INSIGHT
WHERE ADVENTURE MEETS TECHNOLOGY
From West Flanders to Slovakia, from the Tour of Burkina Faso to a high-tech project for Boeing in Japan: Bram Delie (38) isn’t afraid to push boundaries and follow his passions.
Deep dive into technology
“In my job, you have to stay calm and work step by step. Read the plan carefully. That way, you work efficiently and keep everything under control,” says Bram.
He’s talking about his job as an electrical start-up technician that he started at LVD 17 years ago. He quickly mastered the press brakes.
“I worked intensively with the ToolCell – a press brake with an automatic tool changer. Because I could calibrate the machine smoothly, I regularly assisted customers with start-up.”
At Kawasaki with LVD colleagues Philip Soubry and Dries Carton
L’Afrique, c’est chic
When he starts talking about cycling, Bram’s eyes light up.
“As a kid, I once saw a documentary about the Tour of Burkina Faso. From that moment on, I dreamed of riding it myself.”
He did more than dream. Between the ages of 12 and 30, Bram competed in official UCI races (Union Cycliste Internationale, the international cycling federation) across Africa: the Tours of Senegal, Burkina Faso, Congo and Rwanda. “Africa has always drawn me in. Things can get chaotic, but in the end everything always works out. That’s where I learned to stay calm. What’s more, I don’t mind the heat,” he chuckles.
During a holiday in Senegal – this time without his bicycle – he met Sena, his future wife. Five years later Sena joined him in Belgium. A year later, their daughter Haddy was born.
Synchro-Form press brake for Kawasaki Japan
Top machine in Japan
Whether it’s cycling or high-tech, challenge seems to be Bram’s natural habitat. In 2018 he joined an exceptional project for Kawasaki Heavy Industries: a press brake with 1,000 ton pressing force and 10 m working length used to bend fuselage panels for the Boeing 777X.
The figures are staggering: 24 pneumatic supports, 254 axes and motors, 210 of which shape the aircraft walls into their precise, varying radii. Thanks to LVD’s innovation, Kawasaki tripled its efficiency.
Bram handled the electrical start-up, input/output configuration and calibration of the machine. He flew with the LVD team to Japan for the final installation. “A fantastic project I’ll never forget,” he says proudly. “It taught me a lot about precision, teamwork and cultural differences.”
“I love learning new things. When an opportunity comes along, I grab it.”
Between two worlds
Around the same time, LVD offered Bram a new challenge: providing technical support to the start-up team at LVD S3, the production site in Slovakia. “I wasn’t keen on relocating full-time,” he admits. “But when I could combine it with part-time work in Belgium, I went for it.”
Now he splits his time between both countries. In Slovakia, he oversees the on-time delivery of press brakes and subassemblies to Belgium, manages planning, and tests new applications. “For example, I expanded and programmed a test setup for backgauges. We can now also test subassemblies – from robot grippers to re-gripping stations – in a much more user-friendly way. I love projects like that.”
Bram often trades the factory floor for the open road. He cycles through the countryside, into the mountains or across the border into Hungary – often alongside Gino Uzeel, Director of LVD S3 and a fellow cycling enthusiast.
Every two to three weeks, he returns home in Belgium – enjoying time with his family, and a warm reunion with his LVD colleagues. “I usually bring a list of questions from Slovakia for engineering,” he laughs. “And in Belgium, I keep busy too – programming configurations for special machine options, like heavy tool changers. I just enjoy it, and they know that.”
Unstoppable drive
Beneath Bram’s calm exterior lies an unstoppable drive. “I love learning new things. When an opportunity comes along, I grab it,” he says.
“This summer, I was involved in the assembly and commissioning of the first laser cutting machine produced at LVD’s new facility in India. When the machine runs perfectly, that’s pure satisfaction.”For Bram Delie, technology isn’t just a job – it’s an adventure, a challenge, and a true passion.
Stefanie Vandemoortele, LVD Company
