Investments – Turning the decade (literally) with automation

May 4, 2022

Whether it’s intentional or not, we have noticed that some of our customers have tightened their quality requirements during the last couple of years. The reason why we have questioned this is that gaskets rarely must feature tight tolerances in certain dimensions. Still, we have sometimes received offer requests with puzzling tolerance specifications. 

Outsourcing design has its downsides 

This might result at least partially from the trend of outsourcing design services. Outsourced designers are of course qualified professionals, but they might be lacking some form of “workshop wisdom”. This means that they are not that familiar with the applications and components they are designing, and they are especially unfamiliar with the manufacturing process.

Before the age of outsourcing, the designers and manufacturers usually worked in the same building and knew what could and could not be done – or at least the manufacturers gave direct feedback to the design team if the tolerances were irrational. 

Taking action in quality and efficiency as usual 

Despite the possibility of having to follow over-strict tolerances, we at TT Gaskets take quality measures seriously. Currently we lack some competence in our machining department and have made a new investment to meet these customer requirements. If everything goes according to plan, in late 2022 we will have an automated turning cell up and running. 

The lathe has two revolvers allowing us to work on both sides of the component simultaneously, thus halving the manufacturing time. The quality is monitored continuously with a feedback loop from the 3D coordinate measuring system. Aftertreatments such as laser marking, rust protection and cleaning are also done automatically with the robot arm. Automation of this level has not been seen in our production yet and is the first step towards further robotization. 

Positive attitude towards industry automation 

As I have mentioned earlier, we perceive automation as a positive phenomenon which does not make humans obsolete, but instead frees our resources to the tasks we are better at than machines. Handling heavy or delicate pieces of metal is something robots are superior in, but we are good at handling various tasks – and giving orders to the machine.

This investment is a good example of how we will automate our processes in the (near) future. We have already made decisions concerning the next implementations of robots in our production. And from there on, we hope that the snowball will truly start rolling, as providing you with Smarter sealing for a safer tomorrow requires investments in automation and robotics. 

Services – Kanban and why we can’t ban it

March 28, 2022

You probably didn’t know that TT Gaskets also provides sign/billboard services, literally. This doesn’t mean that we are an advertising agency, just that the Japanese word “kanban” meaning sign or billboard has got a new meaning in manufacturing context. The Kanban concept was developed in the 1940s and 50s and has eventually reached us in Tampere, Finland as well.

Simple but effective

Just like the best ideas in life, the concept of Kanban is simple yet elegant. Simply put, you are reminded to order more before you run out of supplies. There are a couple of methods of implementing Kanban, of which the best known is to have two boxes in stock. When the other box is empty, you order more and use the other one.

The two-box method is something we already do for our customers and are of course interested in finding new markets for it. But we have thought about other possibilities we could implement in a similar fashion. Despite the setbacks caused by COVID and the ongoing war in Ukraine, a larger trend has been to minimize stock levels. In some customer meetings we have even heard of plans to get rid of large warehouses completely.

Warehouses are becoming location-independent

Of course, this doesn’t happen overnight but is something we have considered with our Smart Container service I wrote about previously. We are also considering to pilot a virtual warehouse or e-kanban service in which the customer has a reduced access to our stock. This would mean that our customer wouldn’t need to stock an item at all, and orders are supplied from our warehouse instead. This idea has gathered attention from several industries, and we hope we would be ready for a small-scale pilot in the autumn of 2022.

Business technology updating soon

This idea intertwines strongly with our ongoing business technology updates where one of the core ideas is to increase transparency both internally and externally. In the near future we will be able to utilize our data better and make (internal and external) system integrations actually feasible with a platform.

Virtual warehouses also confluence with our TTG Material Tool that has been waiting for the pilot to start. Our vision for the future is that our customer could select a gasket from our portfolio with the help of the tool we provide and order it from the same interface. This could either be part of the virtual warehouse or our possible e-commerce solution.

But only time and customer interest will tell which of these ideas will be implemented when we provide you Smarter sealing for a safer tomorrow, just in time.

Services – Compressing the design of gaskets

March 2, 2022

In June 2021, I wrote about the hydraulic press we have invested in. As expected, things have progressed a lot since then, because we are used to continuous developing. Currently I’m mentoring a Master’s thesis regarding the testing and analysis of gasket materials with the hydraulic press.

