Engine door for manure injection machine

Vervaet is a Dutch producer of machinery for the agricultural sector. Examples include beetroot and self-propelled mast trucks. Prior to the development of their new manure injection machine, Vervaet was looking for a robust cover for the engine compartment. Because the machine operates on rough terrain, it is important that the cover can withstand a knock, while still being aligned with the high-end design. The use of plastic was considered briefly, but it was quickly concluded that this material type could not meet all the criteria.

It quickly became clear that the cover needed to be made of steel. Primarily due to the ‘rugged’ character required. A plastic component would be far too fragile. The next challenge: the initial drawings of the part showed that it was too large for rubber pad forming. Fortunately, our engineers love a challenge. Because how could we make this product manufacturable and still maintain its high-end look? The answer followed quickly: working with a joggle (staggering in one of the parts), so that we get a nice connection between the two parts. The product can then be glued to eventually turn it into a single unit.

A robust protection cover was manufactured for the engine compartment, including a high-end appearance. And that high-end look didn’t go unnoticed; the Quad 550 won a G100-award, as one of the 100 best-designed products of 2022 with Dutch roots. Secondary benefit: using the rubber pad forming technique also saved costs as additional finishing was eliminated.