue - April 2020

HIGH PERFORMANCE MACHINING EQUIPMENT

We manufacture high-tech components, modules and systems, with the highest precision.

We operate with the deepest conviction to make things better. Every Day.

Want to know what we can do for you? Discover more at KMWE.COM

Special Issue - April 2020

FINANCING

RABOBANK WANTS TO DRIVE INNOVATION WITH NEW PRODUCTS, INVESTMENTS AND COLLABORATIONS

‘WE WANT TO BE THE BRAINPORT BANKER’ Stimulating the growth of Brainport and at the same time investing in a vital living environment. This is how Brainport Rabobank translates the wellknown Rabobank mission ‘Growing a better world together’ into its own municipality and region. ‘This means ensuring that facilities are and/or remain at the proper level, so that they keep pace with the growth of the region. That balance is important, which is why we are committed to both’, explains Gerard Zwartkruis, Director of Business at Brainport Rabobank.

HIGHER SPEED:

‘The fact that we stick our neck out has created turmoil at home and abroad’, said Gerard Zwartkruis, Director of

BY WILMA SCHREIBER

‘G

rowth is also realised thanks to start-ups and scale-ups. That is why we invest in it to create and stimulate employmen’, says Gerard Zwartkruis. ‘A good living environment ensures that well-trained people - MBOs, (senior secondary vocational education) HBOs (higher professional education) and academics - remain in the region or that we attract such ‘golden hands and golden heads’.’ Last June, Brainport Rabobank announced plans to invest 1 billion Euros in companies in the region. ‘With equity, borrowed capital, combining parties or accumulating financing, aimed at the manufacturing industry, agrifood, high tech and medical technology. Start-ups and scale-ups are an important part of this’, explains Zwartkruis. ‘In addition, the focus is on the ecosystem, the supply system, on area development and mergers and acquisitions. And living satisfaction can also be improved.’

DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION An important condition for financial support is that it concerns disruptive innovation in the areas of care, facilities, IT and mobility, which leads to an improvement of the living environment. ‘It has to be innovative. The Netherlands and the region must accelerate innovation in the field of climate problems,

than, for example, in IT or service provision’, says Zwartkruis. ‘Nevertheless, two years ago we decided to build in a little more risk with a new product: the postponed innovation loan. If we believe in an innovative proposition, we issue a seven-year loan without any collateral, with a grace period of two years (first two years interest-only, the recipient only pays interest, ed.). However, at a higher interest rate because of the higher risk and a maximum of 150,000 euros per case. And, not unimportant, this support from Rabobank can also open doors elsewhere for innovative companies.’

Business at Brainport Rabobank. Photo: Rabobank

the housing shortage and circularity. We want to be the Brainport banker.’ After the first nine months, nearly 10 percent of the 1 billion has been issued, according to a satisfied Zwartkruis. ‘We will spend three years on it, setting up and organising initially takes a lot of time. The fact that we stick our neck out like this has created some turmoil at home and abroad.’

CHAIN FINANCING Because the chain plays an important role in an ecosystem, the Brainport Rabobank also focuses on chain financing. ‘If for some reason an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) temporarily removes his foot from the accelerator, suppliers may run into problems because they are left with extra stocks that are specifically made for that end product’, says Zwartkruis. ‘We look at which financing solutions are possible so that the companies involved have enough resources to continue operating. Because they still need to retain people and invest in innovation.’

MORE RISK The latter is of course risky, also for Rabobank itself. ‘High tech is high risk, and it will remain that way. In the manufacturing industry you also have to have staying power, it takes time to make something new – more

Rabobank Eindhoven recently took a number of steps that should also stimulate high-tech, agri-food and medical technology outside Brainport. The plans for our own Brainport Venture Fund were exchanged for participation in the second Innovation Industries Fund. This fund contains 175 million Euros, of which Brainport Rabobank has ‘contributed a substantial amount’. ‘We jump on a moving train, where knowledge about medical technology, high tech and the like is already available. That way we can accelerate’, explains Zwartkruis. Besides Rabobank, the pension funds of the metal sector PME and PMT are the main investors in the fund. Other capital providers are the technical universities, including TU/e (Eindhoven University of Technology).In addition, the bank appointed start-up/scale-up bankers in Delft, Enschede, Eindhoven and Amsterdam to stimulate innovations and acquisitions with risk capital and innovation loans.

