Answering your questions about the MAKEEN Product Programme

With the release of our next generation of LPG filling technology, it is only natural that we have faced a lot of questions and curiosity from our customers. That is why we gathered some of the people who have been most involved in its development and release to answer some of the most common queries we have received. Meet Bent, Olivier, and Laurent.

Bent: We can guarantee a higher OEE score (Overall Equipment Efficiency – ed.) with these products. That means better uptime of your production, higher output, and more precisely filled cylinders.  

Laurent: And I would add that these machines are easier to maintain, as well as requiring less maintenance overall. That contributes to what Bent said about the higher OEE. And, of course, even higher levels of safety.

Olivier: The new control unit, the MUC, is one of the great innovations. It is generally more robust and ergonomic, but more importantly, it is made up of a very powerful microprocessor which provides lots of new features, great hardware and software adaptability, and a long lifespan for our customers. We are going for durability between 10 and 20 years. Energy efficiency has also been improved.

Bent: And we have put a lot more emphasis on developing this equipment with data collection in mind. That allows for a new level of control and analysis that allows a customer to continuously monitor and optimise their operation.

Laurent: We have also made a series of other technical improvements, such as a new and more accurate digital load cell, guaranteed OEM spare parts replacement, IECEx and UKEx certification, and a modular and versatile design that makes it easier to respond quickly to what our customers need. There’s too much for us to go into detail here, but our team has made a lot of positive innovations with this product program.

Bent: Yes, and that was one of our highest priorities when we developed this product line. We have made sure that we did not reduce the number of functions or features that our customers have been used to. So, you can find all the same types of machines with the same functions. Only now, they perform even better.

Oliver: We will phase them out eventually, but not any time soon. What I can say is that we are not developing the Kosan Crisplant (KC) and Siraga (SI) products further. Our focus for future optimisation and research and development will be on the MAKEEN product program. A bit like what we did with the CIR-II leak detector heads 3 years back, we replaced the KC and Siraga with this one and we have only had good feedback from our customers: the technology is evolving. You will still be able to request a KC or SI machine for the foreseeable future, if you prefer. But we must warn about the lifespan of some components.

Bent: Definitely. MAKEEN Energy has a 10-year guarantee for spare parts and maintenance, so for at least the next decade, you can count on us to support your KC and SI machines. If a customer already has a large carrousel system from KC or SI, and they want to expand it a bit, it may be beneficial for them to continue with their existing type of equipment. And it is in our interest to keep our customers’ lines running for many years to come.

Bent: It was a logical next step for us, based on our past successes and experience, to offer a single range of products that combined the best qualities of what we had before. It’s not optimal to continue to sell, develop, and maintain two product ranges that are so similar – it takes resources that could be put to better use. So, consolidating them makes it easier for us, and that transfers to making things easier for our customers, since we can develop, manufacture, and optimise our products faster. It allows us to deliver products faster, provide timely service, and maintain the highest quality.

Olivier: The MPP is more cost-effective. What I mean by that is that because it is more efficient, requires less maintenance, and so on, you save money in the long run. In addition, thanks to the modular design, there are fewer overall spare parts, so the MPP comes with fewer parts expenses. And by maintaining a higher OEE, meaning a high-uptime and high-production operation, your profit margins should naturally increase.

Bent: In one word, optimisation. As I said earlier, we have now dedicated all our research and development resources toward the MAKEEN Energy product line, and the priority right now is to gather as much data as possible to look at what we can improve to make the experience as good as possible for our customers. The connectivity of the product line, with the MAKEEN Gateway and all the enormous amounts of data we can collect, will be the key to how we optimise these products in the future.