Seismic Mechatronics was established in 2014 as a joint venture between Magnetic Innovations BV and MI-Partners BV. Magnetic Innovations and MI-Partners jointly worked in the first EM seismic source based on multiple linear synchronous motors together with the TU Delft.

In 2016 Seismic Mechatronics won the best paper award granted by the SEG for its development of electric seismic sources since then has been commercializing the EM vibe successfully. In 2017 Total invited Seismic Mechatronics to join their “Metis project”, which is focused on innovating how land seismic acquisition is done. In 2018 Seismic Mechatronics joined an H2020 project called Smart Exploration to further commercialize the EM vibe technology. The main focus was to develop a hold down mass system, which has recently been tested successfully in the Netherlands and at the Neves Corvo mine in Portugal.

Moreover, their smallest electric seismic source, the lightning has been used extensively in 2017 and 2018 by shell to understand better the near-surface properties in the Groningen region. The Lightning has successfully generated high resolution seismic data that has been used to monitor and predict ground movement in the area.

Magnetic Innovations

Aa SME company, which started in 2007 and was established from high-tech industries, such as the semiconductor industry. The company develops and manufactures innovative direct drive technologies, which are used in various industries to replace inaccurate and inefficient technologies, such as indirect drives, pneumatics and in in the case of this project hydraulics. Their expertise lies in building motors and actuators that are capable of more accurately controlling/driving an application or system, reducing energy consumption (IE4/5 electric motors) and noise production. This often also means building very compact systems. The company is located in the Brainport area in Veldhoven, the Netherlands. Since direct drive or indirect drive motors and actuators are used throughout many different sectors, Magnetic Innovations is active in a broad range of markets, such as: Automotive sector - Vehicle propulsion - Semiconductor sector - Agricultural sector - Fan applications – Medical sector - Conveyor belt applications.

MI-Partners

An SME which started in 2007. Instead of bringing “finished products” to the market as Magnetic Innovations, MI-Partners is a high-tech project based company focused on mainly mechanical and electrical design. This means that the company often develops till a prototype phase (~TRL5). After the prototype phase, the company transfers all knowledge to the client for the client to develop the prototype further into a commercial product. MI-Partners is focused on multiple industries, such as the semiconductor industry and medical industry
The collaboration between the two parties started around 2012 together with the TU Delft concerning the development of EM vibrators. Since then the collaboration has led to multiple projects focused on the development of EM seismic sources. The first project was focused on the development of an EM vibe based on Linear Synchronous Motors. Thereafter, a EM vibrator was development for tunnel boring applications and a feasibility study was performed for Shell in which it was feasible to build a 300kN EM vibrator. Eventually it was decided by Magnetic Innovations and MI-Partners to join their forces in a new company, Seismic Mechatronics.

People

Richard de Kunder

Richard is the CEO of Seismic Mechatronics and entrepreneur. He studied business administration at the Radboud University in Nijmegen and at the Nyenrode Business University. Richard has led international teams in the US, China, Australia and the Netherlands to successful revenue generating competences before Seismic Mechatronics. Since 2016 Richard is technically and commercially involved in bringing the EM vibrator technology to the land seismic acquisition industry.

Dr Jordan Bos

Dr Bos is the CTO of Seismic Mechatronics and entrepreneur. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology. In January 2013, he graduated Cum Laude within the Constructions & Mechanisms group on the 'Design of a method and a device for a novel cochlear implant procedure', in cooperation with the UMC Utrecht. Jordan has won both the 'Unilever Research Prize 2013' and the 'Tata Steel Prize for Mechanical Engineering and Materials 2013' for his graduation work. Since April 2013, Jordan has been working as a PhD candidate in the Control Systems Technology and Constructions & Mechanisms group of the Eindhoven University of Technology, in cooperation with the Radboud UMC Nijmegen. His main research consisted of the design and realization of a new surgical bone sculpting robot. With this research, Jordan was one of the winners of the 'ASML Get in the Ring 2017' challenge.