CORONA Who would have thought that the developments surrounding the coronavirus would happen so quickly and have such an impact on our economy and the various sectors? Unfortunately, the corona crisis is also going to hit the industry hard, including almost all subsectors, according to Zwartkruis. ‘Companies in the industry have problems selling their products or can no longer obtain parts or semimanufactures. Moreover, companies may face production capacity problems due to cases of contamination or precautionary measures. In all cases, this means that companies can no longer deliver 100 percent, which has a direct effect on turnover.’ Rabobank sees the first problems at maintenance and repair companies, companies in the means of transport industry, mechanical engineering and food processing companies that supply the hospitality industry. ‘Rabobank, together with the government and other banks, has already rolled out a package of measures to support businesses in these difficult times. We would like to contribute to the financial health of the business community.’

• www.rabobank.nl Special Issue - April 2020

COOPERATION

GERMAN, DUTCH AND BELGIAN COOPERATION WANTS TO ACCELERATE DIGITIZATION OF THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

‘TOGETHER WE CAN RESIST FAR EAST AND WILD WEST’ Brainport Industries has further tightened ties with similar high-tech ecosystems in Germany and Belgium. The three of them have set up Smart Factory Europe (SF-EU), which will coordinate projects in the Smart Industry field labs – which have different names in our neighbouring countries – in order to boost the digitization of the European manufacturing sector, so that it is better able to withstand ‘the violence from the Far East and the Wild West’, as managing director John Blankendaal of Brainport Industries puts it. BY PIM CAMPMAN

‘I

f we want to maintain our competitiveness, or better yet: strengthen it, we need to move towards European cooperation’, says John Blankendaal. ‘A country like the Netherlands is too small to tackle all the challenges involved in realizing the digital ‘factory of the future’ alone – and that even applies to Germany. They realize that all too well: the initiative for Smart Factory Europe comes from there’.

SMARTFACTORYKL He is referring to SmartFactorykl – kl stands for Kaiserslautern –, a network organization in which some 50 manufacturing companies, knowledge institutes and educational institutions work together to ultimately realize the digital, networked – thereby optimally flexible and cost-efficient – factory of the future through research, development and testing. Highly comparable to the Smart Industry field labs in our country. There are already more than fifty, six of which fall under the umbrella of the innovation program of Brainport Industries. Blankendaal: ‘All together we are talking about 75 participating manufacturing companies, knowledge institutes and educational institutions.’ The field labs are not locked for non-Dutch parties, just as non-German parties are allowed to participate in SmartFactorykl. ‘What matters most is that the participants communicate openly, share knowledge and experiences and make an active contribution.’

COMBINING STRENGTHS Just as the participants in the Dutch field labs can learn from each other, the field labs in our country can also learn from clusters in Germany – and from Flanders Make, the Belgian research centre for the manufacturing industry in which 600 researchers from that sector work full-time on a common industrial

Special Issue - April 2020

agenda. Flanders Make is the third founder of Smart Factory Europe. Brainport Industries, SFkl, Flanders Make – three clusters that focus on what their members are best served by. They have in common that they want to strengthen the manufacturing industry through cooperation by starting with digitization in a targeted and accelerated manner. Blankendaal: ‘The Dutch manufacturing industry is strong in low volume, high mix, high complexity. Because OEMs have increasingly placed the manufacturing work with their suppliers, a supply chain has arisen that knows about areas such as (system) engineering.’

STILL OUTSOURCE IN ASIA? The high-tech manufacturing sector in Belgium and Germany has other strengths. For example, in Germany you have many companies that are very strong in automating production processes, for example with a protocol such as OPC UA (United Architecture), which is able to let the functions and machines in processes – from different suppliers – ‘consult’ with each other. about the best solution in this or that case. A big step towards the digital smart factory, which can produce small series of different products at the cost of mass production of one and the same product. Why still outsource to the Far East?

LINKING CAPABILITIES Link those German capabilities to automate production processes with what the Netherlands has achieved in the field of chain cooperation – and you will really make great strides on the path to the smart factory. ‘By cooperating with parties outside our own country, we can deal with the violence of the competition from the Far East and the Wild West’, said John Blankendaal, who has carefully mapped out what industrial Germany has to offer. For many years, Brainport Industries has been organizing trade missions, company visits and

‘If we want to strengthen our competitiveness, we must move towards European cooperation’, says John Blankendaal. Photo: Bart van Overbeeke

fact finding missions to Germany. In particular to Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, where not only the automotive (Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Porsche), but also in other sectors many companies are world players – not least medical technology companies. In addition, the ‘orange’ exposure also focuses on Rheinland-Pfalz (among others, Kaiserslautern), Saksen (strong semicon, Saxion Semicon) and Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW).

WONDERFUL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES NRW in particular offers Dutch manufacturing companies great opportunities for new business, according to the managing director of Brainport Industries. ‘We have participated in fairs and road shows under the label Medizintechnik Holland for a number of years. That is starting to pay off: the companies that participated there have demonstrably increased their turnover in Germany more than companies that did not participate.’ In brief: cooperation on a European scale pays off. And that is why Smart Factory Europe is a welcome initiative. The cluster keeps the door open for the participation of more EU countries.

