Cabin project provides ideas and networking

Ruukki’s cabin development project with Helsinki University of Technology has got off to a good start. Started in September last year, the project is part of Helsinki University of Technology’s annual product development course, in which Ruukki is a partner for the second year running. The team taking part in the cabin development project consists of 11 students from different disciplines and is tasked with developing a lightweight timber loader cabin and building a prototype of it.

In October last year, the students taking part in the project visited Ruukki’s unit at Kurikka, Finland to learn about cabin production. Since then, they have taken the project forward by examining different concepts, costing and planning technical implementation. Initially, the team prepared a dozen concepts, which were short-listed to four before the final concept was chosen. A start has been made on 3-D modelling of the frame and base.

”We’ve utilised different product development methods in the design and examined the situation using analytical tools for product design. One of the main challenges in design was to reduce the weight of the frame and base,” says the team’s project manager Mika Kukkonen.

The student team meets up a couple of times a week and the team’s different sub groups meet more often.

”The project provides a great opportunity for networking. We work so closely together that these days we see team members more than we do our own friends. We are also in close contact with our contact people in Ruukki Engineering,” Kukkonen says.

The next step is to get to work on building a prototype. In the same context, preparations will be made for the project gala to be held at Helsinki University of Technology on 25 April, when the student team will present the results of the project.