Woikoski stands out as a reliable and easy-to-work-with gas supplier

SP stainless Oy is a metalworking company established in 1989, whose core competence is demanding welding work. The company subcontracts the manufacture of piping systems, piping prefabricated products and equipment for process industry equipment manufacturers.

In particular, SP stainless focuses on the processing of stainless and acid-resistant materials. Most of the welding is TIG welding, where a good result requires precise and high quality methods. The shielding gas used for welding is important for success. Among other things, it protects the piece to be welded from oxidation and air impurities.

Woikoski is a Finnish family-owned company in the gas industry that has been supplying the welding gases used by SP stainless for fifteen years. The shielding gas used for TIG welding is in particular the cost-effective Formier gas. In addition, the gas network in SP stainless’s existing premises is implemented with Woikoski equipment and instructions.

– The cooperation has grown year by year, says Arto Koljonen, Managing Director of SP stainless. – We get all the gases we need from Woikoski, he continues.

In the future, there may be an increasing use of partnership:

– Woikoski mainly supplies us only with welding gases, but we have been looking into the additives they supply and also the welding machines. We are in discussions, so maybe one day, Koljonen says.

The way gas is delivered has evolved over the years. Koljonen explains how in the early days all gas was delivered in bulk cylinders, but today Woikoski delivers most of its gas in tanks. The gas supplied in liquid form is mixed and evaporated by Woikoski equipment into the gas network at the premises. Koljonen explains the advantages of tank supply:

– The economic benefit is of course great, i.e. gas is much cheaper this way. The price advantage accumulated over the years is really significant. However, tanker deliveries also increase occupational safety, as there is no need to handle loose cylinders during production.

SP stainless does not have to worry about having enough gas. Remote monitoring detects the depletion of the liquid tanks and automatically alerts the operator, who then has a Woikoski truck fill the tanks. This ensures that welding operations can continue without any interruptions in gas supply.

– Woikoski delivers the tank gases to us discreetly, but of course we order the bi-weekly bottled gases separately. Bulk bottles are still used for special gases, Koljonen points out.

The Woikoski service includes regular consultation meetings with the representative. Ville Mela, Woikoski’s Sales Director, is a very familiar partner for Koljonen, as the duo have been part of the companies’ common journey from the very beginning.

– The Woikoski representative visits us about three or four times a year. We discuss how we have been doing, what our gas consumption has been like, what the price level is, and whether it would be worthwhile to upgrade to a more productive or profitable alternative, Koljonen says.

Advice is also given on choosing the right gas, and help is given to keep abreast of developments in welding technology:

– They will give us tips on which gas to use for welding new materials. But mostly they tell us about the equipment. When new welding equipment comes on the market, they are happy to come and show it to us.

The continuity of the business-to-business relationship can be counted on, as can the supply of gas from Woikoski, because, according to Koljonen, the alliance is particularly strong. The cooperation, which has already lasted well into its second decade, speaks for itself, and from SP stainless’s point of view Woikoski sums up as a highly recommended gas supplier.

– Woikoski can be recommended to other companies as domestic, reliable and economical. Probably the best thing is that it is a domestic family business with good customer service and a customer-centric approach, Koljonen concludes.