Engineering and assembly in Haarlem
When the Geens brothers decided it was time for an electric Knikmops one thing was clear: it had to be a real Knikmops, strong and versatile in the familiar format.
The Geens brothers’ company was founded in 1987 and since 1998 they have been producing the popular Knikmops with a strong reputation as an excavator but also as a multifunctional articulated loader with many applications: garden work, earthwork, paving work and deployment in garden, park and construction projects.
The company has a clear vision for the future: to produce machines with zero or low emissions, which is why the focus is now on the transition from diesel to electric.
Electrification presents challenges
The challenge was to develop an electric version of the successful Knikmops based on the existing chassis, in the standard format, so that, like its diesel counterpart, the electric Knikmops remained easy to transport on a trailer.
In addition, the desire was for the Knikmops to be usable throughout the working day on a single load.
It is precisely these requirements that make the standard batteries on the market inadequate.
Insufficiently powerful to last all day or too large to fit in the Knikmops.
Field tests and projects with various battery suppliers did not bring the desired results.
Intercel creates customized solutions
This is precisely where Intercel’s expertise in electrification and making customized batteries brought the solution.
Contact was made via LinkedIn and it became clear that Intercel can offer many options.
Both 1- and 3-phase charging is possible (230 volts or 400 volts).
Intercel is an expert in building customized batteries that fit perfectly within the size required by the client.
In addition, they are also more efficient and more powerful than standard batteries of similar size.
Frans Geens, business manager of Gebroeders Geens, says: “Intercel makes a custom-built battery just as we want it. That was not possible with our previous suppliers.”
Perfect customization
Intercel is also flexible with the placement of ports for the charger and can provide matching charging systems and software.
This also proved very important when designing the electric Knikmops, where space had to be used optimally and efficiency and ease of charging for the user were essential.
Frans Geens: “The placement of the plugs, the software, it was perfectly executed.”
Joint engineering
Robin Been, sales engineer at Intercel, comments: “We can jointly engineer the final product with the customer. Because we design and make the batteries ourselves, we have the expertise down to the smallest part of the battery.”
But it’s not just with customizing the batteries that Intercel distinguishes itself, also through service, knowledge and commitment.
Matthieu Wuyts, technical product developer of the Knikmops says, “If we have a question, it is answered very quickly. Intercel thinks along and quickly comes up with an appropriate solution.”
Focus on sustainability and energy transition
Visiting Mr. Geens in his beautiful home in Heenegouwen, Belgium, reveals that he is also personally committed to sustainability.
Solar panels, heat pump, insulating glass and a fast charger are some of the future-proof applications he has managed to implement in his home.
The Geens brothers are also committed to sustainability and electrification with their own operations.
Among other things, they have a (partially) electric fleet, with a Tesla Model 3, electric Kangoo and a hybrid car, and solar panels on the roof meet a large portion of the energy needs of the production hall.
The focus is on sustainability and the transition from diesel to electric.
Managing director Frans Geens says, “Our vision is: to start making low-emission and emission-free machines in the future.”
The Knikmops is now electric and the next will be the Rolmops.
Performance exceeds expectations
After the construction of the first “high performance” electric Knikmops, it was time for a practical test: earthwork in an abbey, where an electric Knikmops ran for a month on trial.
Silence and no emissions were the requirements of the fathers, not only because they appreciate peace and quiet, but also because some of the work had to be done indoors.
Frans Geens says, “It did that there perfectly. Everyone was very enthusiastic about the work.”
One anecdote even tells that the driver forgot 1 day to charge the Knikmops in the evening.
He only found out the next morning.
He expected to come to a standstill fairly quickly, but nothing was further from the truth, he was still able to work the full day.
Two full days of work, while one full day was the intended minimum, ensures that you can rightly say: the electric Knikmops exceeds expectations!
Typical Intercel: collaborative thinking, service and customization in electrification
Do you also want to electrify a diesel-powered garden, park or construction machine, or do you have another challenge that needs a battery?
Intercel is the partner for developing a customized battery and matching it with the right battery, to realize electrification together.