Tuomo Nikama, the new Supervisor in our Järvenpää unit, is pleased: employees are trained, work is well organized and clientele is varied. He is also excited about the new ideas and possibilities emerging from the FROSIO course.
FSP’s Järvenpää surface treatment facility is located on Emalikatu, in a facility shared with Lujabetoni Oy. We are welcomed by Tuomo Nikama, new Supervisor at the paint shop.
– This is my office, but I still haven’t had time to finish organizing it. I need at least another working space here in the corner, he says, showing us around. – Then I can properly conduct pull-off tests.
FROM WASHING TO SURFACE TREATMENT
At the time of interviewing, Tuomo Nikama has worked at FSP for a few weeks. The time has passed quickly, shuttling between his workplace and FROSIO course. His first impression of the new employer is positive and clear.
– I have a skilled team of five employees. Everybody can fill in for each other if needed, but generally two surface treatment professionals are specialized in early stage and three in later stage treatment. We are also hiring a person for pre/post treatment, Nikama says.
The Järvenpää facility can handle very large workpieces: maximum lifting capacity is 80,000 kg, and blasting can be done on workpieces some 20 meters long. Early treatment includes grease removal with alkaline pressure washing; in NORSOK projects the workpieces are first blasted clean, followed by work phases such as salt content test. Pre-treatment phases include plugging and other protective measures.
– After spray coating, the paint is often finished with brushes, Nikama says. – Coatings especially in hard-to-reach areas must be carefully measured. The film thickness should not be under or over the specified. The most difficult areas are first brush painted and then sprayed.
Finalizing work phases include covering and packaging. In addition to painting, other surface treatment is also carried out in Järvenpää. Nikama shows a machinery part that has first been painted and then given a sound insulation treatment. The facility also provides tapings and other value-added services.
GUIDED BY CERTIFICATIONS
Clients of the Järvenpää surface treatment facility are mainly remarkable metal industry companies.
Clients naturally have their own requirements for surface treatment, regarding both the looks and properties of the finish. Work is also guided by certifications that FSP adheres to. The Järvenpää unit is for example NORSOK certified. Measuring the circumstances and coat thickness along with pull-off tests are part of everyday work, as well as documenting every work phase.
Tuomo Nikama thinks that certifications and standardized working methods are a good thing.
– They make working easier and guarantee quality. Standard guides operation, and documentation proves what has been done. When everybody adheres to the same rules, a lot of unnecessary and inefficient work is avoided.
NEW INSIGHTS FROM FROSIO COURSE
Although Tuomo Nikama joined FSP this summer, he is an experienced professional in the industry.
– I have worked in the painting industry for around twenty years, starting with my first summer jobs. I had my own business and also worked in various industrial painting companies. I have surface treated everything imaginable, from small parts to excavators and buses, Nikama says.
Nevertheless, there is always something new to learn in this industry. Nikama took part in a FROSIO course with two other FSP employees. The course included lectures, written examinations and competence demonstrations.
– The training enables me to make inspections here at FSP and elsewhere, if needed.
16 students are accepted in the FROSIO course annually. In Finland, there are currently a little over hundred FROSIO 3 level inspectors, many of them
working at FSP.
Tuomo Nikama
Supervisor
+358 40 664 2258
Bachelor’s degree in surface treatment, family includes two sons
FSP Järvenpää
c/o Lujabetoni Oy
Emalikatu 10 (door 002A)
FI-04400 Järvenpää
Services:
- Washing and cleaning
- Shot blasting with steel grit
- Wet coating
- Lifting capacity: 40 and 80 tn
- Max. workpiece size: 5 x 3 x 20 m
(Dimensions: width x height x length) - NORSOK approved
