Lightweight, high-strength timber haulage solutions for rail transport

Located in Kuhmo, Finland near the Arctic Circle, Nopan Metalli Oy develops heavy-duty timber racks for carrying loads over long distances. The company uses strong Strenx® 1100 MC* to create its lightweight solutions for heavy hauling.

Plant Director Pentti Heikkinen explains that weight reduction is one of Nopan Metalli’s key objectives and that this is one of the main reasons for choosing Strenx® 1100 MC from SSAB.
“Advanced high-strength steels and good design make it possible to reduce the weight of the vehicle and increase its payload,” says Heikkinen. “This, in turn, leads to lower transportation costs, while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.”

Lightweight solutions for heavy log hauling

Since Nopan Metalli was founded in 1937, it has manufactured equipment for the transport industry. Its main products include timber racks for railway wagons and terminal trailers, along with components and steel structures used at power plants.

Nopan Metalli chose SSAB’s Strenx® 1100 MC for its timber racks used both on railways and at terminals in the Finnish timber industry. While the railway trailers operate over long distances, the terminal trailers are used in closed areas and carry extremely heavy loads. Heikkinen explains that, in both applications, very high demands are placed on the material in the racks.

Efficiency savings in the workshop

“Apart from offering excellent opportunities for reducing the weight of the structures, we have also found that Strenx® 1100 MC has very good workshop properties,” he adds. “It performs well for cutting, bending and welding.”

The company also benefits from SSAB’s expertise in prefabrication services, which allows it to flexibly adjust its own capacity and utilize larger items.

* Formerly named Optim 100 QC