Annual Report 2015

Transcription

Annual Report 2015

Annual Report 2015
ANNUAL REPORT 2015 1
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Report from the President
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Year 2015 in brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
The Swerea Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Areas of expertise .
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We're here for industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
THEME – INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
An important puzzle piece for sustainability and development . . . . 12
Compound materials manufacturing – smart solution for
high-performance components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Next-generation lead-free brass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Demonstrator manufacturing – ultra-high-temperature
composites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Knitted metal – lighter components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Laminate of thin-ply carbon-fibre weaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Functional fibres – smart textiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Varying material thickness adapted for loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Additive manufacturing of next-generation pressure
die-casting tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Recycled aluminium in vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Residual materials become a strategic product .
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Bio-based fibres – textiles of the future .
Notices .
SWEREA'S SUBSIDIARIES
Swerea IVF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Swerea MEFOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Swerea SICOMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Swerea SWECAST .
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Swerea KIMAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Notices .
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Co-workers and expertise
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The Board and Management Group
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Income Statement and Balance Sheet
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Sustainability and competitive advantage with CSR . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Member and interest-group companies
Notices .
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“Plan for the future, because that's where
you are going to spend the rest of your
life.” So said American author Mark Twain.
Research and development are all about
creating the future, solving problems in
industry and meeting society's challenges.
Swerea is an enabler in this development.
But where are we headed? What are the
future needs of industry?
Swerea is an
enabler
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015
TOGETHER WITH Kairos Future,
and several hundred trendspotters
from industry, academia and society,
Swerea has looked towards 2030
to identify significant trends.
A look into the immediate future
reveals three exciting main shifts;
namely, revolutions in technology,
development and thinking. These will
have a decisive impact on our lives.
The technological revolution will be
largely driven by developments in digital technology. Inexpensive, highly efficient computational capacity together
with very advanced mathematics will
have an impact on both industrial
processes and our daily lives. The development revolution is characterized
by rapid growth and stronger innovation in Southeast Asia and India. This
is evidenced by a dramatic increase in
the number of patent applications.
A revolution in thinking has
to do with our ability
to realize benefit by combining more
technologies to create something new.
Swerea's research and development activities are already subject to
the effects of these revolutions. In our
operations, modelling and simulation
are important tools for which computational capacity is a decisive factor.
Swerea's research is of high international standard and, within certain
areas, Swerea commands globally
leading-edge expertise. Collaboration
with the world's best research groups
is an important prerequisite for achieving the latter. When leading researchers meet, ideas for the next important
stage of development emerge.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, commonly referred to as 3D printing, has
in recent years seen strong development within Swerea. There are printers for sand, ceramics, composites,
metals and plastics. This reflects the
breadth of possibility offered by this
technology. Interest from industry is
great and, during the year, Swerea,
together with industrial partners, Chalmers University of Technology and
University West, has started a national
research arena for additive manufacturing of metal components. The ambition of this research initiative, which
addresses both broad and indepth
issues, is to be able to quickly create
benefit for industry within this area.
Materials development, the theme
of this annual report, is an interesting
area in which Swerea plays a vital role
in translating visionary research into
benefit for industry. Increasingly, materials are an important component of
innovation; part of the solution, rather
than being a fixed starting point. It
is a matter not only of developing
new materials but also combining
materials in new ways and altering
or modifying old materials, so that
they solve the problem in a better,
more sustainable way.
Corrosion costs society enormous sums each year. Therefore,
great benefit can be realized by
finding methods and solutions
for minimizing corrosion, not
least in public infrastructure.
During the year Swerea has collaborated with the Swedish Transport
Administration to develop effective,
sustainable corrosion protection for
the new Sundsvall Bridge. Another
possibility is to use composite materials in the construction of road bridges.
Swerea has contributed to materials
engineering for Sweden's first composite bridge for heavy traffic.
A CIRCULAR ECONOMY is the basis
of a sustainable society. As much as
possible of what is produced should
be recovered and reused. Many of
Swerea's research projects have to
do with this. How can manufacturing
processes be designed to maximize
resource efficiency? What can be
reused? Residual materials from
aluminium manufacturing can become
a product for use in steelmaking and
discarded clothing can be recycled
into new textiles. This is a clever way
to minimize waste.
Swerea has also been active in the
establishment of RE:Source, a national
industry-wide innovation programme
that gathers many participants from
Swedish industry, the waste management sector and the research community in an effort to make Sweden a
world leader in minimizing waste and
upgrading residual products.
To reduce global warming we are
continually looking for ways to reduce
carbon dioxide emissions. Here, for
example, the steel industry has set
high goals and Swerea is an important
partner. Among other things, it's a matter of minimizing the use of fossil fuels
and, for example, replacing them with
biofuels, but also of improving process
efficiency, recirculating gases or separating and sequestering carbon dioxide.
TOGETHER WITH industry, we will
continue to develop processes and
products that provide competitive
advantage for industry in a sustainable
society.
We look forward to an exciting future.
Göran Carlsson
President and Managing Director,
Swerea Group
2015 in brief
Figures from the previous year are given in parentheses.
The Swerea Group's turnover amounted to 711 million kronor,
an increase of 4.9 percent.
 Income from industry accounted for 48 (53) percent.
 Joint European research activities accounted for 8 (9) percent.
 National programmes with public-sector funding accounted for 44 (38) percent.
The Swerea Group's operating income amounted to 8.8 (2.3) million kronor and
income after net financial items reached 15.4 (10.3) million kronor.
The total number of employees in the Group is 532 (523).
Turnover per subsidiary (MSEK)
Swerea IVF
2015
2014
243
219
Swerea KIMAB
247
225
Swerea MEFOS
124
146
Swerea SICOMP
55
55
Swerea SWECAST
57
56
Swerea AB
30
28
Elimination of intercompany
transactions
-45
-51
Total
711
678
Turnover, excluding eliminations 2011–2015 (MSEK)
800
Swerea SWECAST
700
Swerea SICOMP
Swerea MEFOS
Swerea KIMAB
Swerea IVF
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
6
2011
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
2012
2013
2014
2015
Significant events
CASTING INNOVATION
CENTRE is a world-leading
research centre for cast
products, casting processes and cast materials.
The
A centre of excellence for INDUSTRIAL WORK ENVIRON
MENT is established at
Swerea IVF in collaboration
with labour market parties and
other research organizations.
Swerea IVF presents equip-
ment for ADDITIVE MANUCEFRACOR
FACTURING of metallic
AWARD goes to
components.
Claude Duret-Thual
of Institut de la Corrosion
for her great contribution to
corrosion research.
N
EIT RAW MATERIALS,
F
Sept
ug
July
A
PLASTICS WELDING
(CEPW) by the Swedish
Welding Commission.
June
Swerea KIMAB is formally approved as a certified
ay
textile materials from
cellulose is built
at Swerea IVF.
M
An industrial PILOT-PLANT
FACILITY for manufacturing
Apr Lena Sundqvist Ökvist from Swerea MEFOS
is appointed ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
in Process Metallurgy at LTU.
Mar
Swerea MEFOS's first MEMBERS' DAY EVENT,
“With Research in Focus”, is held in Luleå.
Swerea SWECAST presents unique new
3D EQUIPMENT for printing moulds
and cores in sand.
A NEW ANALYSIS METHOD for
powder and particles is developed
by Swerea KIMAB. Surface analysis
and characterization of tens of thousands of loose particles, with results
within a couple of minutes, was
previously considered utopian.
a Knowledge and Inno
vation Community
(KIC), is granted
funding and will
Swerea KIMAB co-arranges
be established
the annual SURFACE PROTECin Luleå.
TION CONFERENCE, the
largest Nordic conference
and forum for protection and renovation of
metal and concrete
Jan surfaces.
Oct ov
are started by Swerea
SWECAST.
eb
Innventia and Swerea SICOMP are the
world's first to present a composite based on
100 PERCENT CONIFEROUS LIGNIN.
Dec
The first CASTING MASTER training programmes
The EU project MUSECORR is
designated a Horizon 2020 success story. Institut de la Corrosion is the coordinator.
In collaboration with industry, Swerea IVF
has assumed a leading role in the development of solutions for replacing hazardous
chemicals in textile materials with more
ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES.
Hans
Hansson,
Horizon 2020 funds the
Swerea, Chalmers and Uni
managing
multi-million-krona STEPversity West begin work on
director of
WISE, project, of which
creating a NATIONAL ARENA
Swerea SICOMP, the aim is to reduce steelfor 3D printing in metal.
is awarded an
industry carbon dioxide emisHONORARY DOCsions. Swerea MEFOS plays an
TORATE at Luleå Uni- important role in the project.
versity of Technology.
The trend-spotting reSwerea KIMAB's successful colport “THE FUTURE OF THE SICOMP CONFERlaboration with General Motors
INDUSTRY” is produced ENCE ”Manufacturing and
towards the DEVELOPMENT OF
by Swerea and presented design of composites” is
JOINING
TECHNOLOGY for lightheld in Gothenburg with dele
at well-attended seminars
weight
vehicle
bodies continues.
gates
from
10
countries.
during the autumn.
Swerea – the link between visionary
research and industrial benefit
No one yet knows how visions for utilizing the revolutionary new
material graphene will be realized. Nor does anyone know where
the boundaries lie for adapting materials and managing residual
products, which new materials can be developed or what can be
achieved as information and materials become all the more interlinked. Swerea has a vital role in utilizing research findings and synergies that can create industrial benefit. Materials research is a key
aspect of many major future concerns which, fundamentally, have to
do with sustainability and competitive advantage.
