Concrete Issues

2/11: Precast is practical, beautiful, and safe

The precast concrete industry is one of the most innovative in the entire construction sector, says Arto Suikka, Sector Manager at the Finnish Concrete Industry Association. ”Industrialized construction means cost efficiency, good quality, eco-friendly solutions, and great variety in architectural prospects. In other words, precast is practical, beautiful, and safe.”

2/11: Seeing is believing

Petteri Laitinen, Sales Director, asks you to see the possibilities precast concrete offers. This innovative building material has many dimensions.

2/11: Simply the Best

Have you ever dreamed of living or working in the world’s best building? A building that weathers the storms of all seasons and stands tall in any environment. A building that is beautiful inside and out. The best walls, the best floors, safe in case of a fire, comfortable, and lasts a lifetime. If you are dreaming of such a building, you are dreaming of precast.

2/11: Let's bring out the best in precast

Precast concrete is one of the most common building materials in the modern world. There are three truly valid reasons for this: precast is practical, beautiful, and safe.

2/11: YIT is looking to fulfill every Russian's dream

Home Sweet Home: YIT is looking to fulfill every Russian's dream of having a beautiful home made from quality materials. To meet their time schedules, the construction company needs partners it can trust.

2/11: Beautiful precast offers endless variation

Precast is a flexible building technology and it is a very useful tool for architects. “Architects aim to create long-lasting and high-standard buildings for people,” says architect Pentti Kareoja from ARK-house Architects Oy.

2/11: Affordable housing – straight from the factory

Precast building is an economical, fast, reliable, and safe method for building.“When building, for instance, a large scale housing project, precast can offer advantages that are hard to be met with any other building technology,” says export manager Ari Mellanen from Elematic.

2/11: Smart connections make a difference

In precast building, the best sign of high-quality connections is that they are unnoticed by the end user. Connections are an area requiring special expertise, which is often not available on sites.

2/11: Developed India is building with practical precast

“Indian construction industry is mature and has its set practices and systems. However, now precast building is really booming in India as it is becoming an acceptable technology,” confirms Mr. Chander Dutta, head of Service Masters, Elematic's representative for India.

2/11: Practical precast for practical people

Precast concrete products give the possibility of managing many of the changing issues that might affect the construction process in a negative manner. This possibility should be welcomed by any builder, developer, designer, authority or project manager.

2/11: Precast has proven its safety

The modern building industry is constantly developing safer solutions to respond to safety demands. The precast building industry has been able to take on the challenge of making buildings safe during construction and after they are finished. In seismic areas, the advantages of precast are being recognized and this technique is taking over the business.

2/11: Making precast building smart

All parts of the precast production chain benefit from an uninterrupted information flow that goes through the whole process. The information process has to be transparent and controlled all the way from architect’s desk to writing tenders and managing production, and from hammering in the first nail to handing over the keys to the end-user.

1/11: The more complex the product, the more the value from co-creation

At its best, the relationship between a company and its customers is one where customers have a genuine, active role in the value creation process.

1/11: Value creation together

While the term co-creation is relatively new, Elematic has several good examples of close partnership with customers over the years, explains Petri Vesa, Sales Director.

1/11: Smart communication for smooth operators

We need to talk – in the movies this line is often the beginning of something dramatic. In our case it means that by communicating openly, we can find the most suitable solution for your business. To make the world’s best floors, you need a process where your machines communicate with each other.

1/11: Sensing the environment

The concept of co-creation is new and very exciting. It opens up a whole arena of possibilities through communication between people at different levels of an organization and its customers.

1/11: Turning a challenge into a new product: KP1 adds value and productivity with co-creative innovation

Back in 2006, Elematic was presented a challenge from French-based KP1. Can you develop a new product to put loops into hollow-core slabs? When representatives from the two companies put their collective thinking together, the LoopMaster was born.

1/11: E210 Brings Modularity to automatic Furnishing

The new Autometic Furnishing Station from Elematic takes forward the furnishing phase of the precast wall process.

1/11: Innovation and safety work together for KP1

KP1 is France’s leading producer of precast concrete elements. This innovator has always placed safety as a primary component in any product it develops.

2/10: Creating value for the customer

“Value is created when a customer uses the acquired product or service,” says Professor Kaj Storbacka, Hanken School of Economics. “In other words, use-value instead of exchange-value.”