• www.smartfactory.eu • www.smartindustry.nl • www.smartfactory.de • www.flandersmake.be

SHORTCUTS MOST PATENT APPLICATIONS FROM NORTH BRABANT – EINDHOVEN AT NO. 1 The number of patent applications filed by Dutch companies with the European Patent Office (EPO) fell by 2.6 percent in 2019, after two consecutive years of steady growth. With 6,954 patent applications, the Netherlands is still the fourth largest country of origin for patent applications of the 38 member states of the European Patent Office, ranking eighth worldwide. According to the EPO Patent Index. The current decline is largely due to the fact that a few of the largest applicants filed fewer patents last year. The province of North Brabant leads the ranking of European patent applications from Dutch regions, with an increased share of 54 percent (+4.9 percent). The region was also the fifth strongest of all the European regions to file patent applications with the EPO in 2019. In the Dutch ranking of regions, the province of South Holland is no. 2 (14.6 percent, was 14.9 percent) followed by

North Holland (10 percent, was 9.4 percent), displacing South Limburg as the third strongest region. With +25 percent and +18.2 percent respectively, the largest increases in the number of patent applications were registered in Friesland and Drenthe. The ranking of Dutch cities is led by Eindhoven with by far the most patent applications (2,687, a share of 38.6 percent, +4.6 percent compared to 2018), followed by Amsterdam (473, +4 percent compared to 2018) and Rotterdam (325, -2.4 percent compared to 2018). Royal Philips was again the most active patent applicant of the Netherlands at the EPO in 2019 with 1,542 patent applications (-4.6 percent), followed by Signify (formerly Philips Lighting) with 656 applications (+14.5 percent), Airbus 530 (+4.1 percent), NXP 351 (+12.5 percent) and DSM 343 (-31.4 percent). In the EPO total list of leading

LEADING EUROPEAN REGIONS FOR PATENT APPLICATIONS AT THE EPO IN 2019

patent applicants, Royal Philips is once again in 8th place. In the ten most important technology sectors of the EPO, Royal Philips was no. 2 in medical technology, after Johnson & Johnson, no. 4 in measurements after Siemens, United Technologies and Robert Bosch, and no. 8 in computer technology. In that sector it achieved the top position in the sub-sector of ‘image data processing and generation’. Signify was no. 3 in ‘electrical machines, appliances and energy’. Despite the fact that DSM filed fewer patent applications, it remained no. 2 in biotechnology after Hoffmann-

La Roche. ‘The Netherlands is clearly home to a great deal of innovation, given the position of several leading companies in the top of our patent applicants and the high ranking of patent applications per capita’, says EPO president António Campinos. ‘What also counts is that the patent applications from the Netherlands cover a wide range of technology, which means that the country’s innovative strength has a solid basis in many different industries’, says the EPO president by way of further explanation. www.epo.org/patent-index2019

Benchmark yourself: An Industry benchmark for Dutch machine builders How are machine builders progressing in their digital transition? What priorities are set and are they able to respond to the ever-changing trends? Visit the webpage to download the full report with all industry insights! Also interested in how you compare to your industry peers? Take the survey and benchmark yourself in a matter of minutes!

www.siemens.com/nl/benchmarkuzelf

Special Issue - April 2020

ADVERTORIAL

MODULAR MACHINE PLATFORM ENABLES BREAKTHROUGH IN PHOTONICS ASSEMBLY SPEED

HUNGER FOR DATA SOLVED BY TEGEMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AUTOMATION EQUIPMENT? The hunger for data is increasing by the day and now even faster due to Covid-19 virus measures requiring extra bandwidth to allow people to work from home. Netflix and YouTube had to reduce the resolution of streaming video because of bandwidth limitations. Last year, the world population generated 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day. To feed the hunger for ever increasing data consumption and for fast internet, integrated photonics technology (optical) is the future. It transports data faster, over longer distances and consumes significantly less electrical power.

GROWTH OF INTEGRATED PHOTONICS HAMPERED BY A MISSING LINK IN THE ASSEMBLY CHAIN Despite all the developments in these optical applications, companies in the field of integrated photonic devices are facing problems when introducing new optical devices. Why? The growth of photonics is hampered by the high investment cost of essential infrastructure for producing these photonic applications. The front-end manufacturing of integrated photonics can benefit from the existing micro-electronics infrastructure. However, the infrastructure for back-end processing, packaging and assembly of optical elements is limited and requires new and different processes than are currently available for the micro-electronics packaging world. For example, attaching an optical fibre to the photonic chip is a process unknown to the micro-electronics industry. There is thus a missing link in the assembly chain of photonic devices, leading to high cost which hampers growth. The market

Microelectronics

Die attach

Wire bonding

Integrated photonics

Die attach

Wire bonding

Special Issue - April 2020

needs fast, accurate, modular assembly equipment that facilitates assembly at the same pace as the existing micro-electronics process flows.

TEGEMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MODULAR MACHINE PLATFORM FOR MICRO-OPTICAL ELEMENTS: A BREAKTHROUGH IN COST AND CYCLE TIME TEGEMA, which has been active for many years in microassembly, challenged itself to develop a modular machine platform for the assembly of micro-optical elements to fill in this missing link. The Encapsulation result is a production platform that is capable of aligning two small optical Optical Encapsulation assembly elements with high accuracy, has a short cycle time and is modular, in order to

Protoyping phase

Semi-automatic production

Automated production

Operator assisted loading

Automatic (un)loading

Production volume increase

meet the requirements of the various optical applications. The cycle time is up to ten times shorter than current solutions on the market, significantly reducing the assembly cost and thus the cost price of integrated photonics devices. As Pim Kat, CTO of Technobis, states: ‘Very compact, very well thought out and a lot faster. We look forward to installing the first system.’

A MODULAR APPROACH THAT CAN GROW FROM THE R&D PHASE TO HIGH VOLUME The system can be configured for use in R&D (start-up) environments, enabling accurate assembly of optical elements at relative low investment cost. If the production volume increases the system can be reconfigured by simply adding modules; the machine can grow with the production demand. This approach balances the investment costs over the product life, confirms Boudewijn Docter, CTO of Effect Photonics: ‘I am very excited about the modular structure of TEGEMA’s system.’ Of course, customers who already have larger production quantities can opt right away for an automated system.

KEY FEATURES OF THE ASSEMBLY PLATFORM ARE: • Speed: cycle time < 30 seconds; the smart architecture offers a breakthrough in cycle time, up to 10x shorter than current solutions; • Accuracy: high accuracy < 100 nm / 17 µrad (typ. 0.02 dB), active alignment; • Operation cost reduction: decreased machine footprint reduces clean room floor space requirements by 50%; • Flexibility: easy to modify for running several applications; • Robustness: machine comes with developed process to meet the application requirements.

ther in high tech environments is extremely fruitful. This innovation makes use of PI’s technology for the active alignment hardware and software routines to achieve the high accuracy and ultra-fast alignment.

TEGEMA: INNOVATIVE BY TRADITION The common factor for photonic packaging is: a need for automation, positioning of devices at high accuracy and permanent fixation of the aligned optical elements, in terms of optimum optical throughput. This is historically the strength of TEGEMA’s expertise. The company has extensive knowledge and experience in development and realisation of automation systems, bonding technologies and micro-manipulation of small components.

MEDTECH, AUTOMOTIVE, SENSORS, AND VISION CAN PROFIT FROM THIS INNOVATION Data communication is currently the largest market, but new optical applications ïn sensor, vision, automotive and medical products are also enabled by the developments in integrated photonics. The TEGEMA modular machine platform is suited to the automated assembly of optical elements with sub-micron accuracy: Fibre Optic module assembly, Micro-lens assembly, Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) packaging, Optical interconnect assembly for fibre optics and waveguides, Pigtailing, Planar waveguide coupling, Chip-to-chip alignment. Ewit Roos, CEO of PhotonDelta considers this a valuable addition to the Dutch photonics ecosystem.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? We have obviously not the absolute solution for the ever increasing hunger for data. With a 10x faster cycletime it is a significant contribution. If you are interested to assemble your photonic solution faster contact Arno Thoer, Project Solutions Director. Athoer@Tegema.nl, +3140 2677 677

BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION MIGHT BE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE TECHNICAL BREAKTHROUGH With its innovative technical approach, TEGEMA developed a break-through in the market in terms of cycle time, floor space and costs. It not only represents a technical innovation, but also a business innovation: due to its modular building block design the machine can grow with the customer, starting from R&D samples to full production. As there is as yet no standardisation in integrated photonics, TEGEMA also takes on the development risk.

