Lijnco

Machines and people perform better with an optimal indoor climate

Lijnco b.v. aims to be Europe’s number one for effective communication: from
concept development, printing, processing and finishing, to the end product and complete management of logistics. They've become much more than a printshop who put ink on paper. Their primary focus is on the direct mail, loyalty in retail and security printing industry sectors, serving the whole of Europe from their bases in three countries. An array of products comes to life in the production plant in Groningen: billions of vouchers for supermarket savings campaigns, hundreds of millions of scratch cards and window cards, an endless stream of mailing packages, but also tickets, transport tickets, ballot papers and exam papers. This whole range of requirements is covered by the term project-based mass production. With demanding customers and tight deadlines, it calls for the best quality 24/7, as well as processes with reliable end results.

An optimal indoor climate is an essential component in achieving this. The existing systems weren't sufficient to get this under control. On the quest for solutions, Oxycom in Raalte turned out to be the perfect partner.

If you're not an expert, it might be tricky to imagine. It's well known that people struggle when the working environment is too warm or too cold but it's a revelation for many people that machines also suffer from this. Bart Tenfelde from Lijnco explains the details.

“In our production department we deal with processes where moisture and temperature have a noticeable effect on the end product. Here, paper is fed trough printing machines in large quantities (>200 kg). Fluctuations in moisture and temperature influence the
readability, stretch and shrinkage and thereby the printed result. So naturally, these variables cannot change in unmanageable proportions during the process."

Three things are required: heating in the winter, cooling in the summer and a constant air humidity. These elements must be almost completely stable from the start to the end of the working day.

"In the past we tried to maintain these conditions with a climate control system of around 200 kW. But unfortunately it never worked in an optimal way and that really demonstrates, yet again, the importance of good advice and choosing partners who perfectly manage your needs." Tenfelde describes their past experiences.

That's where Oxycom came in, thanks to a mutual relationship that brought both parties together.

“Climate control using just a small amount of water and little electricity. Environmentally responsible, but how does it work in practice?"

Tenfelde hints that he was quite sceptical at the initial meeting. During the further discussions with Oxycom, however, it became clear that there was a solid foundation underlying the unique concept, which built the trust in the solution on offer.

This is when the IntrCooll units (five in total), got a chance to prove their worth.

“From mid-July this year everything was operational, and it was incredibly warm then. In all honesty, there were one or two problems at the launch, but after fine-tuning and a few adjustments, everything started running smoothly. It was 40 degrees outside at that point. In previous years, these circumstances would have meant maximum temperatures of up to 50 degrees inside the production halls but this year, the thermometer never rose above 28 degrees. The employees said that they barely had to adjust the machines. Both people and machines benefited greatly from the new conditions."

In short, the Oxycom IntrCooll units were an absolute hit.

"The people in the office immediately started saying that they'd like a unit in the office too, if it was up to them..." says Tenfelde, chuckling.

Whether they'll be getting one, is the question. But the deal with Oxycom is certainly the start of the next step.

"We want a new approach for our heating. In practice, we now only really need heating for the weekends. Perhaps we can work with just a small HE boiler."