Kontakti Kiilto Oy's customer magazine

Kiilto Oy’s customer magazine

2013

Determined cabinet maker

Solvent-free adhesive triggered Isku’s

big changePage 6

Kontakti

ClimateCalc CC-000025/FIHÄMEEN KIRJAPAINO OY

CLIM

ATE N

EUTRAL PRINTED MATTER

HÄMEEN KIRJAPAINO OY 2012

441 209Printed matter

Editorial

Kontakti is Kiilto Oy’s customer magazine.

Publisher: Kiilto OyPO Box 250, 33101 Tampere

Chief Editor: Armi Mehto, tel. +358 (0)207 710 262, [email protected]

Editorial team: Anne Falck, Jenni Honkala, Outi Jalo, Tero Mäkinen, Matti Raatikainen and Sirpa Virtanen.

Editorial office and layout: Viestintätoimisto Selander & Co Oy, producers: Jaana Beversdorf, Ari Selander

Kiilto OyKiilto Oy, founded in 1919, is a Finnish family-owned manufacturer of chemical products. Kiilto Oy’s scope of business includes product development, production and marketing of adhesives and related products. Kiilto Oy is a part of the Kiilto Family Group, which comprises KiiltoClean Oy, provider of various cleaning and hygiene products and solutions, as well as other companies operating in various business sectors.

! Read more www.kiilto.com

Printed by Hämeen Kirjapaino OyEdition: 15 000 copiesPaper: G-Print, 115g/m2

ra

mi m

ar

jam

äK

i

Responsible business means that the company operates in strict compliance with laws and regulations and its business operations yield positive added value to its customers, personnel, owners, raw material and product suppliers as well as other stakeholders. In the chemical industry, the clear focus of responsible business is on safety and environment. This wide responsibility comprises minimization of

environmental impacts and safe overall performance throughout the product’s entire lifecycle.At Kiilto the most important single process in pursuing responsibility is the R&D process

of our products. It starts with analyzing safety of raw materials and trustworthiness of the supplier. This information is compared with the information we already have from our existing products. The primary aim is that the product we develop is safer than its predecessors in every aspect: safer raw materials and package, safer usage and disposal.

Safety and environmental responsibility materializes, if the personnel involved in the development work give their full contribution to the process. Sometimes even that is not enough and we need additional information outside the house, e.g. from raw material suppliers, authorities or other experts. Exchange of information within the organization as well as with the external specialists must be absolutely open and direct, so every participant has a chance to learn something new.

Over the years Kiilto has provided numerous frontrunner products and solutions for the building as well as industrial bonding applications. This has been enabled by Kiilto’s strong investments in in-house R&D activity over the years. Every fifth employee at Kiilto works in the R&D, our R&D facilities are modern and of high quality, even against all international standards.

Customers today are expecting to have safe, high-quality products. They are interested in knowing the manufacturer and its philosophy. Consumers as well as industrial customers are making their purchase decisions more and more based on a holistic product image. Things that enhance the positive image of a product or company are products’ good availability i.e. delivery reliability, accessible product information and guidance as well as overall trust to company’s competence - the very things that Kiilto has focused on throughout its history.

Antti OK NieminenManaging Director

information is needed

2

News

Kiilto Link has been awarded a patent by the

National Board of Patents and registrations of

Finland. Kiilto Link is an unique adhesive that forms

an elastic layer between ceramic tiles and concrete

floor and thus reduces the risk of delamination of

tiles due to concrete drying and shrinking. Kiilto

Link has been on the market since 2008.

– i hit upon an idea that it is possible to prepare

the surface against drying shrinkage, says research

manager Raija Polvinen, the inventor of Kiilto Link.

Typical applications for Kiilto Link are tiled

floors in halls, commercial premises, show rooms

and private houses. Kiilto Link is a part of the

comprehensive Kiilto tiling system which offers

compatible and tested underlayment products

from base to joints.

CE marking mandatory for building products as of 1.7.2013

Kiilto Link on elastinen joustokerros betonin ja keraamisen laattapinnan väliin. Se vähentää tutkitusti betonin kuivumisesta ja kutistumisesta aiheutuvaa laatoituksen irtoamista.

Kiilto LINK

Vastaus on vaaleanpunainen...

PATENT PENDING

Miksi Kiilto Link?Betoni kuivuessaan kutistuu ja varsinkin uusilla betonilattioilla kutistumat ovat pahimmillaan useita millimetrejä. Kiilto Link joustokerros ottaa tutkitusti vastaan betonin kuivumisesta johtuvia muodonmuutoksia ja siten pienentää laattojen irtoamisriskiä.

CONCRETE SHRINKAGE INCREASES DELAMINATION OF TILES

WITHOUT KIILTO LINK ELASTIC LAYER

KIILTO LINK ELASTIC LAYER ALLOWS CONCRETE DEFORMATIONS AND

PREVENTS DELAMINATION OF TILES

WITH KIILTO LINK ELASTIC LAYER

Unique Kiilto Link is now a patented product

as of 1 july 2013 most of the building and construction

products must have the CE marking, which is widely

used on the European market.

The CE marking is obligatory for products that

have a harmonised product standard. it sets out the

essential requirements that the product has to fulfil,

the required quality control measures and technical

documentation.

Kiilto-products that fall within the scope of

harmonised product standard are floor leveling

compounds, cementitious tile adhesives and paste-

like tiling adhesives, wall plasters and ready mixed

plasters. Kiilto-products that do not fall within the

scope of harmonised product standard yet are parquet

lacquers, joint mortars, thinners, cleaning agents and

adhesives (excl. tile adhesives).

