Sustainability at PR Rolls
Sustainable Efficiency
At PR Rolls, we believe that operational efficiency and environmental responsibility can support the same objective: getting more value and longer service life from industrial equipment.
For more than 25 years, our work has focused on maintaining, repairing, restoring and improving production-critical equipment in heavy industry.
Instead of automatically replacing a worn roll, cylinder or industrial component, we first consider whether its geometry, mechanical condition or functional surface can be restored.
Our on-site service model takes this approach one step further. By bringing specialised machining, grinding, coating, measurement and balancing technologies directly to industrial sites, we can restore suitable equipment where it operates.
For PR Rolls, this is Sustainable Efficiency:
Maintain → Repair → Restore → Upgrade → Extend lifetime
The objective is to help industrial companies use existing equipment and resources efficiently while supporting reliable, safe and competitive production.
Sustainability Through Industrial Maintenance
Extending equipment lifetime is at the core of what we do
Industrial machinery contains significant amounts of material, energy, manufacturing work and economic value.
Wear or surface deterioration in one area does not necessarily mean that the entire component has reached the end of its useful life.
Depending on condition and technical requirements, PR Rolls can:
- Repair local damage
- Restore worn dimensions
- Correct geometry through precision machining or grinding
- Apply a new functional coating
- Refurbish mechanical components
- Upgrade surface properties
- Restore complete rolls and cylinders
- Replace components when continued restoration is no longer technically appropriate
This approach helps preserve the value already embedded in industrial equipment.
Repair, refurbish and upgrade where technically appropriate. Replace when necessary.
Environmental Responsibility
Reduce unnecessary transport, material use and premature replacement
Our environmental approach begins with practical engineering decisions.
PR Rolls provides services designed to extend equipment lifetime, restore existing components and perform maintenance as efficiently as possible.
Three areas are particularly important.
On-Site Services – Bring the Technology to the Equipment
Traditional maintenance of large industrial components can require dismantling, heavy lifting, transportation to an external workshop and subsequent reinstallation.
PR Rolls specialises in bringing the required technology directly to the customer's production site.
Our on-site capabilities include:
- Machining
- Grinding
- Coating
- Drilling and grooving
- Measurement and alignment
- Field balancing
Where technically appropriate, this can reduce the transportation and handling required for large industrial components while allowing several maintenance operations to be completed during the same shutdown.
Instead of moving the equipment to the machine tool, we bring the technology to the equipment.
Extending Industrial Equipment Lifetime
Manufacturing a completely new industrial component requires raw materials, manufacturing processes and transportation.
When an existing component remains technically suitable for restoration, repair or refurbishment can provide another option.
A worn cylinder can be ground and recoated. A damaged journal can be dimensionally restored. A roll can be refurbished and balanced. A worn functional surface can receive new properties through surface engineering.
PR Rolls therefore approaches maintenance through the actual condition of the equipment:
Inspect → Measure → Repair → Restore → Protect → Verify
The aim is to utilise the remaining technical value of existing equipment before replacement becomes necessary.
Supporting Energy-Efficient Production
The condition of industrial surfaces can influence more than component lifetime.
Surface geometry, contamination, friction, release properties and wear can also affect process performance.
PR Rolls develops functional surface technologies for specific industrial challenges.
For example, TecnoClean and TecnoClean CeraHybrid have been developed for dryer cylinder applications where maintaining a clean, functional surface is important for the drying process.
By reducing contamination and maintaining the intended surface function, the objective is to support stable process conditions and efficient operation.
PR Rolls also provides dryer section optimisation and other maintenance solutions where equipment condition and process performance can be evaluated together.
Surface Engineering & Circular Use of Industrial Components
Restore the functional surface and preserve the component
Many industrial components do not fail throughout their entire structure.
Instead, deterioration is often concentrated at the functional surface.
Typical problems include:
- Wear
- Corrosion
- Erosion
- Contamination
- Loss of dimensional accuracy
- Surface damage
- Reduced release properties
- Loss of traction
- Damaged bearing or sealing areas
PR Rolls uses technologies including thermal spray coatings, grinding, machining, brush plating and precision finishing to restore suitable surfaces.
Applications range from rolls and cylinders to shafts, journals, pumps, valves, hydraulic components and other industrial equipment.
The principle is simple:
If the component remains technically suitable, restore what has deteriorated instead of automatically replacing everything around it.
Sustainable Efficiency Through On-Site Service
Less movement. More work where the equipment operates.
On-site service has been a central part of PR Rolls' business for more than 25 years.
Large rolls, cylinders and other industrial components can be difficult to remove and transport. Performing the required maintenance directly at the customer's facility can reduce unnecessary handling and simplify the maintenance chain.
It can also make it possible to combine several operations:
Measurement → Machining → Grinding → Surface restoration → Coating → Balancing → Verification
For customers, the benefits can include reduced dismantling requirements, less transportation of heavy equipment and efficient use of planned shutdown time.
