A great new project is underway in the Assembly department. Ventilation units are being assembled for the company Goflow. These installations ensure clean air in classrooms and other large spaces. In these times, this is especially important to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Unit leader André Wagenaar and Ignace van Anraad tell more about this new assignment.
When we visit, Ignace is busy assembling a wooden frame. It is the beginning of one of a total of ten boxes that will be stacked on top of each other to form a complete ventilation unit. From the outside, it looks like a large wooden box, but inside are fans and exhaust systems. The structure is 2.40 metres wide and 2.80 metres high and is placed in a room together with a system floor and a system ceiling (both with holes). Clean air enters through the floor and is exhausted again through the ceiling.
Craftwork
"It's fun work," says Ignace. "Besides woodworking, we also install the motors. That's fiddly work with gears, which I love doing. The nice thing about this project is that I am involved from the start. We visited Goflow and I have a lot of contact with their designer Koen. That way, we are always making steps to make the assembly work better and faster. I keep a log of how long I take to assemble one box, so Goflow can see exactly how much time it takes us to make a complete ventilation unit."
'I'm seriously proud to do this'
The aim is to deliver two ventilation units a week with two employees and eventually expand production. "Goflow is still really a start-up company," says unit manager André. "Together we are discovering and researching what works best. Ignace is now the one running this workplace. Besides the work, the idea is that he also trains other colleagues. You have to see this work a bit like putting together an IKEA wardrobe. For someone who is a bit handy and likes DIY, it is quite doable."
Eager to learn
At Ignace's request, colleague Sam van der Klaauw comes to lend a hand. Together, they continue working on the frame and stack some crates on top of each other. "I enjoy teaching others something," says Ignace. "I am very eager to learn myself and really want to go full steam ahead with this assignment. I also like the fact that through this work we are making sure other people can enjoy clean air. I myself have been in a test room at Goflow and I really noticed the difference. I have already regularly shown promotional videos of the product to friends. I am seriously proud to be able to do this."
With coverage in media such as Leidsch Dagblad, TV West and NPO Radio 2, Goflow was already nicely in the spotlight. That could mean more assembly work from this customer coming to DZB in the future. André: "There has been talk of supplying sixteen ventilation units per month, so four per week. That would mean four employees working for us. Then we can place people here who want to learn other work or progress to an assembly job outside DZB."
Visiting Goflow
Before production started in the Montage department at the end of August, a group of stakeholders visited Goflow on behalf of DZB. Nehir Usta (team leader Montage), Feiko Mulder (account manager Leerwerkbedrijven), Kulan Selvaratnam (work planner) as well as assembly employees Ignace van Anraad and Arthur Sanders were explained how the ventilation units are put together and how they are assembled.
