Surface treatment worker Sanni Tikkanen officially began work at Simetek in autumn 2018, but before that she had become familiar with the company by working as agency staff for a year. Her job description includes the pre-treatment, surface treatment, and patching of materials.
Tikkanen enjoys seeing the results of her work and checking to see whether the finish is even. Work is enjoyable as it is so varied.
When Tikkanen joined Simetek, she immediately worked on an interesting project to paint an overpass bridge for Kuopio University Hospital. Another surface treatment project that she found interesting due to its size was painting a mobile crusher.
“A mobile crusher is a crushing station built on the trailer of a truck. That was a challenge!”
Tikkanen has overcome challenging projects by considering the project thoroughly with her colleague before beginning work.
It’s nice to work at Simetek
Tikkanen is a trained vehicle painter, but she hasn’t done a day’s work painting vehicles. Her training has been an advantage in her current job, however. She previously worked with surface treatment and finishing at the Finnish Steel Painting Oy’s Peltosalmi branch.
Tikkanen enjoys her job at Simetek because her work varies. She would find it boring to do the same tasks day in and day out. “My colleagues are friendly and I get along well with them,” says Tikkanen.
In her free time, Tikkanen enjoys hunting and shooting, and spending time with her dogs. She lives in Maaninka with her partner.
Simetek received a Hammel crusher for maintenance. The crusher is used to crush construction and renovation waste. Similar crushers are also used to crush rocks.
Maintenance engineer Ringo Markkanen from Simetek explains how first the crusher’s transmission was dismantled and the damage was assessed. The damage was deemed to be so massive that it was more cost-efficient to install a new, reinforced transmission.
“Of course, if only individual parts of the crusher had been damaged, we only would have replaced them,” says Markkanen.
Crushers usually have tracks underneath so that they can be moved quickly and easily on site. This mobility is an advantage when servicing the device. The device can be moved using a flatbed truck from anywhere in Finland.
“A crusher with tracks can be maintained inside the machine shop and there is no need to do anything on site. This also means that the customer is spared the effort of removing the transmission,” adds Markkanen.
Maintenance takes from one day to around a month, depending on the availability of the required parts. Basic maintenance and oil changes can be done very quickly. Markkanen is grateful that customers who need crusher maintenance were able to find Simetek.
Simetek has initiated a project that will involve carrying out investments and development procedures.
These procedures will make the company’s operations even more efficient. They will guarantee a faster, higher quality, and more cost-efficient service for customers overall.
“We began operations in 1994 and the first hall space, encompassing one thousand square metres, was completed in the early 2000s. Since then, our operations and premises have steadily expanded. Our aim is to develop into a comprehensive service provider and to be a well-known and desirable actor in our industry,” says Simetek’s managing director Timo Roivainen.
Several different areas of development
With the help of the project, Simetek aims to develop its services and to reduce its response time for service provision. One of the areas for development is the procurement of a fine-particle plasma cutting machine, which would add flexibility to production and achieve a faster response time to customers’ needs.
“We also aim to develop our production facilities based on the LEAN model, which will improve our internal logistics flow. In addition, we intend to investigate our opportunities in international business,” Roivainen adds.
During the project, other development procedures will also be carried out, including improvements to the paint shop’s logistics and services.
“Our years of experience have created a solid understanding of our customers’ processes and their application in different areas of industry,” says Roivainen.
Simetek’s customers include significant industrial actors, including Yara Suomi Oy, Andritz Oy, Kraton Chemical Oy, and Oy M. Rauanheimo Ab.
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has awarded Simetek EU and state funding amounting to EUR 366,880 for its project to accelerate the growth and development of its order and subcontracting machine shop. The project began in December 2020 and will end in August 2022.
Swapping a career as a nurse for finance and HR at a family-owned company.
Satu Räsänen worked as a nurse for ten years until her father Kari Roivainen, who founded Simetek, and her brother Timo Roivainen, who now leads the company, encouraged Räsänen to handle the family-owned company’s office admin and payroll. She left her career as a nurse and began work at Simetek in 2013. Over the years, her job description has widened, and she is now responsible for Simetek’s financial and human resources management.
