We had a pleasant conversation with Mr. Samet Genç, Atılım Makina Design and
Project Responsible, about Atılım Makina’s turnkey projects, export activities and
R&D studies.
Could you please tell our readers about yourself and your professional background?
Hello, first of all, I would like to thank the editors of Chem Media for this interview. In 2002-2006, I met design in the field of plastic technology at PAGEV Anatolian Vocational High School.
In the following years, I completed my education by graduating from Ege University Plastic Technology and then Anadolu University Business Department. After working in a few different companies, mainly in the plastic injection mold sector, I switched to the machinery and chemical industry sector with Atılım Makina in 2015.
As a Design and Project Responsible for seven years, I carried out many machines, process designs and factory installations. I had the opportunity to work with the leading companies of the sector at home and abroad.
Designing the facilities we have established in many countries and taking an active role in their installation has added very important experiences to my professional life and provided me with the opportunity to meet valuable people who shape the sector.
Could you please give information about the establishment process of Atılım Makina and the stages it has gone through until today?
Since 1986, our company has undertaken the construction of all kinds of processes, turnkey facilities, steel construction, standard and special manufacturing machines required by the chemical and paint industry.
We are one of the oldest companies in the sector, we have been working with 70% export weight in the last 10 years, we have been serving in many countries of the world, especially in the Middle East and African countries.
We are aware that experience and education together produce excellent results. We achieve excellent results with our experienced technical staff and our workmans who have been working with us for more than 30 years since our establishment.
In this challenging process that we started many years ago, we are doing projects in many countries of the world with our work on design-oriented technology.
What are the main sectors and product groups that you serve as Atılım Makina?
We are adding new members to the chemical and paint sector by establishing turkey production facilities. In this process, we take all responsibility from machine production to facility setup, first product production and personnel training.
We have the process knowhow and technology of plasticizer facilities, polyester facilities, P.V.A facilities, stren acrylic facilities, alkyd resin facilities, formaldehyde facilities, bio diesel facilities, thinner facilities, varnish facilities, water and solvent based paint facilities, ink facilities, holtmelt facilities.
In addition, we can establish all kinds of chemical plants with our new R&D activities and incoming customer process information. We are making machinery production and mechanical solution partnerships to mega companies in the chemical and paint sector in many countries of the world, mainly in Turkey.
Reactors, mixers, basket mills, stock tanks, heat exchangers, decanters, bunkers, filters, columns and washing systems are the main productions we have made.
Could you please you convey your export activities? What kind of products do you mainly sell to which regions abroad?
We are working with 80% export weight. In general, we carry out the installation of “Turkey Chemical Plant”, besides, paint machines and process equipment are also available in our exports. When it comes to turkey, we carry out the whole process from all Pronecessary equipment, lines, automation and software systems, to the first production and personnel training.
In short, we are carrying out the whole process that takes the project from construction and turns it into a manufacturing factory. Due to its proximity to chemical raw materials, we mainly export to Middle East countries.
Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Iraq, Syria; It is the Middle East countries to which we have generally exported facilities and machinery.
In addition, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary are among the European countries where we have established facilities in recent years. We also export facilities and machinery to countries with different markets such as Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine and Bangladesh.
Could you please tell us about your R&D activities? How do you evaluate the contributions of university and industry cooperation in the field of R&D?
Our work continues to establish an R&D center within our company. On the other hand, we are the only company in the sector that has settlements and pilot facilities in two different universities in Turkey.
We have a pilot facility and laboratory in our campus in Gebze Technical University, where we have been carrying out R&D activities for many years, and we can also use the university’s own laboratories.
We have R&D studies on chemical processes that we have been carrying out for many years with the support of our professors at the University. The new generation DOTP production process supported by TÜBİTAK is one of the fruits of these studies.
In addition, joint R&D studies with Istanbul Technical University recently we are building and we have a pilot facility there.
Have you produced an innovative and innovative machine that you have recently presented to the sector?