2/10: Experience creates value

The quality of the end product, and therefore the value created for our customer’s customer, has always been our main focus, says Elematic’s Managing Director Leo Sandqvist.

2/10: The ESC of the precast process

The ESC system in cars is exactly what comes to mind when Technical Director Lassi Järvinen from Elematic describes the ETAC process management system.

2/10: What is our market, anyhow?

Do you buy products? Do we sell products? No – it’s all about solutions. Typically, a technology company such as ours sells machinery and services. But we know that the best value for the customer comes from us selling solutions that combine both of these, solutions to solve challenges.

2/10: Dubai Precast plans ahead

The smart way to operate: Dubai Precast has a crystal clear principle: investing in original parts is essential and savings are not achieved by saving on the cost of parts. Its goal is to deliver the best quality products in its own market. This is achieved by preventive maintenance actions and by relying on Elematic to deliver parts on time. “In this business, it is all about reliability,” says Matti Mikkola, CEO of Dubai Precast.

2/10: Sales in a key position

Typically, the first person a customer interacts with when planning a new investment is one of our export managers. The first contact is naturally of great importance when creating a good and long-lasting relationship.

2/10: Let's spend more time together

As Professor Storbacka says, understanding a customer’s business is very important. I believe that we can all agree on that. But how do we achieve a clear understanding of the customer’s business drivers? That is not an easy question.

2/10: Changing the mentality to preventive maintenance is not always easy

To help this process Elematic has a lot to offer. The expertise of Elematic personnel is available to customers to help minimize problems in the factory.

2/10: Original spare and wear parts – make machines work for decades

Sometimes, our HELPDESK receives emergency calls from customers who have production problems. After a long discussion and often after service visits (both costly and time consuming), the problem is located to be new (non-OEM) parts installed into the machine in question.

1/10: Meeting the housing needs

The task of providing affordable housing in India is bringing new challenges to getting projects ready in record time.

1/10: Let's make it happen

Anyone who has traveled to the Far East can appreciate the need for affordable housing. In India alone, the current requirement is for around 24.7 million units – and this figure is growing.

1/10: The best cast of the year

Roll out the red carpet! Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the nominees for this year’s Precast Oscars! The bets are placed and the dice is cast, and the producer is not Steven Spielberg, but ELEMATIC! How would YOU like to be the favorite of the crowd, the winner of the best cast award? It can be done!

1/10: Caring truly is our core business

Dear Readers, housing is a theme where caring really becomes concrete. Precast enables architects to design original, beautiful buildings of extremely high quality. Caring means that not only is the building a pleasure to the eye, but it also represents sustainability.

1/10: Working in an elite manner

Spaencom has over 50 years’ experience and is Denmark’s leading supplier of precast concrete products. The company has realized the advantages of automation and is Scandinavia’s forerunner in Elite solutions, integrating Tekla Structures and Elematic ELiPLAN for automatic transfer of all structural data from 4D models to ERP.

1/10: Elematic ELiPLAN ERP-software

What makes a precast company superior? How to maximize the income of your investment?

1/10: Growing Precast Market in Asia

Rieckermann, a long-time trading company in Southeast Asia, has seen the growth of new opportunities as the markets welcome novel approaches to building.

1/10: Looking for new horizons

A construction company in India named VME Precast is expanding into the building business, thanks to the help of precast solutions.

1/10: Elematic Comcaster

Elematic Comcaster: fast and accurate casting for all shapes and layer thicknesses.The Best Casting Machine for walls, beams, columns and many other precast products, Comcaster is a multipurpose casting machine suitable from circulating lines to battery- and single molds. It suits for any type of concrete, especially for SCC, and coarse, stiffer masses.

1/10: Tekla Structures for Precast Concrete

Tekla's software solution for the precast concrete industry is the most efficient way to produce and deliver all types of precast concrete elements at the right time to the right place. By enabling error-free detailing and easy change management, and by integrating design and detailing with manufacturing and project management, the Tekla 3D building information model can be used to support the entire precast workflow from sales and bidding to erection and beyond.

1/10: Precast is building the future!

Precast concrete is rapidly becoming one of the dominant ways to build the modern world. Its core strength lies in its ability to keep up with the changing expectations of global construction, from market challenges to new performance and safety requirements.

1/10: There is something about Denmark and Spaencom

Denmark is well-known for its flat, but beautiful nature. In addition to Denmark itself, the kingdom also includes the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The capital of Denmark is Copenhagen.

