Sustainable Cooling Solution for Bicycle Accessories Production
At Widek, we recently inaugurated a new and larger factory building, where LUTEC provided a comprehensive HVAC solution for our CNC production area.
As a leading manufacturer in the bicycle industry, we take pride in producing over 90% of our products in-house in the Netherlands. In addition to bicycle bells, we manufacture children's seats, luggage straps, and handlebars using advanced injection molding techniques.
LUTEC ensured an HVAC total solution, including a sustainable cooling system that enhances the efficiency of our injection molding process. This expansion has allowed us to increase our capacity to 17 injection molding machines, with room for further growth.
Sustainability is a core value at Widek, and we dedicated significant attention to sustainability aspects during the construction of our new factory building.
"We consider sustainability a shared responsibility," says Wim de Kwant, from Widek. "With a focus on the future, especially for our children, we have been committed to sustainability for over eleven years. We generate approximately 25% of our electricity needs through our own renewable sources, making us fully self-sufficient on sunny days. Additionally, waste reduction and heat recovery are inherent practices for us."
With a workforce of over 50 employees, we encourage them to commute by bicycle whenever possible. Providing a comfortable and clean indoor climate is also a top priority for us, as the well-being of our employees is of great importance.
To achieve a pleasant indoor climate in our factory building, we employ displacement ventilation. This ventilation system effectively removes pollutants while providing cooling. At Widek, this solution is necessary approximately 80% to 90% of the time.
"We chose LUTEC for their excellent technical solution," continues Wim de Kwant. "Their design seamlessly aligned with our requirements and the realization of our end product. While this may seem obvious, we learned during the construction process that it is not always the case. With LUTEC, it was."
Our comprehensive concept encompasses ventilation, heating, filtration, and adiabatic cooling based on displacement ventilation, ensuring an optimal working environment. Through a combination of free-cooling and adiabatic cooling, we can maintain a pleasant indoor temperature even during hot weather conditions.
Adiabatic cooling serves as a sustainable and efficient alternative to mechanical cooling, particularly in industrial spaces. It utilizes evaporation to extract energy from the air and cool it, with minimal water requirements. This system creates a healthy and clean work environment, while the displacement ventilation introduces cooled air at ground level.
We are extremely satisfied with the climate installation that was installed a few months ago. The indoor temperature remains stable around 21°C, and we highly value the quality and craftsmanship delivered by the LUTEC team.
At Widek, we are committed to sustainability and providing an optimal work environment while manufacturing high-quality bicycle accessories.