The Swerea Group creates, refines
and disseminates research results
within materials sciences, manufacturing engineering and product
engineering for sustainable industry.
Projects resolve current challenges
in a sustainable and future-safe
way. Collaboration among the RISE
institutes broadens and enriches our
customer offering.
Dialogue with industry
Swerea has a constant dialogue with
industry on current and future needs.
"The Future of Industry", a report produced by Swerea and Kairos Future
during 2015, supports this dialogue.
Here, the trends are identified and
we investigate what they mean for
industry. What are the obstacles?
Which strengths and opportunities
can be discerned?
Operations per
programme block, 2015
Competencies, labs and demos
Swerea provides scientific and technical expertise and advanced facilities for
laboratory and demonstration-scale experimentation. Within the five institutes,
commissioned industrial R&D projects
are conducted and strategic development and collaboration are pursued
at the group level. Both academia and
research institutes play a crucial role
in the Swedish innovation system and
Swerea has good, long-standing collaboration with the leaders in our areas
of expertise.
700 companies
Swerea's industrial owners represent
450 Nordic-based companies. In
addition to these there are a further
250 companies which have agreements with Swerea or participate in
multi-year research programmes. With
Vision
Swerea is the leading Swedish
research group for industrial renewal
and sustainable development.
Business concept
The Swerea Group creates, refines and
disseminates research results within
materials sciences, manufacturing engineering and product engineering for
sustainable industry.
high-level competencies, facilities for
experimentation and high capacity for
computation and simulation, Swerea
helps to strengthen competitiveness among these 700 companies.
Demand for our services in industry
continues to grow.
There are no shortcuts
Industry is part of the solution to the
great challenges and Swerea is a
knowledgeable and committed partner on that journey. Sustainability is a
central factor in all projects in which
Swerea participates. There are no
shortcuts. We consider the entire lifecycle and the ecological and social
aspects of the product or process.
100%
100%
Swerea IVF
Programme council
Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation
100%
Swerea KIMAB
Programme council
RISE
43%
Swerea AB
Five ownerassociations*
100%
Swerea MEFOS
Programme council
57%
100%
Swerea SICOMP
Programme council
 Member programmes
 National programmes
 EU programmes
 Industrial R&D
programmes, etc. 8
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
11%
39%
8%
42%
About 450 companies
* Intressentföreningen för Korrosionsforskning,
Metallurgiska Forskningsbolaget i Luleå, Stiftelsen
Svensk Järn- och Metallforskning, Swerea IVFs
Intressentförening and Svenska Gjuteriföreningen.
100%
Swerea SWECAST
Programme council
Institut de la
Corrosion
68
Ongoing
EU-/RFCS
projects
The Swerea Group
Of which we
coordinate
Luleå
Piteå
15
Oslo
170
Borlänge
Eskilstuna
Papers
presented at
conferences
Stockholm
Linköping
Trollhättan
Brest
Mölndal
Jönköping
98
Publications
in scientific
journals
St Etienne
Level of education
Age distribution
Research staff
Percentage of total 532 persons
 B Sc engineers or
equivalent . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11%
 MSc engineers . . . . . . . . 44%*
 Licentiate engineers . . 8%
 PhDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34%
 Associate professors . 3%
 ≤ 29 years . . . . . . 10%
 30–39 years . . . . 25%
 40–49 years . . . . 28%
 50–59 years . . . . 25%
 ≥ 60 years . . . . . . 12%
Total number of employees
532
Women/men
179
353
630
References
in the media,
including digital
channels
8
References
in broadcast
media
Of the above, 11 people hold
professorships.
*Of which 23 are doctoral students.
Areas of expertise
We pursue evidence-based research in close collaboration with industry to promote industrial renewal, improved competitiveness and
sustainable growth. In other words, our strength is applied research
with customer benefit in focus.
For each area of expertise, more information about services, projects and equipment is available on our website.
 M
aterials engineering and
raw materials
 C
orrosion and surface
technology
 Materials production
 Manufacturing processes
 Production systems
 Product engineering
 Energy and environment
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015
We're here for industry
A selection of good exemples from our annual periodical “Beneficial research by Swerea”
Less surplus metal in casting
Casting always results in a certain amount
of surplus metal which must be remelted,
something which demands a lot of energy.
To help the foundries to improve castingprocess efficiency, Swerea has developed new virtual methods (simulations).
These simulations are used to support
applications which would otherwise be
difficult or expensive to test in real trials.
Foundries can thereby reduce the amount
of surplus metal, which leads to lower
energy use and better product quality.
Carbon fibre for lighter satellites
With a new carbon fibre material, the
weight of satellite separation systems can
be reduced, thereby enabling greater payload capacity for other equipment. RUAG
Space and Swerea SICOMP have studied
the possibilities for replacing aluminium
with carbon fibre in some parts of the system. Prototypes in composite material have
been tested, and manufacturing methods
and performance have also been assessed. Manufacturing in composites can
also yield lower cost and faster production.
Impact on repository for spent
nuclear fuel
Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB, SKB (the
Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company) will build a repository for
spent fuel from our nuclear power plants.
Safety is vital and the repository must
remain secure for 100,000 years. Together
with SKB, Swerea KIMAB has studied how
electrical fields in the bedrock influence
corrosion on the copper canisters that are
to be used. Results show that the fields
cause a marginally higher corrosion rate.
Sweden's first 3D printer for sand
The new printer at Swerea SWECAST
is used for research and development,
as well as for commercial manufacturing. With the 3D printer it will be easier
to develop and manufacture moulds and
cores with complex geometries. Access
to a printer in Sweden will make it much
easier for foundries to produce prototypes for their customers. Many development projects are planned and lead times
will be shortened. Prototypes which have
normally taken 3–4 months to produce
can now be delivered in 3–4 weeks.
New application area for forest
products
Researchers at Swerea IVF and Innventia
have demonstrated that the conventional
raw material for carbon fibre can be replaced with a forest product. Carbon fibre
is normally based on non-renewable raw
materials and is often very expensive, which
limits use. There are great advantages to using wood for making bio-based carbon fibre.
Since wood is an inexpensive raw material,
more companies will be able to afford to use
carbon fibre in their products, which in turn
helps to reduce weight and conserve fuel.
Sundsvall Bridge protected
against rust attack
The new Sundsvall Bridge is rusting at a
faster rate than expected. Swerea KIMAB,
together with other specialists, helped
the Swedish Transport Administration
to analyze the problem and proposed
a solution. They recommend cathodic
protection, which is a verified method, but
the challenge has been to achieve a wellfunctioning system in the brackish water of
Sundsvall Bay. By strategically positioning
anodes and applying current, the metal
has been made "immune" to rust attack.
Residual products reused in
synthetic rubber
Höganäs AB is constantly striving to minimize waste. One step in this direction is to
use a residual product from the company's
process, lime from tunnel kiln slag, in the
manufacture of synthetic rubber. Swerea
Industrial Recycling has conducted studies in which the filler material in ethylene
propylene diene M-class rubber (EPDM)
is replaced with lime from tunnel kiln slag.
Results show that the rubber has the same
properties as it does when conventional
filler material is used. A new use for tunnel
kiln lime means that Höganäs no longer
needs to landfill the material. In addition,
use of virgin lime can be reduced.
Better surfaces and less waste
During continuous casting of steel different types of cracks can form, which has a
negative impact on steel quality and productivity. Swerea MEFOS has produced
mathematical models that can predict
when cracks form in the steel during the
process, which makes it easier to control
casting. The results have been applied in
practice in continuous casting at SSAB
in Luleå, yielding gains in the form of better quality and reduced scrap volume.
Sweden's first road bridge in
composites
Shorter construction time, higher strength
and minimal maintenance are just some of
the advantages with road bridges made
from composite material. The Swedish
Transport Administration has been tasked
with constructing a bridge in which the
composite material consists of glass fibre
and carbon fibre. Construction time is
estimated at one month, as opposed to
half a year when conventional materials are
used. Swerea SICOMP has led a project
in which the technical specifications and
design and construction principles for the
bridge have been developed.
Environmentally friendlier
pretreatment
Phosphating is a surface-pretreatment
method that provides good corrosion
protection due to better adhesion between
the material and the surface coating. However, the method requires a lot of energy,
produces by-products and is not adapted
for a so-called multimetal system. Over
the past decade Swerea IVF has worked
with the vehicle industry and material and
chemical suppliers to assess environmentally friendly alternatives. Analyses help
companies to make more informed choices
where technology is concerned, thereby
making it easier to change processes.
THEME: INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS
AN IMPORTANT PUZZLE PIECE FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT
Industrial materials
Materials development is one of
the most important future trends
for industry, according to an
analysis conducted by Swerea
and Kairos Future. Instead of
being a limiting factor for innovation, material will aid problemsolving and innovation.
MUCH TECHNOLOGICAL development in industry is not possible
without new and adapted materials.
Technological paradigm shifts, such
as automation and additive manufacturing, also present possibilities
for specialized materials with new
properties and functions.
For Swerea, materials development
is an integral and ever-present aspect of research. Alongside the major
visionary trends, Swerea's researchers must address concrete industrial
challenges that often have to do with
higher strength, lower weight,
sensors embedded
in materials, recovery
and recycling. It is
not always a
matter of new materials, but rather of
adapting common materials for use in
new industries and application areas.
Here, it is increasingly evident that
use and needs are the deciding factor, and that materials adaptation and
development are part of the solution
to the problem.