1/10: Elematic Extruder E9

The Elematic Extruder E9 is the right choice, if you need to manufacture varying quantities of different size supreme quality hollow- core slabs.

2/09: Standardizing the future

“Standardization and the use of precast concrete elements offer greater safety, efficiency and better environmental performance,” says Petter Eiken, Business Unit President at Skanska Norse AS.

2/09: A pioneer in safety

Technical Director Lassi Järvinen says that Elematic has always been at the forefront when it comes to safety issues.

2/09: Real-life safety for real-life situations

At precast factories, you've got strong guys who have a job to do and who daily use force if the tools are not good enough. Although our new FaMe Simple system magnets can be fine tuned with sledgehammers and crow bars, it is not according to the manual. The smart choice is to push the button and move the mold, says sales engineer Tero Kivimäki.

2/09: Towards a better future

Season’s greetings, dear readers! In arctic Scandinavia, the darkest time of the year is endured by lighting great numbers of candles, inside the house as well as outside. While frosty temperatures freeze lakes, forests, and grounds, our focus, quite naturally, turns more inwards, towards what is truly important and what we really want to achieve in life.

2/09: Premium Quality Experience through intelligent R&D

It might seem impossible to make a perfect machine better but the much praised Elematic Extruder EL900 has been updated to match customer demands for even greater serviceability, usability, and safety. The new Elematic Extruder E9 has just hit the market to cast a better future.

2/09: Upon our customers’ request: a new mold for columns

At Elematic, R&D is not only working on technological high-end products such as the E9, but is also developing more basic products.

2/09: Do you know what intelligence can do for you?

It can help your work in various ways.

2/09: Best Floors

Whether you know it or not, floors are the key element when it comes to architectural freedom and design: their load-bearing capacity has a direct influence on the need for partition walls and other structural elements of a building.

2/09: Fight back with maintenance

The global recession has been felt everywhere, including the precast concrete industry. Elematic’s Managing Director Leo Sandqvist sees clear signs of light at the end of the tunnel.

1/09: The future lies in green performance

“To go green is an opportunity, not an obstacle”, says Martin Clarke of British Precast, “an opportunity to save money by focusing on reductions in cement, water, energy, waste and accidents.”

1/09: Building your future opportunities

”Now this is sensible thinking and I couldn’t agree more,” says Elematic’s Managing Director Leo Sandqvist on reading Martin Clarke’s views on precast concrete. “For a long time now we have been talking about the numerous possibilities precast provides. It is environmentally friendly and with today’s technology, it enables the designing of unique, beautiful, and energy-efficient buildings.”

1/09: My Elematic Story

The story of how Elematic came to be the world’s leading one-stop-supplier in the precast concrete industry is a five-decade-long saga, which can be told in as many ways as there have been people experiencing it.

1/09: The new Concrete Issues - A magazine for us all

Dear Readers, It’s time for the editor-in-chief to step out into the light. I’m delighted to tell you that once more we are in the process of renewal.

1/09: AlRashid-Abetong - A Saudi-Swedish success story with a Finnish twist

Six years ago, AlRashid-Abetong (ARA), a major precast concrete company in Saudi-Arabia since 1977, acquired the operations of Mabco, another large precast manufacturer established the same year. The marriage turned out a happy one, and today the company is stronger than ever. With a reputation for providing excellent products and services, ARA develops its business by efficiently utilizing modern technology and paying attention to service, maintenance, and training activities.

1/09: Battery molds in their thirties

Elematic-delivered battery molds that date back to those first years are still in use at one of ARA’s four factories.

1/09: Mabco and Alrashid

Mabco (established 1977) was the world’s largest precast factory and introduced the Finnish precast building system to Saudi Arabia.

1/09: A greener concept for Best Walls

Elematic offers a range of leading technologies for the manufacture of façades, sandwich walls, solid walls – load-bearing as well as non-load-bearing – and partition walls. Now they’ve come up with this new concept.

4/08: Succes creates continuity

Elematic turns 50 next year. This anniversary is to be celebrated in many different ways together with customers and personnel.

4/08: Success is the result of quality in all our actions

The road to becoming the world's leading one-stop-supplier of the precast concrete industry has been paved with activities that all have one thing in common: quality.

4/08: What a mix!

Attention, attention! Elematic's new gourmet sandwich recipes are here! And they are just as delicious hot or cold!

