Tapio Kaikkonen’s career stands out in today’s job culture, and at Blastman Robotics as well. While recently retired, he first joined the company as a Project Manager and, in later years, led the entire project department, all the while managing projects himself. This speaks volumes about his commitment and is also a heartwarming representation of finding one’s place.

 

Although Blastman was born on the idea of offering products and services globally, it started small. During his time at the company, Kaikkonen has contributed to its growth, experienced the industry's development, and, at the same time, seen the world.

 

 

^{Check the round in the customers' blasting chamber}

 

Partners-in-crime

Before finding his way to Blastman, Kaikkonen worked as a product engineer on mobile phones at Microcell in Oulainen and Flextronics in Oulu. In 2007, he got a tip from an acquaintance in cell phone electronics about a position in a rather peculiar business – abrasive blast cleaning robotics.  

 

“At that time, Blastman operated at Kiilakiventie, Oulu, and had around 20 employees. They had only one project manager, Tapani Autio, and needed another. I applied and got the spot,” Kaikkonen reminisces. “Tapani and I became sort of brothers-in-arms, or partners-in-crime, and shared projects between the two of us up until his retirement.”

 

Later on, Kaikkonen had a number of peers by his side, and eventually came to lead a department of project managers and supervisors as Blastman grew in personnel.

 

From cell phones to blast cleaning robotics

But let’s go back to the early days of Kaikkonen’s Blastman career. “Right away, I received a lot of projects. The first and probably the largest one in the beginning concerned the Blastman B20CS robot with mechanically connected bridges. It was delivered to Rautaruukki in Peräseinäjoki,” recalls Kaikkonen.

 

The most distinct overall memory he has is how different everything was. With cell phones, Kaikkonen’s work revolved around microcircuits. In robotics, the products were naturally larger and more heavy-duty, offering an interesting new field. The change was healthy in another way, too.

 

“The mobile phone industry is hectic, as a new model is always needed quickly for the next peak season. Occasionally, for a reason that couldn’t be helped, a practically finished device would miss its mark and get completely scrapped. That can get a bit disheartening. In Blastman’s operations, there are, of course, schedules too, but things go on in a little more sensible pace,” Kaikkonen compares.

 

 

Blast cleaning in the land of the rising sun

Fairly soon, Kaikkonen started handling export projects to China. To him, the first, BST 1 with a double-walled chamber for a train car manufacturer, was not only notable but the most memorable experience of his career. Until that point, Blastman had never executed a full-scope delivery to China.

 

“The project included many challenges, the least of which was not the busy schedule. We worked every day for six weeks. Also, back then, documentation and communication lacked tools such as Teams, and processes had to lean heavily on blueprints and email,” explains Kaikkonen.

 

However, everything ended up well, to the point where the customer congratulated Kaikkonen’s team for representing the only company to handle its responsibilities on time. The importance of the project also called for showcasing.

 

“They held a formal event with a true sense of grandiose as red carpets had been laid to the blasting chamber and control room, a high-level delegation included government officials, and the function even exhibited a striking life-sized wooden train car,” Kaikkonen muses.

 

Around the world in an abrasive blast

Even though China is nowadays such a prominent market for Blastman that the company even has a local supervisor, it’s far from being the only destination Kaikkonen has run projects in. In fact, besides the ones in Africa, Australia, and Saudi Arabia, there are not many industrial corners of the world where Kaikkonen hasn’t visited.

 

“It’s been a great added benefit to have been able to get familiar with different industries around the world – everything from train cars to windmills. Moreover, it's a great treasure to have had the opportunity to explore different cultures,” Kaikkonen rejoices.

 

Some of the most quintessential locations for him have been the United States, Brazil, many countries in Europe, and Russia, before the current regrettable state of affairs.

 

Blast cleaning robotics as a team sport

Kaikkonen sums up his career with a Finnish saying that roughly translates to “you learn by doing.”

“I didn’t have any experience with industrial machinery to begin with, but I kept my eyes and ears open,” he recalls.

 

He explains that a project manager’s work is never a solo effort. “You shouldn’t even try to master every detail. That’s why an organization like Blastman has, for example, electrical and mechanical departments. The project manager’s job is to maintain overall control and follow through the order-to-delivery chain. Customer communication is also important, especially in the early stages and towards the end, as many other experts take part during the project – and in Blastman’s case, even after it’s finished, with comprehensive after-sales services.”

 

Kaikkonen is quick to highlight the strong backup from the company’s R&D team when challenges arise in the field. “If a problem comes up on site, support from the office is always there. In fact, solving those tricky questions often turns into a friendly competition about who can crack the case first,” he says with a smile.

 

Clear timelines and the natural arc of projects have also been key to his enjoyment of the work. “Although the largest projects we’ve handled might have taken as long as 18 months, one of the reasons I’ve enjoyed this work is that projects always have a beginning and an end,” he says.

 

 

^{Celebrations after a successful fat test} 

 

Leaving robotic arms in good hands

In conjunction with his retirement, Kaikkonen is relocating from Kempele to further south in Finland to be closer to his four daughters and two grandkids. Another condition is for the new home to lie close to a body of water. His many hobbies and interests have included, for example, diving. Nowadays, other water activities, hiking, hunting & fishing, as well as travelling.

 

“I feel that, especially now, it’s important to stay active. Water is an element that has always intrigued me, and I’m looking forward to motorcycling and travelling. Next up is Thailand,” Kaikkonen reveals.

 

About Blastman, Kaikkonen is not at all worried, even though the company has been in a phase for a while now where the old guard is gradually retiring and its know-how needs to be transferred to a new generation.  

 

“Today’s fresh graduates come with such great competence. With smart blast rooms and the development of blast cleaning automation that taps into Industry 4.0, Blastman has a bright future ahead,” Kaikkonen concludes.   

 

_{Robot testing with control stations}