Reinventing ourselves, using inventive and sustainable techniques and adapting to the changing needs of the markets is an essential and continous challenge in an ever changing environment. To engage everybody in our development journey, we welcome discussions, encourage experiments and learn from mistakes as they create opportunities. However, since these research and development activities are not related to the systematic scientific exploration of new products and services, they are not separately identified as immaterial fixed assets.
Innovation board and meetings
Rezinal and Prestia regularly organise innovation and lean sessions with their Family members, generating innovative ideas, which are followed by fast implementation of new ideas or solutions whenever possible. Staco continued with its innovation board, consisting of Family members from sales and production, which meets regularly and discusses ongoing projects and new initiatives, such as new ways of constructing gratings or similar products which combine freedom of design with efficient production and calculation tools.
The new perfoline AP3 consists of a perforation section followed by a fully automatic bending cell = efficiency meets accuracy!
Lars Janssen - engineer Staco Nederland
Energy transformation
Rotocoat installed a new zinc kettle and a new innovative zinc furnace at Rotocoat Heerhugowaard in 2022 and early 2023. This zinc furnace, the first of its kind in Europe, is equipped with a new type of burner that uses a heat recovery system that consumes 30% less energy, thus reducing CO2 emissions. Prestia – which already has its first fully electric zinc kettle at Prestia SBG (Val d’Oust) – will start in 2024 with the complete refurbishment of the Prestia GK galvanising plant in Carpiquet, making it the first CO2 neutral (scope 1 and 2) galvanising plant in France. Rotocoat will replace one of its powder coating ovens in Wolvega with a hybrid electric alternative, which is expected to use about 90% less gas than the current oven.
An AI will soon be deployed to adjust the heating of our zinc bath by anticipating actual needs. This will improve product quality while reducing our energy footprint.
Emmanuel Caillaud - maintenance and new works manager at Prestia SBG
Robotisation
One of the outcomes of the ROTO Family Survey was that only 62% indicated that physical working conditions, such as ventilation, temperature and space to work, are adequate. That is why Rotocoat and Prestia are looking for innovative ideas to improve these conditions and especially to ease heavy lifting for our Family members working in production. Prestia started using exoskeletons and received a robot arm in the beginning of 2024 to ease the heavy lifting. At Rotocoat, the knotting machine was recently commissioned, helping to lighten the work of attaching material to the jigs.
The new knotting machine makes the work of our production employees easier and lighter. It is the first model/prototype, so modifications will be necessary. We have to learn how to work with the machine and how we can improve it in the future. Standing still is not an option. We keep looking forward to see how we can make progress.
Bashir Qayyumi - technical service manager Rotocoat Dieren & Mohamed Ahammar - technical service manager Rotocoat Wolvega
The so-called EasyFlipper, a two-way automatic flipping system that was implemented at the end of 2022, which enables safer and faster flipping of steel parts compared to conventional cranes, is now in use at De Boer Staal to everyone’s full satisfaction. Research into the purchase of a deburring robot continues.
ROTO Idea Bus
To encourage innovation and the submission of ideas, we use the ROTO Idea Bus. Good ideas are rewarded with a premium or incentive premium. Every year, the winning idea is highlighted, and the winner is put in the spotlight. The innovation prize for the best idea of 2023 was recently awarded to Margreet Hop, our Family member from Rotocoat Kampen. Staco Polska won the ROTO Innovation Award for submitting the most innovative ideas that resulted in premiums or incentive premiums.