4/08: Acotec – a weighty advantage for light walls

Elematic's new Best Walls Concept reaches all the way through a building, from the façade right down to the partition wall. If you want to take success to the very highest in wall making, you will include the Acotec-module in your production.

3/08: Precast for a smaller ecological footprint

The world-wide construction boom has brought about an unprecedented demand for increasingly efficient building solutions.

3/08: Sandwich wall systems - for a sustainable future

Sandwich wall systems of precast concrete are frequently used in many countries for the building of residential housing as well as commercial buildings.

3/08: Precast is truly PRE-CAST

Shops in every branch have discovered the powerful marketing appeal of an ad proclaiming BUY THREE, PAY FOR TWO. Well, the modern precast industry is not one to let a good idea go to waste and has made its own advertisement: BUILD THREE IN THE TIME OF TWO! The difference between these two slogans is that precast offers real value for the money - building with sandwich wall systems is speedy, ecological, and truly cost-efficient. Do not leave until tomorrow what you can do today!

3/08: The masters of sandwich wall production

A cold climate and expensive energy have made Finns the masters of sandwich wall production. Elematic is the world's most experienced supplier of circulating lines for the production of sandwich wall elements. To date, tens of lines have been delivered to customers in many countries, from the Northern hemisphere to the hot southern part of the globe.

2/08: Global presence with local expertise

For decades, our close and continuous involvement on the active precast market has helped us to better understand the needs of the industry and local opportunities as well as restrictions.

2/08: Enhancing overall return on investments

The Elematic service chain provides a secure foundation for the successful, right-timed implementation of customers' acquisitions and investment projects.

2/08: Only the best, Sir!

Welcome to the Elematic Customer Service Center! Are you being served?

2/08: Elematic presence in Russia

During the past 50 years, Elematic has grown and developed into the world's leading one-stop-supplier of precast technology and has delivered solutions to nearly one hundred countries worldwide.

1/08: To upper levels of productivity

Elematic service is caring. It begins at the very first moment of contact between a customer and us.Every year, we deliver almost 200 projects, of which 50 percent are complete plant deliveries. Our aim is to always find the optimum solution for our customers' needs, and we demonstrate our responsibility by advising and guiding customers to this end with the know-how we have accumulated during almost 50 years in the business

1/08: Let's grab a sandwich!

The good old sandwich panel is one of the reasons why precast concrete has been able to increase its popularity so fast in so many markets.

1/08: Good cake, bad cake

Do you remember those days in childhood when the sun always shone, time moved slowly, and you had the best molds in the block? Mixing just the right amount of sand and water, packing it tightly in the mold with your new spade, and then the final moment of truth awaited. Carefully, you would pick up the mold and turn it over on the ground, holding your breath for a split second. Would today be the day for a perfect cake?

1/08: True development partners in a musketeering spirit

Many of Elematic's finest machines for hollow-core and wall production have originated from the needs of one client in particular, the Parma precast factory in Forssa, Finland.

4/07: New dimensions in growth and partnership

Once again the end of the year is drawing close and I find myself reflecting over the many extraordinary turns of 2007. It has certainly been a year of unforeseen expansion.

4/07: CutMaster is here!

The previous number of CI introduced the Masters of Elematic and implied that a new master would soon take to the scene. We now present you with CutMaster, an innovative concept for turning your hollow-core production into highly automated, streamlined, and efficient action generating less dust, less noise, and better quality end products.

4/07: Chef’s special: Profit – served with a personal touch

Do you have a healthy appetite for success? Are you tired of eating alone? Let's do lunch! The Elematic kitchen is cooking up some fabulous meals with home-grown ingredients, spiced with fresh ideas and whole factories! Whether you fancy just an appetizer or a full five-course banquet, the service is quick and friendly! Enjoy your meal locally or order take-away.

4/07: The enchanting Mediterranean - an area of many concrete faces

Although the construction industry is booming at unforeseen speed in many corners of the world, the Mediterranean area is progressing and building at a steady pace.

3/07: The right partnership optimizes your business

There have always existed clones, cheaper copies of original machines and parts. At first, you get excited over finding a more inexpensive item, but after a short period of use you realize that it's already breaking and you need to replace it yet again.

3/07: New service center opens in Dubai

One of Elematic's foremost principles today is to further develop its customer services.