Kiilto fixing grouts and levelling compounds have

had the CE label for many years. The widest product

group to have it now is Kiilto ready mixed plasters.

The CE marking will also be obligatory for sealants,

silicones and waterproofing membranes for outdoor

applications, but not until 2014.

Each product’s CE marking details will be marked

on Kiilto product packages in a simplified form. The

further CE details will be described in a Declaration of

Performance (DoP), which will be displayed on Kiilto

web service.

The alternative way: ETA The CE label is not obligatory for products that

do not have a harmonised product standard.

However, the manufacturer can apply European

Technical approval (ETa): ETa is a voluntary

technical assessment which allow the product to

become CE marked. ETa is the only way to get

the CE marking for e.g. wet room waterproofing

products. The Finnish law requires (rakmK C2 7.2.3

) that the performance of the entire waterproofing

system is tested for the intended use (including

joints and inlets). ETa and VTT-certificate require

that the entire waterproofing system is tested for

its performance.

according to the Construction Products

regulation 305/2011 the CE marking is obligatory

in all EU-countries from 1 july 2013 on. Having

the CE label does not automatic guarantee

that the building product complies with all

the requirements of the construction product

regulations, since in EU standards concerning

buildings and building elements are defined at

national level.

Did you know…

See working instructions videosKiilto has now a Kiilto-channel in YouTube

containing different types of working

instructions, e.g. on wallpapering and

waterproofing. To get an easy access to the

channel scan the Qr-code with our phone

application. Or go to www.youtube.com and

write “Kiilto-kanava”. Welcome to Kiilto-channel!

ISO standard provides guidance for actualizing new kind of responsibilityKKiilto has launched a project aiming to implement

iSO 26 000 Guidance on social responsibility within

the next few years. To start with Kiilto joined Finnish

Standards association SFS’s pilot project on the

subject. The idea is to integrate the principals and

core subjects of social responsibility defined in the iSO

26000 into Kiilto’s operations.

– Kiilto has already been executing social

responsibility for years in its environmental, safety,

occupational health and communications operations

as well as in stakeholder partnerships, tells Kiilto

Family’s Communications Specialist Armi Mehto.

– We are not re-inventing the wheel, but expecting

to have more precise terms, definitions and principals

concerning social responsibility.

Kiilto has started the project by defining their core

responsibility areas and the operations linked to those

areas. First they have focused on defining their ways

to act with schools, research institutions, employment

offices etc.

The new Guidance on social responsibility iSO

26000:2010 was completed at the end of 2010. it

is intended to promote common understanding in

the field of social responsibility and give subjects

and issues of social responsibility for companies. as

a comprehensive guide it completes other norms,

documents and principals of social responsibility.

Compiled in a standard format it gives a coherent

language and definitions, and the same principles to

implement and assess social responsibility throughout

the world. Communications and understanding will be

coherent and smooth.

iSO 26 000 is not a management system standard;

it is not intended or appropriate for certification

purposes. it provides guidance and instructions on

how to voluntarily promote social responsibility.

Kiilto in YouTube

3

High-quality product is made of responsible choices

illustration jaNNE HarjU / NaPa iLLUSTraTiONS

As a local operator, Kiilto has an innate understanding of

conditions in Finland and the demands

placed on products. Even international,

Kiilto is a local operator through its

subsidiaries.

Raw material bulk storingreduces the incoming

amount of package waste.

80% of all Kiilto’s raw

material is delivered in bulk.

Own solar power plantgenerates approx. 50 mWh power in-house

per year and reduces plant’s annual

O2 –emissions an average of 50 tons.

In-house R&Denables immediate respond to

customers’ needs and quick

product assortment updates.

New sustainable solutions are

sought constantly, starting

from raw material selection.

The proportion of eco and

safety classified products

of all products is constantly

increasing.

Liaising with research and educational institutespromotes new technology and method innovations as

well as boosts up education and expertise in the field of

chemistry.

Kiilto contact persons are close to the customerand specialized for different application areas. They

help the customer to choose the correct product

for the application. Kiilto produces also bespoke

products based on customers’ needs.

Kiilto’s business is based on customer orientation. Kiilto’s customers are mainly builders and industrial partners, to

whom Kiilto provides various adhesive solutions. Close partnership aims to mutual success based on high-quality and superior user and environmental safety. Close cooperation yields not only working products or applications, but also comprehensive, competitive solutions that meet strict technical, quality and ecological sustainability standards.

Some of the descriptions in this

illustration apply to operations at

Kiilto Oy's production plant in Finland.

Correspondingly, practising safety and

responsibility applies to all Kiilto Oy's

international subsidiaries.

4

In-house raw material productionreduces the need for raw material

transportation and increases self-

sufficiency. Kiilto’s polymerization plant

produces binders for water-based

adhesives. Kiilto is investigating the

possibility to utilize recycled, by-product

raw materials in their production.

Information widely availableYou can find information on Kiilto products on

www.kiilto.com.: product datasheets, application

guides, material safety data sheets, product package

disposal, information on package labels, certificates,

classification as well as customer support contact

details.

Customer training and supportdoes not end after the customer has bought the product.

Kiilto provides training to its professional customers in

the proper and safe use of their products: it arranges

trainings in Lempäälä headquartes as well as in its

regional warehouses. Kiilto organizes targeted trainings

to its professional customers in the proper and safe use

of their products in Lempäälä headquarters, in regional

warehouses as well as in international subsidiaries. most

recently, Kiilto has launched eKiilto training programmes

on the internet, which provide information on how to use

Kiilto products properly. Furthermore, Kiilto’s technical

customer support team can be reached by phone, if

having any enquiries on Kiilto products.