Räsänen was somewhat familiar with work at Simetek, as she had participated in reinforcing and cleaning the hall floor, and keeping the premises clean and tidy when she was younger.
“I’ve found my place here! In my current job I am able to make things progress more than I could when I worked as a nurse. Here I have the opportunity to develop the company’s operations more and mode – there are targets to aim for. It keeps work interesting,” says Räsänen.
A family-owned company that feels like a family
At Simetek, there is a real family-owned company atmosphere, as the managers are employees at the company just like anyone else. The company has a very low hierarchy and cares for its employees.
“I help out with anything I can. We all work together quite dynamically. I am somewhat of a jack-of-all-trades, sometimes I’ll do some plumbing, but I refuse to weld!” laughs Räsänen.
Räsänen believes that it’s the atmosphere at the family-owned company that is responsible for the low threshold for employees to come and chat with management. She is grateful that in her new responsibility as HR manager, she is able to have personal development discussions with all 50 members of staff and receive direct feedback on how things are handled. She believes that nothing changes if you can’t speak directly.
Räsänen feels that her move from nursing to financial and HR management was a positive change in her life. She has daughters aged 14 and 12, and a day job is better for her children than three-shift work.
“I enjoyed my previous job, but you need a caring instinct and empathy in human resources management, too. I can make use of my strengths here just as well!”
After work, Räsänen enjoys spending time in her garden. She also exercises as a counterbalance to work, and likes to go on walks with her two poodles and work out at the gym.
Aki Karvonen likes his work to provide challenges and the opportunity to develop
Aki Karvonen has been responsible for Simetek’s machine shop production for three years. He also carries out quotes and sales work, and takes care of projects.
“I’m also responsible for coordinating welding. In practice, that means that I keep an eye on everything related to welding. I make sure that welders have the required competence and appropriate welding specifications,” explains Karvonen.
The most enjoyable projects at Simetek for Karvonen are challenging projects consisting of multiple phases, for which he has had to learn new things. They are complex and offer the opportunity for him to develop his knowledge.
“I’ve been able to participate in many interesting projects. Even the manufacture of a small object can be extremely interesting and challenging, while large objects can be very simple to manufacture.”
Karvonen holds a Master of Science (Technology) degree and is a qualified International Welding Engineer (IWE). His earlier work at Andritz Oy took him on business trips around the world. At Andritz, Karvonen carried out quotes and sales work for power plant refurbishment and modernisation projects, acted as a project manager, and worked at installation sites. He was also responsible for coordinating welding.
When asked whether or not he enjoys working at Simetek, Karvonen replies that he enjoys his work and his colleagues are great!
Pickling is a surface treatment method for stainless steel and aluminium. It aims to restore a material’s appearance and corrosion-resistant properties after processing, such as welding, iron contamination, thermal cutting, heat treatment, or hot straightening.
In the aforementioned cases, the heated area in the material reacts with oxygen in the air, which results in a dark and porous layer of chromium oxide on the surface. Underneath that is a layer that is lacking in chromium. This layer’s appearance and corrosion resistance are poorer than they would otherwise be in the material.
“Pickling aims at removing impurities from the surface of the material so that the correct type of oxide layer, which protects against rusting, can form,” explains production manager Aki Karvonen from Simetek.
In special cases, pickling can be used on unalloyed or low-alloy steels in addition to stainless steels and aluminium, for example, at steel factories or when cleaning steam boilers after installation and before commissioning.
Different pickling methods are used for different purposes.
At Simetek, pickling is typically used in products manufactured from stainless steels or aluminium, where the environmental conditions mean that the metal is susceptible to corrosion. Consideration must be given to the size of the object, whether it is suitable for pickling, and what pickling method should be used.
“Different pickling methods include paste, spray, and immersion pickling. We use paste and spray pickling. Immersion pickling is carried out in collaboration with our partners,” says Karvonen.
