A talk with Frank Looman
Product Development Engineer Lovink Enertech
Frank Looman has worked in the Engineering & Development department at Lovink Enertech since 2014. He played an important role in developing the newly improved LoviSil® joints in the M series. This was a challenging process involving many disciplines.
Frank studied mechanical engineering and started his career at a company that developed system components for x-ray equipment. This is where he gained his first experience with high voltage products. Frank’s next career move primarily involved large projects aimed at optimising existing products. He then gained customer experience in his last job as Sales Engineer. All this experience is now being put to good use at Lovink Enertech.
Collaboration
Frank speaks very highly of the approach adopted at Lovink Enertech: “We take care of projects from start to finish. Each project starts with an inventory of market/customer information, a feasibility study on the business case and the identification of technical specifications. This involves intensively consulting with other departments so the design immediately considers aspects such as production, packaging, logistics and, of course, specific customer preferences. This collaboration is not only essential for the project, but it also benefits the work I carry out. I like listening to useful input and then effectively use this information within projects.”
Project for improving LoviSil® cable joints
Frank has, as project manager for the newly improved LoviSil® M joints, dealt with all encountered aspects. The improvement process started by defining how the joint could be improved. After all, our customers were already very satisfied with the joint from an electrical and mechanical perspective. Frank explains: “After analysing everything, we came to the conclusion that ‘we would focus on improving installation convenience’, although this immediately raised the question: what is installation convenience? We defined this as: simplifying the installation procedure and reducing the likelihood of installation errors, whereby jointers would be able to place greater focus on preparing cables. We then translated this goal into SMART objectives, partly by performing a baseline measurement with 3 customers. This helped to define feasible improvements and allowed the development process to be started.”
A great deal of collaboration took place within the department and beyond, e.g. with Marketing & Sales, Production and Procurement. Frank: “We adopted ambitious planning and had the challenge of meeting various objectives in terms of quality, time and finances. I was responsible for all these factors, but also relied on input from others and had to take care of many other things. Thankfully, I received plenty of guidance from my manager, who taught me a great deal.”
And Frank is rightfully proud of the final result: “I now see the ‘old’ joint as old compared to the new design; when I looked at the old installation film, I immediately noticed differences with the new M series. So I feel we have really made progress.”
Expectations
Frank expects a great deal from Lovink Enertech in the future and sees the company as a front-runner in the market: “We possess more than enough ability. A lot of new things will be happening in the energy sector, and this will result in some great projects. I think I can continue learning if I play a role in these projects within our fantastic working environment”, says Frank.
