TT Gaskets has summer jobs for young people who are willing to learn and interested in technology

July 15, 2021

TT Gaskets usually has about a dozen summer employees, this year as well. Hiring summer workers and authors of graduate diplomas are an excellent recruitment channel for us. Over the years, the career of many current employees has begun with summer jobs in manufacturing or the office. We hope that some of our current summer help would work for us in the autumn in addition to their studies.

– During the summers, we have implemented various projects to develop production efficiency, safety, or comfort. We get fresh ideas from young people, and a real dose of new energy for what we do every day – and often also for creating something new. In turn, as summer workers the students get to see how a modern machine shop works. This will certainly make it easier to put the theory taught in school into practice, says CEO Aleksi Arpiainen.

– Samuli is an excellent example. He has already progressed quite a bit in his studies, and he has an excellent ability to quickly perceive the development needs that are important to us, as well as to come up with new ways of implementation together with the management. He has been very cooperative and quickly became acquainted with the employees of different departments, Aleksi says.

He refers to a mechanical engineering student, Samuli Piispanen, who just completed an internship as part of his studies by working with us for 8 weeks. In the Autumn, Samuli will start his 4th year of studying at Tampere University of Applied Sciences.

What is it like to work for us as a summer employee?

– I noticed that TT Gaskets is a family business because the atmosphere was warm, and the employees’ opinions were really taken into account. I felt like everyone got heard and ideas were gladly received. I could see that a lot is invested in production and its management, and that sustainable development is considered important. TT Gaskets is clearly aiming to be in this decade, and the company has a lot of growth potential, Samuli says.

In his opinion, TT Gaskets is suitable as a summer job for young people who are interested in technology, want to constantly develop themselves and dare to take on challenges.

– I have always been interested in technology – especially production and process control. At TT Gaskets, my tasks were varied, and I got a good introduction to them. The experience reinforced the idea that I want to work with technology in the future.

We wish a great summer for everyone! Stay tuned as we may have even more need for summer workers this summer as well. Our sales are currently pulling very well as we develop our future capabilities in many ways.

We manufactured gaskets by solar power – first in the world

June 23, 2021

State-of-the-art technology and determination shook hands, and now the historical act is true: the first gaskets produced by solar power come from Tampere, Finland.

Launched in June, the TT Gaskets’ solar power plant comprises nearly 500 solar panels and has a peak power of about 200kWp. We considered different options and concluded that the one best for us is self-sufficient production of solar electricity with roof-mounted solar panels and implementation of building automation with a modern system that utilizes machine learning.

Building a solar power plant is one way to reduce carbon emissions and ultimately achieve carbon neutrality. We want to be a pioneer in energy and climate solutions and move towards our broader responsibility goals. Renewable energy is important so that one day we can leave the world in better shape for future generations – the underlying idea is fundamentally the same in family businesses in terms of ownership. The wonderful world around us is just a loan, so we should do everything we can to preserve its uniqueness.

Smartly invested and planned, renewable energy projects are also common-sense investments. We have already prepared so that we can double the power of the solar power plant in the coming years.

Our environmentally friendly gasket solutions also help our customers to reduce and monitor their own CO2 emissions. We are always looking for energy-efficient building solutions, environmentally friendly product and service solutions, and partners who share these views with us. It’s a value-based decision from us as owners.

Let’s hope for as sunny summer as possible, both for the holidays and for manufacturing gaskets!

Aleksi Arpiainen

Aleksi Arpiainen is the CEO of TT Gaskets in the third generation. According to him, the success of a family business is fueled by continuous development and innovation. In the blog, Aleksi sheds light on his thoughts on where the world of gaskets is going.

Introducing our new finance manager Emilia Malm

June 1, 2021

”I have started my job with excellent feelings. It’s been great to see that there’s a positive vibe of getting things done. The company’s values are visible and realized in everyday life: family, courage, expertise, creativity and delighting the customers”, says Emilia.

She has a master’s degree in political science and has held various positions in financial administration and management for about twenty years. At TT Gasket’s Emilia is responsible for financial and human resource management. In her diverse work, she is able to use her expertise and long experience to the benefit of the company and to help others.

We are sure that Emilia will catch just the right amount of the wind to our sails!

