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Helkama Velox faced challenges in the process used to punch holes in bicycle mudguards. The old equipment slowed down production and caused errors. Coresbond designed and delivered a new pneumatic punching machine that enables rapid setup changes and allows recipes to be saved for different bicycle models.
The solution improved process accuracy, reduced setup times and increased production flexibility, enabling smaller production batches to be manufactured efficiently.
Helkama Velox’s roots date back to 1905, when a machinery retailer and wholesaler selling bicycles and sewing machines was founded in Tampere. Over more than 115 years, the small machinery business has grown into the Helkama Group, which employs more than 500 people.
Helkama operates Finland’s largest bicycle factory in Hanko, producing more than 25,000 bicycles a year across a wide range of models. Helkama takes pride in its high-quality, carefully finished workmanship. Every bicycle is made by hand using high-quality equipment.
In autumn 2022, Production Manager Dennis Karlsson was facing challenges with the mudguard punching process. The factory used an old and difficult-to-operate machine, and changing the setup between different bicycle models required considerable work. The process was slow and prone to error.
Kimmo Nurminen and Mikko Helminen from Coresbond visited the factory to examine the process. Coresbond was then tasked with developing a new solution to replace the old machine, improve accuracy and reduce the time spent adjusting the settings.
The Coresbond engineering team in Tampere took on the challenge and began the preliminary design of a new machine in early 2023. The goal was to create a machine that would allow changes to be made quickly and adjusted settings to be saved. The idea was to create a dedicated recipe for each bicycle model.
Helkama sent Coresbond mudguards of different sizes so that the machine’s operation could be tested. Coresbond’s project team developed the preliminary concept and presented the operating principle to the Helkama team. Dennis immediately saw potential in the idea and approved moving forward with manufacturing.
“The initial concept sounded good from the outset and was already quite close to what we were looking for.”
Dennis Karlsson, Helkama Velox Oy
The starting point was that the new process should operate entirely using compressed air. There were initial concerns about whether it would provide enough power, but after several tests, the team determined the correct sizing for the pneumatic system and selected the appropriate actuators.
“At first, we were unsure whether compressed air would provide enough power, but we managed to make it work.”
Mikko Helminen, Coresbond Oy
The team also spent several coffee-fueled hours working through the punching machine’s adjustment mechanism. It was nevertheless an engaging project for the engineers, as they were creating a machine unlike anything currently used in comparable industrial applications.
“We helped create a machine unlike anything currently used in comparable industrial applications.”
Kimmo Nurminen, Coresbond Oy
The design and assembly of the punching machine took a few months. Despite minor challenges and multiple rounds of testing, the completion schedule was only slightly delayed. Because the project costs had been agreed in advance, Helkama did not have to worry about unexpected developments increasing the price.
“A fixed-price project was easier for us, especially as the price was reasonable. The project schedule also remained close to the original plan.” -Dennis Karlsson, Helkama Velox Oy
According to Dennis, working with Coresbond was smooth and straightforward. Project management was professional, enough status meetings were held and Helkama maintained a clear overview of the situation throughout the project.
“The cooperation was smooth. We held enough status meetings, reviewed our needs at the beginning and then followed the agreed plan together throughout the project.” -Dennis Karlsson, Helkama Velox Oy
The project was delivered as a fixed-price Complete Delivery, with Coresbond responsible for the machine’s engineering, safety engineering, manufacturing coordination and CE marking. As a finishing touch, operating instructions were added to the cover of the machine’s control enclosure, creating an effective graphical user interface.
One of the main objectives was to minimize the setup time of the mudguard punching machine, and the improvement is clear. Saved recipes reduce the possibility of manual errors, and the machine is easy to adjust to the correct positions.
The setup time is now so short that settings can be changed almost on the fly during production. This makes it possible to manufacture even smaller batches efficiently.
“The setup time is significantly shorter, and the new machine allows us to do things that were not previously possible. It saves us both time and tooling costs in assembly.” -Dennis Karlsson, Helkama Velox Oy
Plans for future projects are currently being refined. Based on this project, we are confident that the next projects will also run smoothly. To summarize the mudguard punching machine project:
“We told Coresbond what we needed, and they designed a machine that met those needs.” -Dennis Karlsson, Helkama Velox Oy
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