Turnkey projects_Steelworks_Cranes_Roba

Investment strategy bearing fruit

Roba Metals: a family business with vision
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Roba Metals was established as a family business in 1937. Its initial focus was on metals recycling and the sale of steel sheets, but a diversification strategy was embarked upon in the 1980s, leading to a flourishing business in non-ferrous metals, stainless steel and aluminium all over Europe. Today, the company – still a family business – operates service and sales centres in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland, as well as non-ferrous metals production plants in both the Netherlands and Belgium.

The service centre in Genk (Belgium) was set up in 1996. It converts steel, stainless steel and aluminium coils into flat sheeting and strips for use in a wide variety of products, including home appliances, tanks and silos, automotive parts, and food and pharmacy process equipment.

A strategy of keeping stocks

Unlike most of its competitors, the plant keeps significant onsite inventories of both coils and finished products, and this is deliberate company strategy. Maurice Rothkrantz explains: “In our sector, there has been a trend towards trimming inventory levels to cut costs, especially during the recession. But in many cases, this has eroded supply chain flexibility, which is of utmost importance if we are to successfully deal with the changes going on in downstream markets. By contrast, our sustained policy of keeping stocks has helped us remain flexible.”

Our sustained policy of keeping stocks has helped us remain flexible

Keeping pace with the recovering economy

Recent investment in infrastructure has been made to further strengthen the plant’s competitiveness. Here, Maurice Rothkrantz hails the long-term vision of a family business like Roba Metals: “Despite the recession and the poor economic outlook, the Board of Directors was courageous enough to decide to construct a 3500 m² steel coil and sheets storage facility as well as a 5000 m² extension of our stainless steel and aluminium service unit. This investment is now paying off, since it allows us to keep pace with the recovering economy.”

Specifications

TCS carried out the extension project as turnkey contractor. This included modification and extension of the logistics infrastructure. “It was great to have the complete solution provided by one company, because it made for an optimised design and a smoother project. And it’s a pleasure to do business with TCS, with the strong mutual respect between project teams.”

 

Steel coil and sheets storage facility:

  • 416 tonnes steel, 5250 m² steel deck, 2322 m² reused and 806 m² new insulated steel sheets, and 4657 m² fire resistant aerated concrete walls.
  • Supply and installation of logistics infrastructure:
    • 167 metres of new Burbach rails with expansion joints, including new conductor lines.
    • 2 new 28-metres 15-tonnes overhead cranes with appropriate coil and sheet metal tongs.
    • A new 27-tonnes coil and sheet transfer car equipped with automatic control and obstacle/person detection. Installation included rails and foundations over a 50m track length.
    • Relocating an existing overhead crane into the new building and renewing radio control on all existing cranes for conformity and operator convenience.

Turnkey Projects_Steelworks_Cranes_Roba

 

Extension of the stainless steel and aluminium service unit:

  • 368 tonnes steel, 4150 m² steel deck, 2620 m² insulated steel sheets, 2918 m² Kingspan vertical sandwich panels, and 3984 m² fire resistant aerated concrete walls.
  • Supply and installation of logistics infrastructure:
    • 135 metres of new Burbach rails with expansion joints, including new conductor lines.
    • 4 new 28-metres overhead cranes with capacities of 32 tonnes, 15 tonnes and 8 tonnes with appropriate coil and sheet metal tongs.
    • Extending a 60-tonnes coil transfer car with a 27-tonnes sheet carriage equipped with automatic control and obstacle/person detection. Installation included renovating, reinforcing and extending the existing floor and foundations over a 100m track length.

Turnkey Projects_Steelworks_Cranes_Roba

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