Kuhmo Oy is a Kainuu-based sawmill company that supplies Finnish timber to 20 countries across the world. The products are manufactured locally from high-quality wood, which is sawn, dried and sorted according the customers’ wishes. The sawmill uses Kesla industrial cranes on a daily basis to keep the production lines operational even in failure situations.
“In addition to Finland, we deliver goods to EU, the Middle East and the Far East. We utilise two separate saw lines which we use to produce about 400,000 cubic metres of timber. The annual turnover is about €125 million and, overall, half of our production volume is exported. We trust Kesla’s expertise in industrial cranes, which have become a staple of our daily activities,” says the company’s Managing Director Tommi Ruha.
Impressed by the open cooperation
The cooperation between Kesla and Kuhmo Oy began with a massive saw line investment, in the context of which the company needed to purchase a new industrial crane. Kuhmo Oy landed on the Finnish company Kesla, which convinced Tommi with its high-quality products and first-rate after sales services.
“When purchasing the new crane, we compared a variety of service providers, but decided on the Finnish company Kesla. Their product was a perfect match for our needs, and I knew their after sales services in this region to be impeccable. Since we are also based in Finland, Kesla being from the same country was absolutely one of the deciding factors,” Tommi says.
Industrial cranes make work purposeful and safe
Kuhmo Oy procured two new industrial cranes for its saw lines, which were connected to radio and optical fibre control systems. Cranes in process use help workers react to sawmill failures and make the production smoother. According to Tommi, the cranes have met the employees’ expectations perfectly.
“We have the industrial cranes in process use, meaning that we use them to straighten wood pieces that have been misaligned on the line for any reason. Operators can easily remove wood pieces remotely from their work stations and we can resume production quickly,” Tommi says.
As regards the saw lines, Kesla’s industrial cranes have streamlined the employees’ day-to-day activities and substantially improved occupational safety. The operators are pleased with the technical features of the cranes – particularly the excellent reach and practical control system.
“The industrial crane has turned out to be a big help with physical work tasks since we can use it to significantly reduce the risk of injury. The crane was easy to deploy since it featured all the familiar motions and functionalities. Thanks to the radio control, we can straighten wood pieces conveniently without leaving the control room,” adds Markus Koistinen, who monitors the sawing process.
Help is available quickly through the extensive maintenance network
Kuhmo Oy favours Finnish suppliers due to reliable products and the direct cooperation. Tommi is sure that the Kainuu-based sawmill will continue to use Kesla cranes.
“Kesla’s factories are located close by so we cant count on fast maintenance services if we need them. Our experiences of the industrial cranes have been so good that we have already ordered a new one, which will arrive in spring. We can whole-heartedly recommend Kesla machines for other production facilities as well,” Tommi says.
