Tate & Lyle

Targeted solutions for complex needs.

Tate & Lyle is a leading starch manufacturer serving a wide range of industries. Maintaining and optimizing clean working conditions is an ongoing priority. When this global player expanded its production site in Koog aan de Zaan and required improved dust extraction, Kiekens was brought on board.

Project manager Maarten de Jong explains: “Our operations team wanted a dry-cleaning solution. 'Dry' means without water, and that inevitably involves dust. Kiekens was already doing a lot for us in terms of dust extraction, so the choice was obvious.”

Kiekens assessed the on-site situation and delivered two vacuum systems fully customized to Tate & Lyle’s specific requirements. Dust control was further enhanced with two 4-meter-wide extraction hoods to prevent dust dispersion. These large stainless steel hoods were designed to ensure visibility beneath them, allowing operators to see exactly what’s happening.

The hoods were connected to an existing Kiekens extraction system installed in 2015. In addition, various high-vacuum cleaning points were connected to a new central vacuum system: a Kiekens Dustmaster DM8000 Atex. A second Kiekens KV vacuum unit was installed in another department, also Atex-certified.

Maarten is very pleased with the outcome: “First of all, the new hoods needed to align precisely with the extraction points. Also, the system had to account for the unique properties of starch. It’s a tricky material — it can get sticky and puts a lot of pressure on the filters. But once I passed those challenges on to Kiekens, I didn’t have to worry about them anymore.”

Flexible and involved

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The long-standing partnership between Kiekens and Tate & Lyle was once again defined by flexibility and dedication. Maarten continues: “When we experienced unexpected delays, Kiekens stored the equipment for us and adjusted to our planning. Their customer care really stands out. You could also see their proactive thinking at other moments — for example, they already factored in future system expansions during the design phase. And they made sure multiple operators could use the system at the same time, without any drop in performance.”

About the collaboration

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The cooperation between the two companies continues to be a natural fit:
“Kiekens has been our go-to partner for dust extraction for years. Their dedication and flexibility make it an easy decision to keep working with them. My contact person, Albert Dorenbos, is great to work with. He takes time to really understand our needs and translates that into smart, practical proposals. Plus, we get along well — it makes picking up the phone and reaching out a no-brainer.”

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