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Experienced painters Marjo Niemi and Kimmo Pylväinen are happy that they no longer need heavy protective equipment at the Best-Hall paint shop. The transition from spray painting to the more environmentally friendly powder coating has also made the process safer by eliminating the use of solvents.
Spunky. This is how Kimmo Pylväinen describes his colleague Marjo Niemi, who is stacking steel beams by hand at the Best-Hall paint shop.
“We also have to do a lot of this with cranes,” Marjo says modestly.
‘The spunky one,’ in turn, describes Kimmo as a hardcore professional who, with his 24 years of experience, can identify every element and part that comes into the paint shop.
“You need a good memory to know where each element belongs in a building's steel frame,” Kimmo says, grinning.
Both painters have had long careers in the surface treatment of steel frames at Best-Hall.
What has kept them happy with their job is the variety of their job description.
“In addition to making sure that each element is painted the right way and goes in the right place, we also carry out quality control and take measurements of things like the thickness of the paint layer. When the need arises, we also touch up the paint job,” says Marjo, who has worked for the company for 13 years.
Good for people and the environment
In recent years, Best-Hall has devoted particular attention to minimising the environmental impact of construction and improving occupational safety. At the paint shop, a major step was taken in 2013 when Best-Hall switched from spray painting to powder coating.
For the employees of the paint shop, the switch to this more environmentally friendly painting technique also meant better working conditions.
“The air we breathe is now cleaner because there are no solvent vapours in it. We used to wear respirators all the time, but now we no longer need them at all at the packing station. We wear face masks during the actual painting process, because it involves handling coating powder," Kimmo explains.
“Now we no longer need any of those noxious solvents that produce hazardous waste. Spray painting also involved splashing and wasting paint, which is something that powder coating has eliminated,” says Marjo.
Quality creates durability
In powder coating, a steel part treated with coating powder is heated to 160 degrees Celsius, which causes the paint to cure into an even layer on the surface. This technique speeds up the process, as the coating does not take time to dry. Compared to hot-dip galvanisation, on the other hand, powder coating is much more energy-efficient, and the smooth coated surface does not tear the building’s cladding fabric as easily.
“Powder coating makes the building more durable and extends its service life. A long-lasting product is often the best option for the environment,” Kimmo summarises.
According to Marjo and Kimmo, it is essential for a painter to think about the whole life cycle of the product.
“Constructing a building is a team effort. You have to know what your colleagues are doing and be able to react to it; this makes the process work and gives the best possible result.”
