The new CIP station guarantees food safety

Valio Oltermanni® cheese and Demi milk powders are produced at Valio’s Haapavesi factory. Founded in 1965, the factory has been developed ever since with regular investments. The most recent example is the new CIP station that was deployed in spring 2020. JS-Group created the process piping for the CIP station.

Over 5 kilometres of piping

According to Lokasaari, the build of the new CIP station proceeded as projects typically do.

“In the beginning we collaborate with designers, then acquisitions are made together with contractors, and after negotiations, we form contracts with our chosen suppliers. There are not that many companies in Finland that could take on a process piping project like this. When negotiating the project with JS-Group, we had the feeling that they would take care of the project and complete it successfully.”

Building a CIP station can be challenging and, according to Lokasaari, it wouldn’t have come to completion successfully without particularly fruitful collaboration between the customer and the leader of JS-Group.

“The new CIP station included over five kilometres of piping. Fitting them next to the existing piping was a hurdle, which the project supervisor and JS-Group overcame successfully.”

Collaboration and assistance

The project made good use of the capacity of JS-Group’s workshop in Laitila, aiming to maximise the prefabrication stage – they manufactured, for example, kilometres of process piping. The project management service that was included in JS-Group’s offer has played a significant role in the project’s progress, reporting and successful collaboration.

“In a project like this all parties are important, but as JS-Group installed all the equipment and steel platforms, and executed the process piping, their role has been considerable. Their smooth operations have had a massive impact on the success of the entire project. It has proven effective to have one company oversee a large-scale project with many interdependent factors, such as this one.”

As a project manager Lokasaari values collaborators that deliver on their promises.

“JS-Group delivered solutions as mutually agreed, and the communication was honest and respectful on both sides. We encountered many challenges during the delivery which we overcame, and the work proceeded as we wanted thanks to the solutions that we had brainstormed together. The schedule had to be adjusted as well, but the decisions were discussed together, and the work was completed within the deadlines agreed in the contract.”

During the construction and installation stages, the contractors were obliged to acquire equipment to be able to view 3D design models.

“JS-Group employees had all the necessary equipment and they also helped other contractors to familiarise themselves with the designs to avoid unnecessary ‘collisions’.”

The experience of smooth progress and fruitful collaboration was also present during the post-evaluation.

“No negative comments were made by the customer’s representatives in the post-evaluation questionnaire regarding JS-Group,” concludes Lokasaari.