For PR Rolls, on-site service represents an important part of Sustainable Efficiency: bringing specialised maintenance technology to existing industrial assets rather than automatically moving or replacing them.
Responsible Surface Technology
Modern alternatives to traditional hard chrome plating
Sustainability in surface engineering is not only about extending component lifetime. It is also about developing technologies that can replace processes involving hazardous substances.
Traditional hard chrome plating has been widely used in industry because of its hardness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance. However, conventional hard chrome electroplating can involve hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI) in the production process.
Cr(VI) substances used in these processes present serious health and environmental concerns and are subject to strict regulation under the EU REACH framework.
PR Rolls provides modern carbide-based thermal spray coatings that can be used as alternatives to hard chrome in suitable industrial applications.
Depending on the component and operating conditions, technologies based on HVOF and HVAF thermal spraying can provide functional surfaces with properties such as:
- High wear resistance
- High hardness
- Corrosion resistance
- Dense coating structures
- Precise dimensional restoration
- Application-specific surface finish
These technologies make it possible to engineer a highly durable surface without using the traditional Cr(VI)-based hard chrome electroplating process.
Fine-Particle Carbide Coatings
Developments in thermal spray technology have made it possible to use increasingly fine carbide particles and coating powders.
These technologies can create dense, wear-resistant functional surfaces and can enable thinner coating systems and improved surface quality before final finishing in suitable applications.
Typical coating systems can include WC-CoCr and Cr₃C₂-NiCr, selected according to the component, temperature, corrosion environment and wear mechanism.
Potential applications include:
- Hydraulic components
- Shafts and sleeves
- Bearing and sealing areas
- Pumps
- Valve components
- Rolls and cylinders
- Wear surfaces
- Precision machine components
For PR Rolls, the objective is not simply to replace one coating material with another.
It is to select a surface technology according to the complete application:
Component + Wear mechanism + Process environment + Required surface function = Surface solution
Supporting the Transition Away from Cr(VI) Processes
The European regulatory environment is increasing the focus on reducing risks associated with Cr(VI) substances used in industrial surface treatment.
PR Rolls' carbide-based thermal spray technologies provide customers with an alternative route for applications where hard chrome has traditionally been used and where thermal spray is technically suitable.
This supports our broader approach to Sustainable Efficiency:
Restore existing components + Extend service life + Use modern surface technologies + Reduce dependence on hazardous manufacturing processes
Not every hard chrome application can automatically be replaced by the same coating technology. The correct alternative must always be selected according to component geometry, operating conditions, required tolerances and functional surface requirements.
Tecno Diamond FS – Sustainability Meets Food Safety
Extending equipment lifetime in demanding food industry applications
Sustainable equipment lifecycle management is also becoming increasingly relevant in the food industry.
PR Rolls has developed Tecno Diamond FS, a food-grade approved thermal coating particularly suited to demanding drum dryer applications.
The coating has passed EU-recommended migration tests performed by an independent external laboratory, and a Declaration of Conformity has been prepared for the coating.
Tecno Diamond FS enables suitable existing drum dryer cylinders to be restored through grinding and coating rather than automatically replacing the complete cylinder when the functional surface has deteriorated.
The coating has been developed for demanding conditions involving wear, acidity and intensive scraping.
This combines two important objectives:
Food-grade surface requirements + Extended equipment lifetime
Tecno Diamond FS demonstrates how surface engineering can support both demanding technical requirements and more efficient use of existing industrial equipment.
People & Safety
Sustainable operations depend on skilled people
Technology alone does not create responsible industrial maintenance.
PR Rolls' services depend on skilled specialists who work with demanding machinery, precision equipment and industrial processes around the world.
Safety, technical competence and careful planning are therefore fundamental to our operations.
Our approach includes:
- Continuous development of employee competence
- Training for specialised maintenance tasks
- Careful planning of on-site projects
- Safe working methods
- Cooperation with customer safety organisations
- Attention to the requirements of each industrial environment
PR Rolls' on-site model can also reduce some of the heavy component handling and transportation associated with conventional off-site maintenance when work can be completed without removing the equipment.
Safety remains a requirement throughout the entire project – from planning and mobilisation to execution and final verification.
Quality, Safety & Responsibility in Food Applications
Responsibility extends to the finished surface
Different industries place different requirements on industrial surfaces.
In food production, these requirements can include food-contact suitability, surface condition and cleanability in addition to mechanical performance.
PR Rolls' Tecno Diamond FS has received food-grade approval after passing EU-recommended migration tests performed by an independent external laboratory. A Declaration of Conformity has also been prepared for the coating.
This is important because an industrial coating should not be considered suitable for food contact solely because it is metallic or mechanically durable.
The specific coating system, finished surface and intended application must meet the applicable requirements.