Modeling gaskets is not trivial

What makes the thesis meaningful is the fact that gaskets and gasket materials are not widely available in simulation software. Their non-linear behavior under compression and temperature makes them difficult to model digitally. This often puzzles designers, and they are forced to either cut corners or to humbly ask for our help.

Taking shortcuts leads to trouble

Cutting corners in the design phase is of course a tempting option as deadlines are pressing on and projects need to progress. This usually backfires at some point, at the latest in the testing phase or even worse, during production. Gaskets per se are often negligible components pricewise but a leaking connection is multiple times more costly than any gasket.

Humbly asking for our help after a sloppy design phase is a good alternative, but the best option is to let us help right from the start. When elements are still on the computer screen, it is possible to make changes and test what works in simulations. Our Design Board has decades of experience in different sealing challenges and they usually come up with a solution that suits your needs best.

Gasket library under construction

We are currently developing our testing process to make it is as efficient as possible by gathering and analyzing data. We are collecting a baseline library of different materials and gasket types to provide off-the-shelf answers for common cases. This library has loading-unloading curves for materials in standard sizes needed for example in FEM analysis.

For customer specific cases we’ll use the same process with tailored procedures if needed. We can suggest different solutions for your case and make prototypes of them. We can also provide more complex testing setups and design required tooling for it. With our skill set, equipment and material selection, no connection is left to leak. And remember, digitalizing gaskets is just one of our steps towards Smarter sealing for a safer tomorrow.

Services – Gaskets from a container

January 24, 2022

In the 1990s we started to move gradually from landlines to mobile phones. Since then, most of our daily lives have become mobile in one way or another. This is one of the reasons we at TT Gaskets thought that why shouldn’t gaskets become mobile as well. That is how we came up with shutdown service containers.

Seamless service during turnarounds

Since 2015 we have served in three major turnarounds and several smaller ones with our concept. The idea is to supply and manufacture gaskets in the premises of the facility they are needed in. We deliver a shipping container to our customer designed to function as a warehouse or a mobile factory. The containers are naturally equipped with the gaskets and materials agreed with the customer.

The stock container can be delivered for a set period of time, e.g., during a turnaround, or with an open-ended agreement as we have done with one of our customers. As well as turnarounds, the container can also be used to supply projects and maintenance. During turnarounds we can provide a customer servant in the container, but we preferably offer the container with self-service. The stock management is easy to use and is operated with RFID tags and a handheld reader. The operator can also access the stock from a browser-based interface to see the stock levels in real-time.

Becoming even better

Currently, we are upgrading our service to become even more carefree. The stock levels will be monitored automatically and if an alarm limit is reached, the system will order a refill without a user input. The refills are delivered with an agreed interval and shelved by our delivery partner. If a deviant refill is needed, it can be ordered from the interface with a couple of clicks.

Gaskets made as take-away

Unlike the stock container, the mobile gasket factory is provided only for turnarounds. The container has manufacturing equipment for spiral wound and flat gaskets. It also includes a skilled customer servant and a professional manufacturing worker. The gaskets can be made according to a model or a drawing. Usually, the order is completed meanwhile, or in a few hours, but larger quantities are ordered from our factory as a 24 h Fast Track delivery.

Saving time and money, for real

Both the container services save time and money during critical turnarounds, where a minor delay may cost 10s or 100s of thousands. At first, one of our customers was a bit skeptical about the concept and pricing, but after a successful turnaround, they wanted to make sure that we’ll be there each time.

The time and money savings don’t end in just the turnarounds, as a permanent stock container saves both throughout the organization. The procurement team doesn’t have to worry about gasket orders, the gaskets don’t need to be stocked in the customer’s warehouse and no capital is bound to the stocked gaskets as they are invoiced according to consumption. And the maintenance team doesn’t have to pick up the gaskets from the other end of the facility several kilometers away as the container can be placed near the operation and can easily be moved to another location.

If these arguments didn’t assure you, don’t hesitate to contact us and ask for more information. Or anything else regarding Smarter sealing for a safer tomorrow.

Lean – What time is it?

December 22, 2021

We are used to ask what time is it, but we rarely ask what time is. Some say it was invented so wristwatches could be sold. It is something that we can measure and see the effect of, but we can’t grasp. It is said to be the most valuable thing we possess, but we can’t preserve it. 

