S4i Stainless. for Industry. A Complete Service Concept Providing Added Value to the Customer. cutting edge solutions. cutting edge solutions

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1 S4i Stainless for Industry S4i is a complete service concept providing everything from design to final installation, as well as omprehensive service solutions to the following industries: pulp and paper, process, energy and environmental technology. A Complete Service Concept Providing Added Value to the Customer Text: Klaus Susiluoto Photos: S4i / Hakmet / Sini Pennanen 74 From left: Tero Niemelä / Managing Director / High Metal Production Oy Juha Rossi / Export Manager / S4i Sami varsamaäki / Regional Manager / Efkava Oy Esko Lammervo / Business Development / Stairon Oy Visa Frimodig / Managing Director / Kymtec Oy Seppo Sorsavirta / Managing Director / Sepima Oy Toni Sorsavirta / Deputy Managing Director - Director Sales/ Sepima Oy Juha Peltomäki / Senior Consultant / Finpro 75

2 Officially, S4i Stainless for Industry export chain - was established in January The idea emerged in May A great role was played by the managing director of Stairon Oy, Mr Tapio Hussi. The idea was born from necessity. Internationalisation of business operations will secure and enlarge our customer base. By combining forces, export promotion is more efficient. And this way we can offer turnkey deliveries tailored to customer needs. The S4i business comprises five mutually complementary companies specialised in making welded sheet metal structures and machinery, as well as engineering and installation, he says. The products are mainly made of stainless or acid-proof steel; in the acronym S4i, the letter S' stands for stainless and I for industry. However, S4i also has expertise in aluminium handling, which is an important issue for our customers, says Hussi. Through our partners we already export more than 90 per cent of our production. We have strong experience in pulp and paper machine components. Our top expertise covers paper and board machine air systems such as air dryers, diverse runnability components, heat exchangers, heat recovery units and fans. The S4i companies are located in Turku and Naantali in western Finland, and in Vantaa in the Helsinki region, as well as in Kouvola. Companies involved in S4i are Stairon Ltd, High Metal Production Ltd, Sepima Ltd, Kymtec Ltd and Efkava Ltd. However, S4i also has expertise in aluminium handling, which is an important issue for our customers, One-stop shop Companies in S4i provide comprehensive cross-technological expertise. From a customer s point of view, it is an advantage that we can offer one-stop shopping. We want to offer the customer the easiest possible way to get the reliable service they need today and tomorrow Managing Director of Stairon Oy, Tapio Hussi 76 77

3 though a partnership. Otherwise there could be five different agreements, five contractors etc, explains Joint Export Manager of S4i, Mr Juha Rossi. With this approach the number of contact interfaces is kept to a minimum level. S4i is a common brand that strengthens the visibility of companies and gives us a kind of an umbrella under which we can offer an alternative to the bigger players, continues Rossi. Finland s export promotion organisation is Finpro. Its consultant, Juha Peltomäki, says that the way of thinking in industry has changed: So far, the companies have been subcontractors to larger Finnish companies, but now we take long steps for international business operations. Joint Export Manager of S4i Juha Rossi has strong experience of Germanspeaking Europe, which will be one of the focus market areas for the S4i export chain. Stairon s Esko Lammervo is in charge of the Russian operations for S4i. In Russia pulp and paper production will grow in the near future this will create new opportunities for S4i, believes Lammervo. Cost-effective approach Tapio Hussi emphasises that S4i is not only about manufacturing processes: Our delivery does not end when we deliver the products. We can handle the installation process as well. After-sales, even maintenance and repair, are options for our customers. All operations are carried out in a cost-effective way. People talk a lot about labour costs. Naturally they count costs, but good and innovative engineering generates a lot of savings in the long run, he says. At the moment quite a few large-scale paper mills are being designed and constructed. However, the rebuild market is taking off in many parts of the world. Some PMs have been shut down, but those left run 78 Our delivery does not end when we deliver the products. We can handle the installation process as well. Aftersales, even maintenance and repair, are options for our customers. 79

4 ning need to be upgraded every now and then, in order to keep up with cost efficiency. Paper mills want to have more efficient machines, with better runnability and less energy consumption. They want good heat recovery properties so the drying technologies can improve quality and generate savings. So, we are not that pessimistic at all. Especially mid-size and mediumspeed PMs with a width of about 6-8 metres and speeds of metres per minute will be upgraded, believes Hussi. As one important single issue I could mention that heat recovery in paper mills is our very core competence, says Hussi. For example, one important factor is heat recovery close to an air dryer. Our basic operating principle is to generate added value for our customers by cooperating closely in product development during the design and planning process. A system or service package designed together with the customer is production-friendly and of high quality. Energy and the environment Things to do with pulp and paper and are not the only competence of S4i: We supply solutions for energy, food, beverages, waste water technology and pharmaceutical industries. Environmental technology is also promising. We also supply various products to different energy sectors, including nuclear, solar and bio. S4i is in the environment business, biomass drying, cleaning of industrial air, handling of waste water and clean water technology. In the latter area, it works with Turku University of Applied Sciences, which is highly knowledgeable about water treatment issues and heat exchange technology. Engineering competence The design services offered by S4i comprise process planning, energy planning and environmental engineering. It has 80 81

