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Case FSP

FSP's AIVOT application downloads the benefits of IIoT

FSP For Surface Protection Oy, a company specialising in surface treatment, has developed AIVOT application that utilises IIoT technology for production optimisation. The application collects data from the work phases of the painting line by using Digia-designed software

 

FSP For Surface Protection Oy (former FSP Finnish Steel Painting), established in Porvoo in 1964, can be said to have laid the foundations for Finnish industrial surface treatment. In addition to industrial surface treatment, FSP offers related engineering and value-added services, such as completely new technology solutions for the industry.

FSP employs more than 300 surface treatment professionals in Finland, Poland and Estonia. The company operates mainly in its customers' production facilities and is part of the manufacturing process. FSP's customers include, for example, Cargotec, Patria, Sandvik and Bronto Skylift.

The company has grown and developed steadily and over the past decades, it has grown into an international group. FSP is one of Europe's leading industrial surface treatment companies, aiming to become the world’s largest outsourced surface treatment service partner in its field.

FSP's AIVOT application serves as a tool for production optimisation, management, monitoring and reporting. In addition to surface treatment, the technology offered by the AIVOT application can also be utilised in other industry sectors in the future. The application is also FSP's response to the demand for greener surface treatment technology. In the future, the system will be developed to collect production data concerning emissions and energy consumption.

What we did

 

What we used

  • IoT platform
  • IoT technologies
  • agile software development
  • Amazon Web Services (AWS)
When the implementation of the development idea was started, the objective was to create a tool that uses IIoT for collecting into a cloud service data that is as comprehensive as possible and that covers the various process phases. The AIVOT application has provided transparency to the process and facilitated knowledge-based management. In the future, the system will be developed to collect production data concerning emissions and energy consumption.

Kari Rinkinen, QHES Director, FSP

Next-level production optimisation and analysis

When the implementation of the development idea was started, the objective was to create a tool that uses IIoT for collecting into a cloud service data on the movements of surface-treated objects, with the data being as comprehensive as possible and covering the various process phases of the painting line. The measured conditions include heat and humidity, which are critical factors for successful surface treatment.

In addition to the prevailing conditions, the application highlights process bottlenecks and deviations. The collected data can be used to optimise production in a completely new way, as relevant data exists. For example, lead times can be shortened. The traceability of reporting makes it possible to review in retrospect the production process conditions, as necessary. Close monitoring improves the quality of surface treatment.

The pilot of the AIVOT application was completed in 2021 for FSP's Raisio site, that is, for Cargotec Finland's production facility, where FSP is responsible for the surface treatment of Multilift brand products. Designed by Rauli Yrjänä, FSP’s former Development Director, the application takes the optimisation and analysis of surface treatment production to a new level, where the benefits of IIoT are implemented without any prejudice.

“The application centralises data collection. Previously, data was scattered, so it was challenging to utilise it. Now data is in one place and it can be constantly analysed. AIVOT has provided transparency to the process and facilitated knowledge-based management,” FSP’s QHES Director Kari Rinkinen summarises.

From a development idea to a well-functioning system through good cooperation

Developing the AIVOT application from an idea to a well-functioning system required the input of many experts and professionals. The end result is not just programming and devices, but good cooperation. The cooperation between FSP, Digia and Sarlin was flexible and seamless, with smooth handover of work between the parties.

Digia was selected as the software company for the AIVOT application through a competitive bidding process. Sarlin delivers, configures and maintains sensors, which ensures that data collection takes place efficiently and in the best possible manner. In surface treatment, measurement results must be accurate and not merely indicative.

The pilot project was also successful in the sense that going forward, the work will be easier and the application elements are reproducible as the software and sensors are successfully discussing with each other. “It was interesting to have the communication signals and connections of various devices work at the device level and together with the software and transfer the message forward in the same format,” says Tatu Mehtonen, Product Line Manager for Automation and Digitalisation at Sarlin.

The application took a big step from mere cloud-based data collection to comprehensive data analysis, which brings real business benefits. “In the future, the aim is to offer the application's technology to industrial processes outside the surface treatment sector. Our development work will continue under the sustainability theme, as the energy consumption and VOC emissions of the production process will be included in the measured variables,” Rinkinen says.