Doing things right saves time

That is why we at TT Gaskets are continuously improving and Leaning our processes both in production and office. Saving time in the routine tasks we do daily allow us to do more productive tasks and improve. And usually, less repetitive tasks lead to better job satisfaction and performance.
We have also noticed throughout the years that doing things right the first time is the best way to save time. The number of claims we face is decreasing intentionally and for a reason. Resolving claims waste time in our whole process, from office to production. And although we can refund the customer and send new products, the time wasted in their process can’t be compensated

Process before measurement

Therefore, both the reliability of delivery and quality control are our top priorities among safety. These are the business cards we leave to our customers on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. And these are achieved with the persistent improvement we do.
And as we like to say again and again, the quality doesn’t improve with measuring. Although we can measure things with high precision, doing so in the final phase doesn’t solve the errors we made during the manufacturing process. Thus, we again make sure that we make everything according to our quality standards and measure only if it is a new product. Or our customer requires a measuring report.

Investments ahead

Throughout the next year, we are making timesaving and quality ensuring investments. In production we are investing in fully automated production and machine monitoring system to reduce bottlenecks. In office, RPA and system updates are in our Christmas wish list.
With these teachings in mind, we want to wish you a Lean Christmas and a productive New Year 2022!

LEAN – Are robots taking over our office?

November 30, 2021

As we at TT Gaskets are LEANing towards the future, we want to streamline more than just our factory floor. Our process requires more work than what can physically be seen in the production. Offering products, handling orders and purchasing materials include plenty of “routine tasks”.

Are routines actually necessary? 

These routines take more of our time than we expect as those are the tasks we do on a daily basis. We consider them as part of our job, even though they are not actually necessary anymore. Just like in the factory floor, robots and automation are doing the repetitive tasks so we as humans can focus on more challenging and productive work. The same can be done in the office as well.

Easier said than done, but not that difficult after all 

Automating the use of different systems is actually easier than it sounds. It doesn’t require large investments on software development and updates as current system interfaces can be used with RPA. Robotic Process Automation is used to create automatic workflows that imitate the mouse movement, clicks and keyboard input we humans do. Thus, automating the tasks we would otherwise do manually each time.

RPA software is relatively easy (and cheap) to use in comparison to the benefits of timesaving and productivity it potentially gives. Of course, it requires clearer and more unambiguous instructions than a summer trainee, but after that it can be left alone to perform the task it has been given.

Significant timesaving potential and productivity-boost 

We have estimated that at best, one single automated workflow that processes orders can save tens of hours of work per year. Let alone, reducing the number of oversights, typing errors and double- booking errors that cause plenty of harm later on. The time saved can be used to help our sales team in offer calculations, give better customer service and overall develop the job of coordinators. This is why we are soon piloting the first RPA applications in the office.

We hope that LEANing our office (and production) creates a positive feedback loop that leads to more time saved in the routines, thus giving us more time to become better at what we do best. Providing Smarter Sealing for a Safer Future is easier when you are productive and do meaningful and pleasant work rather than just struggle with routine tasks.

Lean – Super-human performance with exoskeletons?

October 21, 2021

What is the difference between Iron Man and Wolverine? Iron Man has an exoskeleton made from nitinol and Wolverine has an endoskeleton made from adamantium. Interesting trivia acts as an introduction for today’s topic.

The difference between exoskeleton and endoskeleton is hidden in the names. Both prefixes are derived from Greek, exo meaning outer and endo meaning inner. Hence, the armor of Ironman is an outer supporting shell similar to insects. And the skeleton of Wolverine is like our own but made from a superior material.

Human bio machine has its weaknesses

Without a skeleton, we would be slacker than modern youth. So, we shouldn’t keep our skeletons in the cupboard, but instead make the most of them. Unfortunately, as all machines, even the bio machine of humans wears and tears in the test of time. It is not designed to do 40-hour work weeks for 40 years with repeating movements.

Even though us humans have weaknesses, such as becoming tired, making mistakes and injuring ourselves, we are still better than machines at performing changing tasks. Therefore, humans are still needed in manufacturing, and other tasks as well.

Continuous improvement with different methods 

To prevent the appearance of these weaknesses, we at TT Gaskets are developing our safety at work and processes to ensure the best performance of our employees. But as we are Leaning and continuously improving our workflow, new methods and technologies are always inspiring us.