TEAMING UP FOR SUCCESS WITH PHYSIK INSTRUMENTE The assembly platform was developed in close cooperation with Physik Instrumente (PI). Once again, it shows that working toge-

TEGEMA EINDHOVEN Science Park Eindhoven 5080 5692 EA Son +31 (0)40 267 7677 info@tegema.nl

TEGEMA ARNHEM Utrechtseweg 310 Gebouw B38 6812 AR Arnhem +31 (0)40 267 7677 info@tegema.nl

Special Issue - April 2020

SHORTCUTS ARCELORMITTAL AND ADDITIVE INDUSTRIES ‘TAKE THE LEAD’ IN LARGE SPARE PART PRINTING Through metal 3D printing, ArcelorMittal has been able to print on-demand ready-to-use spare parts. Collaboration with Additive Industries in recent years has resulted in an improvement in process performance and quality. This outcome has enabled ArcelorMittal to print large and challenging components for its facilities. In 2017, ArcelorMittal and Additive Industries joined forces to explore the opportunities of 3D metal printing for the steel industry using one of the largest 4-laser 3D metal printing systems available on the market: the MetalFAB1. 3D printing of spare parts is practical as it offers ondemand, on-location production which reduces the need for stocks; it also shortens the production cycle as well as affording flexibility to ArcelorMittal plants. Since the installation of the first metal 3D printer in ArcelorMittal R&D facilities, several 3D-printed spare parts have already been used while others are still running in ArcelorMittal facilities. The MetalFAB1 is a metal printer which has automated the manual

steps of conventional powder bed fusion (PBF) printers to ensure the highest productivity, resulting in the lowest cost per printed part. At the same time, its build volume (420x420x400 mm) enables the production of large steel spare parts for steelmaking or mining operations. The system is designed to be the safest on the market, contributing to ArcelorMittal’s focus on operator safety as well as environmental goals since the system recycles all material and generates hardly any production waste. Steelmaking operations are usually faced with very challenging and demanding conditions for their spare parts. During the initial stages, the most challenging aspect faced was to achieve these requirements both for quality as well as for the size of the components, limiting the potential uses of spare parts. The last two years of collaboration have enabled those involved to improve both quality and reliability, as well as an up to fourfold increase in the size of components. Due to this improvement, the number of applications increased from small

MetalFab1 on the day of installation in ArcelorMittal R&D facilities in Avilés (Spain). Photo: AI

size part consolidation applications, to applications where large, complex, functional and strong parts are required. Harry Kleijnen, Key Account Manager Additive Industries said: ‘We are proud to work together with ArcelorMittal, jointly driving the business case for 3D-printed parts in the steel industry. ArcelorMittal’s typical applications have enabled us to further adapt the MetalFAB1 system to print high density, high volume parts. We are looking forward to expanding the range of applications and materials in this intense and

strong collaboration.’ Jose López Fresno, Head of the Additive Manufacturing department, ArcelorMittal Global R&D in Avilés (Spain) concluded: ‘Additive Manufacturing is an exponential technology, moving very fast. Our collaboration with Additive Industries is a clear demonstration of our ability to remain at the cutting-edge of this technology: we started by printing small specimens and have now progressed to large size and complex parts.’ www.additiveindustries.com http://corporate.arcelormittal.com

FARMERTRONICS PARTNERS WITH RUVU TO MAKE ETRAC AUTONOMOUS

The eTrac. Photo: Farmertronics

Many tractors are equipped with GPS-RTK to navigate to within a few centimetres. Usually this concerns straight driving along an A-B line where the driver puts the tractor on the next A-B line at the end of the field. When driving

completely unmanned without a driver, there is more to it than just a GPS-RTK module and an autopilot. Several sensors are required to scan the environment, says Farmertronics CTO Thieu Berkers. ‘That is why we will combine the GPS-RTK signal with the data from a 3D sensor and a radar sensor at the eTrac. The 3D sensor consists of an infrared light source and a camera. Both the 3D sensor and the radar sensor are

Special Issue - April 2019

placed at the nose wheel of the eTrac. Combining this data is called sensor fusion. Combining various sensors again provides the necessary redundancy as it is called to guarantee safety. With a combination of 3D sensor, radar sensor and GPS-RTK sensor, the eTrac can drive unmanned.’ Because Farmertronics, located in Deurne near Eindhoven, does not have the knowledge of sensor fusion in-house, the company has entered into a partnership with Ruvu Robotics in Best, which specializes in this area. ‘They call themselves experts in mobile robots. The three types of data come together on a central industrial PC (from B&R) in the eTrac that will perform the calculations to be able to automatically control the eTrac along a pattern that has been entered in advance. A simple

app will be developed for this, which will also be connected to this PC again.’ In the past two years, Farmertronics has managed to install a robot tractor that can be operated with radio joysticks. ‘Now we are facing another solid technological challenge and that is making the eTrac completely unmanned. It is better not to do everything ourselves and for specialist knowledge it is better to ask the help of a specialized company. In order to take this step, we again applied for a local subsidy. This still remains a project that is dependent on subsidies. This is expected to change when the eTrac is fully finished production and sales. That should be the case by the end of this year.’ www.farmertronics.com www.ruvu.nl

