Discover Benelux | Dutch Design | Made in the Netherlands
Crockery holders for which no sea is too rough TEXT: MYRIAM GWYNNED DIJCK | PHOTOS: SCHUERMAN SEA FASTENING
While sailing the high seas it is important that everything on board is safely secured. This is especially true for breakable items, such as glassware and crockery. Schuerman Sea Fastening specialises in securing these inside luxury yachts, allowing them to be put safely on display in acrylate holders. Schuerman Sea Fastening creates bespoke crockery fittings that are both safe, beautiful and practical. “Crockery is valuable, especially the sets used on board high-end yachts. It is a shame if they get damaged,” says Mandy Schuerman. As a management assistant she works together with her husband Rob, who founded the firm 15 years ago as a daughter company of Schuerman Plastics Processing. The custom-made fittings are constructed from clear acrylate lasercut plates and rods to fit a variety of pieces. “We 3D scan 34 | Issue 48 | December 2017
every different piece of crockery, glassware and cutlery. This can be up to 1,000 items, and each gets its own designated spot,” Mandy continues. Acrylate is a type of strong, high-quality plexiglass that is lightweight and less breakable than normal glass. Rob Schuerman says: “It is a beautiful material. Being a thermoplastic, it becomes malleable when heated and solidifies when it cools down. This way, we can bend and mould it in many ways.” Working closely with the yacht’s interior designer, the team produces the fittings in their state-of-the-art factory in Wouw, in the south of the Netherlands, before they personally install them on board. “We have several high-tech machines, including a laser cutter and a five-axis milling machine,” says Mandy. “We do the whole process ourselves to ensure quality.”
With a small team of eight core members, Schuerman Sea Fastening has a personal approach to each project and a track record of successfully completing them to strict deadlines. “We don’t like to say no to a job,” Mandy smiles. Schuerman Sea Fastening is part of Schuerman Plastics Processing which specialises in bending plastic sheeting into custom shapes for a wide range of industries. The family company was founded in 1965, and has top-of-the-range machinery to mould, cut, glue, polish and engrave plastics. Their applications range from display cabinets and outdoor light signs to construction components and safety encasings for machinery. They cater to both small, private clients as well as multinational corporations. www.schuerman.nl
Web: www.seafastening.com