Warehouse Project Brings Together Expertise Across the Raumaster Group

Project Managers Tommi Hietapakka (Raumaster) and Matias Lehtinen (Raumaster Paper).

Companies within the Raumaster Group work closely together to ensure consistent quality across their projects. While Raumaster Oy, serving the energy sector, and Raumaster Paper Oy, specialising in solutions for the paper and board industry, have developed expertise in their respective fields, they also work together as one team.

A single mill site may include equipment and systems delivered by several companies within the group. For example, wood yards and biomass fuel handling systems may be supplied by Raumaster Oy, while automated warehouse and loading systems for finished products may be delivered by Raumaster Paper Oy. Between these areas are numerous processes and installations that have also been developed through close cooperation.

"For the customer, it is often simplest to work with one supplier that takes overall responsibility for the project. Internally, for example at paper and board mills, Raumaster Paper sources steel structures from Raumaster, providing a reliable foundation for roll handling equipment. In practice, we are one Raumaster," explains Kaarlo Talvinen, Sales Manager at Raumaster Paper.

At present, the companies are jointly delivering a three-level intermediate warehouse for board rolls together with extensions to conveyor lines at a board mill. According to Talvinen, cooperation was the natural approach from the outset.

"The warehouse is a large-scale project requiring extensive steel structures. Installation must also proceed level by level, with supporting structures completed before the warehouse conveyors can be installed. This means that scheduling requires careful coordination. To achieve both the required quality and schedule, the partner must share the same way of working and commitment to common objectives."

First joint project of this scale

Project Managers Matias Lehtinen (Raumaster Paper) and Tommi Hietapakka (Raumaster) are responsible for coordinating the project.

"The warehouse project is the first joint project of this scale within the group. In practice, we have created a new shared solution around the warehouse concept. The project also includes a new conveyor bridge delivered jointly by the companies. This part is more familiar territory, as we have worked together on similar solutions in previous projects," says Lehtinen.

According to Hietapakka, cooperation within the same group offers practical advantages.

"Whenever a project involves several parties, challenges can arise in information management and in defining responsibilities at the interfaces between different scopes of work. Communication is easier within the group, as we have direct access to plans and drawings and can obtain answers quickly when questions arise."

The mechanical installation of the warehouse was completed two weeks ahead of schedule, allowing electrical installation work to begin earlier than planned.

"The design and manufacturing phases have progressed well throughout the project. At the start of the project, we agreed that the same installation team would handle both the roll handling equipment installations (RMP) and the structural steelwork installations (RM). This has helped keep the project well coordinated as a whole," Lehtinen says.

Commissioning of the warehouse began in early September, and the completed facility is scheduled to be handed over to the customer later this autumn.