HögforsGST manufactures and sells high-quality heating and cooling systems. The company’s wide variety of solutions serves the needs of energy companies and other heating professionals as well as individual property owners. The company headquarters is located in Leppävirta, Finland. HögforsGST has subsidiaries in Sweden and Norway. In 2020, the company’s turnover reached €24,2M. HögforsGST employs around 150 people.
Janne Juutilainen and Seppo Virtanen, HögforsGST
The T-DRILL F-200 flanging machine has been a part of HögforsGST’s production since 2013. The F-200 is used in the company’s part production department in the end forming of pipes that are used to manufacture substations. The T-DRILL F-200 forms a lip or a flange directly on the end of the pipe. Before the F-200, HögforsGST welded neck flanges onto the pipes. According to Department Supervisor Janne Juutilainen, the F-200 has increased both the efficiency and the cost-effectiveness of HögforsGST’s production.
— Flanging can be up to 10 times faster than welding. The number of flanges we perform in a year is significant – about 20 000 to 25 000. You can imagine how much more workforce and hours welding each connection would require.
As a method, flanging is also secure – welded joints are prone to fatigue and variations in quality. Each joint would also have to be tested before the pipes go into manufacturing.
— For us, the F-200 is a must-have. It is like a paper machine in a paper mill – a fundamental part of operations. The F-200 has helped us reach the production capacity we are currently at.
All HögforsGST’s machines are under regular maintenance, either by the company’s own engineers or by exterior partners like T-DRILL. According to Juutilainen, HögforsGST is currently making a TD-Care Service Agreement with T-DRILL. Preventive maintenance reduces the risk of production breaks and related costs.
— Our F-200 malfunctioning would be catastrophic for our production. That is how vital the machine is. That is also why we believe it is important to look ahead and take care of our machines proactively, not just reactively.
HögforsGST recently visited T-DRILL to discuss a next-generation machine that will be modified to meet their needs. According to Juutilainen, a supplier’s willingness to tailor machines is a key part of successful cooperation.
— A machine that does not do what we need it to do would be virtually useless. From T-DRILL, I know we will receive a high-quality machine that does exactly what is it intended to do. T-DRILL is such a good manufacturer that having them as the supplier of our next machine was an easy decision.
According to Juutilainen, the updated T-DRILL flanging machine will be one of HögforsGST’s easiest, most straightforward machine investments.
— We are so pleased with T-DRILL that we are able to leave out all tendering processes and time-consuming discussions and simply place in an order for a product of known high quality. We have found the right machine and the right manufacturer.
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