Year

We caught up with Niklas Anttila, who recently joined the team at Heatmasters Hollola. We got right into it, bombarding him with the usual questions!

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT IS YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION AT HEATMASTERS?

Hey! I am Niklas Anttila, a fresh Digital Marketing Wizard excited to learn new spells related to marketing within the heat treatment industry!
I recently joined the Heatmasters’ team as a Sales & Marketing Specialist, focusing mostly on digital marketing.

WHEN DID YOU START YOUR JOB AT HEATMASTERS?

I started at Heatmasters at the beginning of November – I jumped right in, feet first! Henrik has shown me the ropes and now I am busy with some super-secret marketing projects (you will hear more about these early next year!) and developing our daily marketing activities. I also assist Henrik with sales and his other tasks and will be responsible for his tasks once he joins the army at the beginning of 2020.

WHAT IS YOUR EDUCATION AND WORK BACKGROUND?

I am a B.B.A graduate from JAMK University of Applied Sciences’ International Business programme. My studies focused on digital marketing and advertising. I also spent half a year abroad, at the University of Hertfordshire in England. My prior education happened all over the globe, from Hungary to Asia and Canada.

Before joining Heatmasters, I was in charge of digital marketing for a start-up in the medical device and aesthetic medicine industry. Responsibilities there were similar to the ones at Heatmasters.

I am always working on some projects too, stuff like helping restaurants do customer satisfaction and behavior research, SEO optimization, or planning marketing for launching niche-products like snow-plow electric scooters!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK? WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS ABOUT IT, AND WHAT ARE THE MOST CHALLENGING ONES?

Hectic.

The best part of my work is being able to do a bit of everything. From working on social media, web design, and content creation to communicating with clients and even acting as IT support sometimes. The thing I enjoy the most is being able to develop the marketing activities at Heatmasters and seeing concrete results. The most challenging thing is probably keeping track of the various responsibilities, I use several tools to organize tasks on a daily basis!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HEATMASTERS AS A COMPANY AND EMPLOYER?

I have been here for a bit over a month, and already I know that Heatmasters is truly a group of pioneers in the heat treatment industry – with a lot of potential for growth. I enjoy working with the whole team and have enjoyed my time here so far. I am looking forward to 2020!

WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR WORK IN 2020?

I have set several goals for Heatmasters’ marketing – I hope to achieve most of these in 2020. Things like getting our new website up, profitable PPC marketing and better SEO standards. Of course, I also look forward to personal development – fine-tuning and sharpening my marketing skills, and learning more about heat treatment processes!

WHAT DO YOU DO ON YOUR FREE TIME?

Either I am inside or out in the wild.

I’m an avid gamer and spend a lot of time online, staring at memes, playing games like Halo – or learning the latest marketing tools!

I also enjoy spending time outside. Fishing (even during winter!), hiking, mountain biking, or some other crazy stuff is always planned!

And of course, everything is always more fun with friends!

Connect with Niklas on LinkedIn

We had an interview with Pekka Arola, who recently started at Heatmasters in Turku. Arola’s versatile job description includes office work and physical tasks, since he will be working in heat treatment and also as an office assistant. Arola has previously worked in sales and in IT. Arola is ready for another challenge at Heatmasters, and the job is becoming familiar to him.

– After a long stint in the wood sector, the most challenging thing in the new work has been to learn the properties and working methods of a completely different material. But I am, by nature, inquisitive and I am interested in learning new things, so it has been a joy to learn.

Arola has been impressed by the Heatmasters as a company.

– Heatmasters seems like a nice fit for me, where I think I’m going to enjoy myself and make an impact. In addition, 45 years of history prove that Heatmasters is here to stay.

For the rest of the calendar year, Arola will continue to learn the ropes. There are however new goals for 2020.

– In the future, it would be great if I could take advantage of my education and my previous experience in sales. In addition, I am interested in various IT-development projects.

In his leisure time, Pekka Arola can be seen on a bicycle ride or at a disc golf course.

– And whenever I have time for it I love to take my Ducati for a round. In winter, I try to maintain my fitness by going to the gym, and when schedules and weather permits, skiing is also an integral part of my winter activities.

**Update: Henrik has left our team of wizards at the end of 2019 to complete his military conscription service. We wish him the best of luck!

We caught up with Henrik Hopea, who works at Heatmasters Hollola. Henrik lent us a few minutes of his time. Without further ado:

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT IS YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION AT HEATMASTERS?

I’m Henrik Hopea, an 18-year-old from Lahti. I do sales with Heatmasters, specializing in international trade. In addition, I work as an IT assistant in the office and also assist with the marketing of the company.

WHEN DID YOU START YOUR JOB AT HEATMASTERS?

I started at Heatmasters in February 2018. I was here first for internships, then for summer jobs, and then for a second internship. After the second internship, I was given a certain project, after which I started my actual work with the company.

WHAT IS YOUR EDUCATION AND WORK BACKGROUND?

I studied business economics at the Lahti University of Applied Sciences, and before that in Koulutuskeskus Salpaus.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK? WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS ABOUT IT, AND WHAT ARE THE MOST CHALLENGING ONES?

