The last steel out, when Olofsfors road steel line goes into the grave
24 May 2019
Since the start in 1992, 50,000 tonnes of steel have rolled through the old road steel line, which has now done its part. This week, the last road steel rolled through the line that over the years has spit out about 4 million road steels. A journey, the steels laid out one after the other from Olofsfors in the north to Egypt in the south.
There are mixed feelings among the operators who have maneuvered the line for many years.
- It feels a bit like it is going out, but it has done its part, says Sven-Gunnar Höglander who himself has worked at Olofsfors for 31 years. It has been simple, but worked very well. Today it is more high tech and our new road steel line has robots and does everything, from intake of raw materials to finished packaged product, says Höglander, who has been involved from the beginning when the now 26-year-old road steel line is dismantled.
Jan-Erik Torgrimsson, who has worked at Olofsfors for 25 years in October, says that the road steel line has worked well over the years.
- It is good many tons it has pressed over the years. In 2010, when we had a very snowy winter, we produced road steel 7 days a week, around the clock, says Torgrimsson.
Fully automated production process
The development is progressing rapidly and in the fully automated road steel line, which in the past year has run parallel to the old one, all Olofsfors road steel products are manufactured in one and the same facility. Everything takes place in a robotic process from the intake of raw materials to finished, painted, labeled and packaged end product.
- We needed something new. The old line had done the right thing, says Ulrika Ogenstedt, technical manager at Olofsfors.
- As customers' demands for fast deliveries and high quality increase, in addition to the new efficient production process, we have invested in quality and testing equipment to ensure the entire production chain from purchased raw materials to finished product. We do regular material analyzes and test the steels to ensure the right quality and hardness, says Ulrika Ogenstedt.
The new fully automated production process with double capacity is in full operation.
The old road steel line will soon be a thing of the past.
Olofsfors gamla vägstålslinje.
Olofsfors gamla vägstålslinje.
Olofsfors nya vägstålslinje, helautomatiserad.
Olofsfors AB - Main office
Phone: +46 (0) 930-396 00
E-mail: info@olofsfors.se
Address: Olofsfors AB - Main office
Olofsfors 11
SE-914 91 Nordmaling, SE