MATERIALISE DEVELOPS 3D PRINTED OXYGEN PEEP MASK TO ADDRESS SHORTAGE OF VENTILATORS In the fight against the coronavirus crisis, hospitals are in dire need of mechanical ventilators to treat COVID 19 patients. In response to this shortage, Materialise, a Belgium-based pioneer in 3D printing, has developed the Materialise NIP Connector, a device to convert standard equipment available in most hospitals, into a mask to facilitate breathing for patients by creating positive pressure in the lungs. These assembled masks allow clinicians to reduce the time patients need access to mechanical ventilators, which helps to reduce the strain on ventilator supplies. Materialise has decades of experience in certified medical 3D printing and is now fasttracking the regulatory registrations that are crucial to ensure the safety of patients and caregivers. The company expects to have the device broadly available for hospitals by mid-April. Around the world, hospitals are

looking for medical equipment capable of delivering air with added oxygen to treat critically ill coronavirus patients. Currently this treatment is carried out using mechanical ventilators, which are critically under-supplied. As a result, clinicians today are exploring different methods to apply positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) to the lungs of COVID 19 patients without the use of a ventilator. Materialise has developed a solution to deliver oxygen and create high positive pressure without the use of a ventilator. A 3D printed connector converts standard equipment already available in most hospitals into a noninvasive PEEP mask (NIP) that can be connected to the oxygen supply (to facilitate breathing for coronavirus patients). This solution gives patients an extended period of time before mechanical ventilators are required for treatment, and helps

3D Printed Oxygen PEEP Mask. Photo: Materialise

transition them off ventilators earlier, freeing up these devices for patients in critical need. By using standard medical equipment, including a non-invasive ventilation (NIV) mask, a filter and a PEEP valve, the solution is simple and familiar to use for medical professionals. While 3D printing allows for fast and local manufacturing of medical devices, making it possible to bring solutions to hospitals

quickly, it is critical to comply with regulations to ensure the safety of patients and caregivers. Materialise is now fast-tracking the regulatory registration (in Europe and the U.S.). In parallel, Materialise is supporting a clinical trial to test the clinical impact of its use on COVID 19 patients and expects first results to be available this month. www.materialise.com

The future is closer than you think You want your company to stand out, but how? You’ll need specialists who can share their thoughts at every level. With creativity, dedication, and lots of knowhow, NTS helps its customers find the ultimate solution to every problem. We specialize in developing, manufacturing, and assembling (opto-)mechatronic systems, mechanical modules, and critical components. Our expertise? Precision and maneuverability. From the initial design to the prototype, all the way to assembly — our comprehensive support helps customers realize their ideal product faster. NTS excels in solving complex issues. Leave it to us to design and create an application that’s exactly what our customer was looking for. With our versatile knowledge and wealth of experience, we help accelerate technological innovations. The technology of the future? With NTS, it’s at your fingertips.

Our (opto-)mechatronic systems and mechanical modules contribute to future technologies

nts-group.nl/career

Special Issue - April 2020

200 m2 cross-flow cleanroom

Special Issue - April 2019

2000 m2 office space

160 tons load capacity

SHORTCUTS AI HELPS AKZONOBEL OPTIMISE THE SUPPLY CHAIN Planning the production and supply chain for multiple plants is particularly complex. Connecting various facilities to each other makes it possible to control production planning centrally and optimise it chain-wide. This results in major efficiency gains for all partners involved. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a key role in this. The production and associated supply chains of many multinationals are decentralised. Production sites are often not interconnected and support their processes with multiple business systems, while supply chain partners have limited access to all available information. This leads to various information provision challenges and inefficiencies. For example, there is a lack of overall insight into the supply chain, forcing plants to keep large local stocks. Lack of central insight also leads to inefficient planning, which adversely affects the productivity of plants and distribution centres. As production sites rely on their own IT systems, monitoring uniform production quality is also a challenge. AI can help optimise supply chains. Modern planning solutions use AI, machine learning and simulations to automate the planning process. Using AI, they build a detailed digital model of the production facilities and distribution centres based on real-time activity data, which to a large extent comes from sensors. This real-time data makes it possible to base planning on the current status of systems, instead of averages or standards. Historical data can be recorded and analysed to make interesting forecasts, for the impact of new production requirements on the production process, for example. A modern planning solution integrates all production locations and relevant data, enabling new insights and an optimised supply chain. AI is, however, not a replacement for planners. It helps them make better decisions, based on the most up-to-date relevant data and