TT Gaskets is renewing and investing boldly even during exceptional times

May 18, 2021

Never waste a good crisis. By learning from crises and investing boldly during them, we build future capabilities and the path to success. This is how we have been thinking and operating in our family company TT Gaskets for three generations.

In the midst of the corona pandemic, the faith of many and my own optimism have been tested many times. However, the extensive strategy work carried out in our company two years ago has acted as a compass and encouraged us to continue on the path of development and investment.

In fact, now has been a better time than usual for our own brilliant team to think about the future needs of our customers and, on the other hand, what kind of workplace we want to be in the future. We strive to ensure that we create a next generation gasket factory, innovate intelligent gasket solutions and act as a designer of the future of our industry.

The world’s first gaskets manufactured by using solar power

In our extensive investment program, our resources include our skilled and highly motivated work team as well as our long-term construction, equipment supply and consulting partners. No-one is capable of far-reaching reforms alone, but with a good team, even the impossible becomes possible. Investments in our smart lab in particular will enable something that customers don’t yet know they need…!

The biggest challenges have been caused by corona restrictions, the timely arrival of new machines and equipment, their start-up and the training of the personnel in the new manufacturing processes. In retrospect, the delays were fortunately quite moderate.

One of the largest investments already made is a 3,000 m2 factory extension. The facilities ensure efficient manufacturing and a good framework for product development and quality assurance. They give us room for growth and improve job satisfaction and safety. We have been able to advance to the next phase of the lean program and reinforce it with day-to-day management. The development of operations is supported by the Academy of Modern Supervision, from which the first production supervisors will be graduated in June 2021.

We have increased our cutting capacity and further improved our ability to meet fast 24-hour needs by strengthening our FastTrack service. We have automated processes and expanded our product range with spiral gaskets. In addition, a solar power plant is currently being built on the roof of the TT Gaskets plant. Who would have thought that the world’s first gaskets manufactured by solar power would be made in Tampere, Finland?

Time and conversations are needed for innovating

As you innovate and develop, you learn new things about yourself, others and the company as a whole. At the same time, the company’s strategy is being put to practice and a culture that binds everyone together is being strengthened. Disagreements and challenging situations cannot, of course, be avoided, but they increase and bring perspective to reflection. As long as the common direction is clear, these will also be clarified and we will come out even stronger.

Innovating new is hard work. However, it cannot be forced, but time must be allowed for the perception of the dependencies and influences of separate things and the wholes. Discussions and sparring moments withing the company between your own team and the owners, with clients, and with various mentors and consultants are important to be able to build a snapshot of the present and a goal picture of the future.

Finding good and reliable partners around you can help you succeed in your investment. Careful preparation and planning are important to avoid the worst pitfalls. New processes for construction, machine and system purchases and their procurement, inspection and monitoring processes are very important in order to get what has been purchased.

Our latest coverage on LinkedIn and the newsletter

We monitor the profitability of investments through various efficiency indicators of the project. In this way, we are able to analyze what has happened and the impact of development investments. In addition, we can consider in more detail how and in what way we can best influence the achievement of goals.

Our own courage to innovate and develop reflects the design projects of our customers in 40 countries, in which we are allowed to be involved. Thank you all for your good cooperation! I hope that our ongoing development program will be reflected in the expansion of our offering to our customers, increased flexibility and the ability to better serve as a design and innovation partner.

In the future, we will communicate more often about innovations related to gaskets and our own development projects. Stay tuned and follow us on LinkedIn and our website. We hope you also enjoy reading the new TT Gaskets’ newsletter!

Aleksi Arpiainen is the CEO of TT Gaskets in the third generation. According to him, the success of a family business is fueled by continuous development and innovation. In the blog, Aleksi sheds light on his thoughts on where the world of gaskets is going.

Behind the gaskets | Expert interview: ”Awesome viewpoint on domestic industry”

May 7, 2021

Petri Lehtinen joined TT Gaskets as early as 1998. The journey from sales engineer to product innovation director has taught him to guide others and adjust schedules. Everyday life includes challenges, joy of success, as well as fun coincidences.

– During my first year at TT Gaskets, I took part in a price list discussion at a nuclear power plant. There were at least 600 different gaskets in the price list, added and calculated here and there by different people over time. The partner suddenly asked if I had a raw material price list in my briefcase. He made me calculate the prices of different gaskets based on the list. Fortunately, my calculations were about the same as in our price list. The experienced professional put the young man in a hard place, laughs Petri Lehtinen, recalling that day.

