In early 2023, VDL Bus & Coach opened a state-of-the-art factory in Roeselare. Now there are 400 employees working daily on the production of single and double-decker electric buses. With a production hall of 20,000 m², the plant has doubled in capacity, with up to 800 buses being produced per year.
CAPACITY
In the modern assembly of buses, many parts are glued together. Insufficient humidity causes problems during the gluing process. VDL Bus & Coach Roeselare found that the glue in the 170.000 m3 gluing hall was not curing properly and was not reaching sufficient strength. The production line was forced to slow down in order to allow the adhesive extra time to cure correctly. A solution was needed quickly and so to achieve the optimum humidity in the factory, VDL Bus & Coach Roeselare called in Cumulus Nederland. Three days later, Cumulus supplied air-assisted atomisers as a temporary solution, allowing VDL Bus & Coach Roeselare to reach the minimum air humidity of 35% required for an optimal gluing process.
COMFORT
After the success of the air-assisted atomisers, VDL Bus & Coach Roeselare decided to switch to high-pressure humidification. This method is more efficient where the humidification capacity exceeds 30 litres per hour, and also works almost silently. VDL Bus & Coach Roeselare chose Cumulus Nederland as their partner for high-pressure humidification after thorough market research. High-pressure humidification into the direct space is an energy-efficient technique that uses heat from the air to evaporate the water. In this instance, the technology uses the heat produced by the production machinery, giving the added benefit that the air cool as the water evaporates. This natural cooling of the air by the evaporation of water is a process called adiabatic cooling. It produces about 0.68 kW of cooling at an evaporation rate of one litre per hour.
Besides the production process, proper humidity is essential for employees' health. Air that is too dry can cause health complaints such as irritated eyes, respiratory problems, loss of concentration, headaches and irritability. In addition, viruses and bacteria can spread more easily, making employees fall ill more quickly. For a healthy and productive working climate, a humidity level of 40 to 60% is recommended. At VDL Bus & Coach Roeselare, employee well-being is important. Therefore, the company has now increased the humidity percentage to 40-45%.
CONFIDENCE
VDL Bus & Coach Roeselare looks back on the process with satisfaction. '"Everything went smoothly and we were completely taken care of," says Filip Busschaert, manufacturing manager at VDL Bus & Coach Roeselare. The company is also very pleased with the delivery and the performance quality of the installation. "The installation was professionally delivered within the deadline and we are satisfied with the quality delivered."
Ontdek de mogelijkheden met Cumulus
Cumulus. Engineers in humidification.
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