For PR Rolls, responsible surface engineering means understanding both how a surface performs and what requirements apply to its use.
Responsible Business & Governance
Building long-term value through reliable operations
Sustainability also means operating responsibly as a company.
PR Rolls is a Finnish industrial service company with its roots and engineering operations in Pyhäjoki and an increasingly international customer base.
Our approach to responsible business is based on long-term relationships with customers, employees, suppliers and partners.
We focus on:
- Reliable project execution
- Responsible business practices
- Compliance with applicable requirements
- Quality and traceability
- Long-term customer relationships
- Responsible cooperation with suppliers and partners
- Continuous development of our technologies and operations
Our objective is not simply to complete individual maintenance projects, but to be a reliable long-term partner throughout the lifecycle of industrial equipment.
Innovation & Investment for the Future
Developing new solutions for more sustainable industrial maintenance
Continuous development is an important part of PR Rolls' strategy.
We invest in new technologies, equipment and applications that expand the possibilities for repairing, restoring and protecting industrial components.
One example is our expansion into food industry surface engineering.
PR Rolls developed Tecno Diamond FS through the FoodSafe project, and in 2026 received more than €0.2 million in business development funding from the Economic Development Centre of Northern Finland for equipment investments related to food industry coating services.
The investment supports new coating capabilities at our engineering workshop in Pyhäjoki and our expansion into international food industry markets.
For PR Rolls, innovation has a practical objective:
Develop technologies that help industrial equipment perform reliably and remain in productive use for longer.
Local Roots. Global Industrial Services.
From Pyhäjoki to industrial sites around the world
PR Rolls' roots are in Pyhäjoki, Finland, while our services are delivered internationally.
Growth creates responsibility both locally and globally.
Locally, we develop specialised industrial expertise, invest in technology and create capabilities for demanding engineering work.
Internationally, our specialists bring this expertise directly to industrial sites, working together with customers and partners in different operating environments.
This combination of local engineering expertise and global on-site capability is central to the way PR Rolls develops its business.
Our Sustainability Principles
PR Rolls' approach to Sustainable Efficiency can be summarised through five principles:
1. Extend equipment lifetime
Repair and refurbish existing industrial equipment where technically appropriate.
2. Bring maintenance to the equipment
Use on-site technologies to reduce unnecessary dismantling, transportation and handling.
3. Engineer surfaces for their real function
Select coatings and restoration methods according to the actual process and deterioration mechanism.
4. Invest in people, safety and technology
Develop the expertise and technologies required for responsible industrial maintenance.
5. Make condition-based decisions
Repair, restore, upgrade or replace according to the actual technical condition and future requirements of the equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sustainability at PR Rolls
How does PR Rolls support more sustainable industrial maintenance?
PR Rolls repairs, restores, coats and refurbishes existing industrial equipment. Where technically appropriate, this can extend component lifetime and reduce the need for premature replacement.
How do on-site services contribute to resource efficiency?
On-site services allow suitable large industrial components to be machined, ground, coated, measured or balanced where they are installed. This can reduce dismantling, transportation and handling compared with sending the complete component to an external workshop.
Can coatings extend industrial component lifetime?
Yes. Where the underlying component remains suitable for continued operation, functional coatings can restore or improve properties such as wear resistance, corrosion resistance, release, traction or dimensional condition.
How can PR Rolls support energy-efficient industrial processes?
PR Rolls provides surface technologies and optimisation services designed to maintain functional equipment and process surfaces. In applications such as paper machine dryer sections, clean and correctly functioning cylinder surfaces are important for efficient drying and stable operation.
What is Tecno Diamond FS?
Tecno Diamond FS is PR Rolls' food-grade approved thermal coating developed particularly for demanding food industry drum dryer applications. It has passed EU-recommended migration testing performed by an independent external laboratory, and a Declaration of Conformity has been prepared for the coating.
Does PR Rolls always recommend repairing equipment instead of replacing it?
No. Sustainability does not mean keeping equipment in operation regardless of condition. The appropriate solution depends on safety, component condition, technical requirements and future operating needs. PR Rolls evaluates whether repair, refurbishment, upgrading or replacement is technically appropriate.
Sustainable Efficiency in Practice
For PR Rolls, sustainability is closely connected to industrial engineering.
It means extending the useful life of equipment, restoring valuable components, reducing unnecessary handling and transportation, developing functional surfaces and continuously improving the way maintenance is performed.
It also means investing in our people, safety, technologies and long-term relationships.
Our approach begins with the equipment already in operation:
Can we maintain it?
Can we repair it?
Can we restore it?
Can we improve its surface?
Can we extend its useful life?
When the answer is yes, PR Rolls provides the technologies and expertise to make it happen.
Sustainable Efficiency
Maintain → Repair → Restore → Upgrade → Extend lifetime