5 more than 300 professionals, of whom close to 40 are involved in engineering and research. The largest engineering area of S4i comes from Kymtec Ltd whose managing director, Visa Frimodig, says that his engineering services company encompass process, mill and energy-technical engineering. Our focus is on circuit-specific operation descriptions and process problem surveys and analyses, for example, he says. At the mill level a typical assignment is composed of preliminary and implementation engineering of the mill investments, as well as tasks related to production plant process modification and maintenance. Projects involve preliminary and site planning for factory investment schemes and tasks related to upgrades and improvements in production plants. We master various engineering software and 2D/3D layout and piping design, and mill HVAC design. These are all things that we share with other S4i companies, concludes Frimodig. Stairon Ltd In 2009 Metso Paper Turku Works Oy was sold to a new company named Stairon Works Oy through a management buyout. In connection with the sales process, Metso and Stairon agreed on long-term co-operation on certain key products. Metso Paper still is the most important customer to us. The S4i companies put a lot of effort into finding the best employees. According to the Production Manager at Stairon, Mr Markus Hotanen, recruiting is not a problem it is rather a challenge to form a good team. But naturally it takes some time to give new employees all the necessary training. For example, welding special grades of steel is not easy. The workforce is a very important part of the process that delivers the added value to the customer, continues Mr Hotanen. Production Manager at Stairon, Markus Hotanen 82 Finn-Power L6 laser 83

6 The S4i companies also put a lot of emphasis on the latest technology that generates savings. Stairon, for example, has acquired a new Finn-Power L6 + LU laser-cutting machine with top-level speed and extreme accuracy. The machine contributes superior cutting speed, increased production capacity, higher dimensional accuracy of cut sheets, and enhanced component quality. The L6 was designed to incorporate an innovative linear cutting tip motor, which allows for maximum speed even in small grooves or narrow forms. The Finn-Power offers excellent performance in cutting dynamics, shape accuracy and process safety. In pre-processing the company uses trimming and diverse cutting methods such as laser, plasma and water cutting, as well as guillotining. The welding techniques include hybrid, laser, 3D-laser, TIG, MIG and MIG robot welding. Some products have their own production lines, including various integrated production techniques such as hydro moulding, large- and small-component machining, balancing and final tests, for example for vibration and density. The organisation s management and operations are certified in accordance with the ISO 9001 standard. Other certifications include ISO and OH- SAS In the Pansio industrial area of Turku, the company has 12,000 sq m of high production hall area that has good lifting capacity. Due to its overall dimensions, the manufacture and transfer of large and heavy products runs smoothly. The logistics location is excellent, considering its close proximity to the harbour. We have strong partnership activities. High Metal has invested in the latest laser technology, product development, manufacturing processes and design know-how. High Metal Production Ltd Another strong metal works company that is part of S4i is High Metal Production Ltd. It focuses on manufacturing innovative sheet metal structures from stainless and acid-free/resistant steel. We have strong partnership activities. 84 Managing Director of High Metal, Tero Niemelä 85

7 High Metal has invested in the latest laser technology, product development, manufacturing processes and design know-how. Operations are guided by innovative attitudes and the need to understand customer needs, tells Tero Niemelä, managing director of High Metal. High Metal has several references to point to: Metso Paper and Andritz are among its clients. Sepima Ltd Material competence in steel and aluminium can be found at Sepima Ltd. Toni Sorsavirta, Vice-President and Head of Sales of Sepima, says that the S4i group is an ideal match to Sepima too: We can offer high-class technologies and planning to our consortium. We do water jet cutting, fine beam plasma cutting, robotic welding systems and many other methods. Our production ranges from small components and prototypes to extensive comprehensive components. Installation by Efkava Installations also are part of the S4i service concept. S4i has over 20 years experience in industrial installations. Our services comprise machine and equipment installations, steel structures and working platforms, demanding pipeline production and installation, pressure device directive compliance, energy production equipment installations, maintenance and servicing, after sales, and project management and supervision, says area manger Sami Varsamäki. The installation arm of S4i is Efkava, a business with extensive experience of doing installations in the process industry