Nature can be a source of inspiration for the development of new
industrial materials; for example,
materials with foam structure in the
middle and a hard outer shell (like the
bones of a skeleton), or materials with
self-cleaning surfaces and a sounddampening function. Nature is miles
ahead when it comes to resource efficiency and functional solutions. The
most visionary advances are made
within academia and Swerea translates visions in practical applications
that meet needs in industry. Using forest raw materials to make textile fibre
and carbon fibre is one such area in
which Swerea assists industry with
projects. Knitted metals and metal
foam in laminates are other examples.
COMBINING different materials, so
that the right material is in the right
place in a structure, is also an important field of development. Handling
and joining different material types is
complicated and poses a great challenge for industry. Design and manufacturing in mixed material is one of
Swerea's strengths and is also the
focal point of a major joint-group
initiative in 2016. Multifunctional
materials that solve several problems
concurrently constitute an exciting
area in which the Swerea institutes
have begun to collaborate to take
the lead and inspire new industrial
applications.
12
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
IN PARTICULARLY interesting
areas, Swerea conducts prestudies, often in collaboration with the
best in academia. One example is
surface modification, where we study
whether an entire surface, or parts of
it, can be optimized for the desired
functionality. Another is "smart materials", for which Swerea is now doing
a prestudy. A smart material can be
created by integrating sensors and
actuators and, for example, monitoring the material's condition during
operation. Rapid development within
digitalization presents exciting new
possibilities.
The strong drivers of materials
development in Swerea's
industry projects are:
Sustainability for circular economies, with efficient use of raw
materials, recovery, recycling
and substitution of certain raw
materials.
Lightweight materials and lightweight structures for lower fuel
consumption and reduced CO2
emissions.
Performance; for example, higher
strength or better corrosion
resistance, which contributes
to more sustainable use of
materials.
Multimaterials, both for improved
function and lower weight.
Multifunctionality; for example,
vehicle bodies that are also batteries, engine hoods that function
as airbags, textiles which sense
breathing and pulse or protect
against intense heat.
Compound
manufacturing
– smart solutions for highperformance components
 Section inner ring in compound material.
A NEW CONCEPT for manufacturing
high-performance bearings of compound material has been developed
jointly by Swerea, SKF, Bodycote Hot
Isostatic Pressing and Erasteel. The
material is intended for roller bearings
that are used in difficult and advanced applications, for example, in
transmissions and windpower plants.
Using powder technology, a highperformance steel is applied to a
 Finished bearing. Photo: SKF.
simpler core. Thereafter, the materials
are compressed into a unit by means
of hot isostatic pressing (HIP). This
is a smart and cost-efficient solution since, for example, it allows the
possibility of controlling both residual
stresses and toughness.
Simulation is a valuable tool when
producing suitable material combi
nations. Thermodynamic and kinetic
calculations have been done to study
the bond between the materials.
Heat treatment simulations are used
to study stresses during hardening,
as well as residual stresses.
The benefit is great, since highperformance components can prevent premature failure in wind-turbine
bearings, which has been a major
problem for the windpower industry.
The study was funded via Swedish Wind Power Technology Center
(SWPTC), Swerea and participating
companies.
Photo: Nordic Brass Gusum
Nextgeneration
lead-free
brass
LEAD IS A COMMON alloying ele-
ment in brass; however, since lead
poses a health hazard, there is an
increasing need to produce lead-free
brass. Swerea KIMAB has helped
Nordic Brass Gusum to develop the
next-generation lead-free brass alloy,
AquaNordic®. The alloy is based on
a combination of microalloying elements. It combines good corrosion
resistance and machinability with
considerably better environmental
performance and lower cost than
competing alternatives.
Knitted metal
– lighter
components
AN ALL-METAL laminate with knit-
Brass can be recirculated almost indefinitely and a lifecycle analysis shows
that the environmental impact of the
new alloy is at least 30 percent lower
than other lead-free brass. Compared
with other materials, such as plastic,
the difference is even greater. The
alloy meets all current environmental
and health requirements and has been
tested successfully by several of Nordic Brass Gusum's customers.
The alloy is now commercially available as a product from Nordic Brass
Gusum.
DEMONSTRATOR MANUFACTURING
Ultra-high-temperature composites
USE OF CONVENTIONAL compo
sites in hot environments is limited
due to the matrices' tendency to
soften or degrade at temperatures above 150–200ºC. Swerea
SICOMP has developed a new version of a carbon fibre composite that
combines the advantages of conventional composites – high strength
and rigidity relative to weight – but
with extreme temperature tolerance.
The new material softens at
370–400ºC. The base is a new
type of polymer, a crosslinked
polyamide, developed specifically for
the purpose by Swedish company
Nexam Chemicals. The material is
custom-made to function in rational,
14
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
cost-efficient manufacturing processes.
In the project, Swerea SICOMP has
developed and adapted existing methods for manufacturing composite components to the new thermoset plastic.
In addition to studying the material's
properties under different types of load
Swerea SICOMP has also successfully trial-manufactured components
with propeller blade geometries.
Ultimately, this may mean that fibre
composites can be used at higher
temperatures, which makes them a
potential substitute for heavier metal
or light metal alloy structures in many
applications, for example, in aircraft
engine components.
ted metal between two thin sheets,
has been developed by Swerea
IVF in collaboration with the Swedish School of Textiles in Borås and
Swedish industry. What makes this
laminate unique, in addition to the
combination of thin sheet and knitted metal, is that it can potentially
cut component weight by half. The
material is formable and can be used
much like steel sheet in conventional
industrial applications.
Factors that are
important for formability,
strength and appearance have
been studied in the project. The
laminate has been evaluated in hot
and cold forming operations and
in a smaller prestudy. The ability to
combine metals or high-strength
components with a lightweight material that performs well in hot, cold and
corrosive environments while at the
same time weighing half as much as
conventional material presents new
possibilities for making sustainable,
climate-smart components.
With funding from Vinnova, the
work has been conducted jointly by
Lamera, Gestamp HardTech, Outokumpu Stainless, Inkubatorn i Borås,
the Swedish School of Textiles and
Swerea IVF.
Laminate of thin-ply carbon-fibre weaves
COMPOSITE LAMINATE with thin
layers can withstand higher loads
and strains before the first signs
of damage appear. The Swedish
company Oxeon manufactures thinply carbon-fibre weaves (TeXtreme)
that can be used to make this type of
laminate. Aernnova, a major supplier
to, among others, Airbus, Boeing and
Embraer, has expressed interest in
Oxeon's weaves.
In the DAMTEX project, Swerea
SICOMP, Oxeon, Aernnova and the
University of Girona have developed simulation models to predict
damage growth in laminate made
from TeXtreme. Swerea SICOMP
has conducted impact experiments
and damage studies, and developed models to predict response
and damage growth during impact
and after impact loading. Results
show that, in certain cases, damage
growth differs markedly from what
can be observed in laminates with
layers of normal thickness, which has
required new modelling methods.
 Comparison of weaves with conventional fibre bundles (regular tow) and weaves
with thin spread-tow tapes.
Illustration: Hellström.
Functional fibres – smart textiles
WITH SMART TEXTILES, athletic wear
can measure heart rate and muscle
activity. There are many application
areas for smart textiles. The technique
is based on seamless integration of
electronics in textiles and research
in this field has advanced in recent
years.
Swerea IVF is developing functional
textile fibres that can be woven into
garments by means of a method that
is already used in the textile industry.
Electrical conductivity and piezoelectric
effect are functions that are incorporated into the structure and composition
of the fibres. Electrically conductive
fibres of cellulose are integrated to
carry signals and replace more rigid
metal cables that are susceptible to
corrosion. Piezoelectric fibres can
be used as sensors, for example, to
measure heart rate or respiration.
Garments with functional fibres
present new possibilities within
the health and healthcare sectors,
enabling simplified monitoring and
measurement outside of the hospital environment or follow-up of
a patient's mobility and pattern
of movement during rehabilitation.
Varying material thickness
adapted for loads
ROLLING IS AN EFFICIENT manufacturing method with high
productivity. By rolling sheet or strip steel to varying thicknesses over the width of the material, it is possible to achieve
greater manufacturing efficiency, create lighter products and
save resources while at the same time maintaining or improving technical performance. In the StripPro project a method
has been developed for rolling material to a cross-sectional
profile that is determined by the how the material is to be
used. Finished components can then be manufactured with
a material thickness that is adapted to the distribution of expected loads in the components. This is particularly important
for the aircraft and vehicle industries, where there is a great
need to reduce weight without jeopardizing performance.
StripPro is funded by Vinnova via the LIGHTer programme.
Industry participants include GKN Aerospace, Gestamp
HardTech and Duroc Special Steel. The project is coordi
nated by Swerea MEFOS and the other research entities
are IUC Olofström and Luleå University of Technology.
Additive manufacturing of next-generation pressure die-casting tools
IN THE ADDING PROJECT, pressure die-casting tools
made by means of additive manufacturing are being
developed. A wear-resistant material for 3D-printed tools
will result in better productivity for Swedish foundries.
One of the great advantages of additive manufacturing
is the greater material yield it provides as compared with
today's manufacturing methods. Tools can be produced
faster and with less environmental impact, thanks to the
fact that only the material that is needed is used. Another
improvement is that cooling channels can be optimally
positioned in locations in ways that are not possible with
conventional methods. In this way, mould lubrication can
be reduced, which results in shorter cycle times.
Project participants include NovaCast Systems,
Richardssons Verktygsservice, Volvo Technology, Ankars
rum Die Casting, VBN Components and Jönköping University. The project is funded via the strategic innovation
programme Metallic Materials.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Recycled
aluminium
in vehicles
LIGHTER VEHICLES result in lower
fuel consumption. Improved design
and materials contribute to reducing the transport sector's climate
impact and help to lower costs.
