5800 square meters of dry transport

As customers increase the use of high-strength steel for their more advanced products, the demand for plate transport is also increasing. This is an initiative that supports SSAB's efficient selling strategy of meeting customer needs.

A large warehouse of 5,800 square meters has been built in Oxelösund to increase the share of dry transport.

"We will dramatically improve the flow by reducing the complexity of dry transport and, in the long term, much of the extra manual processing/handling will be eliminated. Previously, sorting the steel plate to the dry flow involved a lot of work and unloading in dry areas was very limited. This has meant that deliveries to some customers took longer. We will now be able to handle the steel plates more efficiently and shorten lead times considerably," said Staffan Thelander, Supply Chain Manager at SSAB Oxelösund.

Staffan Thelander, Supply Chain Manager at SSAB Oxelösund.

Customers often paint straight onto the primer that protects the plate steel and a smooth surface is required to be able to do this. If the plate steel is stored outdoors, moisture can build up between the plates and this increases the risk of corrosion. Steel plate that the customer wants unpainted or just blasted is even more weather-sensitive. Another reason for dry transport is that the steel plate must quickly enter the customer's production flow. Damp steel plates impede the process and can require the customer to carry out a drying process.

"Most crane customers have very high demands with regard to having a perfect surface because the plates are painted immediately. We see similar requirements with customers in the surface-sensitive automotive segment, which creates tough requirements for us as heavy steel plate suppliers," explained Robert Höllerbauer, Sales Manager for SSAB Special Steels, Western Europe.

Robert Höllerbauer, Sales Manager for SSAB Special Steels, Western Europé.

The hall is built so that trucks can drive in and load in the dry. In addition to storing steel plate waiting for delivery, there is also be space for custom-made steel plate, that is, plates that SSAB stores for customers.

"For the first time, we will be able to load plates of up to 14 meters indoors. Previously, the limit was 6 meters, which was too little for loading," said Thelander.

The tent measures 48x116 meters and has an entrance in the middle of the long side, where trucks will be able to enter and load the plates inside the tent. Despite the height, there won't be a new, high-ceiling warehouse. It is the existing fork-lift trucks that require high clearance to be able to lift unobstructed.

SARI HEIKKINEN