Automation makes machinery move
At the Raumaster Paper Automation Department, multiple simultaneous projects are ongoing in both Europe and North America. Clients value the high quality and agile reaction capability of the conveniently sized company. Automation enhances factory functions, thereby helping build productivity.
Joni Lahtonen, Head of Automation at Raumaster Paper Oy, joins a Teams-meeting from USA. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, a high-capacity wrapping line startup is currently taking place. The department also has ongoing projects throughout the following summer and autumn in Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Turkey.
The Automation Department completes projects for the paper industry worldwide, handling practically all finishing processes from winders to warehousing. This includes conveyors, core cutters, winders, broke handling, wrapping lines, warehouses, grippers, and various loading and warehouse control systems.
"Simply put, the Automation department makes the machinery move. We pilot the equipment, meaning our job is to get the engines running and the rolls moving", Lahtonen explains.
"Most of the time, the projects start with electrical engineering. Once the electrical work is done, we begin to complete the automation. The Automation Department is typically involved in projects throughout the life cycle, from preliminary planning to start up and service."
"Personal safety and security are key factors in design and projects. The observation of standards is regulated, and we make sure that things are done right. Nowadays the customers also have requirements for cybersecurity." – Joni Lahtonen
Suitably large, appropriately agile
In its more than two decades of history, Raumaster Paper has stabilized its position among equipment manufacturers. The high quality is widely recognized, as positive references attest.
Of the projects completed over the years, Lahtonen most vividly remembers comprehensive projects such as one delivered to Sweden, which included wrapping equipment, core cutter and a large-scale conveying system. He also highlights the currently ongoing wrapping project in US.
"The clients appreciate us as a reliable operator that has been in the market for a long time and knows both the field and the equipment and its requirements. We are a suitably large operator, yet simultaneously appropriately agile, which ensures fast reaction capability", says Lahtonen.
The Raumaster Paper Automation department employs a total of 18 professionals, each with their own areas of expertise. Some focus on electrical design, while others work on automation design. Most are specialized in specific product families, such as winders, wrapping lines, core cutters and conveyor lines.
"Everything is done in close cooperation. All our professionals have experience and a broad understanding of the equipment, and that’s our key strength. We can send our own people to the construction sites of big projects, which means that we need less subcontracting work compared to other operators. This also means more in-depth knowledge of the work and the equipment is involved, and things progress faster."
Continuous growth of automation
Lahtonen has worked for Raumaster Paper for more than 20 years. He has seen the industry change from a close perspective, and its direction seems to be increasingly towards automated solutions.
"In traditional industry, changes happen in a calmer cycle as compared to the world of IT, for example. In practical work, the development of remote working possibilities has had a significant impact. Where situations previously required travel, we are now able to manage certain things remotely through online meetings and video", Lahtonen says.
"The changes in equipment are not always big, but small improvements happen constantly. We’ve moved on from hydraulics to electric, and we’re also moving on from pneumatics where possible. This is an important factor from the perspective of sustainable development."
Lahtonen trusts in the future. Continuous education and updating of personal knowledge, along with customer feedback and needs, provide continuous opportunities for development.
"The need for automation is steadily increasing. Mills compete for efficiency, and automation enables more reliable operations. Even though we’ve moved on from magazine and newspaper production to cardboard and packaging materials, the total amounts have not decreased."
