Metso, a valve solutions and services provider, advanced its capabilities with a new factory that increased production by 50%. Metso provides intelligent on-off and emergency shutdown (ESD) valves, real-time condition monitoring, and other technologies, especially in oil and gas, pulp and paper, refining, chemical, and petrochemical industries.

Kasia Jakubek

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The New Metso Technology Center opened Sept. 22 in Helsinki (Finland), after Metso provided a seminar on products and services, along with a facility tour. The new facility has helped the company produce 50% more valves compared to last year. Metso, a valve solutions and services provider, has strong market positions in oil and gas, pulp and paper, refining, and the chemical and petrochemical industries. Company representatives noted that continuous investing in product and service development has made Metso one of the leading suppliers of intelligent on-off and emergency shutdown (ESD) valves and applications for real-time condition monitoring.

Metso representatives said they decided in 2008 to invest in new technology centers in China and in Finland after market and financial analysis. Investing during a downturn showed Metso’s customers its long-term strategy of improving products and services.

“Production is more than 2,500 valves monthly, and volumes will be further increased to meet the growing global demand,” said Markku Simula, president of Metso’s flow control business. The New Technology Center in Helsinki, an office building and purpose-built factory, employs 800 automation professionals, and two-shift production is working at record pace. The plant reached record production during the past 6 months, a 50% increase over year-ago levels.

Designing a production line from scratch gave Metso the opportunity to fulfill a long-term strategy focused on developing products and services, and to fulfill different clients’ expectations. The New Technology Center replaced an old facility, spread over many buildings in Roihupelto, Helsinki. The new purpose-built factory has strengthened the company’s ability to develop products, save production time, reduce unnecessary production flow between stations, and reduce production costs.

“Our new production and testing facilities allow us to further improve our services to our customers with faster deliveries as well as with a wider product and application scope,” Simula said. It includes a new flow laboratory for valve testing and new expanded cryogenic testing facilities for the LNG industry.

Separate news from Metso with photo: Metso to deliver biomass-fired steam boiler plant to Valio’s Lapinlahti cheese plant.

- Kasia Jakubek, an editor with Control Engineering Poland, attended the Metso plant opening event.

http://controlengineering.pl