“The bigger the cables, the better it gets”

It is nearly two years ago now that Bjorn Zieverink came to strengthen the Engineering and Development team at Lovink Enertech with his expertise. Following his training as a first medium-voltage jointer, Bjorn worked as a jointer, at Liander and BAM, for eight years.

Bjorn can be found most days in one of Lovink’s labs, or with customers. Here, he is involved in assembling rigs to carrying out high voltage tests on various products. In addition Bjorn manages the external testing performed by independent test houses. Bjorn enjoys the responsibility and independence associated with this kind of project. “However routine an assembly is, you need to be especially focused during a test set-up, and you can’t afford any errors. This requires concentration, and so I prefer to work alone.”

Product development

He enjoys advising colleagues who have an interest in current development, especially in the early stages as it can be tricky when tests are not successful. “While a new product is being developed, there is often a sequence to be followed,  this involves making adjustments, testing it out, further refining  and testing again. This process continues until the product complies with all required specifications. Doing certain tests over and over again is simply part of the procedure.”

Once the products in development have been tested, Bjorn also has an input when it comes to assembly aspects. “My experience in the field means I can empathise with installers and practical situations they may face, then I can assess whether something can be quickly applied on site”, says Bjorn.

Ease of assembly

In his previous job as a jointer, Bjorn fitted many different kinds of joints, this enables him to be objective in his view of what makes Lovink cable joints so distinctive: “They’re the easiest joints to install and also the strongest, the most robust by far.” He likes the fact that Lovink Enertech makes a continuous investment in improving its products: “The new LoviSil® M series has become so much easier, and in addition, achieves significant time savings thanks to the simplification and omission of certain parts.”

A solid team

Bjorn is part of a team of professionals in which an effective level of cooperation is central. This is seen as one of the cornerstones to fulfilling successful projects. “We meet on a regular basis and are held accountable in terms of our responsibility for the projects. This makes us into a solid team.”
Alongside his colleagues, Bjorn also talks to customers when supporting one of the Account Managers in installation guidance or a training session. Combined with projects such as creating an instructional film, Bjorn sees his work as interesting and varied.

Future

Bjorn is looking forward to future developments. Part of the challenge can be coming across different cable types and sizes we are not familiar with, as was the case with the recent 36kV project “This is a challenge each and every time, but as far as I’m concerned, the bigger the cables, the better it gets!” An e-lab was also recently equipped with new control cabinets, providing more opportunities to carry out tests more quickly and effectively. Bjorn enjoys the continuous focus on development. “As long as Lovink continues to develop, there’ll be plenty for me to do.”