One of these technologies is the aforementioned exoskeletons. They would allow our workforce to become an army of superhumans that outrun everyone. Probably not in a long while though, as the first exoskeletons developed are quite cumbersome. In the near future though, they could be used in some tasks in our production that require lifting gaskets with large diameter or material sheets and rolls.

Our sales team would also benefit from an Iron Man suit as they are wrestling with the purchasers of our customers. Jokes aside, we are turning every stone whether with or without an exoskeleton to find the best methods to improve our performance. To provide you Smarter Sealing for a Safer Tomorrow.

Smarter sealing for a safer tomorrow – Obtaining information of a gasket

September 3, 2021

Smart gaskets you say? Probably just far-fetched slide-ware that will never come to life… Except that we at TT Gaskets are ready to make them real.

This modified abstract you are reading, and the paper in progress will potentially be published in the 2022 CIMAC congress in Busan, South Korea. The paper presents different technologies suitable for obtaining information of a gasket and its condition. These are used for identifying the gasket both before and after it has been installed to make sure the right gasket is used. The sensor structures presented provide information of the surface stress to ensure proper installing as well as monitor the condition of the gasket during operation.

More than necessary evil and tricky to install

Gaskets are often overlooked during the design and use of a machine or a process. They are considered as necessary evil even though they are essential in the functionality and safety of an application. The classic but tragic example of the cruciality of a seal is the Challenger disaster from 1986 which was caused by a faulty O-ring.

Failures in the installation cause a major part of sealing issues. Minor part is caused by choosing the wrong gasket or forgetting to use one at all. Most issues are caused by improper installing, meaning under- or overtightening the bolts that create insufficient, too high, or uneven surface stress on the gasket. The lack of lubrication on the bolts affects the surface stress as overcoming friction reduces the stress transmitted on the gasket. Different chemicals left or applied on the flange or gasket surface may also cause premature failure of a gasket.

No major breakthroughs have yet been made to ensure the success of installing of a gasket. Different methods to measure the bolt torque are readily available on the market, but they have the deficiency that correct torque does not mean the surface stress is sufficient. As mentioned earlier, friction affects the achieved stress majorly.

Successful and progressing R&D

TT Gaskets is currently researching and developing different methods and technologies to identify gaskets and measure their surface stress both during installing and use. The first nearly market-ready prototype of a tag suitable for identifying installed gaskets was released in autumn 2019. In late 2019 began the feasibility study of a single-use surface stress sensor.

Designing and prototyping of the sensor started in spring 2020 and has continued ever since. Potentially, the first functional prototypes will be available in late 2021. In early 2021 began the feasibility study of a continuously monitoring sensor and the prototype development will start in autumn 2021 continuing towards 2022.

Novel technology put to use

Due to the trade secrets considering this topic, the details are not covered. The idea is to create a structure that conducts when the surface stress is sufficient. The structure is connected to the remotely readable tag that triggers when the sensor conducts. The status of the sensor can be checked immediately after the installation procedure.

The continuously monitoring sensor is created using a different type of structure and technology that is capable of continuous monitoring. After the feasibility study, we found a potential technology that will be researched further and developed into a functioning prototype. At first, the structure harvests energy from remote reader signal when the user checks the flange, but in the future, the sensors will form a self-contained network of readers and data hubs that monitor the application or facility continuously.

This so-called Internet of Gaskets (IoG) creates major benefits and potential for both the customer and TT Gaskets. A fully functioning IoG could revolutionize our business model and allow us to create Gaskets as a Service (GaaS) model for our customers. We are truly excited about the future as we move towards smarter sealing for a safer tomorrow.

Sustainability – Is hydrogen a viable option?

August 31, 2021

You have probably heard of the Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin rocket launch that happened in July. The launch became famous due to the unique shape of the rocket, and it started a new Star Wars between billionaires. Less social media attention got the fact that the rocket propellant was zero-carbon. Liquid hydrogen and oxygen don’t cause carbon emissions when burnt.

Potential alternative for fossil fuels

Of course, liquid hydrogen has been used as a rocket fuel for decades, but these media stunts are effective in bringing important matters up. As hydrogen-based economy is an alternative for the current fossil fuel-based economy. Or at least it has potential uses as we are struggling off from fossil fuels. 

Let’s start off by listing the pros and cons of hydrogen. 