In paste pickling, the pickling paste is applied to the surface of the product using a brush. It is usually used to treat welds. It is excellent for the occasional pickling of small, individual components, and is affordable, as the method does not require any large investments.
Spray pickling is mainly carried out on objects that cannot reasonably be immersion pickled due to their size. The method is also used to pickle containers that are assembled from components at the work site. Spray pickling is also a good option if you only need to pickle objects very occasionally and no immersion bath is available.
In immersion pickling, the object is immersed in a pickling solution. Attention must be paid to ensure that the object fits in the intended pickling bath.
Passivation increases corrosion resistance
After pickling, the treated product may be passivated with a passivation substance that accelerates and improves the formation of the correct kind of oxide layer. Passivation is especially useful if a product is used in very demanding and corrosive conditions, or if the material used is a highly alloyed stainless steel.
Passivation occurs on a product over time in any case, as the material reacts with the air, but it is rather a slow process. It is a good idea to passivate a product if you need to use it immediately after pickling.
“Pickling is used to remove an unwanted layer of chromium oxide from the surface of stainless steel or aluminium. Passivation, on the other hand, aims to form a different kind of oxide layer that protects the surface more deeply,” explains Karvonen.
Pickling requires good protection
Pickling solutions typically contain phosphoric, nitric, or hydrofluoric acid, or a mix thereof. Pickling requires the right kind of workspace in order for the pickling acids to be stored and handled appropriately. Good personal protective gear must also be worn to prevent the pickling solution from coming into contact with the skin. Pickling requires a rubber suit, boots, gloves, and a face protector.
There is no professional qualification for pickling, and it must be learnt through practical work. Occupational safety is the most important issue. The pickler must also know the correct technique and be able to follow and interpret the pickling instructions given.
A successful result requires that things are considered early on in the design phase, that the product is carefully manufactured, and that pickling is carried out correctly. The pickler must also be able to choose the correct pickling method and the correct pickling solutions based on the instructions given.
“If you can get all of these pieces of the puzzle to fall into place, the result will be a success. If one of them fails, you will be able to see it in the finished product,” Karvonen says.
Simetek can take good care of its functional production chain because its design department, machine shop, and post-treatment department all operate under the same roof.
Machinist Henri Takkunen’s main responsibility is the use of the CNC-controlled milling and boring machine. He enjoys the challenge of working with large objects.
Henri Takkunen has ironclad experience with machining. He machines objects of all sizes that require manual or CNC-controlled machining. Takkunen mainly works with the CNC-controlled milling and boring machine, but sometimes he works with a lathe or other machining equipment. Takkunen is a qualified machinist.
“My main responsibility is using the milling and boring machine. I have also trained my colleague Tomi Leppänen so that he can help me out when my workload is heavy,” says Takkunen.
Takkunen began work at Simetek in 2015 through a leasing agency. His work was so good that he was made a permanent employee one year later. Before working at Simetek, Takkunen worked in Siilinjärvi, at Kuuskone Oy and Hydroline Oy. There his job description was similar to his current work at Simetek, but at Kuuskone Takkunen used manual lathes and broaching machines. At Hydroline, the machinery was CNC-controlled, like at Simetek.
Handling large objects provides a challenge
Occasionally, Takkunen encounters challenging projects while machining, but he is happy to face them head on.
“I enjoy working with large objects. They are slightly more complex and you have to really put some thought into them. It’s rewarding to see the results of your work on the finished product. You also have to be careful when handling large objects because they’re so expensive”, he adds.
Takkunen is aided in challenging projects by his work colleagues. He can always ask his manager or colleagues for advice, if he has trouble with an object.
“We always find a solution when we work together as a group to solve the problem.”
Friendly colleagues have also meant that Takkunen has settled in well at Simetek, and he enjoys his work. In addition, his commute to work is quite short.
In his free time, Takkunen goes to the gym and spends time with his kids. His family consists of his partner, his two daughters who are attending primary school, and his 1.5-year-old son.
