CASE
Major order from industrial giant Sandvik
When Winkelbauer Maschinenbau got an order from Sandvik Mining & Construction Materials to provide 350 tons of Hardox 500 – including 4,383 items and 550 different parts within four months to a large crushing plant 70 km north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden – it turned to its Hardox Wearparts network for support.
THE CHALLENGE
High-quality products on short notice
“The challenge was how we could supply such a large and diverse quantity of abrasion-resistant plates with a strength of 500 Brinell in such a short time,” says Michael Winkelbauer, General Manager. “In addition, to fulfil the strict quality criteria of Sandvik and the end customer, the parts had to be perfectly welded and meticulously inspected and documented.”
“350 tons of Hardox delivered on time”
THE SOLUTION
Hardox Wearparts network ensures delivery
Winkelbauer, already a Hardox Wearparts company for many years, has a long history and close cooperation with SSAB– who could supply the highly abrasion-resistant material Hardox 500 at short notice.
“If we had not been a network member, we would have had no chance of getting this quantity of Hardox,” says Winkelbauer. “This project started in the midst of the economic recession when steel prices were rising month by month and when large quantities were hard to come by. We were the only supplier that could meet Sandvik’s tight time and quality requirements.”
Within five months, Winkelbauer had successfully delivered all 316 pallets – on time and according to the quality requirements – without a single complaint.
SSAB is a world leader in the supply of high strength steels. SSAB offers products that have been developed in cooperation with customers, with the aim of creating a stronger, lighter and more durable world.
SSAB has 8 700 employees in more than 45 countries, and has production plants in Sweden and the USA. SSAB is quoted on the NASDAQ OMX Nordic stock exchange, Stockholm.