About us

MEAF Machines B.V. has been manufacturing equipment for the plastics industry for more than seventy five years and has positioned itself as a specialist in building compact sheet extrusion lines for a wide variety of extrusion applications. Our philosophy when it comes to machine manufacturing is to add maximum value to the customer, combined with a sustainable approach when it comes to recycling/re-usage of raw materials which results in a minimal the impact on the environment.

 This philosophy results in extrusion lines that produce

the highest product quality against
the lowest energy consumption,

with the smallest footprint possible and maximum recycling of raw materials.

MEAF team

The MEAF factory’s nerve centre consists of the state-of-the-art design department. From the Solid Edge design, the workshop translates with precision the design from concept into finished equipment with very tight tolerances. The Sales & Marketing team, assisted ably by the Technical Service department, helps to evolve the so-called concept-to-commerce strategies in close liaison with the customer.

The customers infrastructural planning is proficiently supported and assisted in calculating needs of utilities, energy and material balances, feasibility studies and occasionally even presenting to the customers financial institutions the cost calculations. These have all contributed considerably to the success of the MEAF range of machines.

MEAF’s approach to your project

  • Over seventy-five years of in-house experience, founded on a production/practical approach towards extrusion line design and manufacturing

  • Possibilities for customization according to customer’s technical and space requirements

  • Ongoing research and development work

  • Close co-operation with raw material and auxiliary manufacturers for a complete turn-key production line delivery

  • Providing excellent troubleshooting and after-sales service on a world-wide basis

  • Assisting customers with every step of the process, even years after the purchase of a machine

History

MEAF was established in 1947 by a young man with golden hands. Just after World War II there was a great shortage of all sorts of utensils and Adriaan Hovestadt was ready to produce them all. MEAF’s name originates from its origins as a modest one-man company, Metaalwaren En Apparaten Fabriek – Metalwork and Equipment Factory, also known as MEAF. In the following years he would conquer the market with an eclectic variety of products.

With the introduction of plastic, MEAF started to produce jerry cans, lifebuoys, bollards and even surf boards. Over time Adriaan Hovestadt also started to construct the machines that manufactured these products himself. His unfailing urge to find solutions and to innovate made him known as “The Inventor”.

So much so that His Royal Highness Prince Claus paid him a visit in 1967, and twenty years later he was awarded a Royal Golden Medal of Honour.

Nowadays MEAF is a 3rd generation family owned company which is still domiciled in Yerseke (Southern part of the Netherlands), solidly rooted in the past and continuously innovating its technology, MEAF evolved into a reliable player in the extrusion industry. Over the course of many decades we have grown into a flourishing enterprise, exporting our production lines all over the world!

  • 1947

    1


    Metaalwaren En Apparaten Fabriek (MEAF) was founded in the van Randwijckstraat 49, Yerseke by Mr. Adriaan Hovestadt

  • 1953

    2


    First 3D vacuum formed sign produced by MEAF on a table sized vacuum forming machine. This would form the beginning of MEAF’s endeavours into vacuum & thermoforming machines

  • 1960

    3

    Start of the second factory of MEAF at the Groeninx van Zoelenstraat 33 in Yerseke

  • 1963

    4

    MEAF expands its machine portfolio with a blow moulding machines to produce jerrycans, tanks for pressure sprayers and reflector poles for the Dutch motorways and many other products

  • 1963

    5

    To delivery a complete products MEAF develops its first injection moulding machines to produce caps for tanks and reflector plates for the reflector poles

  • 1964

    6

    MEAF introduces one of the first semi-automatic thermoforming machines to the industry

  • 1965

    7

    First MEAF Machine delivered outside of Europe (blow moulding machine to Egypt).

  • 1966

    8
    MEAF produces its first sheet extrusion line to accommodate the requests for foil production.

  • 1967

    9
    The municipality of Yerseke requests Mr. Hovestadt to produce a scale model of the new harbour to present to  Royal Highness Prince Claus and her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands Beatrix in honour of the birth of their son Prince Willem Alexander (now King of the Netherlands)

  • 1969

    10
    MEAF’s second factory after finalising its full expansion in order to meet growing customer demands

  • 1969

    11
    The second generation Hovestadt is introduced into the company Mr Willem Hovestadt and Ms Nelleke Houtekamer-Hovestadt.

