Trust isn't given in the coatings industry. It's earned. Ponsse's forest machines operate everywhere from the arctic to the tropics.
Surface Treatment Specialist Hannu Tarvainen knows what the coatings market has to offer. His conclusion is simple. "Partnering with Teknos is all about trust. If I had to summarise our collaboration in one word, that would be it. Trust."
Ponsse Plc is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of forest machines. Founded in 1970 in Vieremä, Finland, the family-owned company is still based in the same location despite having grown into an industry leader with worldwide exports.
Ponsse manufactures a wide range of harvester and forwarder machines that are designed around the modern, environmentally friendly cut-to-length logging method. Ponsse's machines operate in extremely demanding conditions ranging from arctic to subtropical and tropical locations, as well as environments of heavy atmospheric corrosivity.
The extreme mechanical and environmental stresses to which the equipment is subjected also place significant demands on the surface treatment of components and subassemblies. With few exceptions, Ponsse has used Teknos products since the 1970s.
"Teknos' direct-to-metal products are by far the best in the industry," Hannu Tarvainen says. "We've tested everything that's available in the market and the quality of Teknos' coatings really is exceptional. They're easy to apply, finish looks great, and the mechanical durability and corrosion resistance are superb. And they retain the gloss really well too."
One major advantage of direct-to-metal coatings is that you don’t need to apply a separate primer first. "If we had to prime everything, it would really slow down our production," says Tarvainen. "Also, with Teknos' coatings, we get better-looking and more attractive products with a thinner film, which means direct cost savings for our production."
Due to the heavy demands of the operating environment, all parts on Ponsse's machines are coated to corrosivity category C4. The front and rear subframes use TEKNODUR COMBI 340 with a dry film thickness of 150 μm, while sheet metal parts are finished with two-stage powder coating. All shades on Ponsse machines follow colour standards developed in collaboration with Teknos.
"Switching to TEKNODUR COMBI 340 a few years ago allowed us to cut our VOC emissions dramatically," Tarvainen recounts. "Now we can ramp up our production without being limited by VOC emissions. We have also done a lot of collaboration with Teknos on developing our powder coating process, and the results have been great."
Hannu Tarvainen and Jan Åkerlund measuring the film thickness.
Surface finishing is a critical process for Ponsse, and one that requires the highest level of quality in production. "Teknos is our long-term partner, supporting us in our daily operations," says Tuomas Pasma, Senior Manager, Quality & Sustainability, Ponsse. "Teknos' team is always there to help if there are any issues with coatings. I'm actually very rarely in contact with them, since as a quality manager I only hear about the biggest problems, and with Teknos, everything has run great!"
Ponsse has approximately 20 painting subcontractors working on different parts of the machines that are ultimately assembled and finished at the company's factory in Vieremä. Teknos works closely with Ponsse's network of subcontractors, ensuring a high standard of quality and providing technical support when necessary.
"Subcontractors are very important for both Ponsse and Teknos," says Jan Åkerlund, Key Account Manager, Teknos. "We can't have any irregularities or delays that impact production. The whole supply chain has to operate smoothly."
Teknos regularly updates Ponsse's subcontractors with the latest technical information and guidance together with Ponsse. Trainings for subcontractors are held both on location and at Teknos' training centre, covering various quality-related topics such as corrosion resistance and best practices for coating application.
"We want to be more than just salespeople for the customer," Åkerlund says. "Our aim is to be a technical partner that can help in every aspect of operations. The collaboration with Ponsse has been great, and it's a pleasure to work with a team of such knowledgeable professionals."
In addition to supporting everyday surface coating tasks, Teknos' team also conducts extensive research together with Ponsse to develop the processes and products used in Ponsse's production. The long-term collaboration and deep technical know-how continue to pay dividends as the two companies look ahead to continuing their partnership.
"If you sell coatings, you' also have to know how to paint and actually use the equipment," adds Ponsse's Hannu Tarvainen with a smile. "Forget about coming around here to just sell some paint and tell us that someone else will do the user training in two weeks. The best part about working with Teknos is that not only are they experts on using their own products, but also the customer is never left alone. They always keep their promises, and we do everything together to make the process work."
By optimising processes, you can have direct savings both in time and money.
Ponsse Plc is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of cut-to-length forest machines. The roots of the family-owned company, grown from a machine entrepreneur’s dream into an international export company, lie deep in the Finnish countryside. The company is still based in Vieremä, in the same location in which it was founded in 1970. Read more about Ponsse at ponsse.com.