Waste handlingis arranged in cooperation with Ekokem Oy. Kiilto no longer sends any

waste for landfill disposal, instead sending it to Ekokem Oy for incineration.

advanced, own waste sorting methods has significantly diminished e.g. the

amount of mixed waste. rectification of washing solvents brings savings in

material purchases.

Kiilto’s product distributionsystem minimizes the possible impacts on the

environment. Kiilto’s centralized transportation

lowers costs and emissions as well as improves

transportation safety. industrial customers are

encouraged to buy products in bigger volumes.

Own settling tank for waste waters effectively separates the suspended matter, which is

then forwarded to the disposal site. it also diminishes the

amount of water going to the municipal sewage system.

Local productionminimizes the ecological footprint and increases

delivery reliability. Kiilto products are manufactured

in Lempäälä, Finland. Production in russian

subsidiaries serves for local markets.

Closed production and batch processes combined with

automatic dosing and conveyor

solutions guarantee that no by-products

are derived from the manufacturing

processes, and emissions to air and

releases to water can be minimized.

Quality control labtakes and analyses one sample of each batch

produced to ensure that the product complies

with the set quality and safety standards.

5

Text and photos miiKa KaUKiNEN

Adhesive may not be the first thing to come in mind when imagining large scale furniture production in a huge 15-hectare production hall. We visited the Isku furniture factory in Lahti and found out that the right adhesive plays an important role in the manufacturing process.

Solvent-free adhesive

revolutionized Isku’s production

The use of solvent-free adhesives enables positioning of working phases more freely in the factory.

6

Making a piece of furniture is very simple. Let’s take a look at a sofa, for example. It has a skeleton made of metal or plywood, covered with padding. The

whole piece is then upholstered and the sofa is ready for use.

When watching the manufacturing process of a single sofa in Isku’s huge production hall in Lahti, gluing seems to be a minor work. It takes place in a small work station, an area of some 20 square meters, where the adhesive is applied directly to the skeleton of the sofa with a sprayer.

But let’s go back to the role of adhesive: In Isku’s case, adhesive was and still is a big thing. Choosing a solvent-free, water-based Kiilto Akvatex 226 -adhesive, Isku got rid of bad smells, which triggered a huge change in their production.

Production Manager Mika Tyrväinen knows how adhesive can grow into a product feature. Furthermore, the new adhesive enabled Isku to optimize their factory operations.

– Since the adhesive change two years ago, we have achieved significant benefits with regard to our process engineering. We shuffled the layout of our factory entirely, which could not have been possible without the new Kiilto-adhesive.

Adhesive does not control the order of the production lines anymore The gluing is now done in a small, restricted area in the middle of the production hall and near other production processes. Only the suction devices in

the ceiling indicate that chemicals are being hand-led here. Earlier there used to be several, clumsy gluing cabinets scattered around the factory area.

– Gluing can now be done near upholstering, since there is no smell neither fumes. The new adhesive enables planning our production processes more freely, says Tyrväinen.

The truth is that a layout of a big factory employing hundreds of people cannot be changed easily.

– Now our processes work as per the order list. Every piece of furniture we start to make has a buyer already, so we do not need any intermediate storaging. Lead times are short and the value of unfinished production is lower. Materials handling is straightforward. Gluing process does not cause extra interruptions in the production flow, says Tyrväinen. And furthermore, the washing and cleaning of tools is easy and fast, so we get more valuable working time.

Getting rid of air impurities The adhesive turns into a product feature during the production process. The one, who is hand-ling the piece of furniture, either making it at the factory or sitting on it at home, surely values sol-vent-free production.

– In ecological context, the new Kiilto-adhesive minimizes harmful impacts on the environment and has almost zero impact on our immediate surroundings. Our furniture is now safe to make and use, since we got rid of all harmful indoor emissions. >

Isku, Lahti manufacturing facilities• Started as a small basement workshop in

1928.

• Today production in mukkula, Lahti, in two

different buildings, total production area 9

hectares

• isku employs approx. 1000 people in Finland:

600 in Lahti, of which 450 in production.

• isku’s new environmental system in

compliance with iSO 14001 –standard was

certified in april 2011.

• isku, Lahti, produces approx. 2000 pieces of

furniture per day and delivers them e.g. for

day care centres, kitchens and offices.

• isku has stores in 36 cities in Finland.

Only the best leather is good enough for a high-quality piece of furniture. The markings in the roll indicate the rough spots in the leather. Production Manager Mika Tyrväinen (on the left) knows the composition of a modern manufacturing process - and adhesive fumes are not included in it !

Furniture manufacturing is more or less handwork.

7

Lower total costs indicates high quality Isku is already known for its Finnish high qua-lity furniture in many countries. So also the adhesive used in the production must be of good quality. From a furniture manufacture’s point of view, a high quality adhesive is an ad-hesive that meets the requirements given by the customer.

– The adhesive must, of course, have a good grip, which means that the paddings stay in place. The bond must remain elastic and the adhesive stable; it must not discolour fabrics or textiles or react with other chemicals. Product's recyclability must not change over its life cycle, lists Tyrväinen.

Akvatex 226 -adhesive bonds and cures fast making it ideal for industrial production. It also enhances sofa’s quality and comfort for the end user: The sandwich construction of contemporary furniture is made of several layers of foam plastic. These foam plastic layers, which are variable in springiness, are glued together to their final shape, so the curing times cannot be very long.