3/07: Masters of Elematic

What strength, what performance, what eye-catching appearance! With unwavering self-confidence, the Masters rise to any challenge and bask in the cheers of an ecstatic audience!

3/07: 3E in harmony - Energy, Environment, Elematic

The society of today is highly ecologically conscious, which is clearly reflected in the activities of the construction industry. Elematic, as a leading one-stop-supplier, has long realized its responsibility to act as a forerunner in the continuous development of eco-friendly solutions.

2/07: Reflections on Bauma

Bauma 2007 hit an all-time record with 500 000 visitors - an increase of almost 20 percent compared to 2004. Besides the enormous size of the event, it was striking how few actual novelties were introduced, at least in the area of precast.

2/07: Elematic TOP Services for peace of mind

At Bauma it once more became clear that there exists a real need among precasters for technical and support services as well as management support. This is especially true for newcomers in the business, but precast veterans too can benefit greatly from factory audits and modernization projects, for example. We had the pleasure to present our newest top quality service concept at Bauma, a concept with three levels of service agreements that aim at providing you with something truly extraordinary - peace of mind.

2/07: Achieve your symbols of success with us!

The more completely you team up with us, the better you can make your dreams come true. Anything and everything is possible - imagine your own symbols of success and let's go after them together. Tuning up your profit is just the beginning!

2/07: Precast trends at Bauma

Although Bauma 2007 broke all previous visitor records, it was perhaps a bit surprising to note that the precast business in general had very little new to display and few revolutionary elements in the presentation of existing products.

1/07: Tune up your profit

Elematic's almost fifty years in the precast concrete business as well as my own twenty years' experience have shown that the needs of the precast industry vary significantly around the world.

1/07: New winds in slipforming

If big is beautiful, today in the slipforming world, small is easy. This means that with our new slipforming technology, you can produce hollow-core slabs of varying sizes quicker and more conveniently than ever before.

1/07: Hollow-core slabs for everyone

Wherever in the world your precast business is located, whether it is on the edge of the wilderness or in the heart of a metropolis, everybody needs walls and floors! All businesses may have different starting points but hey, don't worry, the world's only one-stop-supplier has taken this into account as well! The only address you need for tuning up your business to deliver the best walls and floors to your customers is: ELEMATIC.

1/07: Bring your ideas and dilemmas to the world's first Precaster's Clinic

Making a profit is not just about having the best machines and equipment. It is also about having cutting-edge, specifically designed software, automation, support, and services.

4/06: A clear vision

Yet another eventful year is drawing to a close. But there is no nostalgia in the air, quite the contrary. The future is full of possibilities for both our customers and us.Precast concrete products and perhaps especially hollow-core slabs, are achieving greater market share everywhere in the world. The construction technologies used in the Northern hemisphere are steadily moving further south to Southern Europe, the Middle East, and the African continent.

4/06: Stay in the fast lane with the Elematic Operator's License

A great advantage is gained when the machinery in your factory is used by a certified operator. The appropriate training for a particular machine also increases work safety - only a trained person can perform with optimum capacity and skill. To enable you to make the most of your factory investments today and in the future, we have developed the Elematic Operator's License for all personnel using Elematic machinery. Drive safely and reach your goal faster!

4/06: The world's first electronic encyclopedia for all precasters is open

Think about anything related to building. Floor? Okey, floor is a good choice, floors are essential in building. What kinds of floors are there? How are they made? Okey, now we need help. HELP - where can we find all we need to know about making floors? Come closer and listen carefully; I will say this only once (or twice). The magic words you need to open the world's only comprehensive encyclopedia on precast, floors included, are: WWW.PRECASTFOUNTAIN.COM.

4/06: Young at heart - A Finnish success story

Betonimestarit Oy in Finland is a brave-hearted visionary within the precast industry. This family enterprise started out in 1988 with one factory and just a handful of employees: today it has numerous modern factories all around the country and 240 personnel.

3/06: Growth for both

The strategic planning process is an essential part of managing and developing a company and its business. At Elematic, we thoroughly go through our strategic direction together with the main shareholders and Board of Directors every year. This way our company strategy is tested with the top experts of both of our own and other industrial fields. In addition, solid ownership and sufficient financial resources guarantee that we know what to do; we do not just aim to do something.

3/06: The wear and when of parts

As one-stop-supplier for the entire precast industry, Elematic has delivered hundreds of production lines during the past five decades and over one thousand extruders alone.

