Koja began operations in January in its new premises in Jalasjärvi, where, in addition to the facilities themselves, several million euros have been invested in machinery and equipment as well as in production automation. Fredko supplied the heart of the new factory: a Salvagnini FMS sheet metal processing system. The delivery package supplied by Fredko also includes a Mattrix Sharp Master sharpening machine and a Peddinghaus Peddinsert 90 CN fastener insertion press.
Operating with the responsible approach of a Finnish family-owned company, Koja Group offers its customers intelligent and energy-efficient air handling solutions for buildings and ships, as well as fan and air solutions for industry. Koja produces innovative technology solutions efficiently and safely, with the aim of helping its customers achieve their own energy and environmental targets. The group, which will celebrate its 90th anniversary next year, consists of the parent company Koja-Yhtiöt Oy, as well as Koja Oy and Chiller Oy, together with their subsidiaries and operations in Finland, Sweden and the United States. Koja Group’s turnover is approximately EUR 130 million, and the group employs nearly 500 people.
A strongly automated new factory in Jalasjärvi
Koja’s Jalasjärvi factory centralizes the production of air handling units and heat exchangers supplied to ships and buildings. Koja is one of the largest employers in Jalasjärvi, employing around 180 people.
Koja Oy has now significantly expanded its operations in Jalasjärvi. The new facilities, inaugurated in January, include approximately 5,300 m² of production space, 700 m² of warehouse space and 1,000 m² of office space. The new factory building, representing carbon-neutral construction, utilizes renewable forms of energy and, in building technology, the group’s new Wave automation system, at the core of which is an intelligent energy station. In addition, several million euros have been invested in machinery and equipment as well as in production automation. With the machinery investments, the level of automation increases, and the expanded capacity can be more easily scaled according to fluctuations in demand. Through these reforms, operations are being developed sustainably in order to respond even better to customer needs.
“Responsibility is one of the important values guiding our operations. The energy efficiency of our property is 70% better than in our old premises. As an electric-servo-operated machine, the Salvagnini system also consumes significantly less electricity than the hydraulic machines that previously handled these tasks. The Salvagnini system also automatically sorts cutting waste according to different materials. The new facilities and the Salvagnini system strongly support our sustainability goals and environmental responsibility. As a result, the carbon footprint of the entire factory is significantly lower than before,” says Communications Manager Minna Virtavuo.
Thanks to Salvagnini, the first fingerprints appear only in assembly
In line with Koja’s growth strategy, the target is to increase the production volume at Jalasjärvi by 20–30% from the 2023 level by 2025. Playing a key role in achieving this goal is the Salvagnini FMS system, which beats at the heart of the factory.
“When acquiring this system, we surveyed all the major manufacturers. During the procurement phase, our process was 3D-simulated at Salvagnini’s factory. The scales tipped in favor of Salvagnini thanks to certain technical features. In addition, it has advanced software, consisting of a single Salvagnini software environment and operating logic. The panel bender also includes a cutting option,” Tuomela lists as reasons behind the choice of Salvagnini.
“With Salvagnini, we can automate our press brake bending processes, and the first fingerprints appear only in assembly. We are currently using it to produce parts for heat exchangers and cabin units. Gradually, we will also transfer other parts requiring bending to Salvagnini production. The FMS system is extremely effective precisely for our needs, where the parts are most often manufactured as individual pieces, repetition is rare, and sizes and materials vary greatly. Although the production is mainly single-piece manufacturing, we process tens of thousands of parts annually with Salvagnini,” Tuomela explains.
“The targets set by Koja for its new production system were demanding and challenging, but thanks to Salvagnini’s broad and modular offering, exactly the right combination solution for these needs was found through several rounds of analysis, simulation and iteration. Also significant were the software interfaces created through Salvagnini’s own product development work, which bring genuine competitive advantage to the digital manufacturing environment,” says Fredko’s Managing Director Pasi Pitkänen, describing the progress of the process, and continues: “In my opinion, however, the most important thing was — and still is — to achieve the simulation results in the process during the practical testing phase and, in particular, to meet or exceed these defined expectations in actual production.”
Salvagnini increases speed by half
The FMS sheet metal processing system supplied by Salvagnini consists of a 180-location MV automatic storage system, an integrated SMD rapid loading buffer module, an S4Xe punching and corner shearing center, an MC buffering, stacking and loading device, and a P4Lean-3125 panel bender with Cut option.
“In the next phase, Koja-Production will be integrated into the Salvagnini system, allowing us to utilize our current parametric 3D models,” Tuomela reveals about the next steps.
“Thanks to Salvagnini and more advanced tooling technology in general, our operations have become 50% faster compared with our previous method using a 1996 sheet metal working center and a manual press brake. With Salvagnini, the machines and the program…” Tuomela concludes.