Affordable price is also a part of adhesive's quality. It does not mean low price per litre, but low operating costs.

– The adhesive must have good storability, because its consistency must stay stable during storing.

– It is important that the production equipment and machines are easy to clean and that the adhesive does not block the nozzles and hoses. In choosing a suitable adhesive, we are more interested in the total cost resulting from the use of the adhesive than the actual purchasing price.

Working in close collaborationTyrväinen says that Kiilto really was committed to team up with Isku and interested in finding the optimal adhesive solution for their purposes.

– Kiilto was genuinely engaged to find a solution for our problem and found a perfect product for us as far as adhesive's features, price and delivery reliability are concerned. And technical support is easily available. Furthermore, we usually choose products that have potential for our future needs. Let’s see whether Kiilto’s domestic R&D team have further ideas for us…

And Kiilto has – a revolutionary furniture adhesive that is visible when wet, but dries clear is already under development. ■

Adhesive remains visible after drying. Manufacturing a piece of furniture requires several work phases of handwork before it is ready to be delivered to the customer.

Finnish quality work. Please, have a seat and enjoy!

8

Kiilto provides support

National regulations on environmental protection

have tightened during the past few years. The new

regulations arouse questions among Kiilto Oy’s

industrial customers – questions which tend to be

quite tricky ones.

– When licensing an environmental permit,

authorities usually require detailed reports on e.g.

waste water composition. at this point our customer

usually consults us, says Lilli Puntti, r&D Support

manager of Kiilto Oy.

– We are happy to be able to help people, even

though it is not always easy to give an estimation

on how much adhesive they use in their production

processes or how much chemicals are carried along

to their waste water. adhesive residue in equipment

washing water plays quite an insignificant role if

compared to the total amount of company's waste

water.

– Together with the customer we have found good,

approved solutions. - For example, we can switch the

product to a more suitable one, says Lilli Puntti.

– We get questions about waste treatment, for

example disposal of adhesive waste. We provide

detailed instructions on Kiilto product and package

disposal on our website.

New material safety data sheetsKiilto works in close cooperation with authorities

already at the stage when new standards and

regulations are being prepared.

– it is good to be involved in the preparation

process.. Kiilto works actively in the Chemical industry

Federation of Finland, and for a medium sized

company Kiilto is very active, describes Puntti.

Kiilto observes, for example, how the rules

of EU’s rEaCH-chemical regulation have to be

represented in material safety data sheets (mSDS).

The regulation requires exposure scenarios, in which

ExPErts in thE KiiltO tEChniCal suPPOrt provide advice and information for all Kiilto customers, either in the building or industry sector. For contact details, see www.kiilto.com

Support for Kiilto Oy’s industrial customers

Kiilto Oy’s R&D Support Manager Lilli Puntti is busy with answering her phone during the work day and responding to questions on product and chemical safety.

the manufacturer must represent the operating

situation of the chemical and the possible risks and risk

management involved in it as fully as possible. Finnish

Safety and Chemicals agency (TUKES) monitors the

implementation of rEaCH-regulation and supervises

the data that is forwarded to consumers.

– We deliver mSDSes to our customers, for example

for their occupational safety audits. Occupational safety

is a central aspect our product stewardship. We train

our sales personnel, who then provide support to our

customers in the proper and safe use of our products.

in addition to Finnish and EU regulations, Lilli Puntti

is familiar with other countries’ regulations as well.

– For example, in Norway m1-classification is not

enough, they have much stricter criteria. Our task is to

provide support and advice to our customers in the

export business and how to meet all those country-

specific criteria. ■

Text jaaNa BEVErSDOrF

Photo miiKa KaUKiNEN

9

Award-winning carpenter Kari Virtanen respects the past, but creates the new. Nikari Oy, founded by Kari Virtanen, manufactures wood design products that are widely sold overseas. Now at the age

of 65 Virtanen built himself a private workshop where he can do experiments with wood by himself.

Text rOOPE LiPaSTi

Photos Sari KETTUNEN

Born to be acarpenter

A success story

10

“I started as carpenter apprentice at the age of 14, but long before that I had decided to go into carpentry. I had not even started school yet, when I was making bath whisks and porridge scoops for sale. My family was very poor, my mother was evacuated from the area of Finnish Karelia and my father had been in a prison camp in Siberia.

In 1967 I founded Nikari. The start was grand: our first customer was Alvar Aalto. At that time he was building a parish centre and church (Lakeuden risti) in Seinäjoki, to which I made the hymn book shelves. Only recently I had an exhibition at the Aalto-museum."

"As starting the business I advertised in the paper: We take on all kinds of carpentry assignments. And that has been Nikari’s motto since. We make anything from wood, even formwork, fences, which I used to do when starting the business. You have to be open for changes. For example, we are now focusing more on export, since the domestic market seems to be slacker at the moment.”

“I started as decorative carpenter, but at some point I realized that each age must create its own ideals, trends and collections. I decided that I don’t want to stick to the past, but create the future. However, you should respect the past, since the future is built on it. We employ designers all over the world.

We were lucky to found a successor for the business. However, I am a minority shareholder in the company. I have no plans to retreat, since I have just finished building a workshop just a few miles away from my house. It is a kind of research and development hut, where I can work in peace without any stress about sales figures etc.”

The most important thing to me in this work is the development process. When the product is finished, I tend to lose my interest in it. In this work you have the plan in your head. You visualize the design in your head and then realize it. Technical drawings for large scale production are made after that. I remember Kaj Frank visiting my workshop and praising “the design” of one of my chairs – and I remember asking “design? What’s that?"