3/06: The shortest route to fame

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome! Tonight, we will be talking about fame. Fame is all about gaining recognition, about doing something extraordinary. Let us take an example: if you make the best walls in the industry, you will gain fame.

3/06: Zavod ŽBI 5 advances residential building with new precast technologies

In the heart of Western Siberia in Russia, roughly 1800 kilometers east of Moscow, lies the city of Tyumen, capital of the Tyumen region. The area has seen significant economic growth during the past twenty years, and the capital is also the home town of the successfully growing precast factory Zavod ŽBI 5.

2/06: Sustainability in all we do

Using precast frees building site workers from the burden of making concrete and maintaining the mixers and pumps; they can use their skills for more constructive work.

2/06: Novel technique for graphics on concrete

The setting of artwork and patterns on concrete surfaces has traditionally been a time-consuming and demanding job that has exposed workers to high amounts of dissolvent and dust. But now a much improved technology is available.

2/06: Building blocks for a better life

A healthy mind in a healthy body - so the old saying goes. Unload stress with free-time activities that take your mind of work for a while and recharge your batteries.

2/06: No need to shout in Milbanks's new factory

The first slabs have been ceremonially cast at the brand new factory of Milbank Floors Ltd in Brandon, UK. Factory staff are whistling while they work - the new extruder is so silent you can hold a conversation standing right next to it, and the entire plant has been designed to comply with the strictest of environmental and safety regulations. Elematic was in on the project right from the designing phase and has delivered the plant, recycling system and all.

1/06: Our success is the success of precast manufacturers

Although Bauma is still a year away, it is probably foremost in the minds of most companies planning to exhibit their products at the world's largest construction industry trade fair. For some companies, the business cycle may consist of planning from Bauma to Bauma, but at Elematic, we think in terms of at least a quarter of a century. Investments should be made with the future in mind, not just the moment of purchase.

1/06: Elematic Help Desk - All the backup you need

A small problem somewhere in the production chain may sometimes bring your machinery to a complete halt. Concrete can stop coming out of the batching and mixing plant, for example. Finding and fixing the cause of the complication is now easier than ever - call, e-mail, or fax the new Elematic Help Desk, and your production will be back on track in no time.

1/06: Get a grip!

9:37 am in the factory. Workers are taking their well-earned coffee break. But the men are hunched over their cups, grimacing and shaking their hands as in pain. Squeezed your fingers again, have you? Backs aching from stooping over the forms, are they? The helmeted workers nod with melancholy looks, kicking at the heaps of boards and nails from disassembled molds haphazardly lying around. How can it be so hard to make a right-angled window opening? If fact, how can a job as expensive as building a mold be so difficult? And yet it has to be done all over from scratch every time! Is there no easier way? Yes there is - it is called The Elematic Fastening Method!

1/06: Everything you ever wanted to know about hollow-core

If you want to set up a precast factory, but have no previous experience, can it be done? If you are an established precast manufacturer, but want to deepen your knowledge on the latest technologies, is there a place for this? The answer to both questions is YES.

4/05: Caring and progress - keys to continuous prosperity

Continuous development is of vital importance for any company today. If expertise and creativity are no longer advanced, a company quickly reaches the end of its life span.

4/05: EL 600E: The small extruder with grand features

The Elematic Extruder EL 600E has a long and successful history as a lightweight, economical machine for precasters who need a limited variety of hollow-core slab sizes. Now the little brother of the extruder family has been equipped with the latest technology and ergonomic functions, and has been designed a new look as well.

4/05: Help, where is the exit?

The great saw eats its way through the concrete with an ear-splitting noise, generating clouds of thick, grey dust. Pressing my hearing protectors more tightly to my head, I continue grimly down the aisle between the beds. Oups, that was close, I almost tripped head-over in the slippery sleet! Groping around in my overall pockets for a reasonably clean hanky, I sneeze and breathe in the dusty air far too deep - the coughing accelerates and I feel dizzy. Eyes watering, I fumble along between buckets, shovels, brushes, pieces of slab, squinting to see ahead. The big, thundering casting machine moving along on the bed just adds to my already splitting headache. Help! Where is that exit, I need to get out, NOW!

4/05: CS at your service

When your plant has been built and your Elematic machines are up and running, then it is time for the Elematic Customer Service team to take over caring for your needs.

3/05: Has automation been praised for its own sake without profitability demands?

