van Meer - Quick Connection for Energy Storage

Drive specialist Van Meer developed an energy storage system for heavy-duty drives and designed a custom battery system for it. For the connectors in the battery system’s cabinet, their regular supplier itsme recommended omni-brand partner Phoenix Contact. Excellent connectors — only the frame didn’t fit. Phoenix Contact quickly developed a customer-specific connector design. itsme now supplies Van Meer with complete connector sets, including the custom plug.

Van Meer, based in Tholen, employs over 100 people and is active in industrial and maritime drive technology. The family business started by overhauling electric motors, but has since grown into a system integrator and service provider for complete multi-drive systems. Van Meer covers the entire lifecycle, from engineering and panel construction to installation, alignment, and maintenance.

Cabinet with Connectors

Van Meer has had a relationship with itsme for many years. itsme supplies electrical components and industrial automation equipment such as PLC cards, relays, and circuit breakers. “We deliver the components to Van Meer in the order they are needed for assembly,” says Arno Capelle, technical sales engineer at itsme. “During the time of component shortages, we had biweekly meetings to monitor progress and ensure timely delivery of materials. When issues arose, I started looking for alternatives and ended up at Phoenix Contact.” This manufacturer of industrial components and electronics is a regular omni-brand partner of itsme. Phoenix Contact provides standard solutions, but can also customize them to meet customer requirements, explains product specialist Michaël Harlaar. “The great thing about family-owned businesses like Van Meer and Phoenix Contact is that they don’t shy away from technical challenges.” He refers to a recent energy storage project.

“When delivery issues occurred, I turned to Phoenix Contact for alternatives”

Electrification is also on the rise for heavy-duty applications. As a result, energy storage is now often part of a drive system at Van Meer, explains Technical Director Louis Michielsens. “We use lithium-titanate batteries for this, which charge faster than other types of lithium-ion batteries and have a longer lifespan. They have already been used in tugboats, among other things. We designed a custom cabinet for the battery system, which of course contains the necessary connectors. For that, we had selected a plug from a well-known brand that could combine electrical, data, and air connections. Michaël heard about this. According to him, Phoenix Contact had a better solution. And indeed, they had an excellent plug — only the frame turned out to be incompatible with our design, which was based on the other plug.”

Fast and Flexible

Harlaar didn’t accept the issue of the non-fitting plug. He contacted the R&D team at Phoenix Contact in Germany to have them create a modified design of the connector frame. Not long after, Michielsens received a call. “Michaël wanted to drop by for coffee — he had something interesting. It was a 3D-printed sample of the modified connector, and it fit well. They also quickly came up with a version made from aluminum using injection molding, with all codings laser-engraved. When we later had a meeting at Phoenix Contact in Germany, we also discussed our wishes for further optimizing the connector.”

Each power contact required a connection that had to be tightened to torque with a torque wrench, Michielsens explains. “That connection could fail if the technician didn’t tighten it correctly. I mentioned that I would prefer if the conductor could simply be crimped on, like with a cable lug. That caused some chuckling and laughter at the table. They called someone from the R&D lab, who showed a 3D-printed prototype of the solution. So they were already working on it. I added that it would be perfect if they could include an inspection hole in the connector so I could see how far the conductor had been inserted. A few weeks ago, Michaël came by with the latest version of the connector — and indeed, it had an inspection hole.”

“Because we work closely with them, we’re able to improve our products”

Michielsens was impressed by the work of Phoenix Contact. “I thought it was great to see how such a large company, with a highly standardized portfolio, could come up with custom solutions so quickly and flexibly. Because we work so closely with them, we’re able to implement improvements in our products. We don’t ask all of this from them just for fun — it’s because it helps us improve our products.” Of course, it’s also interesting for Phoenix Contact, Van Meer’s technical director adds. “One cabinet already contains six connectors, and a tugboat has around eighty cabinets. And then there are the other products from their portfolio as well. We’ve already delivered systems for six tugboats and are now discussing a follow-up order.”

For Phoenix Contact, the follow-up could have even broader potential. The connector was developed specifically for Van Meer, but it could evolve into a new standard product in the sustainable energy market — not just for battery storage systems, but also for products like fuel cells. The connector is now available via itsme.

Trust

“The collaboration was truly built on trust,” Harlaar adds. Trust from Van Meer in Phoenix Contact, but also the other way around. “That was explicitly acknowledged internally, all the way up to the highest level. That’s when things started moving quickly, and the result was that it was completed in six months instead of the two years normally required for such a redesign.” Michielsens: “That success is, of course, also thanks to Michaël and his colleagues. Trust is the foundation, but you also have to make time for it, sink your teeth into it, and convince internal colleagues and even the factory.” Harlaar also involves itsme: “It all started with a phone call from Arno about Van Meer. I’ve known him for a long time, and from that trust we tackled this together. We handled the redesign, and they took care of all the logistics. Now, for each connector, they supply a box with the frame and all components to Van Meer. That logistics support, and their attentiveness to customer challenges, is the added value of itsme.”

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