Tyllis Oy Ab, a leading manufacturer of tailor-made transport solutions for over 60 years, has proven that innovation is deeply embedded in its DNA, as it embraces robotic welding to secure a competitive edge.
As one of the first trailer builders in the northern market, Kokkola, Finland-based Tyllis has embraced Robot Welding As A Service (RWAAS) and Automatic Robot Programming (ARP), provided by the Valk Welding office in Finland, enabling it to respond faster to client and industry needs, while strengthening its competitive position.
From pioneer to frontrunner
Tyllis is renowned for its high-quality, customer-specific transport solutions, ranging from semi-trailers and crane trucks to special truck bodies.
Such is its grasp of innovation and automation that Tyllis already boasts 12 years of experience in robotic welding.
However, due to traditional offline programming posing as a major hurdle, in recent years the pace of robotisation in its production has slowed significantly.
This blockage was to be expected in the trailer production environment, where one-off builds are almost exclusively made. As a result, programming a welding robot often took more time than the welding itself.
This made the use of robots for small series or unique products economically less attractive and viable for the Tyllis team.
Fresh approach with RWAAS
Valk Welding has been supplying ‘all-in-one’ welding robot systems for over 45 years, including welding wire, software, consumables and service.
It sees this approach as offering total solutions to clients that consist of three components – the robot, the construction and a software package.
As a result, everything the client needs in its operations is provided from one reliable source.
With its specialised, one-stop-shop of RWAAS, Valk Welding offers a complete robotic welding system, including service, training, and support, for a fixed monthly fee. Even the welding wire is fully included.
As a result, the investment threshold for companies like Tyllis is significantly lowered, allowing companies to adapt flexibly to their production demands.
For Tyllis, it meant the team could start using the latest technology without a large capital outlay.
ARP changes the game
The real breakthrough for Tyllis came with the introduction of Automatic Robot Programming (ARP).
This Valk Welding technology automatically analyses 3D CAD, or STEP files, then recognises welding seams and determines the optimal welding sequence and robot positions.
The end result is basically a robot that programs itself.
Where previously each new product required a time-consuming programming process, ARP now makes it possible to weld even single-piece products efficiently.
The size, or quantity, of a batch of products needing welding no longer matters in the ARP process.
For Tyllis, this process removed the largest barrier to robotisation, opening the door to much broader use of robotic welding in their production cycles.
Speed and energy
The collaboration with Valk Welding Finland moved at remarkable speed, proving to be a crucial green flag for Tyllis to adopt both RWAAS and ARP.
The dynamism and energy of the Valk Welding team gave Tyllis the confidence to make an immediate decision to embrace robotics in their manufacturing.
With the combination of RWAAS and ARP, Tyllis was able to take the leap into a new generation of robotic welding in record time.
As a result, Tyllis has been able to benefit in its operations by quickly scaling up during peak production, as well as instantly implementing new welding techniques and improving product quality and consistency.
It has also been able to spread costs and minimise investment risks, while undertaking and completing one-off production jobs as efficiently as its series production requests.
In a market where lead time, quality, and customisation are increasingly critical, this combination from Valk Welding has given Tyllis a clear and sustainable advantage.
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