Teknikum® Rubber Lining Services – Longevity and Health for Metal
Article published in Finnish Technology&Business magazine 20.3.2020
Teknikum Group, the largest manufacturer and service provider of industrial rubber and polymer products in Finland, is often asked the question “how long will this last?”. In the case of rubber lining services, the customers typically refers to mechanical or chemical resistance.
With decades of experience, Teknikum’s rubber lining unit serves its diverse customer base. What is special about the services of the Finnish rubber giant, are – besides agility and flexibility – the craftsmanship of the staff and their in-depth knowledge of the lining materials. Teknikum’s material development unit’s chemists obtain their rubber raw materials directly from the groups’s own rubber mixing plant in Kerava. In thirty years, unparalleled product development has been achieved for the benefit of customers operating in the chemical, mining, energy, nuclear and marine industries.
Main picture:
At Teknikum Kiikka factory in Sastamala Finland, parts of many shapes and sizes are lined with rubber. A rubber-lined tube will not leak, and a wear part will not corrode during use. Also, containers and tanks hold their surfaces without corrosion effect. Rubber lining can also be done at the customer’s site flexibly.
Development cooperation as a service
Teknikum stands out as a provider of hot-cured rubber in the Finnish market. The working method of vulcanization guarantees the highest quality results. The rubber-lined part is vulcanized in an autoclave of Kiikka factory, which is 12m in length. On the other hand, there is no limit to the size of the part when the work is done on-site at customer’s location.
“Unlike other players in the industry, we offer local materials, product and method development, meaning that we tailor our high-quality services for the customer cost-effectively,” says Timo Kokkonen, Business Unit Director of Teknikum Lining. “The competitive advantage of the Teknikum rubber lining services comes from our excellent materials and sustainable development. But in the end, the craftsmanship of the worker is always at the center.”
Lining includes traditional and hi-tech skills
The lining rubber is cut and shaped by hand at Teknikum’s Kiika factory. The work requires a high degree of skill to secure the lining material seamlessly to the surface of the part. In fact, the way of working is somewhat similar to working with leather, and differs from many other metal works: there are no machine or robots to do the work for the professional. The uniquely shaped parts require the rubber technician to be dexterous, precise and have problem-solving skills.
In the picture, Mr. Jukka Niemi, a rubber technician at Teknikum, is lining the slurry mixer blades of the UTG Mixing Group. His skills have been built up during a long working career since the 1970s:
“I’ve learned the best techniques by doing. Although the rubber industry has a long tradition in Finland, this type of handicraft is no longer taught in schools,” says Mr. Niemi. “There is a great deal of professional pride in doing things by hand. We each have our own signature style. Our skills are also passed on from master to the apprentice in our unit.”
Both the customer operating in the mining industry and Mr. Kokkonen are satisfied with the service level provided by Teknikum’s staff. “We want to add value to the customer, keep their machines running and help them to avoid any unwanted surprises in their processes. Our goal is always to build a long-term customer relationship based on trust: we are not just fixing the surface, but making the structures sustainable,” he says.
ABOUT
Teknikum Group
- Full service provider for polymer technology
- The expertise dates back to 1898, when the company’s current operations were part of the Finnish Rubber Factory and later the company merged with the Nokia Corporation.
- In 1989, the majority of Nokia Group’s technical rubber business was transferred to Teknikum Group.
- The Teknikum Group has three factories in Finland, Sastamala and Kerava, a factory in Hungary, a sales company in Germany and a sales office in Russia.
- Teknikum Group’s Business units are: Lining, Industrial hoses, Moulded products, Compounds, Foam and Plastic.
- Teknikum Group employs approximately 700 people and has a turnover of approximately EUR 70 million.