Experienced expert support sales and innovation

Petri started as a young summer worker in Sweden, planting trees to his uncle’s forest. A young man studying to be an HVAC technician also did property maintenance work from lawn mowing to painting carpet racks.

– Then I got a job at TT Gaskets as a sales engineer and I’m still on that path. In addition to my work, I have completed several vocational trainings. Little by little, I got more responsibility when I was assigned as a sales manager. Today, I’m responsible for domestic sales and leading the sales team.

In the role of product innovation director, Petri steers innovations in the right direction.

– We think creatively about what’s needed in the market and how to renew ourselves innovatively as a company. Our latest new service is TTG Smart Tracking, which allows the customer to easily track the location and authenticity of spare parts worldwide. At the moment we are working on a prototype called TTG Smart Gasket, which is related to increased safety, reveals Petri.

– The challenge but also the richness of my work is the diversity of tasks. Fitting all the meetings on the calendar and at the same time supporting the sales and innovation teams in the best way possible requires prioritization. I’m involved in many projects, from the development of sales functions to production machinery investment. I also do operational work whenever I have time to retain my touch, so that I can help others during peak or holiday time.

”TT Gaskets appreciates employees”

In everyday life, Petri enjoys most of all working with people, preferably face to face.

– My job has changed a lot over the years, but I still enjoy being with people. All I can say is that my employer is excellent. The generational change that took place in the family business made Aleksi Arpiainen, the son of Matti Arpiainen, the CEO. Fine, traditional values were passed from father to son. Common values are important factors in how good a spirit our team has.

Although Petri manages domestic sales, he also has his own customers in Central Europe and United States. From America, there are quite a few memories including food poisoning just before the flight and even meeting the local police.

– Once I was driving in a hurry to a customer’s factory in South Carolina. I followed the navigator’s instructions, even though the road was quite small, and the factory was not visible. I noticed a traffic sign saying the road was ending. I didn’t want to be late, and therefore didn’t look for a new route. In the middle of nowhere, there were suddenly boom barriers in front of me. I saw cops eating in their car. They stopped me like in the movies, sirens and flashing lights and all. The story ended happily, but I’ll never forget that little stretch of road.

Nature helps to relax

Petri’s hobbies are close to nature. Hiking in Lapland, boating, and jogging with the Bernese mountain dog Väinö are close to his heart, as are trips together with his family.

– Our children have already moved from home, but we used to travel abroad. The most recent experience was a campervan we rented last summer. We toured Finland for 3,000 kilometers. However, I couldn’t justify myself buying a motor home. I might get a new boat instead.

– I would recommend TT Gaskets as a workplace, if you are at all interested in technology. My own responsibilities have increased over the years and I get to develop myself in a respected position. Our gaskets are used all over the world in all kinds of industry, and although we are a smaller player, we trade with the world’s largest companies, in Finland and abroad, Petri sums up.

We modernized our waterjet cutting with the latest technology in the industry

April 23, 2021

TT Gaskets is currently seeking momentum for international growth. We are determined to create new capabilities. Our production is undergoing a wide variety of changes as we take small and big steps toward our goals. Among other things, we modernized our waterjet cutter as part of our overall development.

Our comprehensive reform program began in 2020 and will continue until the end of year 2022. In particular, our aim is to accelerate lean production, efficient plant flow and improve our manufacturing efficiency. An important part of the reform program is raising the level of product automation and therefore modernizing one of our waterjet cutters. Most of our machinery is modern but the FinJet 6 waterjet machine needed significant changes.

– Now the machine is easier and more comfortable to use, since the manual adjustments were replaced by automated ones. When the cutting settings were adjusted manually, we couldn’t always execute exactly what we wanted. Thanks to the modernization the drawing became easier, the risk of errors has been minimized and the material can be utilized with less loss, says Jenni Virta, Work Planner at TT Gaskets.

– The modernization of the waterjet cutter also improved work safety and environment. It’s no longer necessary to climb on the machine, which had to be done several times a day. Also the noise in the production facilities was clearly reduced by placing the machine in a sound-proof booth.