The best part of my job is working with clients. The most challenging, yet rewarding task is managing complicated projects globally.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HEATMASTERS AS A COMPANY AND EMPLOYER?

Heatmasters is a great company with a long history and solid roots in the industry. The company also has the potential for growth. As an employer, Heatmasters is a really good place to work. Everyone here is a true Wizard.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR WORK IN 2020?

At the beginning of the year, I will go to the army, so the first semester will go there. After that, I want to be involved in helping Heatmasters grow and innovate.

WHAT DO YOU DO ON YOUR FREE TIME?

In the summer I play football and in the winter I play floorball in the local small league. I also like to go ice skating. Exercise is an important part of life because it gives you a boost of well-being and keeps your mind up to speed.

Heatmasters Poland sp z o.o., as part of a consortium of companies, participates in the European project under the name: Development of the technology for producing a lightweight observation and defense container (LOOK) from ultra-high-strength nanostructured steels

Project No. POIR 4.1.4 -00-0047 / 16

Project co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund

The main goal of the project is to develop the construction and implementation of an innovative light-armored observation and defense container designed to secure and protect soldiers or officers performing operational tasks during peace and during war or stabilization operations (e.g. control and defense points, bases, or other strategic facilities, airports, installation).

The project envisages the construction of a container that meets Level 2 protection in accordance with NATO Stanag 4569A, with an extension to a higher penetration resistance by selected types of anti-tank shells. The goal of the project will be achieved by using sheets of nanostructured bainitic steel, which are characterized by high resistance to high-energy impact points. The use of sheets made of nanostructured steels will contribute to the improvement of at least two product performance parameters:

• increasing the ballistic protection, thereby increasing the safety of the crew (users);
• 30% weight reduction of the object’s armor.

The tasks of Heatmasters within the consortium include:

• preparation of innovative infrastructure and test cycles of heat treatment.
• final heat treatment of sheet metal to make prototype containers.

The leader of the project is the Institute for Ferrous Metallurgy in Gliwice.

There are different kinds of heaters and heating elements for different needs.

Insulated VET-preheaters are suitable for the preheating of flat or round workpieces and are easy to use. The thermal insulation is part of the element. Fixing onto the workpiece is simple and fast using steel banding or clamping magnets.

VET-Flexible preheating element

VHV-heating mats are suitable for preheating, post-weld, heat treatments process heating, etc. VHV-heating elements are used for flat or round workpieces

VHVP-heating mats are about half the size of VHV-type heating mats and they are designed especially for Heatmasters’ inverters and Heatmasters’ thyristor type power sources.

VHY-stud heater is used for pre- and post-weld heating of studs and outlet tubes. The form of VHY-stud heater enables attaching the heater near the weld.

VHK-heating mat spreads like fingers and is suitable for use on cone-shaped workpieces. It is used typically on the welds of studs and outlet tubes etc.

The VLV-channel heater is designed for pre- and post-weld heating with normal heat treatment devices. It is used for the internal heating of tubes and other cylindrical workpieces as well as for heating temporary furnaces.

VLV-Channel heater

The VLH-Channel heater is designed for pre- and post-weld heating using normal heat treatment devices. VLH is used primarily for preheating and temporary heat treatment furnaces but is also suitable for many other applications.

The VPE-chamber heater is designed for preheating pipes and tubes from the inside using normal heat treatment devices. There are two standard sizes, others are designed and produced according to the order. The maximum produced length is 7,0 m.

We are looking for a Sales Specialist / Sales Representative

To work in province Silesia and all of Poland

The work consists of:

• Active sales of heat treatment services and heat treatment machines with their instrumentation;
• Implementing sales plans
• Customer visits according to planned and approved visit plans
• Establishing and maintaining the best relationships with clients
• Keeping commercial documentation in the area of offer preparation, order registration,
• Analysis of requests for proposals, preparation of offers and conducting technical and commercial negotiations, supervision of the transaction
• Conducting commercial and technical arrangements regarding the services and products sold;
• Systematic reporting of the status of completed tasks to superiors
• Representing the company in all other matters

Requirements:

• Technical education, for example: – metallurgy, materials science, etc.
• Experience in a similar position
• Readiness for business trips in the country and occasionally abroad
• Practical knowledge of MS Office
• Communicability allowing for free technical and commercial conversations and making product presentations
• Ability to work under time pressure
• Focus on achieving goals
• Perfect organization of own work
• Knowledge of English is welcome
• Category B driving license.

We offer:

• Employment contract
• An interesting job in a company with an established position on the Polish and European market
• Opportunity for professional development in an international environment and raising professional qualifications in both commercial and technical areas
• Stability of employment
• Attractive employment conditions depend on the results achieved and on experience and skills
• Nice work atmosphere.

For more information and to apply, contact Marcin Skurczyński, Managing Director of Heatmasters Poland.

Mobile +48 661 622 100
E-mail marcin.skurczynski@heatmasters.net

Kymijärvi III plant in Lahti is replacing Kymijärvi I plant from the 1970s. By replacing the old coal-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant with a 190-megawatt bioheat plant, the city of Lahti is reducing its carbon emissions by 600 000 tons annually. Adding to that, Lahti has been chosen as the EU Green City in 2021.

