The collaboration between Satamaito, a cooperative dairy over 120 years old, and Kiilto began in 2015 while Satamaito was still operating at its previous facility. The success of the partnership is based on genuinely customer-centric mindset and extensive development work.
Precision and expertise-demanding membrane cleanings emphasize the importance of planning, reporting, and monitoring. “When we moved to the new dairy in Ulvila, Kiilto was closely involved in selecting the chemicals to be used, developing the cleaning processes, and creating the monitoring system. Utilizing Kiilto’s expertise during the construction phase of the plant was beneficial for us,” says Elina Naukkarinen, Satamaito’s Production Manager. She continues, “I appreciate Kiilto’s way of being involved in our operations, as they genuinely want to participate and help, and they approach things proactively.“
Close collaboration is recognized as the cornerstone of success by both Kiilto’s Simo Antila and Satamaito’s Elina Naukkarinen.
When Satamaito moved to new premises, Kiilto was involved in selecting chemicals, developing cleaning processes, and creating a monitoring system.
According to Isa Myllymaa, Kiilto’s Head of Solutions Management, this is one of Kiilto’s core values. “Kiilto is close to the customer. Everyone in Kiilto work daily to support our customers. Kiilto’s solutions have been on the market for years, and our customers value the reliability of our solutions . This ensures a comprehensive view and food safety, as we react to changing conditions and needs with a low threshold,” tells Myllymaa.
Expertise, monitoring, and reporting provide real added value
Kiilto aims to provide genuine added value to the customer in the partnership. Before starting the customer relationship, the customer’s processes and equipment, as well as the cleaning chemicals, cleaning recipes, dosing systems, membrane specifications, and other factors affecting membrane cleanings, are surveyed. Based on these factors, membrane cleaning chemicals and cleaning process parameters suitable for the customer’s needs are selected.
“The lifespan of membrane is critically affected by the correct cleaning procedure . Incorrect cleaning chemicals or dosing will damage the membrane and shorten their lifespan, improper cleaning can even destroy the membranes. By understanding the parameters and monitoring the outcomes, the lifespan of the membranes can be extended. The parameters influencing the cleaning process include pH (concentration), temperature, pressure, and flow rates,” explains Simo Antila, Kiilto’s Technical Expert.
After the initial survey, Kiilto’s expert team is continuously present in the customer’s daily operations, providing technical support and monitoring reporting based on customer measurements, making process change recommendations as needed. Kiilto also regularly monitors membrane cleanings and conducts in-process measurements at the customer’s facilities to assess the condition of the membrane and cleanings.
Naukkarinen praises Kiilto’s comprehensive reports and proactive approach to making changes. “The reports are well-prepared, and it is easy for me to respond to Kiilto’s experts’ change recommendations based on them. And, of course, no changes are made without my approval,” says Naukkarinen.
More responsible dairy operations with concrete actions
Satamaito and Kiilto are also united by clear environmental goals. One of Satamaito’s operational cornerstones is more responsible dairy operations. According to Naukkarinen, this is reflected in production by saving water and energy and minimizing the use of chemicals. These goals can be concretely addressed, for example, in membrane cleanings.
Kiilto’s goal is also to optimize cleanings performed at the customer’s site, as they can achieve clear savings in energy, water, and chemicals. Naukkarinen also mentions that chemical logistics is an important part of their goals. “We prefer large packaging sizes and aim to keep the stock small. We strive to minimize chemical freight deliveries to once a month,” Naukkarinen explains.
Environmental goals unite Kiilto and Satamaito. Together we aim to reduce water, energy, and chemical usage in dairy operations.
When discussing future operations and collaboration, it is clear to Naukkarinen that Kiilto can continue to add value to Satamaito’s operations. “Our goal is to continue the work already done, that is, to develop our measurements and make adjustments to cleanings based on measurement results to keep the cleaning solutions in the CIP as clean as possible, use fewer chemicals, and save water in rinses,” Naukkarinen lists.
Developing reporting is also part of future operations. “Kiilto’s reporting and expertise in it are already at a good level, and I believe that in the future, we can develop it even more to guide our operations,” Naukkarinen concludes.