Simetek uses a CNC-controlled milling and boring machine, or broaching machine, which makes it possible to work with large, heavy metal objects.
The milling and boring machine can be used to drill, thread, even out surface faces, machine, and straighten lines. Examples of finished products include creasing rolls, axles, consumables, reels and screws, and parts for new and refurbished machines.
“We mainly manufacture new products, but sometimes we repair old ones, too. For example, Yara’s mine sent old machine parts to us to be repaired. Our welders buildup weld them, and I machine them again,” says machinist Henri Takkunen from Simetek.
Simetek’s milling and boring machine (TOS WNH 13.8) can handle objects weighing up to 12,000kg. The limits of the dimensions of objects are determined by the extent of the milling and boring machine’s dimensions. In practice, the machine has three axles; X, Y, and Z, with dimensions of 3500mm (X), 2500mm (Y) and 1250mm (Z). The machine makes it possible to machine complex pieces with minimal attachments.
Handling precision is determined in accordance with tolerances provided by the customer. The machine can be used to drill holes at a precision of one hundredth of a millimetre, and the largest holes according to Takkunen are a few metres wide.
“Heidenhei’s software is easy to use. I’ve also used a manual milling and boring machine, and there isn’t much difference to that machine except this one is computer-controlled. In a manual machine, you have to make adjustments using levers, but with this, the adjustments are programmed,” Takkunen adds.
Simetek has special expertise in machining and machining repairs to spare parts and assemblies, which it carries out in accordance with the customer’s wishes. We can provide machining services from a few objects to larger series of objects.
At Simetek, occupational safety is considered in all areas and work phases. During installation and maintenance work, occupational safety often exceeds the customer’s requirements.
Machine shop work can be risky if you don’t have appropriate protective gear and safe, suitable working methods. At Simetek, noone needs to work with worn or broken protective gear, and working methods are carefully considered in advance. Protective gear is freely available from a goods supplier’s commission sales shelves, located on Simetek’s premises.
“The shelves are stocked with shoes, gloves, and other smaller pieces of protective gear. Welding masks must be ordered in, but they usually last for years,” says project manager Ville Kinnunen from Simetek.
The protective gear required varies according to task, so there is workwear for hot work, safety boots, safety glasses and hearing protectors, heat-resistant gloves, and welding masks with fresh air fans and the necessary filters. Simetek doesn’t delay when it comes to protective gear, which is updated as soon as a better option becomes available.
Safety is also prioritised at workstations
Workstations have good ergonomics, with sturdy and supportive worktops and stools, and safety is ensured by placing heavy machinery such as welding equipment on the end of mobile hoist, so it doesn’t need to be lifted manually.
“Each workstation is also accessible by hall crane, which can be used to lift and turn heavier objects without pulling a muscle,” explains Kinnunen.
Workstations can also be compartmentalised, which reduces banging and the noise from angle grinding. Kinnunen says it’s almost impossible to completely reduce noise, but effective hearing protection is used to this end.
At the end of the day, every worker cleans their workstation of dust and dirt, and tidies up the equipment they have used. Cleaning is made easier by effective workstation ventilation with local extraction, which also vacuums up dust. Extraction is useful when welding, as it sucks the welding smoke away from the workstation.
Occupational safety is actively monitored
At Simetek, accidents and close calls are actively monitored on a weekly basis. Statistics are compiled and the accidents and close calls are recorded as exceptions. The aim is to find the root causes that led to a recorded incident so that any inadequacies can be rectified to avoid similar situations from occurring again in the future.
The occupational safety indicators used are Total Recordable Injuries (TRI) and Lost Time Accidents (LTA). TRI accounts for all incidents that lead to absences, and incidents that require treatment or first aid. LTA meanwhile accounts for all workplace accidents that cause days of inability to work.
Statistics and exceptions that have occurred are examined together with certain customers at regular intervals. Both sides aim to learn from events.
