New Building, New Lights

In January 2018, Vink Finland’s personnel at the headquarters in Kerava walked into a new building with new lights. Previously, the staff was scattered on two different premises at two different locations. With the new building, the whole personnel including production and warehousing teams, administration, sales and marketing are all under the same roof.

Under this roof, Vink Finland produces a wide range of semi-manufactured plastic products. With its passion for plastics, the company has pioneered the Finnish plastics industry for more than 50 years. Globally, the Vink Group operates in 15 countries with a workforce of 1,500 people.

The new HQ, including office spaces, production facilities and warehousing, are all lit with energy-efficient Greenled luminaires. LED lighting was chosen due to its energy-efficiency and sustainability. Moreover, good lighting was known to improve workplace safety and comfort.

Good lighting didn’t happen by accident. It was a collaboration between the design agency, lighting supplier, constructor and the contractor.

“With both new and retrofitted buildings, we often collaborate with a design agency. It’s a dialogue, where the designer specifies what’s needed and we help the designer come up with the best possible lighting solution, fulfilling the customer’s needs.”

Account Manager, Greenled

Good lighting, greater accuracy

At their production facilities, Vink Finland produces a variety of plastic products and parts out of tubes, panels and poles. Customers include companies from engineering and machinery as well as the advertising and construction industries.

One might think the job at the production facilities is all about lifting and cutting big plastic parts and operating heavy machinery. In reality, the job requires a lot of precision and accuracy.

In production, the assemblers and machinists read specifications and work commands, all written on paper. Workplace safety is key, and apart from seeing each other and the products well, the drawings, including measures and tolerances, need to be well visible on site.

“I’ve asked around in the production, and everyone seems to be really satisfied with the new LED lighting. It’s luminous, it’s even and it’s glare-free. Overall, a success.”

Teemu Joutsiniemi, Production Manager, Vink Finland

Lighting the high-BAY warehouse

After the products have been manufactured, a team of twenty people working at the warehouse takes care of all the logistics, including collecting, warehousing and sending the items.

The warehouse at Vink Finland is a 4000 m² space with a high ceiling of 8 meters. The previous warehouse was lit with fluorescent tubes hung one meter below the ceiling. Though there were regular check-ups made by maintenance, damaging the hanging ceiling light fixtures could not be completely avoided. As a result, there were always tubes that didn’t function.

“You can do a lot of damage with a forklift weighing two and a half tons. Though we did our best to be careful, we couldn’t help but sometimes hit the hanging light fixtures. The new LED luminaires are mounted onto the ceiling, it’s pretty much impossible to break them.”

Jukka Väyrynen, Warehouse Manager, Vink Finland

On top of minimising maintenance needs, the new LED lighting adds comfort and convenience at the warehouse. The luminaires are instantly bright after turning them on and the light reaches all the way down in the high-bay space.

“The lighting we now have is so much better compared to the old.
It’s just right for us, not dim and not too bright.”

Jukka Väyrynen, Warehouse Manager, Vink Finland

Image: The warehousing staff at Vink Finland operates counterbalance and handler forklifts. The new LED lighting is glare-free and the light reaches all the way down in the high-bay warehouse.

Summary of the results:

Vink Finland’s lighting renewal was a joined effort with a design agency, lighting supplier, constructor and the contractor:

• A sustainable, energy-efficient lighting solution throughout the new building
• Even light levels and glare-free LED lighting
• Improved conditions for accuracy and safety at the premises
• Minimised lighting maintenance needs