When the Finnish precast industry began investing in different automation systems some twenty years ago, partly as a joint venture, Elematic was in right from the start.

3/05: Software integration in full flow

At some point in 2003 we realized the many interests, customers and objectives we share with Tekla, a leading software developer well known for its 3D modeling applications for steel and now for precast concrete, too.

3/05: Looking fine but feeling weak?

What would a suit of exquisite silk and perfect cut look like on drooping shoulders? It would need a hanger under the shirt for support! What good is it to paint the façade of your house a wonderful sky-blue, if the frame is weak and could crack and crumble at any time? Do not despair, you can have it all - the climax of strength and beauty in construction!

3/05: All flavors of façades with the Elematic circulating line

You probably already know that we can provide you with complete precast factories - the best in the industry, we dare say - for the making of hollow-core and other concrete products. But did you know that we can also supply an excellent solution for the manufacturing of precast façade elements?

2/05: Reliable partnerships inspire the courage to succeed

The long operating chain of a construction project is cooperation, partnership at its best. Many operators participate in this chain and I appreciate and respect the work they all do. I value the architects, even though the realization of their creative work sometimes causes precast producers to tear their hair. Without them, the world would be a much more colorless place to live.

2/05: Innovative R&D since 1865

It may sound incredible, but that is how we quantify the research and development at Elematic by summing up all the man-years spent on it. Elematic R&D has its concrete roots in customer feedback and our specialized know-how.

2/05: The rock-solid heads of Elematic

Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean is considered to be the world's most remote inhabited island. All around its volcanic perimeter the now treeless slopes are bedecked with huge stone heads that have gazed at the sea unflinchingly for hundreds of years, neither caring nor feeling. Finland, the home country of Elematic, may be considered by some to be almost equally remote, far up in the cold north. But the rock-solid heads of Elematic are definitely alive and kicking - piloting their industry leading company with an intensity that could shake the non-volcanic Finnish ground.

2/05: Firm partnerships for concrete results

At Elematic, the slogan one-stop-supplier is taken by the letter and so we deliver products ranging from the smallest accessories to complete turnkey plants to customers in every corner of the world.

1/05: One-stop-supplier, what does it mean?

Reading a summary of last year's Bauma Fair in one of the industry's publications, I was delighted to notice that Elematic has gained numerous followers advertising themselves as one-stop-suppliers. This is a new phenomenon, now our competitors are not only copying our machines, engineering, and colors, they are also copying our slogan.

1/05: Modular B&M plants - How easy can it get?

Elematic's latest word in product development is a 2nd generation modular batching and mixing plant. With this new solution, there is always an alternative to choose from, and the whole system is very cost-effective to transport and very quick to erect.

1/05: Out of control?

Have you acquired all this great machinery to produce high-quality precast products, but are finding it difficult to make them function together smoothly? Are you sweating over extensive production planning and time-consuming coordination? Is your storage full of perfect products waiting for delivery to customers, but you need a search party to locate them? And what was actually going to whom? Are things just a bit too manual and out of control?

1/05: Extruder, slipformer, or both

In manufacturing hollow-core slabs, some producers prefer extruding, while others rather use slipforming. The reasons behind these choices are often based on historical grounds; different regions have had different building traditions and requirements. We have listened to our customers regarding their varying production demands of today, and can offer equally strong technology solutions for both extruding and slipforming.

4/04: Making your dreams concrete

It was this time last year that we changed our company name to Elematic. One name, one brand; the aim was to unify our operations and to strengthen our position on the world market.

4/04: Self-Compacting Concrete - the substance of future dreams

The use of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) in the precast industry is gaining an increasing amount of attention due to the many benefits that may be gained from its properties.These affect product quality, the working environment, architectural design possibilities, and overall economics.

4/04: A dream environment

How many sleepless nights have you spent in a hotel room, listening to the sounds from partying neighbors, the plumbing system, the ventilating ducts...? Well, the loud guests on the next floor may not respond to your knocking on their door, but as for the noisy pipes and tubes, they can now be integrated into the ceiling itself, making the environment much quieter. Sweet dreams! Tomorrow, you can start planning your own house.

4/04: Small-scale investment resulted in big success

In 1998, Ferrobeton Rt. stood at a crossroads. The mold-cast hollow-core slabs that they had been producing so far, no longer met the demands of the construction market.Foreign investors required high-quality, modern flooring products with longer spans and higher load-bearing capacity.

