History of the development of our NWU ‘Non-Woven Unwind’
It was in 1998 as we were requested to design and manufacture an Unwind System, motor-driven , high speed and constant web-tension for a major US Multinational. In the Tobacco Industry we were used to deal with large-sized companies, but this was different. Also in the approach of the project.
Me as owner and with a strong believe in this project and the capabilities of our team flew many times to the US, sometimes for only a punctual kept 30 minutes meeting. Flying back home with the same crew and same comfortable KLM plane. Ridiculous I would say now; but as young as I was, I did it and after one of the final meetings we came to an agreement in which we were invited to build a prototype.
To design and built the prototype, and as enthusiastic as we were, took us two weeks. After the two weeks we shipped it by airfreight to its destination. Of course we wanted to assist and help the customer with the installment, but wasn’t accepted. The process was of that high confidentiality that we could only walk through the plant with our face facing the wall; sideways so to say.
During our stay we’ve noticed that we were in strong competition with local companies. After the evaluation we entered in the negotiation phase and WON. We received an PO for 154 Units, to be send over to the US in weekly shipments of 24 units; put in containers, airfreighted and JIT planned and facilitated with the help of Ziegler.
While being now in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, we were thinking as so many other do of how can we help the society, the global society and contribute to a more sustainable world. As we don’t believe ‘anymore’ to IP-properties, Patents-and Assets in a possessive way, we more and more started to believe in ‘equality’ and that technology should be available to any person and/or company in the world. Allowing people to use this technology and to share, allowing to manufacture, improve, customize in their own local economy. As each economy has its own heroes and we’re just here to facilitate, to help.
So please feel free to download the Information related to this Technology, if you have any questions or need any assistance, please drop us an email or give us a call.
One of the reason that we started to share technology, this technology of an Unwind for dispensing from a large reel of Non-Woven, used in Mouth Caps, at high speed and precise web-tension. Although it’s only a part of the process, there might be someone in the world we favor. The reason of our sharing.
A small introduction towards are new way of thinking and Market-Approach
Companies are used to keeping and protecting (product) knowledge for themselves, whether or not supported by patents. The process proceeds via the well-known S-curve. A company should have at least three horizons in such. Marketing ensures that demand is created. It decreases when demand is reduced…..(old school thinking) while there may be sufficient (international) demand for it, but perhaps not in the target group the company has or had targeted.
Most likely, a product contributes 80% to the needs of a new target group that still needs to “model” it for 20% to match its own needs. Gains are made on innovation if one wants to go through a development process faster. People (re) use other people’s knowledge.
Meaning that (product) knowledge must be available and findable, so that supply and demand can find each other in a “different jacket”. (Re) distribution of knowledge, sustainable knowledge, supported by system thinking (Kate Raworth, chapter 4) (Jaap Schaveling: Systeem Denken, 2012), whereby balanced thinking is abandoned and system thinking finds its entrance.
Knowledge must be findable, in such our intention is to developed a platform. A new business model has come up to us, serving supply and demand. One can link products, including projects, but also knowledge and skills of individuals. Let self-organization take place and simulate equality.
Better equality reduces environmental degradation. A business model which we will call Pica Blueprints. Should you be interested, prefer to be updated from time to time or are you in a position to contribute, please feel free to drop us an email at info@pica-ic.eu