Peeters - Young Company, New Equipment

Since its founding a few years ago, Peeters Robotic Solutions has been rapidly developing, working on projects both domestically and internationally and providing standard solutions for industrial palletizing. The company stays up to date with the latest technology, including Festo’s electrical and pneumatic drives. To achieve this, it relies on itsme. “Thanks to their expertise and skills, we can bring innovation to the forefront for our customers.”

Building on 25 years of experience in industrial automation, freelancer Edwin Peeters decided a few years ago to expand his business into Peeters Robotic Solutions. Based in Dongen, the company now undertakes robotization projects for small and large clients in both domestic and international markets. Most projects are executed in the Netherlands and neighboring countries.

In short, the young enterprise is thriving and currently employs four staff members plus several interns, Edwin Peeters explains. “We’re also constantly looking to expand our team, which is a challenge at the moment. In addition to custom solutions, we’ve developed two modular standard robot solutions under the name Gobot. These include two versions of an industrial palletizing solution: one featuring a cobot and the other a conventional robot. For these, we use robot brands like ABB, FANUC, and UR. We’re now developing a second version of both solutions.”

Next Generation

The initial contact with Edwin Peeters of Peeters Robotic Solutions occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, recalls Cees Rademaker, technical advisor at itsme. “Their previous supplier couldn’t deliver a specific valve terminal for a new packing machine. We resolved the issue for them with a Festo valve terminal. Edwin was pleased with that.” This led to further inquiries from Peeters Robotic Solutions about Festo products, Rademaker notes. These inquiries included Festo valve terminals. “The latest generation is easier to adapt and expand, and the control via Modbus has been enhanced.”

"That new valve terminal is incredibly easy to use."

The parties also collaborated on replacing a discontinued electric actuator for a robotic gripper. Rademaker explains: “Together with a technical specialist from Festo, we visited to discuss the appropriate alternative and its control system.” Edwin Peeters adds: “We replaced the old electric cylinder with a new one, along with a new controller for control via Ethernet/IP. We also considered IO-Link (for point-to-point connections with sensors, for example). In the future, I think we’ll adopt electric cylinders more quickly for certain applications. They’re slightly easier to control than pneumatic cylinders.”

That said, Peeters Robotic Solutions isn’t necessarily looking to shift from pneumatic to electric actuation across the board. “We always assess the application. For positioning, electric control via the bus is more convenient. For simple in/out movements, pneumatics works just fine. For example, that new valve terminal is super easy to use. Plug in one cable, and it’s operational. In the future, we might even expand it with a vacuum valve in the terminal.”

Products, Expertise, and Inventory Management

Currently, itsme supplies an increasing number of products, primarily from Festo and Phoenix Contact. “We regularly outsource tasks to partners,” explains Edwin Peeters. “They procure the components themselves.” This process will change as Peeters Robotic Solutions hires more staff. “We focus on our core strength: delivering comprehensive solutions with industrial robots and cobots for customers in domestic and international markets.”

According to Edwin Peeters, itsme’s added value as a technical service provider lies not only in supplying brands but also in expertise and inventory management. “They support us with technical knowledge on new projects, help identify the best solution within the budget, provide a sounding board, and come up with suggestions like the new valve terminal. We’ve also made arrangements with itsme regarding products with longer lead times, such as configured air preparation systems. They stock these for us, allowing quick access without the need for us to keep them in inventory. That’s incredibly convenient.”

"For new projects, itsme supports us with technical expertise."

Rademaker confirms Edwin Peeters’ perspective: “If they don’t have time to work something out during a project, we assist. And indeed, we stock certain products for them. If an item is nearing its end-of-life, we notify them immediately. The engineers at Peeters Robotic Solutions can then update their drawings if needed. Once they’re ready, they can order the new item from us.” Edwin Peeters appreciates this proactive approach. “They think ahead, so we don’t have to chase after things ourselves. If there are changes, they inform us early, which prevents last-minute surprises when placing orders. That communication is very helpful.”

Seamless Collaboration

Innovation is a common thread in their interactions, Edwin Peeters concludes. “We’re open to innovative solutions like IO-Link. A few months ago, we adopted it, and it’s now standard for us. We don’t need to lead the pack but certainly don’t want to fall behind. Everyone here is inventive, which is our strength, but always with the customer’s best interests in mind. Thanks to itsme’s expertise, we can bring innovation to the forefront for our customers. We’re a young company with a team that includes younger members building experience. This fosters short communication lines with itsme to quickly align and identify the best solutions. Additionally, ordering through their portal and connecting it to our ERP system has made everything much easier and more efficient. Our collaboration is seamless.”

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