One example is replacing iron in
cast components for the vehicle
industry with aluminium. To retain
the desired material properties
without the risk of shorter service
life, aluminium must be alloyed
with other metals. The aim of the
project “Advanced aluminium alloys
in light structural components” is to
improve conditions for the vehicle
and aircraft industries to use highquality aluminium alloys at higher
temperatures by designing them
specifically for the applications for
which they are intended. Studies
are being conducted of typical aluminium alloying elements, such as
nickel, and interesting new materials with particle additives that give
the desired properties for the purpose. By using recycled aluminium,
and thereby using considerably less
energy as compared to virgin material, both cost savings and environmental gains can be realized.
The project is run by Swerea
SWECAST in collaboration with
GKN Aerospace, ABB Corporate
Research, Husqvarna, Metall
fabriken Ljunghäll, Fundo Components, Scania, Stena Aluminium
and Jönköping University. Project
funding is provided via the strategic
innovation programme for lightweight engineering, LIGHTer.
Residual materials
become a
strategic product
WHEN SCRAP ALUMINIUM is
smelted a salt slag is formed. This is
a material for which there is currently
no industrial use and it is landfilled
after it is chemically stabilized.
Stena Aluminium is Sweden's largest scrap-based aluminium smelter
and the leading Nordic producer of
recycled aluminium. Swerea MEFOS
and Stena Aluminium have deve
loped a new process whereby salt
slag, together with lime, is converted
into a strategic product for the steel
industry, a synthetic slag former for
treatment of high-strength, highquality steel. In the process a salt
flux that can be recirculated in aluminium smelting is also extracted.
Process development has been
aided by modelling, laboratory experiments and pilot trials. The material
has also been successfully tested in
industrial-scale trials at SSAB.
The synthetic slag former can
reduce carbon dioxide emissions
and use of fossil energy. This could
also help Sweden to become self
sufficient in the supply of a valuable
raw material for steelmaking.
The project has been funded by
Mistra, Stena Aluminium and SSAB
in Luleå.
Industrial renewal through sustainable development
Bio-based fibres
– textiles of the future
Swerea is making a major investment to build technology and
expertise in the area of biobased
fibres. The vision is to produce
biobased alternatives to replace
oil-based products. Developments
include next-generation textile
fibres and carbon fibres from
Swedish forest raw materials.
DEMAND for fibres is increasing
throughout the world, owing to population growth and the reduction of
poverty. At the same time, production
of cotton has reached a level which
is considered no longer sustainable.
This has led to a dramatic increase
in the production of oil-based fibres.
This trend goes against Swedish and
European ambitions regarding a transition towards a biobased economy.
TO BRING about a circular economy
and drive development towards
reduced oil dependency, research
concerning renewable textile fibre
materials that can complement cotton and replace synthetic fibres is
essential. With textile fibre materials
made from cellulose from sustainable Swedish forestry there are good
prospects for minimizing overall
environmental impact.
IN RECENT YEARS Swerea IVF has
invested in equipment and specialist
know-how within different technologies for production of biobased fibre
materials. This includes several solution-spinning lines, in both laboratory
and pilot scale, as well as equipment
for meltblown and solution blown
(see definition on next page). The
initiative has attracted great interest
and several larger projects are run
by Swerea IVF in close collaboration
with industry.
Illustration: Astrid Hedenström
18
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Industry-related fibre projects
Solution-spun textile fibres from
forest-based cellulose
A pilot-plant facility for solution spinning of textiles has been installed at Swerea IVF in Mölndal.
Initially, textile fibres based on cellulose from forest
raw materials will be produced in the pilot facility, textile fibres from recycled textiles, marine raw
materials and several other biopolymers will also
be produced. The investment is an important step
towards the industrial application of findings from
laboratory-scale research conducted over a period
of several years.
Solution blowing of cellulose
fibres
Nonwoven
A sheet of fibres,
continuous filaments
or yarns formed
into a web and
bonded together by
any means, except
weaving or knitting.
Solution blowing is a technique that is used to
produce nonwoven fabric from polymers that cannot be melted, for example, cellulose. The material
is made by extruding a polymer solution through a
nozzle together with air under high pressure. The
air flow makes the solution coagulate as thin fibres
in the form of a nonwoven material. The irregular
structure and the thin fibres make the material
suitable for e.g., filters, geotextiles and hygiene
products.
Meltblowing of bioplastics
The market for biobased plastics for nonwovens is
seeing strong growth. There is considerable interest
in replacing oil-based plastics, such as polypropylene, with biobased polylactic acid (PLA). For this,
determined research and development efforts are
needed. The meltblowing machine at Swerea IVF
has been used during 2015 to produce and optimize nonwovens of PLA for products in which high
demands are placed on the material's microstructure.
Solution spinning of lignin for
carbon fibres
Lignin is a by-product from paper pulp production.
Flexible, strong fibres can be produced by solution
spinning lignin together with, for example, cellulose.
After heat treatment these fibres are converted
to carbon fibres that can be used in high-performance lightweight products. Lignin-based carbon
fibre is much more environmentally friendly and
potentially cheaper than conventional petroleumbased carbon fibre.
Solution spinning
Solution spinning is a method of
manufacturing fibres from material
that cannot be melted. This is also
called wet spinning. Swerea helps
companies to develop new fibres
by means of solution spinning, with
a focus on minimal environmental
impact and low production cost.
NOTICES
New multi-million-euro project will reduce
carbon dioxide emissions
Horizon 2020 has granted funding amounting to about
128 million kronor over four years for the Stepwise project.
Swerea MEFOS is one of nine partners in the project,
which addresses cost-effective reduction of CO2 emissions
from the iron and steel industry. As part of the project, a
pilot facility will be built at Swerea MEFOS, where verification trials will be conducted. Gas from SSAB's blast furnace will be delivered to the pilot plant via a new pipeline.
“This project is important for the steel industry and for
SSAB. If all goes according to plan and the separated
carbon dioxide can be stored, a significant reduction in
carbon dioxide emissions from SSAB's operations can be
realized,” says Jonas Larsson, Director of Environmental
Affairs, SSAB.
Swerea MEFOS's share of funding for the project
amounts to 75 million kronor.
Technological advance with 3D printer
In the former Munksjö paper mill, in Jönköping, Swerea
SWECAST has built a test and demo facility for 3D printing of sand moulds and cores. The heart of the facility is
a large sand-casting additive manufacturing system, the
S-Max, from ExOne.
Within the foundry industry there is considerable inte
rest in 3D technology, since it both shortens lead times
and increases freedom of design. With the Jönköping
facility the very latest 3D technology can be demonstrated
and easily and flexibly evaluated by the Swedish foundry
industry. In addition, Swerea SWECAST can offer research, development and consultancy services to foundries and their customers.
Patrik Fernberg appointed Associate Professor
(Docent) at LTU
Patrik Fernberg has been appointed Associate Professor
(Docent) in Polymeric Construction Materials at Luleå University of Technology. Patrik's postdoc research has been
conducted at Swerea SICOMP in Piteå and has focussed
exclusively on various aspects of polymeric composites.
Planned future research activities at Swerea SICOMP
and LTU will be directed, as previously, towards practical manufacturing of polymeric composite materials and
advanced materials characterization and analysis.
Guide to green public procurement
Swerea IVF and Kammarkollegiet have produced a handbook that will support purchasers in their efforts to minimize the environmental impact of products and services
from a lifecycle perspective. The guide includes
general chapters on various sustainability issues, as well as concrete advice and examples
on how to design and follow up on requirement
specifications.
“We hope that it will be of great benefit
in the creation of a sustainable society and
contribute to the development of sustainable goods and services,” says Stefan Posner,
chemicals specialist and co-author of the book.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015
MUSECORR – a success story
The EU project MUSECORR has been designated a
Horizon 2020 success story. Institut de la Corrosion,
Swerea KIMAB's subsidiary in France, has coordinated
the project.
To protect Europe’s cultural heritage artefacts from
the ravages of corrosion, sensitive detectors have been
developed that monitor corrosive atmospheric pollu
tants in museums and archives. The detectors issue
a warning signal when preventive measures must be
taken. The project has achieved great commercial
success. This has also resulted in follow-up research
on new applications for the sensor in areas including
vehicle corrosion and the paper industry.
Industry 2030 − where are we headed, and why?
What will the future global industrial landscape look
like? Which competencies will be required and what
does Sweden need to do to remain at the forefront?
“The Future of Industry”, a report commissioned by
Swerea and produced by Kairos Future, provides new
insights. It is a future-trend analysis based information
from more than 400 people active in industry, aca
demia and the public sector. The report was presented
during Almedal Week, and at seminars during the
autumn which attracted more than 400 participants in
twelve locations throughout the country.
“Those who have been warned can be prepared and,
at Swerea, we want to be prepared to meet the needs
and expectations of industry,” says Göran Carlsson,
President and CEO of Swerea AB.
NOTICES
Agglomeration and minerals engineering
Centre for surface cleanliness − because
cleanliness pays
What happens in a fuel system if particle residues are left
behind during assembly? How is a painted or coated surface affected by patches of surface contaminants such as
oil, grease or oxides? Contaminants on components can
result in extra costs due to failure, corrosion attack, peeling or other quality deficiencies. The Centre for Surface
Cleanliness at Swerea IVF addresses the research and
development needs of Swedish companies in this area.
The centre will secure the long-term accumulation of
knowledge related to surface-cleanliness issues, such as
reduced contamination during manufacturing or warehousing, within the Swedish manufacturing sector. Both
time and money can be saved if more work is devoted to
minimizing contamination.