Heatmasters has been working on the site for the last 18 months. In the photo, the annealing of the last pipe weld from the beginning of September. The first test runs with the new boiler burners and fuel receiving stations took place already in June. Test runs and commissioning will last until the end of the year.

Update: Article regarding additional works at Kymijärvi III plant during 2021

Temperature Control System Expertise

For more than two decades Heatmasters has been at the forefront regarding temperature control systems for metal’s heat treatment applications. Everyone in business is familiar with Heatmasters’ legendary Rigel26 controller and HM20/25 temperature control program. This technology has proven to be excellent in both accuracy and ease of use. Alongside Rigel/HM25, Heatmasters is working with various PLC (programmable logic) and industrial computer-based solutions for temperature control. We are able to rapidly provide a custom-tailored temperature control system that integrates into your existing production processes and meets all current and future requirements.

CUSTOMER CASE

In early 2019 we developed a completely new customized temperature control solution for customer’s automated production process.

The customer’s factory-level control system and control room were equipped with other manufacturer’s process control technology and this is why the customer wanted heat treatment transformers with a temperature control system that integrates as smoothly as possible into their production process.

After brainstorming and preliminary design process we came to the conclusion that the most cost-effective and easiest way is to embed a similar PLC which was controlling the main process into Heatmasters’ transformers. This allows the customer to operate with the control interface they are already familiar with and without bus converters or other add-ons.

The customized temperature control program inside the Heatmasters’ transformer has PID control for each channel through a thermocouple. We also gave the customer an opportunity to use their factory-level program for heat treatment control, whereby the transformer controller is given only power instruction and channel number, and which is then implemented by the transformer controller circuit.

The factory-level program will provide the transformer controller start and stop information, setpoint or before mentioned power instruction for each channel separately. PID control status, actual power value, and temperature information are amongst the data flowing back from the transformer to the main system.

The transformer controller was also provided with the so-called watchdog function, which detects the contact between the controllers in the transformers and the upper-level program. If there is no contact, the transformers and heating are set to stop.

And because safety comes first, we added a possibility to link the machine into the customer’s emergency stop circuit, meaning that whenever and wherever an emergency stop button is pushed it will also stop the transformers and heating.

Do you have heat treatment needs that require customized mechanical or automation solutions? Our experts are happy to assist you to find the best solution.

Contact person:

Markku Pyykkö
+358 40 533 8503
markku.pyykko@heatmasters.net

Heatmasters has been a service company since its beginning 45 years ago. With the new service model, we expand our scope of services beyond heat treatment to various kinds of other industrial services. Heatmasters service center in Turku, Finland, has piloted for a couple of years an integrated process model, where Heatmasters picks up the valve frames from a manufacturer, performs annealing to the frames at Heatmasters’ service center, then transports the goods for blasting and painting and finally delivers the frames to the manufacturer’s customer. Heatmasters is optimizing the whole process, which saves time and effort from the manufacturer. This is a good example of how the new service model benefits the welding and manufacturing shops.

We also apply the service model for the delivery process of maintenance and turnaround companies working at various process sites: power plants, oil refineries, chemical plants, pulp mills, etc. There is the newest project starting right now in Silesia, Poland, where Heatmasters provides NDT inspection & testing and as well as rented welders on top of the heat treatment services for a CHP (combined heat and power) plant maintenance. Heatmasters’ one-stop-shop makes it easy for the customer to plan and execute projects as there are fewer moving parts to juggle with.

Little by little our clientele is moving from single heat treatment jobs and projects to “combos” including a bundle of industrial services and finally to value partnership where Heatmasters is managing a selected part of the customer’s delivery process with value creation and continuous improvement responsibilities and targets.

We at Heatmasters take safety and occupational health seriously: we believe that better and safer working conditions lead to happier employees and better performance. As stated before, we had zero occupational accidents in Finland during 2018 we are now proudly announcing that we are ISO 45001 certified!

We have updated our occupational health and safety management standards with the new ISO 45001:2018 certificate. The certification covers heat treatment services by mobile heat treatment units as well as fixed and temporary furnaces where necessary, in addition to design, manufacture, marketing, sales, and after-sales service of heat treatment equipment. The certificate has been granted to our sites at Hollola, Turku, and Varkaus.

The ISO 45001 international standard helps organizations to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks, and create better, safer working conditions, all over the world.

The aim of the Heatmasters health and safety policy is to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of our staff, visitors, and the communities in which we operate.

We strive to have open and fact-based communication with all staff, authorities, and other interested parties when discussing health and safety issues.
Applicable laws and regulations are to be regarded as the minimum requirements and our target will always be 0 workplace incidents each year.
We promote well-being and safety through workplace studies, medical examinations, as well as the implementation of an occupational well-being plan.
Everyone at Heatmasters is committed to following our health and safety policy ensuring continuous improvement in our operations and our ISO 45001 occupational health and safety management system.

The certificate was issued to Heatmasters in April and it’s valid until 2022. Our Polish unit will also update its OHSAS 18001 system to ISO 45001 at a later stage.