Long cooperation in the development of water cutting

The modernization was carried out by Muototerä, who manufactured the waterjet cutter and has been a partner of TT Gaskets since the 1980s. Cooperation in water cutting technology and its development has continued for more than 30 years.

– We have a good relationship where the best thing is strong trust on both sides. We are two family-owned companies that share similar values, such as long-term business development. As a system supplier, we offer TT Gaskets the latest technology and know-how. Thanks to their wishes we develop and stretch to even better implementations in return. Among other things during the cooperation, we have thought about how to combine high-pressure technology and automation, says Risto Kallio, Managing Director of Muototerä.

– In the modernization of the waterjet cutter 6, TT Gaskets had a clear vision, for example on of how quickly and accurately the machine should operate. The project proceeded with determination, and the old technology was update to this day. Now the waterjet cutter can be worked for several more years or even decades, he estimates.

TT Gaskets invested in SWG manufacturing

April 4, 2021

The product family of our spiral wound gaskets expands again! TT Gaskets invested in two machines, which now allow us to offer gaskets tailored to your needs on a fast schedule – manufactured and assembled in just a day.

Dimensionally accurate to all applications

The investment in both horizontal and vertical machines continues TT Gasket’s determined work to increase our product range of gaskets. Semi-automatic, EU-made machines bring new opportunities for both us and our customers.

– We will continue to keep an extensive stock of standard-sized spiral wound gaskets. Now we are also able to make small batches of gaskets ourselves according to the customer’s drawings, material choices and standards, says product innovation director Petri Lehtinen.

The new machines produce spiral wound gaskets from small DN15 size up to 4000 millimeters in diameter. The gasket is optionally equipped with an outer guide ring or inner support ring – or both. Our high-quality products resist extreme temperatures, pressures and chemicals even in most challenging conditions.

Fast delivery shortens downtime

TT Gaskets spiral wound gaskets are used in power plants, pulp mills and the chemical industry, to name a few. Now we can also serve OEM customers with our own production, such as engine factories and pump of valve manufacturers. Thanks to previous investments, the product family of semi-metal gaskets also covers the production of camprofile and metal-jacketed gaskets.

– Depending on material choices, we can manufacture the needed gasket in a day. Factory maintenance time shortens, and unnecessary downtime reduces. Thanks to shorter logistic distances, we can serve a wide range of industries in Finland and elsewhere. The finished spiral wound gasket can even be delivered the next day it was ordered, sales director Matti Salo promises.

Environmentally friendly method

We at TT Gaskets have reason to be happy: domestic work increases, logistics become easier, and the product family expands. The new machines also support our company’s environmental thinking. The spiral wound gaskets are wrapped from a thin strip, thus minimizing material loss. Dimensionally accurate gaskets meet even the most demanding safety standards.

– The versatile material storage includes clear materials such as AISI 316, AISI 321, AISI 347 or Monel 400. Graphite is usually used as a sealing filler. Whether you need an exceptionally sized gasket with fast delivery or a twenty-piece delivery batch of basic gaskets, get in touch!

Growing co-operation in the Baltics, visit the virtual booth at Subcontracting Trade Fair organized by Lithuanian Embassy and LINPRA

December 4, 2020

TT Gaskets is cooperating in a growing and close way in the Baltics and in connection with this, we encourage you to participate in the virtual booth organized by the Lithuanian Embassy and LINPRA, representing the Lithuanian engineering industry, in connection with the Subcontracting Fair.

You can find the Lithuanian Embassy and LINPRA in Subcontracting Fair by logging in to the networking service at next.brella.io/join/AlihankintaVirtual20.

You can arrange video appointments in advance through Brella with our Lithuanian partners.

Learn more about the virtual Subcontracting Trade Fair, held next week, 8-10th 2020:

We Are Hiring An Inside Sales Coordinator – Could it be you? 

July 22, 2020

Inside Sales Coordinator. We Are Hiring.

We are searching for an Inside Sales Coordinator to work as a part of the team of our Inside Sales together with our Sales Engineers.

Read more about the job and see how to apply by clicking the link below:

https://careers.choicehr.fi/pages/inside-sales-coordinator

Watch the Video To See Our New Facilities Being Built

June 30, 2020

Our new factory expansion is coming up nicely. Watch the video to see more.