Occupational safety in maintenance work and equipment deliveries
At maintenance jobs, we comply at least with the minimum level of safety requirements set by the customer. Simetek often carries out safety procedures that go above and beyond the issued requirements. Even if a customer says that it isn’t necessary to section off an area, we do so anyway, because we’re used to it.
Before annual stoppages, many customers hold a separate stoppage meeting with their contractors to go through the most critical jobs. The meeting also sets out house rules for everyone and practical matters from an occupational safety perspective. Kinnunen explains that the same things are discussed at Simetek in a risk assessment in different work groups, and everyone confirms that they have understood.
“If an occupational safety issue comes up in discussions, it will be considered and dealt with. Before beginning an annual stoppage, work groups tour the sites and review the work phases, their risks, and risk management methods. Everything is considered in advance.”
Equipment checks are also carried out before a stoppage, and all lifting equipment and electrical tools are inspected. When an angle grinder is used at a work site, for example, it is visually checked to make sure that the cables and components are in good working order. More extensive electrical inspections on devices are carried out by one of Simetek’s subcontractors. They use a multimeter to check that the devices are in good condition.
Occupational safety is also considered in connection with equipment deliveries. The customer is provided with final documentation that outlines instructions for use and safety instructions.
Simetek provides a full range of industrial installation and maintenance work; sites can include sawmills, pulp mills, chemical and energy plants, and mines. Our engineers and maintenance personnel have a wealth of experience that can help even in unexpected situations.
Different industries have their own special characteristics that must be considered in installation and maintenance work. For example, chemical plants typically use stainless steel in sites that are exposed to heavy corrosion. Such plants may also use hazardous substances, which must be accounted for in occupational safety.
“Engineers and maintenance personnel are selected for jobs based on their experience. For example, the engineers who install the transmission for pumps are usually people who can also align and adjust the pumps after installation. This means that we can also take care of commissioning the device at the same time,” explains Simetek’s project manager Ville Kinnunen.
In turnkey deliveries, engineers also contribute to design
For Kinnunen, the most enjoyable installations are products that are designed in-house. This means that engineers can give their input on the installation during the design phase. Turnkey deliveries are enjoyable in that the entire project is handled by a single actor and there is plenty to do for all areas of the machine shop.
“More extensive, turnkey deliveries that are made in-house from start to finish, are some of the clearest to install. A good example of a complete project that we managed from start to finish is the wagon towing device that we delivered to Kraton.”
In addition to its own projects, Simetek also installs equipment, piping, and steel structures for which customers have ready components. Projects like these begin with an assessment at the customer’s premises. The assessment is used to determine a schedule and to select engineers with the most suitable experience.
Installation work always considers the customer’s wishes and permitted standards and regulations.
Surprises during stoppage maintenance require a rapid response
Simetek carries out maintenance work to the same extent as installation work, but often on much tighter schedules. A customer may have noticed that a device is faulty and must be repaired as quickly as possible in order to keep production stoppages brief.
“One good example of this is transmission repair work, which may require maintenance on a very tight schedule. Transmission maintenance is made easier by the fact that the transmission can be disassembled, checked, and maintained in the machine shop, in clean conditions,” says Kinnunen.
Stoppage maintenance is typically known well in advance. It is possible to prepare for it ahead of time by reserving spare parts and supplies that may be needed at the site.
“Before stoppage maintenance, we take pictures of the site and plan maintenance work in advance together with the customer. It is however typical to find something during an annual stoppage that requires action at short notice,” sums up Kinnunen.
Stoppage maintenance refers to one- to two-week periods of maintenance during which work is carried out around the clock, including at weekends. Between 20–100 people from Simetek and subcontractors may work on the jobs. Stoppage maintenance work can include all kinds of maintenance and installation work, starting with oil changes.
According to Kinnunen, Simetek has received positive feedback on successful installations and maintenance. We’ve successfully managed even difficult jobs, and we have seen everything through to the end.
“We fulfil our customers wishes even in unexpected situations.”
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