CUSTOM PLASTIC PRODUCTS WITH AN INNOVATIVE (AI) METHOD

Innovation is more than just bringing new inventions to the market. Sometimes innovation is in the way you set up your business processes. That is the case at Pentas Moulding, a family business with innovation in its DNA. They specialize in making plastic products using rotational moulding, from fuel tanks for agricultural machinery to slosh dampers for wind turbines and toilet cubicles. Marthijn Koorn explains how, together with Sander Staal, his brother Wouter Koorn, and their team, he brings innovation to life.

This story was first published in the Next Icons Magazine. You can read the entire magazine here.

What is your innovative character? 

Marthijn: “That manifests itself in several ways and started with my father. He has always been progressive in the field of automation and was a driving force in implementing the first robots in the factory, which enabled it to become paperless. That has allowed us to distinguish ourselves in the market. We currently aim to take digitalization a step further by integrating everything fully. So, from what the machine registers, to the products people hold in their hands, to deliveries, the entire process is registered. We also want to create a digital production assistant for every employee.”

Why is the digitalization of your production process so vital to you? 

Marthijn: “Our customers’ demands are getting higher and higher. We supply to large OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers, ed.), and these are parties that merely expect consistency. In a process like ours, where many people play a role, it is difficult to guarantee. That is why we want to develop innovative processes that provide stable quality. That is also necessary in our market, because rotational molding is a niche within a niche, which means that there are limited resources available. The problems that we encounter in the factory are, therefore, rather unique. So we have to innovate.”

What does that look like for you? 

Marthijn: “On the one hand, our factory is traditional, with many people on the floor and moving machines. That is a nice contrast with our modern innovations, such as camera vision systems that check products for quality requirements in real-time and immediately report any errors. We also now have a pilot in which we have made ChatGPT available on our machines. In this way, a technical employee can ask what to do in the event of a malfunction or inquire about how the machine has performed compared to other machines. Additionally, what needs to be done to achieve even better performance. That is innovation to me: using new technologies in existing environments and connecting them.”

That sounds like the factory of the future! How do you ensure that you can create these types of innovations? 

Marthijn: “In our family, curiosity is very much in our DNA. We have an intrinsic motivation to learn everything about our field. We are also regularly inspired by trade fairs and conferences. That is a reciprocal process, because we also present information there ourselves, which in turn attracts companies. We have the typical Twente down-to-earth mentality and do not like to boast, but you do have to tell what you do. And we like to do that, for example, about how we use AI. By telling that story, we have also been able to attract new employees who are passionate about this subject. That creates a nice dynamic in which we challenge each other to reach an even higher level. This, in turn, creates great practical examples that we can share with others. Our innovative solutions are also applicable to other manufacturing companies. That is why entrepreneurs from all over the world come to us to see how we do it. So we are truly pioneering.”

To what extent does luck play a role in this? 

Marthijn: “Well, what is luck, and what has already been determined? Determinism assumes that all events have already been predetermined and that they occur in a chain reaction. Is that luck? What I do know is that it is also a matter of hard work. It does not come easily to us. You have to invest time and energy in it to get to the point where you want to be. In addition, there are always things that turn out well or turn out badly. When you work with drive on what you truly believe in and are passionate about, success will come naturally.”