CEFRACOR Award to Claude Duret-Thual
Claude Duret-Thual, general manager of Institut de la
Corrosion in Saint Etienne, was presented with the
prestigious CEFRACOR Award at CEFRACOR's annual
general meeting.
CEFRACOR is a French organization that works with
corrosion-related issues. In connection with the meeting,
Claude gave a presentation of experiences of trials in the
testing laboratory. The award is in recognition of Claude's
contribution to corrosion research in general, and the
development of testing methods for stainless steel and
other high-alloy material in particular.
Rapid tensile testing
Swerea SWECAST has developed a new method for
tensile testing (test for determining ultimate tensile
strength). With the new method the test specimen (rod)
is drilled out of the material to be tested. The material is
then affixed directly to a lathe, without any need for timeconsuming truing of the workpiece. The method not only
saves time, another advantage is that it is a controlled and
repeatable process. The process was developed as part
of a project to study the occurrence of chunky graphite.
In September Swerea MEFOS arranged a seminar on
Agglomeration and Minerals Engineering in Luleå. About
fifty participants from seven countries presented and
discussed issues of current interest within minerals engineering, pretreatment and agglomeration. These are highly
relevant topics at a time when global demand for metals
and energy is placing greater requirements on more efficient processing of raw materials and residual products.
“A general trend is that the supply of prime-quality ore
raw material is decreasing, and the demand must be met
with materials of a more complex nature. More stringent environmental legislation and the industry's striving
towards sustainable production mean that technology for
recovery of metal-bearing sludges, slag and dust must be
developed,” says Ulf Sjöström, Swerea MEFOS.
Smart transfer of residual heat from foundries to
greenhouses
Even though surplus heat from smelting plants and foundries is used in various ways, much of the heat is wasted.
In a prestudy by Swerea SWECAST and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the possibility of utilizing
surplus energy from foundries to heat greenhouses has
been presented. The study has focused on conversion of
relatively low-temperature (30-40ºC) residual heat.
“Our ambition is to design a demo facility and test
technologies for efficient transfer of heat to greenhouse
cultivation,” says Martin Wänerholm, Swerea SWECAST.
New technology for conversion of surplus heat will
enable new greenhouses to be established more easily in
different parts of the country, regardless of climate zones.
Swerea SICOMP's managing director has been
awarded an honorary doctorate
Hans Hansson, managing director of Swerea SICOMP,
has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the Faculty
of Science and Technology, Luleå University of Techno
logy. The citation read: “Under his leadership Swerea
SICOMP has grown to become an
internationally leading research institute and a strong research partner for
Swedish and European industry and
academia, not least, for Luleå University of Technology. Collaboration
between the university and the institute has resulted in a large number of
degree projects and project courses.
Hansson has also encouraged the
establishment of joint research centres
and centres of excellence, which has
been very important for the university.”
Product and production development, manufacturing efficiency and work organization. Industrial manufacturing processes: sheet metalworking, mixed materials, surface
finishing and heat treatment. Work, environment and energy. Materials development:
textiles, plastics, rubber, ceramics and metals. Electronics packaging and hardware
reliability. Materials analysis, testing and certification.
Biobased materials and sustainable production
A CLEAR lifecycle perspective in
terms of both operations and products is becoming all the more evident
in industry. This is strongly reflected in
the research and development work
conducted by Swerea IVF. Raw materials from renewable sources as a
basis for materials and product engi
neering are gaining in importance,
while resources must be used more
effectively and, preferably, recirculated in the process.
Use of forest raw materials for producing polymeric and textile materials
is currently of great interest for the furniture and textiles industries. Therefore,
we operate an industrial pilot plant for
manufacturing textiles from cellulose.
Here, in industry-funded development
projects, the step is taken from the lab
to industrial-scale production.
SWEREA IVF is working intensively
to develop solutions for replacing hazardous chemicals in textile materials.
This is accomplished in close colla
boration with industry via a network
known as the Chemicals Group.
In collaboration with the relevant
authorities, we are a strong resource
for bringing about change in the
industry. This includes consultation
at the ministerial level to promote
national development in this area.
WE ARE INVESTING heavily in additive manufacturing. In combination
with our leading-edge expertise in this
field, we provide a powerful technical
resource for introducing technology
across a broad front in Swedish
industry. We help companies to test
and evaluate technologies, based on
their individual conditions and requirements. This includes manufacturing
of components in metallic, ceramic
and polymeric materials. Expertise in
geometric modelling, post treatment
of 3D-printed components and quality
assurance is also included.
Not only material and energy
resources must be used sustainably; the same also applies to human
resources. Swerea IVF is therefore
establishing a centre of excellence
for industrial work environment in
collaboration with companies, labourmarket actors and other research entities. Here, we are building a strong
base for research and development
in the workplace, where higher
productivity and an improved work
environment go hand in hand.
FINANCIALLY and business-wise,
2015 has been a satisfactory year
for Swerea IVF. The foundation is our
ability to develop innovations within
product engineering and manufacturing that span several industry sectors.
This is becoming all the more important as greater focus is placed on a
lifecycle perspective.
MATS LUNDIN, Managing Director
FACTS
TURNOVER 243 million kronor
EMPLOYEES 164
MEMBER COMPANIES 440
ESTABLISHED 1964
OPERATION LOCATIONS Mölndal,
Stockholm, Linköping, Trollhättan,
Eskilstuna, Jönköping and Oslo
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Göran Carlsson, Chair, Swerea
Johan Ancker
Hans Persson,
Volvo Group Trucks Technology
Johan Carlsten, Chalmers University of
Technology
Tor Ahlbom, Hultsteins Kyl AB
Ola Asplund, IF Metall
Lars-Olof Ingemarsson,
Employee representative
Mikael Eriksson, Employee representative
Carina Egeman,
Employee representative (deputy)
Melina da Silva,
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Development and consultancy in process metallurgy, heating, metalworking, environmental and energy engineering for the minerals, steel and metallurgical industry.
Large-scale pilot projects (management, equipment, operation), reduction metallurgy,
measurement technology and process analysis, advanced modelling/simulation,
environmental and waste-product management, process integration.
Commitment and expertise
CHALLENGES in the steel and metals
sector have given rise to challenges
for Swerea MEFOS. Although income
for the year declined, we have an
even stronger commitment to inno
vative thinking and smarter ways of
working. As newly appointed managing director in August, I was struck
by the commitment and expertise
that exist in our company, and I am
convinced that, in future, Swerea
MEFOS will be a leading industrial research institute for resource-efficient
and sustainable industry.
The concept of circular economy is
prominent in much of the work we are
now doing for industry. A closedcycle approach, whereby waste is
seen as a raw material and the possibilities for recycling are grasped already in the design phase, is reflected
in the work we are doing in agglo
meration and fluidized-bed technology.
FACTS
EMPLOYEES 91
MEMBER COMPANIES 42
ESTABLISHED 1963
OPERATION LOCATIONS Luleå and
We are developing new processes,
for example, for recovery and recycling of salt slag and batteries, and
through our involvement in Re:Source,
a national innovation programme that
spans several sectors, we want to
realize even broader solutions.
WHERE RAW MATERIALS are concerned, Swerea MEFOS has been
instrumental in the formation of “EIT
Raw Materials”, a Knowledge and
Innovation Community (KIC). Together
with Luleå University of Technology,
as coordinator, Swerea MEFOS and
other partners look forward to building up the centre in Luleå.
By designing materials in the earliest stage of product engineering, raw
materials can be used as effectively
as possible. In a current project we
are studying how sheetmetal can be
rolled to varying thicknesses across
the entire breadth, for example, for
aircraft components. This enables
greater manufacturing efficiency and
lighter products.
Verifying technologies and methods
in semi-industrial scale using real raw
materials has been one of our spe-
cialities since we started, more than
50 years ago. The Stepwise project
is a good example of our capacity
to design and develop tests that are
applied under realistic conditions. In
Stepwise we are designing, building and running a new pilot facility to
investigate how the blast furnace can
be converted for hydrogen operation and, in the same process, how
carbon dioxide can be captured and
separated.
IN OCTOBER we arranged our first
members' day event on the theme
“With Research in Focus”. The day
gave insights into future trends such
as raw-materials supply. In addition,
members had a chance to meet our
researchers, as well as having time
to ask questions and discuss new
ideas. We are very pleased that there
is an overwhelming interest in more
members' day events.
Equipped with commitment, expertise and our pilot and demo facilities,
we are ready to meet the needs of
industry, today and tomorrow.
EVA SUNDIN, Managing Director
Borlänge
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jarl Mårtenson, Chair, Ovako Sweden
Göran Carlsson, Swerea
Nils Edberg, SSAB Europe
Kerstin Konradsson, Boliden Commercial
Johan Sterte, Luleå University of
Technology
Fredrik Sandberg,
Sandvik Materials Technology
Fredrik Skarp, Scanmast
Bijish Babu, Employee representative
Roger Nielsen, Employee representative
Lars-Erik From,
Polymer fibre composites, including materials science, mechanical computation and
simulation, damage resistance, process and manufacturing engineering, product
development, prototyping and testing, and customized training programmes.
Biobased and multifunctional composites
SWEREA SICOMP conducts research on three technology platforms:
dimensioning, manufacturing engineering/process engineering and
materials science.
