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CONCRETE PRODUCTS & CAST STONE120 CPI %u2013 Concrete Plant International %u2013 1 | 2026 www.cpi-worldwide.comHistorical overview %u2013 MBI De SteenmeestersMBI was founded in 1945 by Anton van der Meijden and developed from a regional manufacturer into one of the leading producers of concrete products in the Netherlands. Over several decades, the company continuously expanded its product range and invested in new production technologies. The temporary minority shareholding by Holcim Beton between 2011 and 2017 further strengthened this development.The most recent major investment phase led to the shutdown of the Veghel site in 2023/2024 after more than half a century of production. This decision was part of a clear future strategy: focusing on modern plants, sustainable production, and flexible system architectures. Today, Aalst, Kampen, and Nieuw-Lekkerland form the three technologically advanced pillars of the company.Upgrades in Aalst and Kampen: Rekers as a driver of electrificationAalst siteIn Aalst, Rekers modernized the dry side of a system whose basic structure dates back to the early 1980s. As part of the electrification efforts, the outdated hydraulic product compactor and the hydraulic cuber were replaced with fully electric machines, including strong electric grabs. These components significantly reduce energy consumption while ensuring highly precise movements. For a plant with an exceptionally wide product variety%u2014sometimes requiring cubing across two or even three production boards%u2014this precision is essential.The modernization also included the complete integration of the existing conveyor technology into a new centralized control system, enabling more efficient, reproducible, and energy-optimized processes. The entire electrical system and sensor technology were replaced, and only frequency-controlled drives were installed. In parallel, REKERS renewed all safety technology, creating a working environment that meets the highest safety standards without limiting flexibility in daily operation.One of the biggest challenges in Aalst was the extreme variety of products. The plant manufactures everything from single special curb stones on a production board to fully loaded production boards where every position is filled. This variability has a direct impact on cubing. In the product compactor, products from up to two pallets are sometimes pushed together, only to be separated again immediately afterward, as each board must be strapped individually%u2014while two or even three pallets are later cubed together.This constant moving together and apart of products within the line is fundamentally manageable via chain conveyors, but only if every product type is precisely configured in the control system. The interaction of so many variants creates enormous complexity.Cubing multiple boards simultaneously is especially demanding. Unlike a standard sliding table, the products are pushed across two or three steel pallets with millimeter precision so that they arrive exactly beneath the cubing point. This requires a highly dynamic and absolutely reliable control system capable of coordinating positions and motion sequences with utmost accuracy.New fully electrical high speed cuber on existing portal frameFully electrical cuber grab