Darekon Oy, a contract manufacturer of medical equipment and industrial electronics, has a strong focus on sustainability and responsibility, which were also important starting points for the lighting project in their production facilities. Founded in 1985, the family-owned company is committed to do business in a responsible and sustainable way and expects the same commitment from all its partners.
All of us are responsible for our environment. In cooperation with our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders, we work to minimize the environmental impacts of our operations,” says Antti Järviluoma, Plant Manager of the Haapavesi factory, referring to the company’s environmental values.
This was the starting point for the cooperation with Valtavalo back in 2015.
Today, three of Darekon’s five factories operate in Finland – the company also has factories in Sweden and Poland. The Haapavesi factory offers manufacturing of high-technology electronics products flexibly to meet specific customer requirements.
The facility has modern production lines for achieving today’s requirements regarding accuracy and efficiency. The work requires a high degree of precision, which means that the quality and quantity of light are also in very important role.
Avoiding unnecessary consumption of materials
The upgrade of the old fluorescent lighting in the Haapavesi factory to LED was started in 2015. In one part of the factory, it was decided to keep the existing lighting fixtures and replace the fluorescent tubes with high-quality Finnish Valtavalo LED tubes. This low-effort method known as retrofitting can be used when the existing lighting fixtures are in good condition. This gives them more years of use and avoids unnecessary consumption of materials. In the newer part of the factory, the lighting has been implemented with Valtavalo Teva slim fixtures specially designed for LED tubes and G-series replaceable light sources. In the future, the lighting can be upgraded quickly and easily by replacing the light source instead of replacing the entire luminaire.
We are still happy with the lighting upgrade made in 2015. In addition to the high light output, the uniformity of the light is also commendable,” says Järviluoma.
We have replaced some light sources over the years, but replacing them is always quick and easy, and the replacement work do not disrupt the factory’s operations. We feel that Valtavalo’s solution is very much in line with our company’s values – the fact that the products are made in Finland has also weighed in the balance,” he continues.
Aki Sarajärvi, Valtavalo’s Business Director, says that the circular economy has been the starting point for Valtavalo’s operations since it was founded.
We fight against the disposable culture with our own solutions – it is important to us that the lighting we offer lasts and saves the environment. EU legislation is also finally in line with the message we have been pushing for years,” he continues, referring to the EcoDesign Directive that entered into force in 2021.
Longer service intervals save costs
The replaceable light source solution is easy and inexpensive to maintain, and the long lifetime of Finnish LED tubes significantly extends the maintenance interval. The light source contains all the necessary technology and the luminaire itself is practically maintenance free, with no separate ballasts or chokes, so a simple tube replacement covers all the necessary maintenance. This saves considerable amounts in maintenance and servicing costs.
When it comes to renewing lighting and choosing a lighting solution, it is worth thinking further ahead and considering what happens when the light goes out. A replaceable light source can be replaced quickly and easily and during the replacement work the space can often be used normally, without any interruptions by maintenance breaks”, says Mikko Korhonen, Key Account Manager at Valtavalo.
The international standard for LED tubes (EN 62776), which came into force in 2014, ensures that LED tubes will continue to be available and maintainable in the future. The light source can also be replaced with a new standard light source, regardless of the manufacturer.
High-quality lighting improves comfort and safety at work
Studies show that high-quality lighting can improve productivity in industry by an average of 8% (read more on our blog). At the same time, the number of errors and accidents at work is reduced. With adequate and high-quality lighting in the workplace, people are more productive and comfortable at work, and sick leave is reduced. The Valtavalo LED tubes provide flicker-free, high-quality light that has a positive impact on wellbeing and health of people.
When Aki Sarajärvi and Mikko Korhonen from Valtavalo visited the Haapavesi factory in February this year, it was easy also for outsiders to see how satisfied the employees are. A happy and motivated personnel enable achieving the company’s values of responsible growth and continuous improvement.
