Avant Tecno Customer Experience

Saving costs by blow moulding

Avant Tecno Oy is a family enterprise from Ylöjärvi that is in the business of making multipurpose loaders. All of their manufacturing takes place at the Ylöjärvi facility, and 90 percent of products are made for export. Growing volumes made them think about more cost-efficient ways to make container pieces.

VMT Plastic has been supplying the Finnish enterprise Avant Tecno with a wide range of blow moulded plastic parts. Avant Tecno had no previous experience with a similar manufacturing method, so the design assistance and know-how provided by VMT Plastic has been very important, says Avant Tecno Procurement Manager Kimmo Ylälehto.

– At the 2018 Alihankinta sub-contracting trade fair, we found out that the VMT Plastic manufacturing technique could be beneficial for us. We use all kinds of container pieces, such as washing liquid and fuel tanks. Because our product volume is very high, we end up spending a lot of money on these parts. We found out that the new manufacturing technique would be very cost-efficient at high volumes, as compared to for example rotational moulding. The larger the volumes, the more this technique pays off, says Avant Tecno Procurement Manager Kimmo Ylälehto.

VMT Plastic has been heavily involved in determining the conditions of product design.

– The blow moulding method was not familiar to us from before or in use by us in any way. VMT Plastic has provided support in and perspective on what the technique can accomplish and what its limitations are. When you are working with a novel product, getting it into shape for serial production obviously takes some time. Now that it is in serial manufacturing, everything has worked well and the product will be completed in time, says Ylälehto.

The blow moulding method made it possible to leave out lining

Some Avant Tecno loaders are fitted with blow moulded air ducts. Etching the mould made it possible to skip adding separate lining to the air duct.

– The original idea was to glue the lining in place, but we determined that it is best to etch the mould instead. This created the structure we wanted on the surface of the piece, and we have been very happy with it. The surface etching was something of an imitation of the artificial leather surface we had in mind originally. It looks clean and fits the cabin well. Having the surface structure on the plastic piece itself generates big savings, Ylälehto says.

Ylälehto thinks working together with VMT Plastic is easy and smooth

– Working together is never too formal or stiff. I am most satisfied with being able to agree on things quickly and easily with our dedicated contact person. Price, quality, and reliability need to be on target, and VMT Plastic made all of these aspects work, Ylälehto states.