Date: 5 May 2026
The collaboration between ATB Automation and the world’s leading boiling water tap manufacturer goes back over a decade. Over the years, several machines have been developed in which ATB played a key role, including the complete project for the production line of the 3L tanks.
In the meantime, development has certainly not stood still.
A goog moment to catch up with Ezra Trouwborst, mechatronics engineer at Quooker.
Ezra works in the Industrial Automation department. This team is part of the engineering department, which designs and builds machines.
“We focus on the electrical side and the control of machines,” he explains. “Simply put: Mechanical Engineering designs the machines, we make sure they actually do something.”
Ezra started at Quooker in 2022 with a graduation internship in Mechatronics. His assignment: to develop a prototype for a machine that performs electrical tests on the ‘Flex’ boiling water tap.
“I really had to come up with something from scratch,” he says. “From selecting components to drawing everything out. In short, everything needed to build a prototype.”
For the required motion control components, he contacted ATB Automation, which had already been a trusted supplier of Quooker for many years.
“The challenge was finding components that met my requirements. What made it even more difficult was that, due to COVID, there were shortages of parts everywhere. This put pressure on the project deadline,” Ezra explains.
“I then spoke with Martin van der Steenhoven from ATB to see what was possible. In the end, we chose a smaller servo motor that was available from stock and had the perfect specifications.”
This is a typical example of the strong collaboration. By involving the experts from ATB Automation at an early stage in the design process, the right solution is found together for unique applications.
And unique they certainly are: Quooker’s production machines are all one-offs, specifically designed to meet the needs of the production process. A large part of these machines is built in-house.
Ezra: “We design the machines, build and test them, and then they are running here in the factory. You immediately see the results in practice. And if something needs adjustment, that’s possible too. It’s a process where I’m continuously involved as an engineer, and that’s what makes it so challenging.”
One of the machines in Quooker’s production where ATB Automation supplies components
One such one-off machine using ATB components is what Ezra calls the “Tube Forming Machine.” This application shapes an aluminium tube, which is later placed in the boiler during production. The machine is equipped with components from brands such as Stöber, Exlar, IAI, HSB and Trio.
Ezra explains how the application works:
“An IAI pick-and-place module picks up a plate and places it into the machine, where it enters the processing stage.
Various HSB gantries transport the aluminium tube through the machine, and the tube is clamped using an Exlar actuator. For the welding process, the welding torch is mounted on a linear module from HSB and Stöber.
Because multiple axes move simultaneously within each other’s range, these movements must be controlled with high precision. This is done using Trio controllers. That high level of precision is exactly what makes this machine so special.”
Some machines are built by external manufacturers but still include ATB Automation components.
“We specify that our manufacturers must use those components,” Ezra explains.
An example is the “Cap Welding Test Machine,” which presses a cap into a sensor tube.
Ezra: “The tube is picked up by an IAI gantry and placed in a welding position. A Stöber motor then spins it at high speed, while another Stöber motor with a laser welds the tube shut. A gantry picks up the tube, places it on a conveyor, and tests whether it is leak-tight.”
In addition to supplying components, ATB’s support is also essential—especially when configuring components that Quooker engineers do not work with on a daily basis, or in case of malfunctions.
In such cases, the specialists from ATB are called in, such as service engineer René Rauw.
Ezra: “I call René, who remotely monitors what’s happening in the machine. He goes through everything step by step with me, and together we reach a diagnosis. That’s very helpful and minimizes downtime.”
In short, ATB supports all phases of machine building: from initial component selection and implementation to support during operation.
Ezra concludes:
“We can do a lot ourselves within our engineering department. But it’s great that we can rely on ATB Automation’s expertise for specialized components.”
Ezra Trouwborst, mechatronics engineer at Quooker, with the Cap Welding Test Machine in the background
We supply slewing ring bearings, oscillating mountings, tensioner devices from stock and we also have spiral bevel gearboxes, servo gears and electromechanical actuators in our delivery program.
In addition we also select and offer the right components and systems for motion control solutions, such as servo gear motors, linear servo actuators and complete XYZ cartesian systems.
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