ESTONIAN FORERUNNER
Barrus, an Estonian customer of Metsä Fibre, has in 25 years become a major manufacturer of finger-jointed window and door components.
MARKKU RIMPILÄINEN, photos HEIKKI SLÅEN
Barrus is located in Võrumaa, in the middle of Estonian pine and spruce forests. There are many animals in those forests, but definitely no elephants. So why is there an elephant in the company logo? “Barrus means ‘elephant’ in Latin, and elephants have always been used to carry logs out of the forests,” explains Morten Glinvad , Sales Director of Barrus. That is precisely what Barrus is doing today – although by using much more modern and advanced methods. “Our core business is to transform logs to client-specific window and door components. We also offer the wid- est possible range of services related to these products,” Glinvad says. MAINTAINING STOCKS FOR CUSTOMERS With 250 employees, an estimated turnover of 54.5 million euros in 2020, and a significant market share, Barrus is today a big player in the Northern European market of window and door components. In 2020, Barrus will pro- duce approximately 82,000 m³ finger-jointed components. Although the production volumes are high, flexibility is the company’s most critical asset, says Janar Tatomir , Manager of Purchase and Sales at Barrus. “Nobody wants to have thousands of cubic metres of components in their stock. We keep the products in our warehouses for our customers. When the order is placed, we can deliver customised profiles in 1–5 days anywhere in the Nordics and the Baltic countries.”
In addition to in-house warehousing, the fast delivery is based on smooth logistics. Barrus' location in Southern Estonia guarantees fast connections to all main destinations. “Our reliable deliveries and services linked with our products have been a game-changer for the whole indus- try. As we always say, Barrus is an uncompilcated business partner. It is easy to say, but at the end of the day, not so easy to accomplish,” Glinvad says. FINGER-JOINTING IMPROVES STABILITY AND DURABILITY Finger-jointed components are more stable and durable than solid wood. Painting and surface-treating them is also easier. Because they do not have any knots, there is no resin bleeding through the paint. The finger-jointing process starts with the scanning of the timber on a fast-moving production line. The camer- as identify knots, dents, resin pockets, cracks, and other defects, which are removed automatically. The remaining defect-free pieces (150–600 mm) move on to jointing. A vertical saw blade and a horizontal spindle shape the joints precisely. Pieces are finally glued and pressed to- gether to form flawless components. Some components designed for wider cross-sections are also laminated. The maximum length for components is 6,300 mm. All surfaces of the components are graded according to cus- tomer specifications. To ensure the quality of the components, Barrus has 70 checkpoints in the production line. The company also
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