The world's leading manufacturer of grain unloading machines, Vigan is based in Nivelles. It has just shipped 200 tonnes of equipment to China to be installed in the country's ports. 

The entire team of this company specialising in non-standard manufacturing celebrated the end of the project and the departure of their 60-tonne baby to the other side of the world. This is the result of three years of work on the structure bound for China.

"Vigan specialises in designing, manufacturing and exporting machines for unloading grain boats", explains Nicolas Deschamps, Managing Director of Vigan. "We have machines in Latin America and Europe, but also in Africa and the Middle East, where they import grain", he details. “Vigan’s huge machines can unload boats from 60 to 80,0000 tonnes at a rate of around 1,000 tonnes per hour. 

This is undoubtedly a success resulting from team work "with firstly the sales aspect, then the engineering office, the design of each part which was then manufactured, lasered, welded and painted before finally being assembled", states Nicolas Dechamps.

Although Vigan normally exports abroad, this was an exceptional convey in terms of both its size and weight. Some parts were 34m long and 60 tonnes and were placed on 47m-long trucks. It will take no less than two pilot cars per truck to guide the parts via a very specific route. Indeed, the trucks will have to avoid passing under bridges and over roundabouts.   

A team from Vigan will even have to go to China to receive the parts, assemble them and check they operate correctly. This team will remain on site for between 3 and 9 months "with breaks" to visit their families. It will nevertheless take 6 weeks for this very special convoy to arrive safely from Nivelles.