{"id":3131,"date":"2026-09-10T11:09:02","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T09:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluejournal.schunk.com\/de\/?p=3119"},"modified":"2026-09-10T11:09:03","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T09:09:03","slug":"innovation-is-born-through-collaboration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluejournal.schunk.com\/en\/01-26\/innovation-is-born-through-collaboration\/","title":{"rendered":"Inno\u00adva\u00adtion is born through collab\u00ado\u00adra\u00adtion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The year is 2006:<\/strong> a windy Tuesday  morning in a rural area of southern Holland. After a two-hour drive, Guido Segers arrives at his desti\u00adna\u00adtion and is surprised. Instead of the company premises he expected, the then SCHUNK sales repre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtive finds himself standing in front of an ordi\u00adnary house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he rings the door\u00adbell, a woman opens the door, offers him a cup of coffee, and tells him that her son will arrive shortly for their appoint\u00adment. A short time later, 24-year-old student Frank Biemans stands in front of Segers and enthu\u00adsi\u00adas\u00adti\u00adcally tells him about his plans. He explains that he wants to auto\u00admate a CNC machine that is housed together with a robot in a small garden shed. All he needs is a gripper, which is why he arranged the appoint\u00adment. Guido Segers recalls: \u201cThe machines were old, but the idea of using a robot to load a machine auto\u00admat\u00adi\u00adcally was a good one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a student, Frank Biemans has hardly any money, but he strikes up a good rapport with Segers right from the start. The latter recog\u00adnizes the poten\u00adtial behind the plans, selling him one gripper and giving him another one. As they part, Frank Biemans promises him in return: \u201cIf my machines are successful, you\u2019ll be part of my success.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now it\u2019s 2026: <\/strong>Frank Biemans has moved on from his shed a long time ago, but he did keep his promise \u2013 and has since purchased hundreds of SCHUNK grip\u00adpers. His idea for automa\u00adtion has grown into a successful company: BMO Automa\u00adtion, a specialist in automa\u00adtion solu\u00adtions for the metal industry. Biemans is the owner and Managing Director, and still works closely with Guido Segers, who now heads the Dutch company SCHUNK Intec B.V. Today, just as they were 20 years ago, the two are united by their enthu\u00adsiasm for new tech\u00adnolo\u00adgies and a strong drive to inno\u00advate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Infinity plat\u00adform allows for the gradual, modular expan\u00adsion of robot cells. BMO\u2019s customers can thus auto\u00admate their factory step by step.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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BMO\u2019s new Infinity plat\u00adform is based almost entirely on stan\u00addard\u00adized SCHUNK compo\u00adnents \u2013 such as the NSR 100 and 160 robot couplings for auto\u00admated pallet handling.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

 
Stan\u00addard\u00adiza\u00adtion + modu\u00adlarity = a recipe for success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

 As Frank Biemans\u2019 idea evolved into a viable busi\u00adness model over the years, he made SCHUNK compo\u00adnents stan\u00addard in his systems. The collab\u00ado\u00adra\u00adtion with Guido Segers has become more inten\u00adsive and strategic. SCHUNK actively contributes not only its prod\u00aducts but also its exper\u00adtise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The approach remains the same, explains Frank Biemans: \u201cWe\u2019re always looking for ways to improve so we can find the best solu\u00adtion for our customers.\u201d \u201cThis means addressing their needs while also relying on stan\u00addard\u00adiza\u00adtion and modular building blocks. Together with SCHUNK, we seek tailored solu\u00adtions and are contin\u00adu\u00adally expanding our product port\u00adfolio.\u201d The combi\u00adna\u00adtion of stan\u00addard\u00adiza\u00adtion and modu\u00adlarity has also given rise to the newest product in BMO\u2019s port\u00adfolio: the BMO Infinity Plat\u00adform. It makes it possible to grad\u00adu\u00adally expand robotic cells in a modular fashion, thereby automating the entire factory step by step at the customer\u2019s own pace.<\/p>\n\n\n

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BMO Automation\u2019s success story began 20 years ago with a good idea and very little capital. Today, the company is a sought-after specialist in automa\u00adtion solu\u00adtions for the metal industry.<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/div>

