Successfully implemented Continuous Improvement Project with HIAB

Hiab SRM², Case Study 2, published on October 10, 2016 by Hans Lindblom, VP Hiab Global Sourcing.

Fortaco Estonia, one of Hiab's preferred suppliers, has achieved great results as an outcome of a Continuous Improvement Project implemented at the Business Site Narva. Examples of Hiab products include inner booms, extensions, outrigger beams and the biggest bases. This time, the project scope was boom components supplied to MAU Zaragoza, one of Hiab customers.

The achieved results were significant

Hiab has invested in supplier relations management (SRM) and preferred suppliers. The achieved results at Fortaco Business Site in Narva were significant:
Production productivity increased 10%.
Total component cost reduced 4%.
Project lead time, from start to end, reduced by 30% compared to the previous project.

Implementation of improvements

The first major improvement implemented was a new layout with a clear material flow and 5S principle (sort, set in order, shine, standardise and sustain).
Minimising the overprocessing was another improvement. Together with the Quality and R&D in Zaragoza the clear instructions were created regarding grinding. And the next step to improve the jig design. Thanks to the Zaragoza Loader Cranes crew for their support !
A fact-based monitoring of the component production process was made and filmed, and results were analysed.
The key enabler for the success is a long-term relationship and a continuous improvement approach. Further success factors are openness and the great team.


Thank you for visiting us at Subcontracting Fair 2016 in Tampere

Subcontracting Trade Fair 2016 ended as a great success. We were proud to see so many visitors at our booth this year and it was really nice to witness the positive sprit among the visitors. Exhibition made the all-time record number of visitors - congratulations to Tampere expo as well.

Fortaco would like to thank all the customers and other stakeholders, and wish all of you a productive autumn!

See you in Tampere 2017!


Expertise in cabin solutions

Fortaco Group has designed and manufactured a completely new type of cabin for Mantsinen Group Material Handling.

Fortaco Group is one of Europe’s largest subcontractors in heavy equipment manufacturing. Comprehensive cabin design and manufacturing projects are one of the company’s strong expertise areas.

In autumn 2015, Mantsinen empowered Fortaco to design a new cabin, in two different sizes. Mantsinen Group operates two business units; Logistic Services and Material Handling Machinery. The cabin was launched during spring 2016 at the Bauma construction trade fair in Germany. Mantsinen material handling machinery is typically used in ports, factories and terminals to handle various materials from dry bulk to general cargo.

“The schedule for this project was exceptionally fast. After seven months of signing the agreement we delivered the first cabin to the customer,” says Jussi Malmi, Senior Vice President, Business Unit Assembly, Fortaco Group.

According to Malmi, the project required seamless cooperation with Mantsinen. A considerable amount of time was spent, especially on the initial design phase, including interviews with end customers. Respectively, the development phase was proceeding fairly rapidly, which made the fast delivery schedule possible.

Safe and efficient working environment

”Sometimes, the customer has very specific ideas about what a cabin solution for heavy machinery should look like, but in this case we made a fresh start,” Malmi says.

The machine operator is sitting high up, therefore cabin safety is the high priority for Mantsinen. In addition to good ergonomics, other important factors are good visibility, varying weather conditions and cabin insulation to reduce strain caused by vibration. The cabin material is stainless steel, which is a rarely used material, according to Malmi.

“When designing two different cabins at the same time, a narrow and wide version, the advantage was modularity; we were able to use the same parts in both cabins. This, in turn, lowers the need for investments, for example, in certain tools and interior design components,” Malmi adds.
Ensuring the alertness and wellbeing of the operator should be the starting point for all cabin designs, as it increases productivity and minimises the number of mistakes, according to Malmi.

Further information

Jussi Malmi
Senior Vice President, Business Unit Assembly
Fortaco Group Oy
+358 45 146 8355