DERBLAUE® Brings Cleaner Fluid Handling to Machinery Service

As maintenance and service operations throughout the heavy machinery industry face increasing pressure to improve efficiency, safety and environmental performance, the handling of liquids such as oils and fuels remains a persistent challenge. DERBLAUE®, developed by Aqua Evolution Systems GmbH, offers practical, field-tested solutions designed to enable controlled draining, collection and transfer of fluids even in complex working conditions.

Patrik Eder, editor at LECTURA Press spoke with Michael Schmidt, CEO of DERBLAUE® about the company’s origins, the problems its products address, its key customer segments and markets, and how DERBLAUE® plans to expand its role in supporting cleaner and more efficient maintenance practices worldwide.

Patrik Eder: DERBLAUE® is described as a solution developed “from practice for practice,” aimed at improving maintenance workflows. Could you tell us the story behind the company’s founding?

Michael Schmidt: DERBLAUE® originated from a very specific real world situation. During a heating system replacement at Marvin Kiesel’s (CEO) home, one of the installers was using a cut open bucket to catch the escaping water. Marvin thought: this cannot be the professional standard.

This moment led to the idea for the first prototype of what later became the Professional Tub. From the beginning, the goal was clear: to move away from improvised solutions towards a professional system that allows liquids to be directed and collected in a controlled way.

Although the origin lies in the plumbing and heating sector, the underlying problem exists across many industries. Whether in construction and agricultural machinery, commercial vehicles or industrial environments, liquids often escape in places where they are difficult to control. This is exactly where DERBLAUE® has been continuously developed further.

PE: What are the key problems your products are designed to solve, and how do they improve efficiency, cleanliness and safety compared to traditional methods?

MS: During maintenance work on final drives, improvised solutions such as self-bent sheet metal or cardboard coverings are still frequently used. This not only takes time, but also regularly results in oil spilling, which is problematic from an environmental perspective. Depending on the surface, contaminated floors can also become slippery and pose a safety risk.

In general, service work faces the challenge that liquids escape in places where they are difficult to control. This includes oils, fuels, hydraulic fluids, coolants and water. If these liquids spread uncontrollably onto floors, components or sensitive areas, additional cleaning effort is required, safety risks can arise and, in the worst case, the environment may be harmed.

This is exactly where our products come in. They enable users to capture liquids directly at the source, guide them in a controlled way and collect them cleanly. As a result, rework is reduced, the surrounding area remains protected and service processes become more professional.

For the user, this means less improvisation, less contamination, increased safety and a significantly more efficient workflow.

PE: Your system includes flexible funnels, tubs, splash guards and pumping systems that can be adapted even to very tight or hard-to-reach spaces. What are the most important design features or innovations that differentiate DERBLAUE® products?

MS: The most important difference is flexibility. Our solutions are not rigid but adapt to specific situations. Many products, such as the Professional Tub, include bendable metal elements, allowing them to be positioned even in tight, low or angled spaces.

Another key feature is well thought out combination and connection options. Depending on the product, we use magnets, eyelets, suspension systems or hose connections. This allows users to quickly attach the solution to the machine or working area and guide liquids precisely.

Integrated neodymium magnets in the slide allow it to be combined with other products, such as an additional slide, in order to direct liquids in a controlled way over longer distances or from complex positions. When combined with splash-guards that fit perfectly around pipes and hoses, this creates effective protection of the surrounding area.

These strong magnets are also used in the Flexible Funnel, which is primarily used for filling or filter changes and can be securely fixed to metallic surfaces.

For us, it is essential that a product does not only work under ideal conditions, but also in real world situations: limited space, difficult angles, time pressure and constantly changing service environments.

PE: DERBLAUE® solutions are used in construction machinery, commercial vehicles, agriculture, and industrial service environments. Who are your primary target customers today, and which applications or industries currently represent the strongest demand for your solutions?

MS: Our main target customers are professional users who regularly carry out maintenance, repair and service work and who are no longer willing to rely on improvised solutions, but instead demand high standards in terms of quality, efficiency and cleanliness.

This includes workshops for construction and agricultural machinery, commercial vehicle service providers, equipment rental companies, fleet operators, industrial businesses and mobile service teams.

Demand is particularly strong wherever large machines, hydraulic systems or hard to access maintenance points are involved. Typical applications include filter changes, replacing hydraulic lines, oil changes, as well as work on axles, gearboxes, engines or tanks, along with protecting floors and work areas.

We see especially strong potential in the construction and agricultural machinery sectors, as working conditions there are often particularly demanding.

PE: Your products are already being adopted by major industry players and are planned for broader international distribution. Which geographic markets are currently the most important for DERBLAUE®, and how do you approach expansion into new regions or sectors?

MS: Our core market is currently the German speaking region, namely Germany, Austria and Switzerland. At the same time, international interest is growing rapidly. We have already delivered products to more than 30 countries and see strong potential across Europe, including France, the Benelux region, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom.

When entering new markets, we rely heavily on partners, distributors and professional users who test our products in real applications and share their experience. Products like ours need to be seen and understood in practice. That is why trade fairs, live demonstrations, training, videos and real use cases play a key role for us.

Our aim is not just to sell products, but to work together with customers and partners to create real solutions for their service processes.

PE: With increasing focus on environmental responsibility, workplace safety and efficiency, your solutions are highly relevant to evolving industry standards. How do you see DERBLAUE® evolving in the coming years? Are there new product developments, technologies or market segments you plan to focus on?

MS: We see significant growth potential for DERBLAUE®. Requirements for environmental responsibility, occupational safety and efficiency in maintenance processes will continue to increase. At the same time, workshops and service teams are under growing pressure to work faster, cleaner and more professionally. This is exactly where we position ourselves.

Our strategy is to continuously develop our existing system and expand into additional applications. We remain true to our principle: solutions from practice for practice. New products are often developed based on direct feedback from users. We closely observe where improvisation is still necessary and where liquids cannot yet be handled in a controlled way.

In the long term, our goal is to establish DERBLAUE® as the professional standard for controlled liquid handling in service environments. The vision is clear: no more improvised solutions, but clean, safe and efficient processes for modern maintenance and service work.