Original publication:
Eurometalli 3/2025 https://view.taiqa.com/eurometalli/eurometalli-3-2025#/page=24
Konekuriiri 3/2025 page 24 https://www.lehtiluukku.fi/lue/eurometalli/3-2025/411092.html
At the 2022 Konepaja trade fair, Tuomas Kalanen of Ket-Met Oy began discussing a new solution with Jari Vainio of Tekupit Oy. These discussions ultimately led to Ket-Met becoming the first customer to receive Tekupit’s new high-pressure pump unit.
Founded in Savonlinna in 1966 under the name Koneosahiomo, the company has operated as Ket-Met Oy since 1996. Tuomas Kalanen took over the management of the company in 2007.
His first investments were an enterprise resource planning system and CAM software. Both have since been upgraded to newer versions, but they provided an essential starting point for the company’s development.
From the outset, Kalanen understood that production would need to be automated to ensure the company’s competitiveness. At the time, however, industrial robots typically cost upwards of EUR 120,000. Plans for automation were also temporarily put on hold when the global financial crisis reached Finland and created challenges for Ket-Met’s operations.
In 2016, the company acquired its first collaborative robot, or cobot. At approximately EUR 30,000, it was considerably more affordable than a conventional industrial robot. Another advantage of a cobot is that it does not require extensive and expensive safety systems, such as perimeter fencing and light curtains.
The first cobot proved to be a highly successful investment. Ket-Met has since acquired a total of ten cobots, which now handle workpiece loading and unloading on most of the company’s machine tools.
The company’s equipment also includes a Markforged Mark Two 3D printer, which is used to produce items such as robot grippers and other fixtures.
Every machine tool at Ket-Met is equipped with an oil skimmer. Tekupit has supplied these units to the company since 2008. Four of the machines are also equipped with Micronfilter Microil 1200 oil mist collectors supplied by Tekupit, complete with pre-filters and HEPA filters.
Kalanen’s objective has been to equip all suitable machines with 70-bar coolant pumps, provided that their seals and other components can withstand the higher pressure. The purpose is to improve machining performance.
A few years ago, Tuomas purchased a self-cleaning 70-bar pump that could be easily installed in an existing coolant tank. After two and a half years of operation, the pump failed. When it was dismantled, it became clear that its self-cleaning function had not worked particularly effectively. The pump was in such poor condition that repairing it was no longer considered worthwhile.
At the 2022 Konepaja trade fair, Tuomas began discussing the issue with Tekupit. As a result, Ket-Met became the first customer to receive Tekupit’s new high-pressure pump unit.
The unit combines a high-pressure pump, a fabric filtration system and a 400-litre coolant tank. The additional coolant capacity was also beneficial for Ket-Met, making the complete system well suited to the company’s requirements.
In addition to its increased coolant capacity, the system’s advantages include its relatively simple construction and the automatic operation of the fabric filter. It can also be equipped with a Kalamit magnetic separator.
An essential part of the system is its control system, which is customised for each machine according to the features required by the customer. These may include, for example, monitoring of the remaining filter media and a pressure switch that monitors the operation of the high-pressure pump and prevents it from running dry.
