During our production’s summer shutdown this year, we worked on changes to improve customer experience. This fall, our customers can expect to see an increased level of flexibility and convenience in orders and deliveries. The first key change was to improve stock availability and decrease minimum order quantities in large austenitic hollow sections, covered earlier here. The second one is something we call Zero Scrap Production.
In the past, customers have often ordered standard 6-meter hollow sections even if the true need has been for a different length. To give an example, a 4.5-meter hollow section might have been needed, but the order has been for a standard 6m length. The customer has in cases like these often cut the hollow sections themselves. The unused length, 25 % of the order in this example, has ended up as scrap.
It is not just efficiency and convenience that we’re providing. As Zero Scrap Production leaves our customers with no scrap to handle, this can result in substantial cost-savings in terms of material, transportation and labor costs.
From now on, Stalatube’s larger production lines are equipped to manufacture hollow sections that are immediately cut to desired lengths on the production line. Our customers can now conveniently order and receive the exact tube lengths required, whether below or over 6 meters. We can considerably help improve customers’ efficiency by eradicating the need for cutting after delivery.
“It is not just efficiency and convenience that we’re providing. As Zero Scrap Production leaves our customers with no scrap to handle, this can result in substantial cost-savings in terms of material, transportation and labor costs. The difference in costs can be several tens of percents. This is an issue we are happy to fix. How tubes are produced should not dictate what our customers can order – we think it needs to be the other way around,” explains Jori Määttänen, Sales Director.
In these large tubes, the customer from now on pays only for what they really need. The impact is not only economical, though – manufacturing and delivering the right lengths without excess material is also more ecological.
“In these large tubes, the customer from now on pays only for what they really need. The impact is not only economical, though – manufacturing and delivering the right lengths without excess material is also more ecological. Changes like these are exactly the steps we need to be taking in our sustainability work,” adds Quality and Environmental Manager Emilia Lempiäinen.
Zero Scrap Production applies to stainless steel hollow sections sizes above 100×100 mm. The new way of producing these items comes into effect immediately.
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