In furniture design many things are strictly fixed, for example the heights of chairs and tables. But to succeed, you have to have deep understanding on the structure and chemistry of wood. The approach is more or less driven by the wood. For example, ash is very strong and thus suitable for more delicate furniture. And wood’s chemical composition determines which adhesive can be used with it. Ever since its establishment, Nikari has bought its adhesives from Kiilto Oy. We are fanatic over the domesticity of our production: we use only wood from our neighboring forests. And we have plenty of it here in Fiskars, over 30 species – and we use 16 of them.” ■

PH

OTO

: CH

iKa

KO

Ha

ra

Da

APRIL- tablesDesigner:Alfredo Häberli

11

Text jaaNa BEVErSDOrF

Photos CHiKaKO HaraDa

To celebrate Helsinki as the world design capital in 2012 Nikari decided to combine Finnish wood, design and responsibility.

- We wanted to celebrate Helsinki World Design Capital 2012 –jubilee year in our own way and came up with the idea to launch “12 Designs for Nature” –project, explains Nikari Oy’s Managing Director Johanna Vuorio.

– We also thought that this would be a great opportunity to make Nikari’s philosophy and Finnish wood design more widely known to larger audiences: how we make high-quality, unique wooden furniture using Finnish wood from our nearby forests. We decided to ask 12 designers or design studios to familiarize with our philosophy and give their respond to it in a form of a product.

Six of the designers asked for the project were Finnish and the other six outside Finland – some of them were novices, some renowned, world-class designers, says Vuorio.

– We had a small, undisclosed jury, and together we tried to figure out a suitable group of divergent designers, explains Vuorio.

The designers were told about Nikari and its business idea, after which they were given a free hand in the design.

Nikary Oy, located in the beautiful, unique Fiskars village, is a manufacturer of sustainable wood design products of exquisite quality.

Fundamental component:

Finnish wood– Actually, the only requirement on our side

was that the product should be made of Finnish timber.

The outcome was, among other things, a self-assembly chair made of ash, a table of maple and a chandelier of oak. All the products made for the “12 Designs for Nature” –project are now in production at Nikari’s. A certain sum of sales proceeds is donated via WWF Finland to conservation of rainforests and forests all over the world.

A collection of these design products were on display at the Stockholm furniture fair in February.

– We have been contacted around the world and have had orders from e.g. Jordan and USA, tells Vuorio.

– The great thing is that this project brought us more visibility within the design and architecture spheres and we found new, good agents. ■

Kiilto was one of the sponsors of the 12 Designs

for nature –project and some pieces of the design

furniture were displayed at Kiilto headquarters in

Lempäälä in may 2013.

! Visit www.nikari.fi

JUNE ChandelierDesigner:Mikko Paakkanen

SEPTEMBER bar stoolDesigner:Mikhail Barashkov

12

Roller was a common lacquering tool long before the flotex-spatula. Now roller lacquering is making a come-back even here in Finland, since tools and lacquers have significantly

improved over the last years. Kiilto naturally was aware of the roller

renaissance and developed a totally new type of full matt coating for wood floor. This new coating called Nature Matt, a real piece of wizardry, is ideal for roller application.

One-component, solvent-free Nature Matt is a must for floors, if wood's natural appearance and characteristics are to be accentuated. So applications will hardly be spare, and more and more parquet fitters prefer a roller.

– I have done most of my lacquering jobs with a roller this year. At first there were some difficulties; loose dirt on the floors was really frustrating. But soon things started to get on well and benefits of roller application became obvious, explains Lasse Gronholm, parquet fitter at Parketti-Herala Oy.

– The undeniable fact is that most floors are faster to finish with a roller. And even down times seems to be more optimal. We allow the floor to dry as per instructions and then continue our work. And what's more, we haven’t heard any complaints from our customers.

Roller application increases lacquer consumption per square meter, but the finish is more durable.

– Roller application enables various product combinations. The base can be applied with a steel trowel and the finish with a roller. Naturally, roller can be used also for base. Kiilto has suitable products according to the tool and application method. Parquet business is known to be conservative, so many parquet fitters still prefer a

trowel, emphasizes Kiilto Oy’s Product Manager Jyrki Pajunen.

According to Pajunen, Kiilto works in close cooperation with its contractors already at the R&D stage. The product is tested in the Kiilto laboratory first and then taken downstairs to a specific test room with wooden test floors for extensive testing. From there the new product goes to field tests to building sites.

– From tradesmen we get direct feedback on important things such as spreading properties, colour, odour and drying time, mentions Pajunen.

– Even our floor fitters know Kiilto R&D personnel. Working with them is very easy, says Arto Herala, Managing Director of Parketti-Herala.

Being a front man in a parquet company of a dozen people, Herala knows that developing a new product or even upgrading an existing product is not for busy people.

– For example, wood’s drying times may change a lot due to seasonal variation, so we have to carry out several tests over the year, thinks Herala.

So roller application is becoming more and more popular, what other trends there are to be expected in the parquet business in the future? Herala mentions white lacquering.

– Oak is a common and safe choice for parquet. When treated with certain lacquer type, it will turn to yellow over the years. But it can be sanded and finished with a lacquer tinted with white paste. Dark colours are not in fashion now, says Herala.

– But in Sweden they are having a lot of stained, full black floors nowadays. They are quite challenging, says Pajunen. ■

Faster lacquering with a rollerRoller lacquering is making its come-back. Kiilto is now offering a whole new type, roller applicable full matt coating for wood floors.

