Finnish log house manufacturer Kontiotuote Oy (Kontio) has worked with Kiilto for around 20 years. Kiilto adhesive solutions are being adopted more widely across Kontio’s production, while the two companies continue to test and develop new solutions together.
“Going forward, Kiilto will be our sole adhesive supplier,” says Timo Pesiö, Kontio’s Production Planning and Logistics Manager.
Kiilto PUR adhesives have been used on Kontio’s finger-jointing line since the early 2000s, and the company’s adhesives have also long been trusted for attaching sealing strips.
With the introduction of the new Kiilto Pro SW adhesive range, the partnership has expanded to the production of log blanks. Kiilto Pro SW 10 has been used for lamination for around 18 months. Most recently, the adhesive bonds in columns and beams also successfully passed external testing.
New adhesive tested at Kontio’s production facility
When the new Kiilto Pro SW adhesive range was being developed, the first customer trials were carried out at Kontio’s production facility in Pudasjärvi. The trials provided Kiilto with valuable feedback for further development.
“Kontio played an important role in enabling us to launch the adhesive range so quickly and successfully. After our own tests and the customer trials, we concluded that we had a product ready for launch,” says Henri Ahonen, Kiilto’s Regional Manager for Northern Finland.
From Kontio’s perspective, the results were equally convincing. According to Pesiö, the development work produced an adhesive that is extremely well suited to the needs of Kontio’s production.
“The test results showed that the new SW adhesive range performs extremely well. For example, the delamination tests that are important to us produced excellent results from the very first trials,” Pesiö says.
Lower application rate delivers production savings
Kontio uses approximately 50,000–100,000 kilograms of PUR adhesives each year, around 70 per cent of which is used for lamination. Compared with the PUR adhesive used previously, one benefit of the new SW range is its lower application rate.
“We have been able to reduce the adhesive application rate by around three per cent compared with the previous solution. At these usage volumes, this delivers significant annual savings, and the change did not require any investment in equipment,” Pesiö says.
The pressing time is also shorter than with the previous adhesive, helping to improve production efficiency.
“This is a great demonstration of the success of our product development team. With the new adhesive solution, we can provide the customer with tangible benefits in both material consumption and production efficiency,” Ahonen says.
16 kilometres of SmartLog logs for a nursery and school
Kontio SmartLog logs manufactured using Kiilto Pro SW 10 adhesive have already been used in several construction projects. One of the largest is Vilinä, a nursery and school being built in the Hangonsilta area of Hyvinkää. Its frame uses a total of 16 kilometres of non-settling SmartLog logs.
The school, due for completion in 2027, will accommodate 480 pupils, while the nursery will have places for 198 children.
Kontio’s Vihanta exhibition house, built from SmartLog logs, was also showcased at the Lempäälä Housing Fair.
16 kilometres of Kontio SmartLog logs: the Vilinä nursery and school in Hyvinkää’s Hangonsilta area is a major timber construction project due for completion in 2027. Photo: Kontio
Kontio’s Vihanta exhibition house at the Lempäälä Housing Fair. Photo: Kontio
Training to support production
In addition to adhesive solutions and product development collaboration, Kiilto supports Kontio in the safe use of its products. Kontio and Kiilto have agreed to provide diisocyanate training for all new employees at the Pudasjärvi production facility who work with PUR adhesives.
“The training has been a valuable addition to our overall offering. Our aim is to ensure the safe handling of products and reduce exposure risks,” says Juha Rinne, Head of Solutions at Kiilto.
Local expertise and reliable service matter when choosing a partner
For Kontio, geographical proximity and supporting domestic industry are important factors when selecting an adhesive partner. The wider adoption of Kiilto products further increases the share of Finnish-made content in Kontio’s production.
Just as important are quick access to technical support and reliable deliveries that keep production running smoothly.
“We always receive good and prompt service from Kiilto, which means we do not need to keep a very large adhesive inventory of our own,” Pesiö says.
“We have a strong sense that we are important partners to one another.”
This text has been adapted from an article published in Puumies magazine. The original article was written by Petri Puttonen.