Enhancements at Nokian Tyres’ Finland plant driving productivity & efficiency improvements

Nokian Tyres’ Nokia factory in Finland continues its developmental journey, with ongoing enhancements in tyre production processes. Notably, last year witnessed a notable increase in productivity and efficiency alongside a reduction in waste. These strides reflect the factory’s commitment to continuous improvement principles, where incremental changes yield substantial impacts. Safety also remains a core focus area at the factory, with significant strides made over the years despite a slight dip in 2023. Efforts to minimise accidents persist, underlining the commitment to a safe working environment.

“Our aim is to eliminate even minor accidents through proactive measures such as safety observations,” remarks Manu Salmi, executive vice president, Heavy Tyres, and Nokia Factory. Salmi shares that over the past three years, the Nokia site has reduced accidents by up to 65 per cent in its passenger car tyre production and has gone “well over a year” without accidents in its Heavy Tyres plant.

Production records

Passenger car tyre production in Nokia reached an “all-time high” last year, reports Manu Salmi, with production volume growing 150 per cent between 2020 and 2023. “Measured in kilogrammes, this means a growth of over 200 per cent. We are now close to the highest volume ever produced at the Nokia factory.” According to Nokian Tyres, the Heavy Tyres plant also set a productivity record last year, and the tyre maker anticipates that the gradually increasing capacity here will continue to grow.

Reduced waste

Efficiency gains were also evident in waste reduction efforts, with marked improvements in minimising production waste. Employee participation in Lean training further bolsters continuous improvement efforts, driving efficiencies and quality enhancements.

“We achieved an all-time record last year by significantly reducing production waste,” says Salmi. “Less than 3.5 per cent of production of passenger car tyres ended up as waste at the Nokia factory, marking a 35 per cent improvement during the last three years. In Heavy Tyres, approximately 2 per cent of production ended up as waste, which was an all-time record as well.”