Text and photo Kari SaariNENJUNE ChandelierDesigner:Mikko Paakkanen

13

Kidex Oy can sincerely say that they meet with the criteria of a responsible company. Responsibility

is the solid foundation of their business, from raw materials to personnel policy.

Sustainable company policy

14

Text aNNa-mari TYYriLä

Photos PENTTi POTKONEN

Kidex Oy in Kitee, Finland, is established and owned by Martela. The company has operated in Kitee for 38 years now and multiplied its size since its early days.

– We manufacture wood board based furniture components, mainly table tops and chest of drawers. 75% of our products go to Martela, the rest we sell to our external customers, says Managing Director Mika Kärnä.

Produced boards are either made of plywood or mdf-board.

What’s typical to our processes is that all our products are coated, for example, with wood veneer or durable laminate, says Kärnä.

All coatings, edge strips and wood shelf tenons are glued with Kiilto adhesives. Swan label sets the criteria Kidex manufactures only bespoke products.

Our customers specify the requirements our raw materials, adhesives etc. must fulfil and we choose the materials we use in accordance with to those specifications, describes Kärnä.

Sweden is a big market to Martela and Kidex Oy. In Sweden the Nordic environment label, the Swan label, sets strict criteria for e.g. public procurement. In Finland the Swan label is not directly required in public procurement, but

more and more people want to know about the origin of wood and product’s chemical and emission content.

– We have made a decision to principle to follow the Swedish requirements. The Swan ecolabel sets stringent criteria for our production.

In practice, the Swan label governs the selection of raw materials, wood treatment agents and adhesives Kidex uses nowadays.

– We have also changed our surface treatment agents to more eco-friendly ones, adds Production Manager Pauli Lyyluoma. Whereas PVC is commonly used in Central Europe, Kidex does not use it anymore in its components.

Kärnä says that surely there are cheaper raw materials and components available for their production, but being committed to responsible business, they want to stick to it and evolve it.

– Our path to a responsible company has been a 10 years’ process, moving step by step towards more sustainable operations. Now many of the responsible solutions we have made feel so obvious. A company who starts to build responsibility from zero will have a lot of work to do, think Kärnä and Lyyluoma.

Responsible togetherJuha Vauhkonen, Kiilto Oy’s Regional Manager in the Industry Department (Eastern Finland), >

Managing Director Mika Kärnä says that Kidex Oy buys only environmentally friendly materials, including raw materials.

Production Manager Pauli Lyyluoma points out that Kidex does not use pvc-vinyl, which is still commonly used in Central Europe.

After surface treatment the boards are ready to be packed. Juha Tolvanen stacks the boards to piles ready to be delivered.

15

Kidex Oy• Located in Kitee, North Karelia, Finland

• Founded in 1975, expanded 4 times, factory

area totaling 1.2 hectares

• Part of the Martela Group, Martela’s ownership

100%

• Key products: wooden board furniture

components, mostly table tops and elements

for chest of drawers

• Turnover in 2012 approx. 11 M€

• Employs approx. 100 people (70 permanent

employees).

Adhesive granules for gluing edge bandings. In the gluing process they are melted.

Kiilto Oy’s Regional Manager Juha Vauhkonen (in the middle) knows Kidex’s production processes and contributed significantly to Kidex’s production line designs. Cooperation with Managing Director Mika Kärnä (on the left) and Production Manager Pauli Lyyluoma has been easy right from the start.

Kidex has maximized its factory space. Products are not stored for long times – they are usually delivered to the customer within 24 hours from production. Aki Nousiainen moves board packages to the loading area.

ever changing environmental requirements. Peitsalo could give a long lecture how

challenging it is to respond the responsibility requirements in today´s changing world. Criteria update usually applies one issue at a time, and at the worst, environmental criteria must be amended once a month. And one cannot tell what happens tomorrow.

Martela provides e-training modules on responsibility issues within the Group, but also organize in-situ trainings at companies.

Managing Director Kärnä is very satisfied with the responsibility training and support provided by the parent company; without it Kidex should have one employee concentrating on responsibility issues only.

Through the entire life-cycleIn terms with responsible business, it is not enough that the materials and substances used in production meet the criteria set by the market. Responsible business includes also responsible waste management and energy consumption.

– The responsibility that the Swan label requires

must cover the entire life cycle of the product and processes included in it. For example, we used to have an old, ineffective chip boiler, but dumped it a couple of years ago. We switched to district heating and now supply our wooden material left from our production to the company who is generating the heat. And they forward the material they cannot use to further processing, describes Kärnä.

Kidex is located beside the Kiteenjärvi-lake in the groundwater area. In the name of responsibility Kidex has a strict control over its process waters; not a single drop of it gets even in the sewer system.

Responsibility is also implemented by taking care of the company personnel. Here in Finland child labour is not a problem, but things like regular education, encouragement and occupational health care are things to tackle. Staff lunch is also provided, as well as good working facilities.

All guests visiting the plant are greeted politely. ■

visits Kidex Oy often and gets along well with Kidex Oy’s personnel.

– We don’t just supply adhesives. We work hard to get the most optimal solutions for Kidex Oy’s production, says Vauhkonen.

– For example, last year when Kidex was investing in a new coating line, together we tried to find the most optimal adhesive and gluing solutions for the process.

– We tested several adhesives in Kidex’s process lines to get an adhesive that would meet the requirements. From Kidex we took some samples to our laboratory for weather tests and run several tests to get the optimal performance, explains Vauhkonen.

