FACE TO FACE
Pivatic held an Open House in Finland from 31 October to 1 November 2023 . electric bending machine ). Software solutions are becoming more and more important .
ISMR : Which trends do you see developing in global sheet metal markets ? with decisions expected at the end of the year . This is partly because our long lead times ( 10-14 months ) mean that customers need to make decisions now for operations in 2025 which industry generally thinks to be much better . This puts us on a different cycle than most companies and stand-alone machine builders here at the exhibition .
Our order backlog is strong for next year . If things go as I expect by the end of the year , then 2024 should be a better year for us .
ISMR : Please outline your strategic and technical focus for the company .
JT : Our main customer areas are in North America and Europe . We have installed several lines in China , South Korea and India . We have a sister company in the United States ( our main market ) and a branch office in Germany ( DACH is our second biggest market ) and Scandinavia .
In terms of our strategy , we have been looking closely at Asian markets ( especially India ). Basically , we address markets for buildings / construction ( with steel facades , elevators etc .); steel furniture ; appliances ; electrical cabinets ; HVAC ( heating , ventilation and air conditioning ) and any infrastructure that needs sheet metal parts .
Our vision is to be a trusted partner for highly automated , productive and efficient sheet metal fabrication solutions . We make stand-alone machines as well as tailored lines . Our strength is in significantly reducing cycle times and waste for part production . We continuously investigate how we can do this more rapidly and efficiently , with higher quality , sustainability etc .
In terms of technological strategy , we are currently focusing on five main R & D projects ( continuous improvement of software modules ; the coil processing laser ; dynamic nesting ; coil straightening and a fully servo-
A refrigerator assembly from a Pivatic line .
JT : We see a move towards more automation / robots on lines as well as easier-to-use systems in a climate of labour / skills shortages . We use a lot of robots on our lines for operations such as palletising ; packing ; marking ; bending , welding , assembly etc . More of our customers are using them and like to have lines that can do everything ( true lightsout operation ).
We also see a drive towards lower maintenance costs and prolonging machine lifetimes through modernisation and upgrades . A 25-year-old machine can now be amortised through modernisations and retrofit . That is a long lifetime for a machine . Currently , we have an all-time high order book for line modernisations . It is a strong trend that I see and a good investment for customers when times are slower and they are preparing themselves for an upturn .
ISMR : Where do you see the greatest challenges and opportunities ?
JT : We run regular Open Houses in Finland to showcase our technologies to customers and partners . Our last one ran from 31 October to 1 November 2023 . Three production lines / machines were on display . The main themes for the event were : a coil punching and shearing line with stacking ; Multitool Profile / Panel Bender and software solutions . These generate opportunities for collaboration .
Interesting industry sectors for us include HVAC ( heating , ventilation and air conditioning ). This sector takes up 35 % of our business and is our biggest revenue sector . Climate change is driving hotter summers and heat pumps are used more and more for heating purposes
L-R , Mika Virtanen , CTO , and Jan Tapanainen , CEO , of Pivatic Oy .
26 | ismr . net | ISMR November 2023