Wärtsilä

”One of the most significant recent projects with Pinja was the total upgrade of the trial test process and loading automation at Wärtsilä Vaasa, also including bus protocol modifications. A challenging aspect in this project was that the entire modification was completed without any major production breaks.

At the same time, improvements were made to the data collection system, because data management and analysis now play an increasingly significant role at us. Data collection is needed for measuring engine performance, plant and production efficiency and maintenance need – not forgetting data that is necessary in engine and genset startups. These improvements have increased the efficiency and quality level of the test trial event, as well as speeded up production.

The delivery trials of the test facility do not usually last long; however, depending on the year and production, approximately 60–70% of all energy produced by the test facility is directly used as electrical energy. The rest, approximately 30–40%, is used for other forms of energy, such as district heating, which we provide for both our own plant and the Vaasa area.

Pinja is responsible for the maintenance of our test facility’s automation system. In addition, they have developed testing systems for Wärtsilä engines and participated in our product development projects. They are competent in the PLC systems and software that we use. It is easy to work and cooperate with them since all expertise related to electricity and automation can be found under the same roof.

Regarding the test facility, Pinja has had a big role in the Vaasa plant area. Our cooperation started already in the 1990’s. Personally, I joined Wärtsilä in 2011 involved in testing and have cooperated with Pinja since then. In my view, their competence and expertise has been versatile and exactly what we have needed.