Koja Oy relies on Vaski’s special machinery planning and implementation skills

Koja Oy relies on Vaski’s special machinery planning and implementation skills

The cooperation between Koja Oy and Vaski started in the autumn of 2020 when Koja wanted to renew a special machine that punches and notches the ends of their profiles. The machine, which has been in use for six months now, has made everyday life easier for Koja i.e. with less maintenance and lower tool costs.

Founded in 1935, the Finnish family business Koja Oy offers intelligent and energy-efficient air handling solutions and industrial fans. The company’s fan production is concentrated in Tampere, where industrial fans are manufactured for example for energy production and forest industry. Koja also has a production unit in Jalasjärvi, Southern Ostrobothnia, where sheet metal production is centralized. Koja mainly supplies its machines to large buildings, such as schools, shopping malls, hospitals, or industrial factories. In addition, ventilation machines for cruise ships around the world are produced in Jalasjärvi. Focused on international trade, Koja has operations on several continents.

An active and professional planning team guaranteed the success of the project

The renewal of a special machine became topical for Koja when the previous machine had reached the end of its life. “We mapped out different suppliers, and Vaski stood out with a particularly active and knowledgeable planning team”, says Harri Tuomela, product and development engineer at Koja Oy. At an early stage, the planning team was involved in the project, and they planned exactly what kind of machine and processes that the profile needed. “These technical matters defined that we decided to choose Vaski as our partner for the project”, Tuomela adds.

The profile manufactured by the special machine has been in use in all Koja products for a long time. The new machine developed and improved some features compared to the previous machine we had. “The cutting method and technical solutions of the machine were tailored to our needs and wishes. In addition, the  blade lifetime is now up to three times longer, which means significantly lower tool costs and a longer service intervals”, says Tuomela.

The goal is to make production stops as short as possible

Vaski has an experienced team who provided technical know-how on various cutting and punching processes, their respective advantages such as for example, information on blade materials and hardness. “Based on this information, it was easy for us to decide the details of the machine together.” The project management overall was praised by Tuomela: “Everything worked smoothly, and as the planning progressed, we ensured intermittently that the direction and goal of the project were still in line. The big picture was taken into consideration at all times.”

One of the key factors for the purchase was that the machine should be easy to use and the replacement of the consumable parts should be effortless. “Vaski took this into account nicely – with the new machine we don’t waste valuable time on maintenance and stops, because the maintenance procedures are quick and easy to take care of”, Tuomela explains. “Overall, the cooperation has been proficient. Things were done as agreed, schedules were kept and Vaski is truly ready to think of the most optimal solution for the customer. We will definitely ask them for offers for similar projects in the future”, he sums up.