Guido Segers (right), Managing Director of SCHUNK Intec B.V., thanked BMO\u2019s CEO Frank Biemans for 20 years of part\u00adner\u00adship.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Infinity plat\u00adform is based almost entirely on stan\u00addard\u00adized SCHUNK compo\u00adnents, which BMO combines intel\u00adli\u00adgently and supple\u00adments with its own in-house devel\u00adop\u00adments. For example, BMO uses a SCHUNK PGN-plus\u2011P universal gripper fitted with adjustable, mecha\u00adtronic grip\u00adping fingers. The modular VERO\u2011S quick-change pallet system provides fast, precise clamping, while BMO engi\u00adneers use NSR 100 and 160 rdobot couplings for auto\u00admated pallet handling. The plat\u00adform also includes KSP plus and KRP pneu\u00admatic clamping force blocks and SCHUNK change systems, which allow grip\u00adpers or pallets to be changed flex\u00adibly within the cell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frank Biemans has already received the Tech\u00adniShow Inno\u00adva\u00adtion Award for Infinity, and Guido Segers is also thrilled: \u201cFrank has this incred\u00adible drive to improve things.\u201d \u201cHe regu\u00adlarly shows us his concepts, and we then consider how our prod\u00aducts can help imple\u00adment and jointly develop them further together.\u201d He smiles and adds: \u201cHe chal\u00adlenges us to think outside the box.\u201d \u201cThis bene\u00adfits both BMO and SCHUNK equally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, we\u2019re simply more inno\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A good example of this collab\u00ado\u00adra\u00adtive inno\u00adva\u00adtion process is the modular VERO\u2011S quick-change pallet system, which clamps work\u00adpieces and clamping devices quickly and with a repeat accu\u00adracy of less than five microm\u00ade\u00adters. During a joint brain\u00adstorming session, Segers and Biemans came up with the idea of turning the system into a robot coupling. Guido Segers empha\u00adsizes: \u201cThis collab\u00ado\u00adra\u00adtive work also provides us at SCHUNK with valu\u00adable inspi\u00adra\u00adtion for new compo\u00adnents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on a specific prac\u00adtical require\u00adment, the part\u00adners worked closely together to develop a solu\u00adtion that later evolved into the NSR robot coupling. At SCHUNK, this prin\u00adciple under\u00adpins the claim: \u201cHand in hand for tomorrow\u201d. Collab\u00ado\u00adra\u00adtive devel\u00adop\u00adment produces solu\u00adtions that actively shape the future of manu\u00adfac\u00adturing. Guido Segers empha\u00adsizes: \u201cWhen you work together honestly and trans\u00adpar\u00adently, and focus on inno\u00adva\u00adtion, you make progress together and can truly solve your customers\u2019 prob\u00adlems. It\u2019s a win-win situ\u00ada\u00adtion and a part\u00adner\u00adship on equal footing that helps us move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cWe cater to our customers\u2019 needs while also relying on stan\u00addard\u00adiza\u00adtion and modular compo\u00adnents.\u201d
 <\/p>\nFrank Biemans, Managing Director, BMO Automa\u00adtion<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Bring on the future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like Frank Biemans, Guido Segers also likes to think one step ahead and considers the require\u00adments of tomorrow. He says tomor\u00adrow\u2019s require\u00adments will be char\u00adac\u00adter\u00adized by rapid change and uncer\u00adtainty, but will also offer major oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDigi\u00adtal\u00adiza\u00adtion and AI will shape the coming years. This devel\u00adop\u00adment will affect not only the processes but also the prod\u00aducts them\u00adselves. So we need to work on solu\u00adtions that are smarter and more connected,\u201d says Segers, adding that devel\u00adop\u00adment is progressing much faster than it was only a few years ago. In his view, compa\u00adnies must be extremely flex\u00adible and contin\u00adu\u00adously evolve in order to keep up. \u201cWe are already thinking about what customers will need in five years\u2019 time.\u201d He plans to capi\u00adtalize on the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties presented by this devel\u00adop\u00adment together with Frank Biemans. They are well placed to do so, as both can build on a solid foun\u00adda\u00adtion: a part\u00adner\u00adship rooted in personal trust, a strong pioneering spirit, and the courage to break new ground.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What began as a spon\u00adta\u00adneous idea in a Dutch garden shed has grown into a success story that continues to this day: for over 20 years, automa\u00adtion specialist BMO and the Dutch SCHUNK subsidiary have been part\u00adners in a rela\u00adtion\u00adship char\u00adac\u00adter\u00adized by trust, bold\u00adness, and a spirit of inno\u00adva\u00adtion. What began with a single gripper has now become a shared journey to the fore\u00adfront of automa\u00adtion. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3166,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"template-video-header.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-customer-success-story","category-01-26"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluejournal.schunk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluejournal.schunk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluejournal.schunk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluejournal.schunk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluejournal.schunk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3131"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/bluejournal.schunk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3607,"href":"https:\/\/bluejournal.schunk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3131\/revisions\/3607"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluejournal.schunk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluejournal.schunk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluejournal.schunk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluejournal.schunk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}