3/04: Efficiency is an economic asset

The construction industry has been through a turbulent first half year. The price of steel and cement has soared and no end is yet in sight.It is evident that there is no return and that ongoing changes favor the use of precast, prestressed concrete as a building material.

3/04: High steel prices opt for economical hollow-core

Scrap steel is at a shortage and the price of constructional steel has risen by 30 percent since February. To find out more about the causes of this effect, Concrete Issues met with Mr. Seppo Rajamäki, Vice President and Technical Director at Consolis, Europe's largest producer of precast concrete products and a consumer of 75 000 tons of steel yearly.

3/04: Oh no!

Is your core machinery suddenly showing signs of malfunction? Are the adjustments a bit off? The wear parts going on their last mile? No spare parts in your storage? Do you wish you could just hang up an OUT OF ORDER -sign in the production area and go home? Don't worry, pick up the phone and call Elematic Customer Service!

3/04: Definitely a partnership

Molin Concrete Products Co in Lino Lakes, Minnesota, is one of the precast industry's oldest operators. Having manufactured prestressed Flexicore hollow-core products since the 1950s, the company started looking around for more advanced production technology as the 20th century drew to a close. This is how they found Elematic and the hollow-core extrusion technology, which would make them the first producer of 16-in. hollow-core elements in the U.S.

2/04: A competitor's best compliment

A competitor's best compliment Bauma 2004 is behind us. For us, the event was a great success. We met a tremendous amount of customers, both old and new, and our stand attracted much attention.

2/04: Elematic Fixed Sawing Concept

Have your plant turning out more whilst improving the working environment - sensationally possible with Elematic!

2/04: From limestone and carving to concrete and Betemi

In August 2004, the Olympic games are returning to their birthplace in Greece, the land of ancient architecture and columns. Early historic records date the first Ancient Olympic Games to 776 BC, when the core values of Olympism first began to develop into benchmarks of human creativity and excellence.

2/04: Recycling - Concrete for the environment

Concrete is the most frequently used material on earth, after water. It is nontoxic, environmentally safe and composed of natural materials. Concrete does not molder, rust, or burn.And it can be recycled.

1/04: Elematic, the one-stop-supplier

Since 1959, Elematic has provided precast concrete producers throughout the world with technological products and services.Although our company name has varied during the years, our basic principle has been and continues to be a concrete one: to be a comprehensive one-stop-supplier.

1/04: The sky is the limit: Elematic Slipformer EF 5000

With a combination of greatly improved shear compaction, traditional slipformer values, new raw materials and technical design in the forming tube, Elematic has created a fresh generation of slipformers.

1/04: Brand new Elematic EL 411 - what should we call him?

The air is heavy with dust. Large saws are working their way through thick conrete slabs. Grey particles from powder-dry sludge whirl towards the ceiling, pitilessly forcing their way into nostrils and throats, irritating and stinging. The coughing from hard-pressed workers is drowned by the roaring of machines working in overdrive. Warning lights flash on consoles. Muscles are strained - the hardening dirt sticks relentlessly to the beds, aisles, and floors, from where it must be removed to the last speck. New slabs must be underway, now. The heavy wheels of production must keep moving, there is no relief... Or is there?

1/04: Making things easier

Europe, the US, the Middle East - the Elematic ELiPLAN ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is already in use on three continents. The user-friendliness of the Elematic Fastening System magnets has amazed manufacturers near and far.Elematic has set its mind to making precast concrete production easier for customers worldwide.

1/03: Listening to our customers

If there's one common factor uniting today's successful businesses, it has to be the ability to listen to and understand one's customers.

1/03: Effective, ergonomic, elegant: Extruder EL 900EW

The latest newcomer to the Elematic extruder family is the EL 900EW.

1/03: A concrete solution

Picture a vineyard in Sicily, Italy. The currently silent volcano, Etna, is silhouetted against the blue sky, the gently rolling landscape is bathed in sunlight, the vines are heavy with grapes mellowing slowly to perfection... The vines wind around wooden posts planted in rows as far as the eye can see... But hey, wait a minute, let's look more closely at the scene, zoom in on those support beams. They're not wooden at all; they're made of solid concrete!

1/03: Expanding the horizon: The first plant of a new era

Elematic is renowned throughout the precast concrete industry for its advanced technological R&D, innovative spirit and pioneering industrial design.