For many years we have produced many innovative processes and machines that have contributed to the sector. I would like to mention three of study that are important.
First of all, I want to talk about; R&D study on “Development of Oil Based Polyester Polyol Production Process”. Polyesters and polyols are the basic plastics used in textile, packaging, plastics, construction, automotive, electronics, etc. industries today.
The polyester-polyol formula to be developed within the scope of the project improves the production of polyurethane foams used in the construction and insulation industry. Within the scope of the project, we aim to develop a production process that will add value to the PU product.
After the polyester-polyol polymerization reaction is completed, before it is converted into a polyol mixture, it provides a homogeneous mixture by loading “Vegetable Oil” under optimum process conditions (temperature - mixing speed) and at the rate determined in the laboratory.
It provides improvement in material properties that are important for the sector, such as mixture homogenization, non-flammability class, adhesion to metals, trimer structural strength, and dimensional stability.
With these developments, we aim to increase the competitive power of the end user on a global basis, thanks to the superior quality properties of the vegetable oilbased polyester polyol product, which is demanded on a national basis.
Secondly, it is the machine that we have built in the past years, but which I think is very important in terms of both the environment and worker’s health, which is a happy project for a nature lover like me.
Mobil Vessel Washing Machine; Although the vessel washing machine is demanded and designed to reduce labor, time and cost losses, it has a very important place for employee health and environmental pollution.
The best thing to do for environmental pollution in the chemical and paint industry is to remove as little waste as possible and recycle them. Boiler washing machines are also a system that does these two things together in its field.
Mobil Vessel in different sizes and capacities are used in many companies producing in the fields of Paint, Food, Glue, etc. As with many equipment in this sector, equipment needs to be cleaned in product changes. Solvent-based dissolving agent are used to dissolve and clean some chemicals.
The cleaning of the portable ship is usually done by the hand of the worker. Here the solvent is used once and the worker has to constantly breathe the solvent and be in contact with it.
The vessel machine, developed by utilizing TÜBİTAK R&D support, closes the boilers of different diameters and lengths, minimizing dissolving and reviewing in a short time, while at the same time it allows to be designed by separating and recovering the solvent.
Finally, I would like to talk about a chemical process we have developed, which has made our name very popular in the industry; DOTP (Dioctyl Terephthalate) Production Process. DOTP; It is a non-phthalate (plasticizer) organic compound that is a diester of terephthalic acid and branched-chain 2-ethylhexanol.
It is a product that is expected to be banned in Europe and banned in other countries in recent years, on the grounds that the chemical substance DOP has carcinogenic effects. DOTP is a type of plasticizer that has been produced as an alternative to this product in recent years.
And a direct replacement for DEHP and DINP in many applications… As a result of our many years of experience and trials, we have succeeded in reducing energy and labor costs by 75% compared to conventional production methods and reducing the production time of 18 hours to 8 hours.
Could you please talk about your quality policy? What are the main points you pay attention to in order to better serve your customers?
We make special production machines and processes on order. Since we do not have mass production studies, we first analyze customer demands. Do their demands really meet their needs? Are there any more suitable solutions we can suggest? What will be the profitability of the project to be made, what is the breakeven point? We start by looking for answers to all these questions, and many of our customers usually want the result of the work, and leave the solutions to us.
If their demands are wrong or insufficient, or if we have a better solution, we direct them in that direction. Our job is to produce mechanical and physical solutions, so first of all we want to learn the result our customers want to get or the problem they want to solve.
After the appropriate solution is found, the required Quality Standards, ISO and CE certificates are the standard certificates of our company and our products, in addition, we can also issue certificates such as ASME, ATEX, API650 or Domestic Goods certificate when requested.
What are your goals for the coming years?
We are moving forward under 3 main headings to create our future; R&D, quality and process development. Every year, we are doing bigger projects. We want to undertake mega projects and mega investments in the future.
By developing more environmentally friendly chemical materials and production processes, especially products that are not produced in our country; ensuring profitable and long-term sustainable growth is among our main goals.