Martela’s Responsibility Specialist Anne-Maria Peitsalo visits also often Kidex Oy. Apart from her annual visists, she communicates with Kidex on a weekly basis.

As a part of the Martela group, Kidex is one of our most important suppliers. Their responsibility requirements are clear and responsibility is anchored in company’s business operations in a fine way. We have found fine solutions also to the

16

NeW pRODuCTs fOR buILDINg AND CONsTRuCTION

KiiltoFix Premium – elastic power adhesiveExtra strong, solvent-free

mS-polymer adhesive for

challenging gluing and sealing

applications indoors and

outdoors. Suitable for fixing

racks, hooks and laths in dry

and wet areas. Bonds stone,

mirror, metal, wood, different

types of building, acoustic and

decoration panels and most

plastics.

• Thermal resistance + 100°C.

initial tack 200 kg/m2, final

strength over 10 000 kg/m2.

For better indoor air quality – Kiilto M1000 ECO lattialiima -floor adhesive

Kiilto m1000 ECO is m1-classified, water-based,

solvent and plasticiser free acryl dispersion

adhesive for gluing vinyl coatings and tiles, linoleum,

rubber coatings, foam backed textile coatings and

wall coverings over 0.6 mm thick on porous and

non-porous substrates in dry and wet areas.

No 2-ethylheksanol emitted, does not contain

aPEO-compounds, phthalates or other plasticisers.

Has imO FTPC –certification (Wheelmark).

• Wet gluing time 0–20 minutes, tacky gluing time

20-60 minutes. Consumption 4-6 m2/l.

Kiilto nature Matt coating for wood floorsrollable and durable coating for wood floors. For

public premises and private houses.

Full matt (degree of gloss 5), one-component,

water-based coating for parquets and wood floor.

accentuates wood’s natural beauty and color. Has

good resistance against wear and chemicals, and

helps to keep the floor clean.

• Consumption 6-8 m2/l (one roller application).

upgraded nMP-free Kiilto Puulattiakka safirUpgraded Puulattialakka Safir is a water-based, one-

component floor lacquer for wood and parquet

floors in private homes, e.g. wooden plank floor in

summer cottages. Designed for brush application.

Does not require a separate parquet primer, Kiilto

Puulattialakka Safir can be used from base to finish.

The product is NmP-free and has m1 indoor

air classification. Consumption 10-14 m2/l (one

application with a flat varnish brush or lacquer

brush). available in two gloss degrees: semi matt

(20) and semi gloss (55).

MORe LOW-DusT KIILTO-pRODuCTs

Kiilto lattialaasti DF – low-dust and flexible cementitious adhesive for fixing large floor tiles

Low-dust, m1-classified and flexible cementitious

adhesive for fixing large ceramic floor tiles indoors

and outdoors. Suitable also for dark natural stone.

adhesives’ flexibility provides good bond between

the tile and the adhesive. Open time approx. 15

minutes and working time approx. 1 h. ready to

be jointed as early as 5 h after tiling on porous

substrate and after 24 h on non-porous substrates,

such as Kiilto waterproofing membrane. C2FES1,

with Fixbinder-additive C2ES2.

• Consumption 3–6 kg/m2

Kiilto lattialämmitystasoite DFKiilto Lattialämmitystasoite DF (levelling screed for

floor heating) is now a low-dust product. Designed

for encapsulating warm water pipes or electric

cables when building floors with under floor

heating. ideal for making floor slopes. Walkable 1–4 h

after levelling depending on layer thickness. Smooth

surface is ready for waterproofing. Layer thickness

3-50 mm and drying time approx. 1 cm/day.

KIILTO ReADY-MIxeD pLAsTeRs gOT A fACeLIfT

The packaging for Kiilto ready-mixed plasters has

been refreshed. Packages are now more informative

and modern with a fresh look. Each product has its

own color code which shows in the product label

and lid. Products are now easy to recognize and

differentiate from each other. We have also clarified

the names of two products to correspond the

current practice on the market.

• KiiLTO j joint plaster

• KiiLTO Lm Light weight hand plaster

(formerly Kiilto KH)

• KiiLTO LF Fine graded hand plaster

• KiiLTO LW Hand plaster for wet rooms

(formerly Kiilto KK)

17

Text VErNa LEiNONEN

Photo TOOmaS VOLmEr

Profile

Tarvi Jaago enters at a music shop in Tallinn, takes a leather box out of his bag and starts to assemble a flute. It is silver and shiny.

– It is handmade. I earned my living with it before I started to sell adhesives, he explains and starts to play. First the flute, and then the piano.

His face looks peaceful, but legs beat the rhythm under the table – the multi-talented musician is really in his talent.

Jaago works 5 days a week as sales representative at Kiilto’s subsidiary in Estonia, but at weekends

he plays live with his bands Lament and Meie Mees. Lament has eight members playing R&B-style music and Meie Mees plays Estonian cover versions of international hits. Both bands are very popular in Estonia.

But Jaago’s career was not supposed to go this way. Partly the blame could be put on the flute - the very flute that he is now disassembling and packing in the case.

From hobby to livelihoodJaago stated playing already as a child, first piano, then flute and choir conduction. He continued

From a principal flutist to adhesive seller

Tarvi Jaago used to play principal flute in a symphony orchestra before he started as sales representative at OÜ Kiilto Eesti. How did this happen?

18

years in the orchestra, explains Jaago. – I was 32 years old, when I decided to

quit from the orchestra and do something totally different.

The year was 1997. Kiilto was expanding to Estonia and recruited new personnel. There were lots of applicants.

