Tikkurila reacts to its customers' challenges with prompt but careful product development. The Mitsubishi Logisnext Temasolid SC-F 20, tailored for painting truck masts, helps reduce emissions from the painting process. It contains less solvents than the product used before and dries faster than before, at an even lower temperature. As environmental and efficiency targets become more stringent, industry requires increasingly low-solvent products. The benefits of customised product development will eventually be used by the entire industry.
Lower VOC emissions through product development
Tikkurila's Temasolid SC-F 20 paint has been used by Logisnext for more than a year, so there is clear evidence of its benefits.
"The starting point for the product development of the paint were VOC emissions, which are controlled by the authorities. As our mast production increased, the solvent emissions of the coating we used increased. In order to achieve environmentally sustainable emissions targets, we needed a different type of product, and Tikkurila quickly started its development," says Jarmo Seppänen, Logisnext's Purchasing Manager.
Emissions of a paint product are already measured during its manufacturing process according to the limits set by the authorities. Emissions from the production line, in turn, are calculated according to paint consumption based on these figures.
Cooperation supports product development
Almost all trucks manufactured by the Järvenpää factory have a mast with a height ranging from 30 centimetres to 13 metres. The same black Temasolid paint in RAL 9005 is used on all masts.
"We have been cooperating with Tikkurila for a long time. It is important for us to use a domestic, nearby paint supplier who has the capacity to supply the dozens of shades required by our brands. The composition of the underlying wet paint does not vary much, but Temasolid is the most significant of the products we use. It is slightly more costly, but the price difference is offset by improvements in the production efficiency of the masts," Seppänen says.
At the beginning of the development work, Tikkurila provided Logisnext with mock-ups of the new product, and it was tested in addition to the usual laboratory tests on the factory's production line.
In addition to low emissions, another important product feature for Logisnext was drying time.
"Our factory manufactures and paints about 7,000 masts a year. The new paint dries at room temperature instead of the previous 70 degrees, and this has brought savings in throughput time and energy consumption and heating costs. As our production capacity has increased at the same time, in addition to emission reductions, we are talking about production efficiency improvements of at least 10 percent," Jarmo Seppänen says.
The new Temasolid saves energy because it does not require oven drying.
In addition to low emissions, one important feature of the product is corrosion resistance, which has been tested by both Tikkurila and the customer.
"There is currently no other similar matt product on the market. The project is an indication that developing paint can help the customer increase production, and it does not require large equipment investments," says Mika Viita-aho, Tikkurila's Key Account Manager for metal industry paints.
Development of the Temasolid product family continues at Tikkurila.
"Our development work for our industrial customers helps to develop other products with wider applicability. Glossy paints are constantly being developed to be even more low-solvent and, consequently, lower-emission," says Viita-aho.
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Mitsubishi Logisnext Europe Oy develops, manufactures and markets forklift trucks, automation systems and related lifecycle services in Järvenpää, Finland. At the same time, the company acts as the European product development centre of the international Mitsubishi Logisnext Group. Logisnext in Järvenpää employs more than 500 professionals and its brands include Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks, Cat® Lift Trucks, UniCarriers, TCM and Rocla, which has already been awarded the prestigious red dot design award six times.
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