  • 1975

    12

    Over the next decade, many MEALUX vacuum forming machines are produced and delivered to various hospitals.

    These compact vacuum forming machines are utilised to produce plastic casts for radiation treatments in the oncology department

  • 1977

    13
    MEAF produces its first roll-fed, in-mould thermoforming machine BMS300 to produce cups, trays, plates and other packaging disposables

  • 1982

    14
    MEAF officially splits the machine part of the business from the production side into MEAF Machines B.V. and MEAF Kunststoffen B.V.

  • 1984

    15
    After the foundation of MEAF Machines B.V. as a separately run entity, the production of multiple machines in series are taking off rapidly and MEAF’s international presence grows rapidly.

  • 1985

    16
    The growing demand for in-mould thermoforming machines is growing and the demand for a larger thermoforming area, so MEAF introduces the BMS500 to the public

  • 1987

    17
    MEAF’s first inline plastic disposable production combination (extrusion + therforming in a continuous fashion) is being delivered to India.

  • 1988

    18
    MEAF founder Mr. Adriaan Hovestadt officially retires and hands over the management of MEAF to the second generation Mrs Nelleke Houtekamer-Hovestadt and Mr Wim Hovestadt 

  • 1990

    19
    MEAF’s new factory is opened at Industrieweg 10, Yerseke (where it is still located today)

  • 1995

    20
    As MEAF customers are growing their business in packaging disposables, larger thermoforming machines are required. MEAF’s BMS600, is the answer for those production requirements.

  • 2000

    21
    MEAF’s factory at the Industrieweg 10 gets its first expansion

  • 2000

    22
    MEAF steps into the digital age with introducing the first PLC into its machines

  • 2000

    23
    The production of thermoformed products is an ever increase to produce on larger machines. In order to accommodate larger production volumes, the BMS700 is brought to market

  • 2003

    24
    MEAF’s first line dedicated to PET is sold to a customer in the Far East

  • 2006

    25
    The MEAF customer are operating in markets which  demand thinner products which can be easily stacked. This leads to the manufacturing of the CM420 tilting mould machine (under license from Rohde un Deiwick GmbH).

  • 2007

    26
    Mr Ardjan Houtekamer joins the management team

  • 2008:

    27
    Mr Wim Hovestadt officially retiresMr Wim Hovestadt officially retires from MEAF

  • 2013

    28
    MEAF expands its portfolio with a larger tilting mould machine, the KMS600. This thermoforming machine is completely designed and in-house manufactured by MEAF

  • 2016

    29
    Third generation Mr Elwin Houtekamer joins the management team, completing the third generation of the family into the business.

  • 2022

    30

    A celebratory year as MEAF is 75 years in business.

    MEAF’s factory is expanded in order to accommodate larger projects and more machines for many years to come!

MEAF Machines B.V. is your one-stop-shop manufacturer for sheet extrusion equipment for a wide variety of raw materials. MEAF offers the possibility to deliver turnkey projects (including auxiliaries) and can even undertake customized, in-house retrofits of existing production lines!

Meaf Machines B.V.
Industrieweg 10
4401 LB Yerseke, The Netherlands

VAT number NL00.61.31.438.B01
Register No.22025279 Chamber of Commerce

+31 (113) 57 14 95

office@meaf.com

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MEAF Machines B.V. is your one-stop-shop manufacturer for sheet extrusion equipment for a wide variety of raw materials. MEAF offers the possibility to deliver turnkey projects (including auxiliaries) and can even undertake customized, in-house retrofits of existing production lines!

Meaf Machines B.V.
Industrieweg 10
4401 LB Yerseke, The Netherlands

VAT number NL00.61.31.438.B01
Register No.22025279 Chamber of Commerce

+31 (113) 57 14 95

office@meaf.com

Follow us