Today’s challenges in Today’s challenges in Finnish plastic- and mould Finnish plastic- and mould

manufacturing industrymanufacturing industry

20th April 2006Comenius meeting in Kankaanpää

Timo Nuotio, Innoplast Oy

Who?Who?

• Timo Nuotio

• M. Sc. (Eng.), mechanical engineering

• Graduated from TUT June 2005

• Worked at Innoplast Oy since spring 2004

• Began as R&D Engineer, nowadays the Developing manager

• Established 1999, located in Kankaanpää• Produces technical plastic parts and delivers moulds for

injection moulding industry• Parent company of Kankaanpään Muotti Oy and

Innomold Oy • Customers are mostly from telecommunication (mobile

phones) and diagnostics industry• About 10% export (Hungary, Brazil, Germany…)• ~ 50 employees• Full service: product design mould design mould

injection moulding assembly

What makes it difficult What makes it difficult and challenging…and challenging…

• to be an international producer?– Finland is far from every high- volume

market

• to be a better choice than other companies in Eastern Europe and Far East?– Labour costs are high in Finland; it is

very difficult to be that cheap– The markets are getting more free and

transportation has got cheaper

The most important The most important challengeschallenges

• The customers demand:– Accuracy and high quality– Fastness and flexibility– Capability to manage large projects – Low price

• Being economically beneficial• Being able to work with foreign

companies, cultures and people• Being a better choice than other

companies (especially the ones abroad)

Being accurateBeing accurate

• 1. Demand:Good and efficient machines• Computers and

software• 3D-CAD, CAM

and CNC-machines

Being accurateBeing accurate• 1. Demand:

Good and efficient machines• EDM, grinding-

and milling machines

Being accurateBeing accurate• 1. Demand:

Good and efficient machines• Injection moulding

machines

Being accurateBeing accurate

• 2. Demand:

Skilled and engaged people– Education and training– Courses

Producing qualityProducing quality

• Certified quality system– ISO 9001

and

– ISO 14001

• Disciplined way of working

• Quality assurance– After every stage of

production; not only when everything should be ready

Fastness and flexibilityFastness and flexibility

• Disciplined process

• Efficient production control

• Efficient machinery– Software, machines,

automation

• Desire to serve the customer

Capability to manage Capability to manage large projectslarge projects

• Efficient and tested project management

• Networking– Wide capacity– Sharing of workload– Sharing of risks– Specialization MUOTTITUOTE NURMI OY

Low priceLow price

• Pretty much everything mentioned until now:– Efficient machinery

• High level of automation

– Well working production management

– Skilled and motivated personnel– Quality assuranceand

• Partners for co-operation

So, after all…So, after all…

• To be able to be competitive in the international competition, we have to:– Develop all the time. If we don’t

do it, someone else will but not for us…

– Listen to the customers and act the way they need us to.

– Work logically to reach the targets that we have set.