a better comparison of possible scenarios. Using AI, they can achieve production targets on time more often, increase productivity, improve production quality, and increase production and logistics reliability. The use of AI and machine learning in the supply chain is not new; the technology has been used for several years to plan the expected demand. AI is able to continuously compare current sales figures with stock figures, making it eminently suitable for optimising planning. In recent years, AI has been used on an increasingly larger scale in supply chains, as a result of which the technologies are playing a greater role in the production process and logistics. This is thanks in part to the maturing of big-data infrastructures, allowing projects to be set up faster and more cost-effectively. AI is also increasingly integrated into supply chain planning solutions, which makes it more widely available. Companies from all kinds of sectors – aviation and defence companies, business service providers, the high-tech sector, offshore industry and transport sector – use AI to optimise their supply chain. For example, a Dutch public transport company uses AI to increase its customer service and efficiency. A large railway infrastructure company uses the technology to plan and optimise the deployment of both staff and equipment. AI ensures higher efficiency and better use of available capacity. AkzoNobel Powder Coatings, a manufacturer of paint and powder coating products, uses the DELMIA Quintiq platform of the Dassault Systèmes office in Den Bosch to speed up and optimise its production process. AkzoNobel Powder Coatings has plants all over the world, including in the United Kingdom and Poland. These plants used to use different planning systems, which were not integrated with each other. Data about the company’s seven plants

was split into several Excel files, resulting in a lack of central insight into the data. Dassault Systèmes’ DELMIA Quintiq software optimises the complex planning of AkzoNobel Powder Coatings’ production processes, with AI playing a crucial role in it. For example, the technology increases productivity by optimally distributing orders across plants Photo: AkzoNobel based on available capacity. AI also minimises time loss; by optimising the cleaning process of the machines, for example, production runs follow each other in more rapid succession. At the same time, AI reduces the use of cleaning agents, which fits in with F Coatings’ AkzoNobel Powder focus on environmental sustainability. The DELMIA Quintiq software is connected to AkzoNobel Powder Coatings’ SAP ERP system. Thanks to this integration, employees spend less time planning production every day. This

integration also improves planning reliability and compliance. Using DELMIA Quintiq, AkzoNobel manages its plants as one central production site. Pierre Versailles, Operations Excellence Manager at AkzoNobel Powder Coatings, says, ‘In short, the DELMIA Quintiq system enables us to respond to changing market demand in real time. This enormous advantage is reflected in our performance.’ www.akzonobel.com www.3ds.com/products-services/ delmia/products/delmia-quintiq

Govers Govers Accountants/Consultants Accountants/Adviseurs Our rankbehoren among the industry Onzeclients klanten tottop de in toptheir in hun or we support development sector, of wij their ondersteunen huntowards ontwikkeling reaching their potential. This is achieved daar naar toe.fullest Dat doen we door een hoge through our de in-depth knowledge of the value kennis van waardeketens, door focus chains, a focus on performance en improvement op performanceverbetering, door actieve and active orientation towards thevan development oriëntatie op de ontwikkeling nieuwe of new business models attractive earnings businessmodellen metwith aantrekkelijke models. verdienmodellen. Beemdstraat 25 Beemdstraat 25

TT +31 504 504 040 (0)40 2 5042504

5653 MA MA Eindhoven Eindhoven

FF +31 504 599 040 (0)40 2 5042599 EE mencke@govers.nl mencke@govers.nl

Postbus 657 Postbus 657 5600 AR AR Eindhoven Eindhoven

W I www.govers.nl www.govers.nl

Special Issue - April 2020

SHORTCUTS AI A PRIORITY? In the transition to a smart industry (Industry 4.0), machine builders are increasingly confronted with innovative technologies such as smart sensors and robotics. The implementation of AI applications therefore seems to be a requirement for achieving the desired transition. However, the second National Smart Machine Industry Benchmark from Siemens Digital Industries Software in Eindhoven shows that only one in five machine builders qualify developing AI applications as critical or important. The leaders in the smart industry give a high priority to the application of AI (artificial intelligence). A priority that, according to the Benchmark Smart Machine Industry, not everyone in the industry shares. More than a third (38 percent) of organizations do not prioritize the implementation of AI applications at all. And while only a small proportion consider the deployment of AI important, nearly half (46 percent) of machine builders believe

AI is the answer to the biggest challenges in the transformation to a smart industry. AI is seen as a solution for cyber-physical production systems, cloud, IoT and cognitive computing in order to shorten the time-to-market and work more efficiently. Especially the diversity of possibilities of AI ensures that the technology is used in more and more areas of the smart industry. More than half of the mechanical engineering companies, for example, have simulation software at their disposal during the design and test phase. More than 47 percent work with IoT sensors and 40 percent with other forms of connected devices within the company. While only 21 percent currently prioritize AI, the transition to a smart industry is expected to accelerate over the next two years, meaning that AI's role and impact will increase significantly. In two years, almost three-quarters (71 percent) of machine builders want to use AI to simulate a

