State-of-the-art metal processing machine kicks off digital revolution at VMT Tehased
Kaltenbach's new component processing equipment adds productivity to the entire plant and allows better monitoring of all stages of the production process in the future.
The company’s activities are spread out over three factories – in Põltsamaa, Turba and Viljandi, with a total 9,700 m2 of production space, about 10 hectares of production land, and a workforce of 130 people. VMT Tehased’s annual output is approximately 6,500 tonnes of metal products.
Certification plays an important role
Over the years, VMT Tehased has constantly upgraded its production equipment to ensure that production is up-to-date and efficient. This is confirmed by the EN 1090-1 EXC3 manufacturing certification, which governs the requirements for steel structures in European buildings, and the EN ISO 3834-2 welding quality certificate. The company’s welders also hold corresponding certificates, allowing us to display the CE marking on everything we produce. Meeting the stringent welding standards gives our company a strong competitive advantage, as many other manufacturers of metal structures have not yet been able to meet the standards in their actual production.
In 2019, VMT Tehased met the CSA CWB W59 18 criteria for its EN 1090 certificate, which allows the company to produce steel structures for the Canadian market as well. The main markets for VMT Tehased are Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Germany.
More than ten years ago, the company acquired KALTENBACH metal processing equipment manufactured in Germany, which was cutting-edge technology at that time, and is still in operation at the Viljandi plant. The next step was to again invest in KALTENBACH’s reliable production equipment – a KALTENBACH KDP + KBS high-tech multifunctional profile drilling machine was purchased, which significantly improves the company’s production efficiency and is the only one of its kind in the world. The new machine will also enable the company to start a digital revolution, i.e. to achieve a much more efficient overview of the flow of manufacturing processes. The next step is to integrate the new machine with other components of the company’s production line.
Old and the new remain in operation side by side
Endel Mänd, Development Manager at VMT Tehased, says it has been greatly important for the company’s development to obtain and maintain manufacturing certification. Certificates are necessary to maintain competitiveness and meet the requirements of orders in procurements, but obtaining a certificate means the company’s production, including the qualifications of employees, are kept up-to-date at all stages.
”Certification is something that clients insist on and you simply have to have it in order to get orders,” says Mänd. ”And because we can meet those requirements, we hold an advantage over so many competitors who can’t.”
The KALTENBACH profile drilling machine was supplied to VMT Tehased by VOSSI Baltics. Because it’s such a new model, the representatives of the manufacturer in Germany travelled to Viljandi to set it up and get it running. Along with the new processing line, the old KALTENBACH machines for construction profile materials will also remain in operation. They will be used to manufacture metal profiles on a service contract in the future. The items produced by the machines are custom-cut, milled, drilled, threaded and marked steel construction parts.
Mänd says the company went back to KALTENBACH due to the good experience with the supplier and manufacturer of the previous line. And the old line has proven its reliability in the factory for more than ten years.
Productivity set to triple
VMT Tehased’s new processing line is intended for sawing structural and machined steel profiles up to 1000 mm wide and for drilling, milling or other processing of profiles up to 700 mm wide.
The entry and exit line leading to the machine is 12 meters long at both ends, which is also the standard size of steel available in Estonia.
For longer assemblies, where the profiles need to be welded together, the necessary connectors can be milled with the machine. In general, the machine’s output is a finished piece, which is then routed to the next operation, which is no longer related to preparation, but constitutes welding, finishing or another step.
”Compared to the old machine, the new processing line has added a lot of functionality. At the same time, it is possible to mill different openings in the profile material from three sides, mark the locations of all kinds of parts, their names, add marking numbers to the material or component,” says Mänd. ”And the work is much faster than it was before. Ideally, this bench could triple our productivity. However, in order to achieve this, some more investment steps need to be taken.”
The new KALTENBACH processing line runs on its own software. It can display the specific status of all parts and operations being processed. The company plans to link this information to other systems in the near future.
In the future, the machine’s software will be linked to VMT Tehased’s own production software so that parameters – like the current status of orders, which parts have been processed, which are waiting for their turn, etc. – can all be seen.
AS VMT Tehased
Reinu tee 27, Viljandi 71020, telefon +372 434 9700, e-post , www.vmt.ee
Vossi Baltics OÜ
Raimond Morgenson
Regional Business Manager
Sales: Baltics
Languages: English, Estonian and Russian
Tel. +372 528 5075
