Purmo Group is on the edge of making a significant production breakthrough. Starting in early 2020, more factories will begin churning out steel panels with reduced thickness, explains Marek Kiszka, Director of Centralised Operations and Panels, Purmo Group.
According to Kiszka, EU standards dictate the minimum thickness of steel grade DC01 to be above 1,11mm. However, lower thickness is allowed in low alloy steel grades such as HC260LA or RSG2. So far, such a low alloy steel has been used in several Purmo Group factories in different countries and now the plan is to expand this approach to other factories.
“It was a bit of a challenge to introduce reduced thickness in some of our factories due to the technical equipment that is used,” Kiszka says.
Wanted: A greener edge
After a full-scale launch in Q1/2020, the “slim steel” is expected to bring in annual savings without compromising product quality or heat output. In order to achieve this, several panel press-forming dies have to be redesigned and modified accordingly.
As we use less steel per product, we also work in a more sustainable way since there are lower CO2 emissions per product.
As per the company strategy, Purmo Group targets to implement more sustainable production methods by reducing the amount of material and waste, as well as increasing energy efficiency in its production processes. All the company’s units are certified with ISO 9001 (Quality), as well as ISO 14001 (Environmental). The only exception at the moment is the new Purmo Group production location in Yangzhou, China, where neither certification is yet in place, but will soon follow.
Furthermore, the company’s steel radiators are made of durable, 100% recyclable material.
Boosting competitiveness
The European steel radiator market is expected to continue showing stable growth.
“This move is very much about strengthening Purmo Group’s leading position in the market,” Kiszka says.
Having started the project in Q3/2018, project sponsor Kiszka explains that the nature of the undertaking is very much “cross-functional,” with the involvement of many different parts of Purmo Group.
“Producing a new grade of steel sets new challenges, but our team has learned how to grapple with these issues,” he says.
Kiszka gives credit for this success to the troops. “The job done by the guys on the shop floor is great. Also, procurement has been successfully dealing with the challenge related to material variety.”
