Client
Maarten Littel
Location
Schoonhoven
Specialisation
Processing steel, stainless steel and aluminium
Employees
20-30
Discover the story of Maarten Littel, a driven entrepreneur who, together with his wife, started the company Maarten Littel in 1992 in a modest farmer's barn in Cabauw.
Over the years, the company grew and they moved to a new building. But their ambitions knew no bounds, and after two expansions, the building quickly became too limited. In 2015, they took the step to move to their current location: de Diamant in Schoonhoven.
Maarten Littel specializes in processing steel, stainless steel, and aluminium, offering various services such as welding, sheet metal work, and construction work. With their extensive capabilities, they have everything in-house for the production of various metal products. With twenty employees, their main goal is not to grow in terms of staff, but to make annual progress by working smarter and more efficiently with a team of motivated employees. A modern machine park plays a crucial role in this, and that is why Maarten has invested in the smart technology of WeCobot.
Don't invest to catch up but to extend the lead.”
WeCobot proved to be the solution
In their search for automated solutions, Maarten Littel initially looked at traditional robots. But after seeing WeCobot at a trade fair and having an inspiring conversation with an owner of this system, they were convinced that it was the right choice. As Maarten Littel is a small company that delivers various products, WeCobot - alongside its Weave Weld Function and Multilayer Weld Feature - turned out to be the perfect solution for their needs. This was confirmed after a workshop on-site, where, along with the welders, they tested the cobot for a whole day in combination with their own products. This created a clear understanding of the possibilities and built support within the Maarten Littel team. Shortly after the workshop, the WeCobot was installed.
The employees find it fun, and in this way, we can easily do something with robot welding.”
What makes the WeCobot so unique according to Maarten? It is exceptionally easy to use. Bram Littel (16 years old), Maarten's son, can operate it effortlessly. The WeCobot allows even the least experienced welder to lay down beautiful welds. Currently, the cobot is being used for welding 180 box frames. They can hardly work without the WeCobot now, as there is always work that can be done with the cobot, allowing them to perform other tasks. "The whole package just makes sense!" With sustained enthusiasm, it has been running for a full year!
Expansion in the future
The success of the WeCobot has convinced Maarten Littel to further invest in a smarter future. Thanks to its reliable operation with little need for maintenance and service, the future plan is to place the cobot on a track for greater reach. Maarten mentioned that they are still too small for a second cobot, but he does not rule it out for the future. "You have to start somewhere."