– In the last round Kiilto interviewees asked what do I know about the mechanical wood industry. I said that I like the smell of wood. An honest answer from a flute player, says Jaago and smiles.

Jaago got the job and his life changed. – I have thought many times, what if I had

stuck with music – but that will I never know, he grins. Gigs in the summerJaago plays live at least once a week, in the summertime even more often. This summer their band will be touring around Estonia with another band.

Meie Mees is a band of 6 pals and they have played together for over 15 years. They have received several music prizes. They play international hits freely translated into Estonian.

For example, a song that a Finnish singer Frederik has recorded under the name “Volga” is known as “Moskva” in Estonia.

– We create our songs together. Now we are working on with a new summer hit for this summer, says Jaago.

In their summer tours Meie Mees have had famous Estonian actors and special costumes. – Once I played in a Scottish kilt, tells Jaago.

It is Friday and today Jaago has time to go home before the first show on that night – another show is to begin at 2 am on a Saturday morning.

– You may think that when do I have time to rest, but I have played all my life and playing is resting to me, says Jaago.

– Music generates positivity. It enriches your life and makes you a better person. ■

Personnel news

asikainen moves to sweden to head Kiilto aB

Anssi Asikainen was

appointed as Kiilto aB’s new

managing Director in march

2013. asikainen came to

Kiilto Oy in 1998 and

worked as Sales manager of the Building

materials department since. Kiilto ab was

founded in Täby, Sweden in 1987 and was

Kiilto Oy’s first international subsidiary.

Today Kiilto Oy has 10 international

subsidiaries.

new appointments in the Building materials department and Production…

Anton Ahanen is the new

regional manager in the

Building materials

department. His working

region is Helsinki and the

metropolitan area.

Anssi Rajanen, regional

manager in the Building

materials department, has

been named as Key

Customer manager.

Timo Saarenpää has been

appointed as Kiilto Oy’s

maintenance manager. He is

responsible for

maintenance, proactive

services and machine and equipment

purchases at Kiilto Oy.

…as well as in r&D, Purchasing and it department

Pirjo Laurila´s area of

responsibility was expanded

and her new title is Product

Development manager,

research Coordinator. as

research Coordinator Laurila is

responsible for coordinating Kiilto Oy’s

product research and development

activity and liaising with universities and

research institutes. in her role as r&D

manager of the industry department she

is in charge of development of two-

component structural adhesives.

Victoria Vorobieva was

appointed as System

Specialist for Kiilto Family

Oy’s iT department. Victoria

supports iT-operations

mainly in russia and Ukraine, but also in

other Kiilto Group companies.

playing until his 30s. He graduated from The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and got a diploma in flute playing. The next 10 years he played in the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.

The last two years I was the principal flutist of the orchestra. So I quit on the top of my career, Jaago states by a cup of coffee. Why?

– I knew you would ask this, says Jaago laughing.

– Naturally one thing was money. I had mouths to feed, a wife and a boy. When I bought this flute, it cost the money that I would earn in 3

19

Kiilto customer service

Other environmental and safety labels or certification labels on Kiilto packages:

CE-MARKING will be obligatory as of july 2013 for most of building and construction products.

read more on page 6.

WHEEL MARK The Wheel mark indicates that the product complies with the fire safety

requirements defined by the international marine Organization (imO)

VTT-CERTIFICATE indicates that the product/product system meets the requirements stated in

the Finnish building regulations and standards, provided that the product is used as instructed.

PROPERTIES FOR JOINT MORTARS are defined in EN 13888 –standard. The standard is divided

in two groups: CG (cementitious grouts) and rG (resin grouts). CG has class 1 and class 2, CG

2 having stricter requirements. CG 2 may also have letters defining whether the product has

improved water resistance (W) or/and wear resistance (a). Kiilto Saumalaasti (joint mortar) and

Klinkkerisaumalaasti (joint mortar for clinker) fall in the category CG 2 W a.

LEED is a program that provides tools to diminish buildings’ impacts on the environment during

building and living. all Kiilto solvent-free building products meet the requirements of the LEED-

certificate.

Kiilto product packages and labels provide a lot of useful information on the product content, use and disposal. Do you know all these markings?

How to read Kiilto product packages?

in addition, the package may have information on

product’s application temperature, bond strength

or other special features.

The information on lacquer

canister indicates the

number of the EU solvent

directive and that the water-

based lacquer in question

belongs to the group a/i

(two-component, water-

based special coating)

whose maximal permissible

solvent content is 140 g/l. The solvent content of

this product is 80 g/l.

(Water-based lacquers, such as Kalle Pro, do not

contain volatile solvents. But they do contain some

organic compounds, which are used as additives

and have a high boiling point. also those have

certain restrictions set by EU.)

Kiilto’s symbol on product disposal The label has a letter symbol: the first

part indicates the product type and the

latter part package type. Each type has

separate disposal instructions, which

can be found on www.kiilto.com

KEy FLAG

The Key Flag mark of origin indicates

that a product is made or service

is provided in Finland. Kiilto Oy’s

production has the Key Flag.

ISO 9001 quality labelThis label indicates that Kiilto Oy has

been certified according to iSO 9001

quality management system.

M1-label: m1-label indicates that building materials

meet the most stringent emission

classifications for indoor air quality.

Pictogrammes with

blue background

show typical pro-

duct applications.

max.

80

EU Directive 2004/42/EC

cat. A/i 140 g/l

g/l VOC

MS/M

NSF-MARK may be granted to

a product, whose raw material

composition is certified as being

suitable for use in contact with food.

20