Precision work from a single pair of hands

“What I like most of all is the precision work aspect”, says Adriano Pirisi, Head of Steamer Production for V-ZUG. We are standing in the new assembly area for a V-ZUG innovation – the CombiSteamer V6000 45M PowerSteam. In a U-shaped line, the innovative appliance is assembled here with high-precision workmanship and dozens of coordinated processes. Unlike the conventional steamers, for which various employees on a production line execute individual process steps one after another, here everything from the chromium steel muffle unit to the front panel lies in a single pair of hands. This is because the design of these most recent appliances is complex and includes many high-tech components. Consequently, special skills are needed to assemble them, says Pirisi.

These skills are brought to the table by V-ZUG employee Stefan Budak. As one of three qualified technicians, he is proficient in all the steps required to assemble the components that make this innovative V-ZUG product so unique. The CombiSteamer V6000 45M PowerSteam can bake, steam and also has a built-in microwave function. To be able to install all the necessary parts properly requires not only knowledge and experience, but also talent. Stefan Budak has been working for V-ZUG for over three years. “What I like at V-ZUG is the variety and the teamwork”, he explains. He adds: “The fact that here, with the PowerSteam, I can assemble an appliance from start to finish myself gives me a great deal of satisfaction, because then I see the end result straight away.” Budak has been working in V-ZUG’s steamer assembly area for quite some time already. The know-how and the manual skills he has thus accrued are things that he can naturally put to use in assembling the CombiSteamer V6000 45M PowerSteam. “All employees working here on the new appliance have come from the Steamer area”, explains Adriano Pirisi. They too can have a say in how the work process is organized. On this note, Pirisi says: “It is important to us that the employees feel comfortable.” And that is also how the U-shaped operations layout came about: at the beginning is the virtually bare muffle unit, at the end the gleaming, ready-to-use Excellence Line appliance. Once he is finished, Budak delivers the PowerSteam to the testing area. There, in a separate safety area, the appliances are thoroughly tested once again before they are packed and stored – on their way to kitchens to delight cooks and save time on cooking.

As the CombiSteamer V6000 45M PowerSteam is new, Adriano Pirisi, as Head of Steamer Production, is still in regular contact with the in-house development department. “The teamwork is exciting and varied”, he says. He likes the fact that he and his team can provide their own input too. In turn, with the lab regularly putting the cooking characteristics of the PowerSteam to the test, from time to time the employees get something good to eat. “Apple tart, for example”, says Pirisi. This recipe is a particularly good acid test for appliances, as with apple tart – based on how well it browns – you can get a good idea of how even the heat distribution in the oven is. One innovation being used in the CombiSteamer V6000 45M PowerSteam is the inverter technology for the microwave operation. What is so groundbreaking about it? Unlike conventional microwave ovens, which output their power in pulses, the inverter microwave in the PowerSteam outputs the required power constantly. This makes it possible to heat up food in a precise, even way that retains vitamins and avoids local overheating. Sensitive foods such as chocolate and butter can be gently melted.

The inverter technology and associated improved energy distribution mean that the three operating modes – hot air, steam and microwave – can be used simultaneously with no problems; no other appliance in the world can do this. The appliance’s ingenious construction distributes the microwaves precisely within the oven, where they ensure that the food is evenly warmed through. V-ZUG’s new product is also the fastest steamer compared to any other V-ZUG steamer. It reduces cooking time by around 30 to 40 percent compared with conventional appliances. Plus, anyone wanting to regenerate or reheat food can benefit from the combination of the steam and microwave functions, which retains the food’s moisture and heats it in an extremely gentle way. In the assembly area, people are visibly delighted with this in-house innovation. “There are built-in programmes that are very practical”, explains Pirisi, as we stand in front of an appliance that is being used for testing purposes. He turns the CircleSlider, the iconic control function of the Excellence Line, to which this latest appliance also belongs. The microwave function demands even more safety precautions in the appliance’s technology and assembly. Thus, for example, the CombiSteamer V6000 45M PowerSteam has a different door to the regular CombiSteamer. Pirisi indicates two switches which guarantee that the appliance will only run when the doors are fully closed. “We need these extra functions on the door because of the microwave technology”, he explains. Talking of doors: the employees are also delighted with some small but special extras on the new V-ZUG product, such as the AutoDoor function, which elegantly, softly and quietly moves the handle-free, gleaming glass up and down. “A sort of Porsche among appliances”, Pirisi and Budak agree.