Nationally and internationally, in
materials science, biobased compo
site materials is a large research field
that is aimed at the development
of products made from forest raw
materials. This includes development
of biobased reinforcement fibre and
plastics, as well as material based
on nanocrystalline cellulose. One
example is lignin-based carbon fibre,
a high-value, biobased reinforcement
fibre produced from residual products
from paper manufacturing. In this
area we work closely with Innventia
and, together, we have produced a
national roadmap for development
across the entire value chain from tree
to finished carbon fibre component.
of new products from forest raw materials. The raw materials consist mainly
of by-products from the forest industry,
such as tall oil, wood chips and lignin.
Nanocrystalline cellulose foam can
be used as core material for both
thermal insulation and sandwich
structures. In our case, the feedstock
for nanocrystalline cellulose is derived
from dewatering by-products from
paper manufacturing.
High-temperature composites for
applications at temperatures exceeding 300 degrees are of great interest
to the aircraft engine industry. The aim
is to build energy-efficient engines
for use in civil aviation by introducing
light carbon fibre composites. We
collaborate closely with materials
manufacturers and European companies that work with aircraft engines,
such as Swedish GKN Aero Engine
Systems in Trollhättan.
WHERE BIOBASED plastics are
concerned, research is now under
way in EU-sponsored projects and in
a Swedish cluster for the development
SMART, multifunctional composite materials is an exciting area that includes,
among other innovative applications,
structural batteries – carbon fibre
structures that can bear mechanical
load and store electrical energy. Using
similar technology it is also possible
to create composite materials that can
be modified to quickly change in stiffness or rigidity. One application that is
now being investigated, in collaboration with the automotive industry, is to
use the material to distribute energy in
collision situations and thereby lessen
the risk of injury.
In addition, research on graphene
and nanocomposites is also in
progress. The research is conducted
mainly in EU-sponsored projects and
the aim is to improve certain properties or to add more functions to the
same product.
NEW CHALLENGES wait us in 2016,
when we begin research on additive
manufacturing. Please feel free to
contact us, so we can tell you more
and discuss how we can help you
and your company.
HANS HANSSON, Managing Director
FACTS
EMPLOYEES 50
MEMBER COMPANIES 41
ESTABLISHED 1988
OPERATION LOCATIONS
Piteå, Mölndal and Linköping
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ingegerd Annergren, Scania CV
Erik Persson, Municipality of Piteå
Bengt-Olof Elfström, University West
Jerker Delsing,
Luleå University of Technology
Jonas Engström,
Peter Mannberg,
24
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Cast products, casting processes and cast materials, metallurgy, product engineering, simulation, and process and manufacturing engineering. Failure and damage analyses including accredited mechanical testing. Environmental studies and
environmental protection engineering. Energy efficiency and industrial recycling
Testing and demonstration foundry, and training programmes for industry.
Safer, lighter, more efficient
GLOBALLY, production of cast pro
ducts has increased by more than 50
percent over the past ten years and,
as the global economy continues to
grow, potential demand remains high.
Development is mainly being driven
by the need to reduce climate impact,
improve resource efficiency and lower
costs. Above all, this is reflected
in smarter materials and more and
lighter multifunctional cast components. One of the most interesting
areas will probably be intelligent new
products and new materials with improved properties and performance.
Swerea SWECAST also continues to
drive development within the national
lightweight arena LIGHTer, which
spans several industrial sectors.
ANOTHER INTERESTING area
concerns improvements in resource
efficiency in the manufacturing of cast
components. Within RISE we have
been tasked to lead a strategic initiative of which the aim is to strengthen
all of the RISE institutes' energyrelated offerings to industry.
DURING 2015 Swerea SWECAST
has initiated new research and deve
lopment projects on topics including
recycling of casting sand, briquetting and reuse of fine-grained slag,
additive manufacturing of pressure
die-casting tools, MMC (Metallic
Matrix Composite) and intelligent
cast products.
In collaboration with a company that
is world-leading in 3D sand printing,
we have built up a successful testing
and demo centre, where Swerea
SWECAST provides research and
development related to cast components. We can design moulds and
cores and make them using the 3D
sand printer, and then make cast
prototypes or short series. The 3D
sand printer is kept at our testing and
demo facility and is the first and only
one of its kind in Sweden.
Thanks to the new facility, Swerea
SWECAST will be able to assist
with prototyping, taking the product
concept to finished component while
reducing the lead time from several
months to about a week. We are
currently the only European research
institute that can do this under our
own management and with our own
resources. In continuation, we plan to
invest further in new equipment and
build knowledge surrounding additive
manufacturing and the development
of processes and new materials.
Demand for our services has exceeded expectations and we are seeing
considerable interest from companies
that purchase cast products.
WE FORESEE great opportunities
for continued growth, for developing
new technologies and working with
new customers and customer segments. We look forward to exciting
new projects in 2016 together with
customers and strategic collaborative
partners.
PETER SEMBERG, Managing Director
FACTS
EMPLOYEES 45
ESTABLISHED 1967
OPERATION LOCATION Jönköping
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lars Alfredsson, Bruzaholms Bruk
Mats Jägstam,
Jönköping University
Sten Dahlqvist, Swerea
Lars Johansson, BLJ Invest
Håkan Fernström,
Ulf Gotthardsson,
Process and alloy development for steels and metals. Joining technology, processes and dimensioning. Component manufacturing, processes and optimization. Mechanical properties, testing
and prediction. Materials, including polymers, for aggressive environments. Corrosion (testing,
evaluation of protection methods) – in various environments (atmospheric, high-temperature,
marine, H 2S, etc.). Materials analysis and metallography. Failure analysis and materials selection.
Our focus is on customer value
SWEREA KIMAB has a strong custom-
er base in the Swedish export industry,
where heavy engineering, vehicles,
energy, steel and metals are important
sectors. These are demanding customers with world-leading products and
considerable research resources. To
be able to meet their expectations we
must be an internationally competitive
research entity.
In the area of corrosion protection for
vehicles in road environments we have
a members' consortium in which most
of the major vehicle manufacturers participate, together with several supplier
companies. Here, groups of companies contribute ideas and funding for
projects addressing corrosion-related
problems. One new project has to do
with how corrosion problems can be
prevented when new lightweight technologies, including composite materials, are introduced in order to reduce
fuel consumption. Project participants
include 13 companies, together with
Swerea KIMAB and Institut de la Corrosion. We are very proud to report that
one of the world's leading automakers
proposed us as project manager.
In the area of joining technology,
we must remain internationally competitive, although our customer base
comprises mainly Swedish companies. We are proud to have General
Motors as a member company and
one of our researchers spends three
month each year at GM's R&D Centre.
Together with GM, we have developed
an innovative spot-welding process
for aluminium which eliminates the
need for riveting, a considerably more
expensive process. The method is
patented.
Society's costs for corrosion are
estimated at 100 billion kronor annually in Sweden alone. Unfortunately,
relatively few people are aware of this
fact. We are therefore very pleased to
report that we have been asked to take
part in many infrastructure projects
during the year. For example, together
with the Swedish Transport Administration, we have identified a safe and
sustainable solution to protect the new
Sundsvall Bridge from corrosion. Now,
a solution has been chosen after very
extensive work on-location with divers,
engineers and researchers.
FROM A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
it is an expressed priority that the
institutes support small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) in their
innovation efforts. A customer survey
has shown that our SME customers
often learn about us from colleagues
in other companies. It is gratifying to
note that nine out of ten expressed
interest in using our services again.
From the survey it was clearly evident
that our expertise in materials and
corrosion is our most important
strength.
WE ARE ALSO very pleased to report
that 2015 has seen resumed growth
in Swerea KIMAB's business and
a dramatic improvement in financial
outcome. We have welcomed 23 new
co-workers during the year.
STAFFAN SÖDERBERG, Managing Director
FACTS
EMPLOYEES 175
ESTABLISHED 1921
OPERATION LOCATIONS Stockholm,
Trollhättan, Brest and St Etienne
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Anders G Lindberg, Scania CV
Göran Nyström, Ovako
Peter Gudmundson, KTH
Hans Klang, SSAB
Tomas Hult, Employee representative
Ragna Elger, Employee representative
Alexander Angré, Employee
representative (deputy)
Thomas Björk, Employee representative
(deputy)
26
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
NOTICES
Unique Research Friday initiative
in Piteå
Subsidiary of Swerea KIMAB,
established 2002.
Institut de la Corrosion
OPERATIONS in Brest have con
tinued to grow during 2015, mainly
in the areas of corrosion testing
under realistic field-test conditions
and in marine corrosion. A new EUsponsored project has commenced,
of which the aim is to gain a better
understanding of how microstructures affect the occurrence and
spread of corrosion in metallic
coatings in vehicles and building
structures.
In Saint Etienne, in a new industrial
project, researchers have begun to
study the effects of oxygen on stress
corrosion cracking (SCC) in steel.
A framework agreement has been
signed with ANDRA (French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency), making IC a selected
partner for certain areas of corrosion
research related to radioactive waste
management.
Collaboration with various French
universities, such as Ecole des Mines
and the University of Brest, continues via doctoral studies programmes
related to corrosion in hydrogen
sulphide and corrosion sensors.
Internationally, we have strengthened our collaboration with Singapore (Simtech and University of
Singapore) and the University of
Swansea.
WE LOOK FORWARD to exciting
new challenges in 2016. Of particular interest are the emergence of a
new research field concerning corrosion in the aerospace sector, and
increased activity within corrosion
testing under high pressure and
high temperatures.
DOMINIQUE THIERRY,
Managing Director
Research Friday is arranged each year
as part of the EU Researchers’ Night
event. The 2015 edition was held in more
than 300 towns and cities. In Sweden,
27 towns and cities took part, with Piteå
being the northernmost. Swerea SICOMP
and Swerea MEFOS, together with
SP Energy Technology Center and Inter
active Institute Swedish ICT, joined forces
to attract increased interest in research
and development. The primary target group
was secondary-school students, but public
participation was welcome during the
afternoon.
