Herman Hulshof about TanWare

Q: “After introducing the TanWare automation system, did you notice that quality improved?”

Hulshof: “Yes, after a month we did notice this indeed. Even after two years we still find new ways to improve quality by refining our recipes.”

Q: “Have you been able to decrease customer returns?”

Hulshof: “We always use controllers to ensure high quality. The introduction of TanWare helped us finding out what caused the flaws and unexpected results that the controllers noticed, such as the change of a chemical.”

Q: “Did you notice energy and water savings with AquaWare?”

Hulshof: “Yes, it helps reducing the amounts of water as well as temperature requirements, because we can be sure about the water amounts and water temperature delivered by the system. In the past, the operator had cq. (in practise) a variation of 100% in washing time and water."

Q: “What other savings did you realize with TanWare?”

Hulshof: “A number of things. Water quantities are more accurate and faster at the set temperature. This saves an estimated 30 m³ per day. Acids are no longer dosed volumetrically, but by weight, which is more accurate. With ChemWare we can dose chemicals more precisely and reduce wastage, especially the wastage of fats. Thanks to the ScaleWare system, we now have more control over what people weigh by hand. Finally, maintaining water temperature is easier and more precise, which translates into energy and cost savings.”

Q: “What about labor cost savings?”

Hulshof: “Absolutely. The system saves us roughly 40% labor time. We were able to go from two shifts to three shifts with the same people and increase our production capacity by 25%.”

Q: “How was plant safety affected by the automation?”

Hulshof: “Very positively. We did not have any accidents yet, and I am sure the system will help to prevent accidents in the next ten years.”

Q: “Did you notice changes in production flow and logistics?”

Hulshof: “Naturally we did. The whole wet processing department runs more smoothly as the production flow has improved drastically. This helps us to maintain quality, particularly in the sammying and drying area. In addition, the tracking features of TanWare helped us to discover hidden defects, such as dirt in the canals of the retanning drums.”

Q: “What advantages did the computer integration bring?”

Hulshof: “We connected TanWare to the ERP system that runs on the company’s mainframe, which enabled us to reduce chemical stocks and prevent emergency purchases of forgotten chemicals.”

Q: “What is your overall impression?”

Hulshof: “Shop floor operation was brought to a higher level. The department is cleaner and better organized now. Our tannery will expand in 2003 to 2004 and we will add new drums. The TanWare system has definitely helped us.”

Q: What did the operators think?

Hulshof: "They are happy because their labour got a better image and for us it was easier to find new people. The tannery also became cleaner."