WAAK & Smappee: From sheet metal to EV charging station

Smappee, an innovative cleantech company, is joining forces with WAAK, a social enterprise specialising in delivering full-service metal working and assembly solutions. While Smappee focuses on designing and marketing high-quality, smart charging solutions, WAAK supports the production process. With a shared commitment to quality, efficiency and social employment, the two companies are working toward a sustainable future.

Smappee's EV charging stations

Smappee, based in Harelbeke (Belgium), is a cleantech company that develops smart energy and charging solutions for businesses and the residential market, such as energy monitoring modules and EV charging stations. Four years ago, Smappee was one of the first companies in Belgium to launch a smart charging station, the EV Base. This ground-mounted charger is capable of charging two vehicles simultaneously, which makes it ideal for businesses. The EV Base was an immediate success, marking the beginning of Smappee’s growth story. This success enabled the company to develop additional models: the EV Wall, EV Ultra and EV One. The first two models are designed to charge one electric vehicle at a time and are mainly of interest to the residential market. The EV Ultra is a fast charger and focusses on the industry.

WAAK Metal Assembly and Smappee, moving forward together

Smappee primarily concentrates on the development, design and marketing of its charging stations. However, due to limited in-house production capacity, the company outsources its manufacturing. 

WAAK has a dedicated metal assembly department, employing over 200 people.  From the outset, WAAK Metal Assembly has supported the development of Smappee’s production activities. Drawing on its extensive experience in production processes and co-engineering, the department had the necessary technical expertise to support the project from day one.

Markus Hormann, Chief Operations Officer at Smappee, explains why they decided to partner with WAAK four years ago: “We had a clear vision, but in terms of production, our EV charging stations were still in their infancy. During this crucial phase, WAAK stepped in as a flexible partner, bringing both the necessary production capacity and technical expertise to help bring our vision to life.”

From sheet metal to charging station - a full service approach

WAAK Metal Assembly is committed to delivering end-to-end solutions for its customers. For many clients, WAAK handles both the metalworking and the (final) assembly, relieving them of the operational burden. Smappee also makes use of this service. WAAK is responsible for both the metalworking and final assembly of Smappee’s EV Line. 

Jürgen Baert, Unit Director of WAAK Metal Assembly, describes the process: “The production process starts with a CAD drawing provided by Smappee. Our co-engineering team reviews the design to identify any possible optimisations in terms of quality or production efficiency. Once we receive the order from Smappee, we start production. The charging station components are laser-cut, folded, and inserted. The components are then powder coated.

Next comes the assembly phase, where all parts are put together into a complete EV charging unit. The electrical components are installed and connected. Finally, we carry out a quality test and use specialised control software to conduct electronic testing. The finished charging stations are packed and stored in our warehouse until they are shipped to Smappee. From metal working to final delivery, our employees are involved at every step of the production process of Smappee’s charging stations.” For our employees, a Smappee charging station represents a full A-to-Z story. From metal working to final delivery, they are involved at every step in the process.

WAAK's rigorous quality control for Smappee's EV charging stations

Smappee’s charging stations are complex, critical products. To ensure they can be produced by WAAK’s employees (people who have difficulties accessing the labour market due to a physical or mental disability) with guaranteed quality at every stage, a comprehensive quality control system has been implemented. Philip De Buyck, Product Developer at WAAK Metal Assembly, explains: “We perform quality tests at each stage of the production process. They are recorded and meticulously monitored. We also provide tools such as weighing scales and camera monitoring systems. These systems help eliminate human errors in the production flow. If one or more errors are detected, the control system alerts the operator, and makes sure that he can’t continue working until the issue is resolved. In this way, we can consistently deliver products that meet the client’s quality standards.” This level of control provides trust and peace of mind, adds Markus Hormann: “WAAK, by systematically verifying each aspect of the production process, not only enables this production through social employment but also improves the overall product quality – which is crucial for Smappee.”

Engaging in sustainable, socially relevant partnerships

Smappee strongly believes in the capabilities of WAAK and its employees. The company also contributed by supplying the systems that are used for the electronic testing. They developed software that allows WAAK’s employees to test whether a charging station is functioning correctly. Lies Depraetere, Team Leader at WAAK Metal Assembly, explains why this was a necessity: “Testing is a challenge for our employees. If the test software displays an error code, they need to identify the underlying issue and know how to fix it. That’s not always easy, but it works – and that’s largely thanks to Smappee’s software.” As a social enterprise, we are extremely pleased to have a partner like Smappee, who believes in our approach and is willing to contribute to our mission of creating adapted employment for people who have difficulties accessing the labour market. In doing so, they create employment and strongly contribute to the social economy. Smappee’s commitment is clear, as Markus Hormann explains: “Sustainability has always been a part of Smappee’s DNA. Our collaboration with WAAK aligns seamlessly with our commitment to promoting sustainability and engaging in socially relevant, local partnerships. Our partnership with WAAK exemplifies our dedication to that mission.”