“We wanted to give visitors some insight
into what composites can be used for and
how materials selection and development
can create incredible benefit for companies and society in general,” says Lars
Liljenfeldt, marketing manager at Swerea
SICOMP.
Establishing locally grown textiles
in Sweden
Demand for textile fibres is growing and is
expected to triple by 2050. Production of
oil-based textile fibres and cotton fibres,
which has already reached capacity, impacts
the environment negatively in various ways.
Funding amounting to 45 million kronor
over three years has been granted for the
project "Establishing locally grown textiles
in Sweden" via the strategic innovation
programme BioInnovation. Under the
direction of Swerea IVF, project partners
including companies, research institutes
and academia will collaborate to secure
sustainable production of new textile fibres
from forest raw materials or recycled
biobased textiles.
Revised edition of rustproofing
handbook
A newly revised edition of the rustproofing
handbook has been published. Like the
earlier edition it is the result of teamwork,
this time between Swerea KIMAB and
Auktorisation för Rostskyddsmålning. The
handbook is both a practical and a theoretical guide to the field of rustproofing
coating. The intention has been to provide a
general yet, in many respects, detailed overview of the area. It is a primer that gives a
good introduction to regulatory frameworks
and fundamental standards, etc.
The handbook is available from Swerea
KIMAB.
NOTICES
New project will reduce vibration injuries
Vinnova is investing 7.3 million kronor in a Swerea IVFmanaged project of which the aim is to come to terms
with vibration-related occupational injuries. The goal is
to eliminate vibration injuries by developing low-vibration
handheld machines. Vibration is the second-greatest
cause of occupational injuries among men and the occurrence of such injuries among women is steadily increasing. Often, young people are subject to this type of injury
and the consequences are long-term.
A consortium with broad representation from all rele
vant public-sector agencies has been formed.
“The project is unique, in that we are now, finally, gathering all stakeholders in society to address the problem and
to stimulate demand for better machines. Everyone has
something to gain if vibrations can be eliminated,” says
Hans Lindell, Swerea IVF, who is leading the consortium.
New Professor of Process Metallurgy
Lena Sundqvist Ökvist, Swerea MEFOS, has been appointed Associate Professor of Process Metallurgy at
the Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural
Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology.
Lena works with LTU both in research projects and
in teaching. She has extensive experience of national
and international research in reduction metallurgy and
recycling of residual products, particularly in the area of
materials and energy efficiency in the steel industry.
“Lena's expertise and commitment to research and
teaching-related issues, as well as her very considerable
national and international network, will be a major asset
for our research field,” says Caisa Samuelsson, Professor
at the Division of Minerals and Metallurgical Engineering.
3D-printed tools open new possibilities for the
die-casting foundry industry
Together with Swedish die-casting foundries, Swerea
SWECAST is studying the potential for pressure diecasting tools made by means of additive manufacturing.
“We see enormous potential in the project. We can
make tools faster and we can reduce environmental
impact, since only the material that is needed is used,”
says Jörgen Henriksson, quality and production manager
at Ankarsrum Die Casting.
The project builds on work done in a prestudy entitled
Adding. In the second phase of the project, virtual
methods for optimal positioning of cooling channels to
achieve the right heat transfer and thermal balance in
the tool will be studied.
28
ÅRSBERÄTTELSE 2015
SICOMP conference 2015
Our 2015 conference, “Manufacturing and Design of
Composites”, was held 1-2 June, at Hotell Arken in
Gothenburg. During the two days, delegates from ten
countries heard very interesting presentations on subjects
including: use of composite materials in Renault and Volvo,
mini car Zbee and innovative manufacturing methods.
New this year is a recently established grant for graduate studies in polymeric fibre composites by Stiftelsen
Swedish Institute of Composites SICOMP. This year the
grant was awarded to Joraine Rössler, with a thesis project from Chalmers.
Transatlantic collaboration for new joining
technology for General Motors
Swerea and General Motors have joined forces to develop
next-generation joining technology for light vehicles.
The technology gives GM environmental and production
gains by reducing weight and cost for aluminium vehicle
components.
Collaboration has facilitated the introduction and verification of a recently GM-patented solution for aluminiumto-aluminium joining in several different production-like
scenarios.
“For us, Swerea's expertise and experience are a great
asset. Working side-by-side on decisive research issues
allows us to make strategic choices during the course of
the project. That's what characterizes research and deve
lopment,” says Blair Carlson, GM manufacturing systems
research lab group manager.
NASA and Swerea SICOMP collaborate on
simulation of impact damage in polymeric carbon
fibre composites
High-performance carbon fibre composites are subject to
damage due to, for example, impact. This type of damage
is often not visible to the naked eye and it is important to
be able to design structures with the help of computations
in order to prevent damage. Swerea SICOMP will collaborate in a two-year project with NASA Langley Research
Center to develop a computer model for simulation of
damage processes in polymeric carbon fibre compo
sites. NASA is responsible for developing the model and
Swerea SICOMP will assess the experimental test data.
This collaboration is an important step towards an
industrially adapted method for structural computation
of polymeric carbon fibre composites.
The development will strengthen both
organizations' ability to support industry
with advanced computations.
NOTICES
New 3D printer for metal
Award for research on biobased carbon fibre
Swerea IVF and Innventia accepted the award at the
International Symposium on Wood, Fibre and Pulping
Chemistry, ISWFPC, in Vienna, in recognition of their
joint research on the development of light, wood-based
carbon fibre material. In the project two wood components, lignin and cellulose, have been solution-spun and
thin, pliable threads in which the best properties of hightech, carbon-rich fibres and more conventional textiles
are combined have been made.
“Naturally, we are very pleased that our project has
attracted so much interest. Now, we want to scale-up
production and it is important that we can bring the
industry on board,” says Carina Olsson, Swerea IVF.
DISIRE – Integrated process control
58 million kronor has been allocated to the DISIRE
project via Horizon 2020. The aim of the project is to
develop a sensor that can be incorporated into the
raw-material flow in the steelmaking process. The sensors can gather data (e.g., temperature) inside the blast
furnace, walking beam furnace or similar high-temperature environments and the information can be sent to
process-control units online. Swerea MEFOS will help
to develop and adapt the sensors for high-temperature
environments. Testing and analysis will show if/how the
sensors contribute to improved process control.
Luleå University of Technology is coordinating the
three-year project.
Over the past three years Swerea IVF has increased its
activities in additive manufacturing and now has access
to 3D printers for metal, ceramics and plastics. The
most recently acquired 3D printer is adapted for manufacturing components in different metal alloys such as
stainless steel, tool steels, titanium, cobalt-chromium,
Inconel and aluminium. All of these alloys have a range
of applications in, for example, the medico-technical,
aerospace and vehicle industries. The new printer represents yet another step forward in the Swerea Group's
major investment within this field.
New biobased lightweight material presented
Efforts in recent years to realize the vision of lightweight
materials made from forest raw materials are now starting to yield results. Innventia and Swerea SICOMP are
the world's first to present a composite based on 100
percent coniferous lignin in a so-called demonstrator.
The demonstrator, a sandwich structure consisting
of balsa wood laminated with carbon fibre, is the first
successful laboratory-scale evidence to show that it is
possible to manufacture lignin-based carbon fibre. Yet
another demonstrator, a model car that operates on a
lignin-based battery, is now being developed to demonstrate a future application in the vehicle industry.
Docent in Atmospheric Corrosion
Johan Tidblad has been appointed Docent in Corrosion
Science, with specialization in atmospheric corrosion,
at KTH in Stockholm. Johan works at Swerea KIMAB
as manager for the Corrosion Protection and Surface
Engineering section. The title of his Docent address
was: “Planning for a sustainable infrastructure with
short-term corrosion testing. Can we solve the conflicting demands of the modern world?”
3D focus at Elmia
The Statue of Liberty – 3D-printed in sand in Swerea
SWECAST's new test and demo facility in Jönköping –
was a real showstopper at the innovation arena Innodex
at Elmia Subcontractor. The statue and several other
3D-printed objects were displayed at Swerea's stand to
attract the interest of visitors. Many people visited the
stand and a guided showing of
the 3D machine during the fair
was well attended.
For those interested in the
very latest in 3D technology,
Swerea arranged a conference in
collaboration with Elmia Subcontractor and the industry organization Sveat.
The people behind the
successes
Swerea's researchers are key players in Sweden's new industrialization. Each day, their contributions strengthen the country's industrial
competitiveness and attractiveness. Thanks to their efforts, established companies choose to remain here, while companies from
abroad choose to open for business in Sweden. Qualified, committed
co-workers are the most important factor for success in every project.
RESEARCHERS FROM ALL of
What is the most exciting thing happening in
your field right now in the
development of industrial
materials?
Swerea's subsidiaries contribute
small puzzle pieces to the development of industrial materials and innovative solutions often see the light of
day in meetings between specialists
from different fields.
Of the researchers employed
in the group's Swedish operations
during 2015, about ten percent are
foreign recruitments. The fact that
researchers from around the world
come to work for us benefits our
customers, our research and our
commissioned work. Finding and
developing competencies and
building leadership that fosters
an inclusive and successful corporate culture is an important process.
Swerea Academy provides management training for supervisors and
project managers. Personnel from
Swerea' subsidiaries meet in the
courses, which gives co-workers the
opportunity to broaden their know
ledge and their network within the
group.
Of Swerea's active research
personnel, 45 percent hold doctorate degrees. During 2015, 23
employees have pursued concurrent
doctoral studies. Expertise and creativity are our core business and our
co-workers are our most important
resource.
