Baltic Bearing Company-Riga is one of the newest in Europe, the only one in the Baltic States and the first Plant in Latvia which produce bearings was put into operation in 2015. Construction lasted for three years. In this article, we will tell you how we chose a place for construction, what kind of problems we had to solve and what does it means – to build a new plant.
Location selection
The location of the plant should be accessible to all modes of transport and convenient in terms of logistics, this is one of the main factors.
The capital of Latvia, Riga has always been a large trading city with a developed industry. Today Riga is an international transport hub in the northeast of Europe. Proximity to the sea and developed logistics connect the capital of Latvia with all the countries of Eastern and Western Europe and the CIS countries. Taking into account the specifics of the business project, marketing research and goals for the development of the company’s sales, the choice of this location was an excellent decision.
Equipment for production
The next step was to find a site for construction, taking into account the fulfillment of all the requirements of the previously prepared project. We looked at about 12 locations and as a result of the analysis we chose a site on the territory of the Free Port of Riga. The land area is 2.5 hectares. The three-storey building located there was completely reconstructed and turned into an administrative building of the plant with a total area of 2100 m2, where the company’s staff is located. Industrial buildings were organized on the reconstructed area of 3500 sq.m. The next stage was the construction of new production buildings with an area of 1500 sq. m.
At the same time with the starting of production sites construction, laying communications, making changes to the project, the engineering and technical services of Baltic Bearing Company – Riga, together with the chief mechanic’s service, found, tested and purchased new equipment: modern CNC machines, surface and centerless grinding machines, assembly lines, heat-treatment aggregates and washing machines, which have CE certificates – totally 310 units.
The main selection criteria were the following:
– the possibility of machining and assembling of a wide range of components for various groups of bearings;
– the possibility of quick readjustment;
– providing active control of processed parameters;
– high level of automation;
– ensuring the requirements of design documentation and management plans.
Quality control
Particular attention was paid to quality control. For the construction of the central Plant laboratory, modern dust-free technologies were used. The laboratory room is equipped with an autonomous ventilation system that maintains the microclimate. To perform precision measurements, measuring equipment from specialized European manufacturers was purchased, as well as manual control devices, equipment for sample preparation, contamination analysis, steel grade, hardness and chemical etching.
Environment protection
To ensure the operation of such a significant equipment park, a number of projects have been implemented according to the requirements of energy management systems (ISO 50001): design and installation of a compressed air system with a capacity of 70 m3/min, including 5 compressors and 2 dryers (Switzerland); step-down transformer station (Italy); water supply system from an artesian well with water purification technology.
These projects made it possible to ensure the autonomy of the Baltic Bearing Company-Riga Plant and save costs while fully providing the necessary resources.
Taking into account the strict requirements of the environmental legislation of Latvia and the EU, as well as ISO 14001, it was necessary to ensure a high level of environmental efficiency of the Plant in the design of production processes and construction.
We have installed a multi-level wastewater treatment system (99% purification rate). All equipment used for the production of emulsions includes installations for the removal and purification of vapors from the cutting zone of the equipment. The energy-efficient lighting system of the industrial building, based on the use of LED lamps, has made it possible to save a significant amount of electricity.
Boiler equipment operating on pellets ensured minimal toxicity of exhaust gases. By implementing these projects, Baltic Bearing Company – Riga has minimized the impact on the environment and the use of harmful chemicals.
By implementing these projects, Baltic Bearing Company – Riga has minimized the impact on the environment and the use of harmful chemicals.
Continuous development
10 years have passed since the starting of construction of the Baltic Bearing Company – Riga plant. Our company has gone through many trials and crises. Anyway, it only allowed us to improve existing processes, changes and reorganizations, which resulted in successful development:
Today BBC-R is a constant forward movement.
