Nick van der Velden – Engineer
Engineer
- September 2016
- R & D
The first and foremost question we have is: what brings an automotive engineer to IVS Dosing Technology?
Let’s just say advancing insight. Innovation is inherent to the automotive industry. A whole host of inventions originated in that industry. But the compound feed and pet food sector are only just starting their voyage of possibilities. There are opportunities ahead to take a pioneering role in increasing the efficiency of machines, installations and production plants...
What does your average work week entail?
My days are very diverse. On a given day I could be writing a description of how the installation works for the buyer and making sure the drawings for the mechanics in the workshop are ready. That’s my main task and what I spend about 80% of my time doing. What I really like about the company is that they always look for simple and effective ways to improve the functioning of existing products. One example is the nozzle cleaner, an easy application that opens blocked nozzles.
What has been your most exciting project up until now?
The POWLI is exemplary of what innovation stands for. Cross-contamination is a huge issue in the compound feed industry. A lot of time goes into flushing and cleaning all the pipes. The idea of the POWLI was sparked by looking at the production process from a different perspective. That’s why I wanted to work at IVS: it offers the freedom and flexibility to experiment and try new things. That adds an extra dimension to my work.