Cables and connectors Embedded computing Fibre optics Frequency control

design and the first test processes. Within the benchmark, all machine builders agree that the right people and systems are needed to make AI a success. Only 36

percent have the right IT infrastructure to work with AI, 46 percent of organizations say they have the right people in house. www.sw.siemens.com

CITC AND TEGEMA JOIN FORCES Chip Integration Technology Center (CITC) and TEGEMA join forces to develop micro-assembly processes for integrated photonics. In this collaboration, production technology and production equipment will be developed that will further accelerate the growth of integrated photonics. ‘The growth of photonics is mainly hampered by the lack of standardization in back-end production of integrated photonics packages. That is why every new product demands an innovation in assembly and packaging. This leads to high costs and technological risks. By developing manufacturing processes and manufacturing equipment hand in hand

IoT and Wireless Magnetics Photonics and Imaging Power

through a highly flexible platform, CITC and TEGEMA reduce development risks and costs. This makes it possible to market integrated photonics products in a shorter time.’ This is stated by Barry Peet, Managing Director CITC and Pierre van Lamsweerde, Managing Director Tegema. With CITC's expertise in micro-electronics packaging and Tegema's experience in highprecision alignment equipment a strong duo is created to make it possible. A crucial part of this ambition is collaboration with other parties to accelerate this further. Parties like product developers, packaging foundries and end users. www.citc.org; www.tegema.nl

RF Semiconductors Sensors Test and Measurement

Consult. Design. Integrate. Contact: Tel: +31(0)40 – 2507400 | Email: sales-nl@acalbfi.nl

Special Issue - April 2019

www.acalbf i.com/nl

LIGHTYEAR: A CAR DESIGNED TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR PLANET The story of Lightyear is somewhat unusual. Unlike many other companies, it did not start with a commercial product that was then painted green by weaving a slick sustainable story around it. Instead, Lightyear’s journey began with five idealistic near graduates who looked long and hard at how best to make an impact on the planet. They soon realised that the only way to look at sustainability is by regarding the world as one large, complex system. There are many moving parts in this system that work independently, but they need to be in balance with each other. This gave the founders insight into the need for sustainable solutions that could go on indefinitely – at least in theory – without depleting natural resources. This idea would eventually inspire Lightyear’s infinite infinity logo, says Koen van Ham, Chief of Design and Co-founder of the carmaker, based in Helmond, close to Eindhoven. ‘The intention was clear: setting up an impact-driven business where entrepreneurs could use their skills to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. They even came up with a long list of problems, ranging from urban mobility and sea transport to agricultural challenges and even protecting bees. Some people in the company still refer to it facetiously as ‘Koen’s list’.’ They kept an open mind about where to focus their efforts. However, with mobility as one of

Lightyear One. Photo: Lightyear

the biggest contributors to climate change and given the previous experience with Solar Team Eindhoven, mobility was chosen. After all, the founders had already won the Solar Challenge twice in a row with the world’s first solarpowered family car. The Challenge had taught them that their strong focus on efficiency enabled them to design a solar car with unrivalled performance. But it also made them realise that no one would take that vehicle seriously as a conventional means of transport, at least not until its aesthetics and comfort were improved. Then they decided to set up Lightyear. ‘We worked with the sun to build better cars, and it became our mission to provide clean mobility for everyone everywhere. By making use of

nature’s unlimited supply of light, our aim was to complement it with modern technology and ultra-efficient design,’ says Van Ham. ‘The system approach I mentioned earlier became even more important during the development of Lightyear One. It taught us that while technology and reach are important, customers need to adopt the vehicle as a whole. So, unless performance was combined with beautiful design and driving comfort, we knew that Lightyear One would never find its way into people’s lives and hearts.’ ‘As an impact-driven company, we also know that the more widely our solutions are applied, the greater the positive impact on the environment. Of course, there are trade-offs to be made, but in some respects the comparison is simple.

The more we increase our sales by prioritising attractive design, user experience and outstanding performance, the more we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Impact-driven companies have a great future ahead of them, precisely because they combine profit with benefits for society. Companies like ours will therefore continue to grow thanks to increasing environmental awareness and the growing popularity of sustainable alternatives’, says Van Ham. ‘It is clear that we are on the eve of an exciting transition to a more sustainability-driven economy. Lightyear is proud to demonstrate that increasing profits and improving the environment can actually go hand in hand.’ https://lightyear.one/

Special Issue - April 2020

isah.com

MORE RELIABILITY ON DELIVERY? MAKE IT WITH ISAH

Isah Shop Floor Control is an application that provides up-to-date insight into the work to be carried out. 100% paperless. Via a touch screen, you see all the relevant information immediately: the hours, the usage and the output. This gives you better insight into progress and allows you to give other parties information about order status. So you can work more eďŹ&#x192;ciently, and oďŹ&#x20AC;er better customer service. Make it with Isah.