A leap toward sustainability and efficiency

Dinolift is investing heavily in upgrading its factory in Loimaa for increased efficiency in manufacturing and materials flow, improvements in the logistics chain and a significantly lower carbon footprint.

The 2022 IPCC Climate Change Mitigation Report notes that while limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will be impossible without deep emissions reductions, there are positive signs of climate action.

Reducing industrial emissions is a major plank of that progress, and Dinolift is doing its part by improving its entire manufacturing process. The factory expansion and renovations at Dinolift’s Raikkola area factory in Loimaa are getting closer to the finish line.

“Once the renovations are completed, all operations will function under the same roof,” says Karin Nars, Managing Director at Dinolift. “The oldest parts of the factory were built in the 60s and those will be replaced by new, highly efficient facilities.”

Operations that have been previously scattered across three different sites will be centralized in the Raikkola factory. The undertaking is a big leap for Dinolift, with the ultimate goal of making materials flow smoother and increasing overall efficiency. The use of resources, both material and personnel, will be optimized while reducing Dinolift’s carbon footprint and cutting costs at the same time.

“The factory renovation is a strategic move for the company, “ says Timo Knuutila, COO at Dinolift. “One big investment is the new robotic welding system which increases efficiency and the quality of our products. Overall, production times will shorten, and productivity will grow.”

Once the renovations are complete, the factory will gather all manufacturing units under the same roof, making communication smoother.
Image credit: Dinolift

Significantly smaller carbon footprint

According to the IPCC, the industrial sector produces about a quarter of global carbon emissions. Curbing that trend will require new production processes as well as low to zero-emission electricity, measures that will require major investments like the ones that Dinolift is making.

“Dinolift is becoming greener through these new investments. If the planet wins, we also win,” says Property Manager Ville Raikunen. “One major upgrade is the heating system that will be changed from oil to wood pellets. The shift will reduce Dinolift’s CO2 emissions annually by around 260 tonnes.”

To increase energy efficiency waste heat created in welding operations will be utilized during the winter months.

“After the operations are centralized at our Raikkola factory, the transportation of materials and staff between different sites will end. This will result in reducing the company’s CO2 emissions by around 5 tonnes annually,” explains Knuutila.

In addition, electric car charging points will be installed for staff members to encourage low-carbon transportation.

“Sustainability is not a simple question with a simple solution. A proper strategy needs to be in place to make a factory energy efficient and lower carbon emissions. And that’s what we have aimed to do here,” Nars adds.

The plans to upgrade the factory started in early 2021. Ville Raikunen and Timo Knuutila were part of the work group from the get-go.
Image credit: Dinolift

Bringing the DINO family together

Different parts of the factory will start operations gradually. Most of the welders will move to the new sections of the factory in June, and central storage will be taken into use after the summer holidays.

Besides corporate level gains, the renovation brings several benefits for the staff as well – both social and health-related.

“In a single factory nobody will be left ‘in the dark’,” says Raikunen. “From office workers to assembly, everyone will work on the same site. We hope that this will create a positive team spirit and strengthen our OneDINO culture.”

Investing in a new ventilation system will improve working conditions, especially for the welders that are exposed to welding fumes. The layout of the factory will make communication between the different units smoother and help the management coordinate better.

“It’s not just about saving costs. We have designed the factory area to make work easier and safer for the entire staff,” Knuutila concludes.

Renewing the ventilation system will improve working conditions, especially for the welders.

Image credit: Dinolift