Pros	Cons
Zero-carbon (from sustainable sources)	Lack of existing infrastructure
High energy density	Difficult to transport and store
Renewable supply	Low efficiency of production
P2X and industrial potential

As the simplest, lightest and most common element in the universe, hydrogen has many benefits in comparison to its fossil fuel counterparts. The best part is that it doesn’t have a carbon chain meaning that burning hydrogen does not accelerate global warming. 

Renewable supply with high energy density

But unfortunately, currently hydrogen is mostly made from natural gas or petroleum products. Luckily there’s still plenty of fish in the sea, as water is 1/8 hydrogen by mass. With rapidly developing electrolysis hydrogen and oxygen can be separated from the water molecules efficiently. 

Hydrogen has also a superior energy density when compared to for example gasoline. Hydrogen has 119 MJ of energy per kg when gasoline has to settle for 43 MJ/kg. And to put that into perspective, the best lithium-ion batteries reach 0,3 MJ/kg. So, hydrogen is an excellent energy storage.

P2X and source material possibilities

The last, but not least of the pros of hydrogen is the potential for P2X and industrial source material uses. Hydrogen rarely exists as an H₂ molecule on Earth as it forms compounds easily. That quality can be utilized in P2X-applications which create carbon-neutral fuels or to replace fossil fuels in the chemical industry. Hydrogen and carbon dioxide can be used to make sustainable ammonia and methanol.

Practical issues with use

If hydrogen is all-around better than fossil fuels, why don’t we just start to use it instead? Well, it is as easy as getting rid of smoking. Seems simple, you just need to stop smoking, but in practice it has a lot more to it. We have built our societies and infrastructure for decades to support the use of fossil fuels, so it will take decades to rebuild them. Unless we step up the game as we don’t have decades if we want to have a habitable planet for humans in the future. 

Storing and transporting hydrogen is tricky as hydrogen is a small-molecular gas that eventually passes through even the best seals (that are of course made by TT Gaskets) and metal cylinders. Hydrogen also has a low volumetric energy density, meaning that storing hydrogen requires large tanks or it must be compressed or liquified. Compressing does not help much as the pressure would have to be hundreds of bars to be effective and that leads to both practical and safety issues. Liquification also has its issues, as liquid hydrogen is roughly –260 °C and thus gasifies easily which leads to lost energy.

All hope is not lost

Despite these problems with hydrogen, it still is a potential solution for a sustainable future. As mentioned, hydrogen forms compounds easily which can be used as an energy storage or source. If we create hydrogen with electrolysis where it is needed, the excess can be stored as ammonia or methanol and used as such in vehicles or turned back into electricity and heat in local power plants. All in all, we at TT Gaskets are excited about more sustainable future and are ready to provide smarter seals for a safer tomorrow for these new applications.

Investments – Welcome to TTG Hydraulic Press Channel

June 4, 2021

Welcome to the hydraulic press channel and today we have a gasket for our press. And now we are going to crush it. Place the gasket here and… It seems that the gasket has a very good strength for enduring this kind of press. It is quite soft fiber and still warm after pressing. That’s all for today and have a nice day. 

For today’s extra content I’m going to tell you about the hydraulic press we installed a couple weeks ago. And how we are going to deal with it, because it’s very dangerous but has plenty of potential. (If you don’t know that I referred to a Finnish youtuber that does silly tests with a hydraulic press, check out his channel. Note that we have a more sophisticated method of testing and a much better press) 

Providing world class results

Although we are geographically close to each other, our testing purposes vary majorly from the HPC. We are not entertaining anyone, yet at least, but hopefully pleasing our customers with world class results. Gaskets are a niche market and therefore they are not widely available in the design and simulation software used for modern R&D. 

Parameters for FEM and more

That’s where our hydraulic press comes in handy. We can create a life-size model of your gasket or other part according to your specifications, design and implement a required tool for it and put it to test on our press. The test gives you parameters for FEM modeling, reveals design flaws and gives you a better understanding of different options. 

Flag issues in the design phase

Traditionally gaskets are designed for an already existing application, but with the help of our 200 tn press and our design team, we can help you to create the best sealing solution on the drawing board. Flagging the potential issues before anything has rolled out of the production line is much more convenient than tackling leaky flanges on the field. 

Of course, we still tackle the leaky flanges on the field with our expertise, but we want to make sure that you make the right decisions during the design phase. Both money and performance-wise. So, don’t hesitate to contact us when designing a new engine family or a production line. We are here to help you and our hydraulic press is ready to compress Smarter Seals for a Safer Tomorrow.