Marie Fredriksson
Jan Levén
Peter Mannberg
Senior Research Engineer, Casting of
Light Metals, Swerea SWECAST
Designed materials for casting is an
area that is gaining increasing interest.
These may be metals that are alloyed
to give the desired properties, or materials to which various types of particles
are added to achieve specific
properties. Examples include
components for heavy vehicles which are conventionally cast in iron, but where
aluminium alloys that can
withstand high temperatures
are an interesting alternative.
One alternative is to cast different
materials together in the same component, for example, aluminium and cast
iron, in order to utilize the low density
and thermal conductivity of aluminium
while taking advantage of iron's superior mechanical properties.
30
We asked Swerea's
co-workers a question:
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Research Engineer
and Operations
Manager, Heating
and Metalworking,
Swerea MEFOS
In my research,
one goal has been
to manufacture products with consistently uniform properties, for example,
thickness or strength. The trend
towards greater resource efficiency
means that each product must be
customized so that properties are
adapted to meet specific conditions
at each point over the entire product.
The challenge today is to find methods for designing and manufacturing these products with the same or
better productivity, material yield and
energy consumption as in conventional manufacturing. Taking part in
this development is both exciting and
a privilege.
Research Engineer, Materials,
Swerea SICOMP
Raw materials from renewable sources are the future, since the demand
for continuous growth means that
finite resources are being used too
quickly. Therefore, use of renewable
resources must be increased.
The building blocks from renewable
resources can be used to replace
those from finite resources such as
oil. From the forest, Sweden's new
“oilfield”, monomers, building blocks
from which polymeric
materials and fibres
can be made, can
be extracted.
These plastics and
fibres can directly
replace today's oilbased equivalents in
composites applications.
Mari Sparr
Section Manager, Metallic Materials in
Aggressive Environments, Swerea KIMAB
Lawrence Hooey
Group Manager, Materials and Raw Materials, Swerea MEFOS
We work a lot with materials producers,
the manufacturing industry and end-users
to study corrosion properties of materials and products in
different environments. The basic materials have certain
corrosion properties, but different manufacturing processes e.g., welding, also affect corrosion properties. Corrosion
has a great impact on a product's service life and is an
especially important consideration from a material strategy perspective, since it can have a bearing on costs, the
environment and safety. To be able to predict a product's
service life it is important to have good knowledge of the
environment in which it is to be used and access to reliable methods for testing under conditions resembling that
environment. In corrosion testing, we have longstanding
experience of exposing test specimens in the field to
obtain reliable corrosion data.
The goal of process integration is to maximize efficiency throughout an entire production system.
One example is the introduction of new
technology for converting a residual
product into a valuable and sustainable product. Energy-bearing process
gas from integrated steelmaking is
now combusted in combined heat
and power plants (CHP) or heating
plants. Through new ways of converting this gas into valuable and sustainable products, technologies can be developed that
will reduce CO2 emissions, improve energy efficiency
and lower costs. Swerea MEFOS is involved in the EUsponsored Stepwise project, of which the aim is to convert
blast furnace gas to hydrogen and, in the same process,
capture and separate CO2.
Lennart Sibeck
Annika Strondl
Research Engineer, Cast Materials,
Swerea SWECAST
Section Manager, Process Development, Swerea KIMAB
Austempered ductile iron (ADI) with
double the strength of ductile iron
has been in use for several years.
Since austempering can double the
strength of ductile iron while retaining good ductility and
toughness, this material is starting to compete with steel.
Similarly, ausferritic steels with a unique combination of
strength and ductility are being developed.
Castforging of ductile iron combines conventional technology and material, resulting in a new forming process
and a new material. Aluminium alloy-based metal matrix
composites have long shown great potential. Widespread
use of the material has been inhibited by difficulties in
manufacturing and high cost, but new casting methods
could solve these problems.
Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has virtually
exploded in Sweden over the past year. This technology
is rapidly driving the rate of materials development and
enabling design for function i.e., lightweight products in
which the material is used only where it is needed. Rotating aircraft engine components that have been made by
means of additive manufacturing are one
exciting example. If the material meets
these tough requirements, there is
enormous potential in other industrial applications. The next step is to
take advantage of the possibility of
locally customizing the properties of
the material in the process.
Sepehr Hatami
Lisa Schwarz Bour
Research Engineer, Additive Manufacturing, Swerea IVF
Research Engineer, Textiles Recycling, Swerea IVF
I work with additive manufacturing (so-called 3D printing)
of metal components. This new technology enables the
use of less material for manufacturing
certain components, thereby reducing
weight without jeopardizing performance or strength.
In practice, only a few companies
have succeeded in finding the right
application for the method while retaining profitability. This is an interesting and
challenging part of my work. Therefore, my
research focuses on understanding the full potential of
additive manufacturing, as well as its limitations in various
industrial applications.
Globally, there is a great demand for effective textiles
recovery that would enable use of the recovered material
as a valuable raw material in new processes. This would
contribute to meeting increasing world
demand for textiles. Since recovered
textiles consist largely of mixed materials, no single technology can meet
this demand. We need to use the
entire palette of recycling technologies, both mechanical and chemical, and develop recovery, sorting and
separation methods to create a functioning
circular value chain for textile materials.
Board of directors
FROM LEFT:
Olof Sandén (b 1962). CEO, RISE Research
Institutes of Sweden. MSc, Chalmers University
of Technology/ETH Zürich. Formerly employed
with Bactiguard, Elekta, Exportrådet (Business Sweden), and Boston Consulting Group in
various senior management positions and business development. Other directorships: Board
member, SP Sveriges Tekniska Forskningsinstitut (Technical Research Institute of Sweden),
Swedish ICT, Innventia, Scandidos AB, Micropos
Medical and Unisport-Saltex Oy. Other assignments: Advisory Board, Wistrands Advokater.
Elected to the board in 2015.
Eva Wigren (b 1954). Director, Industrial Deve
lopment, Teknikföretagen (the Association of
Swedish Engineering Industries). MSc, Royal
Institute of Technology (KTH); MSc Business Administration and Economics, Stockholm University.
Former CEO Electrolux Core Technology & Innovation and Sweco Industriteknik. Other director
ships: Chairman, Teknikföretagens Bransch
grupper. Board member of Vinnova, Structural
Fund Partnership Stockholm and European Factories of the Future Research Association. Board
member, IVA. Elected to the board in 2012.
32
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Bo-Erik Pers (b 1956). Managing Director,
Jernkontoret. MSc, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). Formerly employed by SSAB EMEA,
SSAB Tunnplåt and Scania in various positions
in marketing, sales and technology development.
Other directorships: Chairman, Hugo Carlsson
Foundation for Scientific Research, and MEFOR.
Board member, Eurofer and SIS. Elected to the
board in 2011.
Karl-Gustav Ramström (b 1954). CEO and
President, Prevas. MSc and MBA, Uppsala
University. Formerly employed by SSAB Plate,
SSAB Oxelösund and Process Automation ABB
Sweden in various positions in engineering,
divisional management and senior management.
Other directorships: Board member, Automation
Region. Board member, IVA. Elected to the board
in 2012.
Peter Samuelsson Chairman (b 1963).
Former CTO, Sandvik MT. MSc Metallurgical Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).
Formerly employed by Outokumpu Stainless AB,
Ovako AB, Danieli, Centro Met, Avesta Sheffield AB and Avesta Polarit in various positions
in engineering, production, logistics, R&D and
business management. Other directorships:
Chairman, Högskolan Dalarna. Elected to the
board in 2013.
Eva Pétursson (b 1968). Research Manager,
SSAB. PhD, Luleå University of Technology.
Former Associate Professor, Steel Construction,
Luleå University of Technology. Senior specialist
in high-strength steel structures, SSAB. Other
assignments: Board member, SSAB Technology
and member of TGS8 (Research Fund for Coal
and Steel). Elected to the board in 2015.
Merja Myllykoski (b 1971). Process Controller,
Swerea MEFOS. MSc International Marketing,
Luleå University of Technology. Employee representative. Board member since 2015.
Sten Farre (b 1957). Senior Researcher, Swerea
SWECAST. BSc, Metallurgy, Bergsskolan.
Employee representative. Board member since
2014.
Management group
Sten Dahlqvist (b 1952). CFO, Swerea. MBA,
Stockholm University. Employed with the group
since 1994.
Göran Carlsson (b 1954). President and CEO,
Swerea. MSc Metallurgical Engineering, Royal
Institute of Technology (KTH). Board member,
IVA. Employed with the group since 2008.
Peter Semberg (b 1961). CEO, Swerea
SWECAST. Studies in behavioural science at
Linköping University. Employed with the group
since 2015.
Staffan Söderberg (b 1951). CEO, Swerea
KIMAB. Associate Professor, Uppsala University.
Board member, IVA. Employed with the group
since 2007.
Gunilla Kühner (b 1965). Marketing Director,
Swerea. Studies in medical technology and
chemistry at Stockholm University and Umeå
University; studies in marketing at Berghs
School of Communication and IFL. Employed
with the group since 2014.
Eva Sundin (b 1965). CEO, Swerea MEFOS.
PhD, Luleå University of Technology. Employed
FROM LEFT:
Mats Lundin (b 1963). CEO, Swerea IVF. MSc,
Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). Employed
Mats Holmgren (b 1952). CTO, Swerea. MSc,
Lund University, Faculty of Engineering.
Employed with the group since 1979.
Hans Hansson (b 1955). CEO, Swerea
SICOMP. PhD, (Hon.) Luleå University of
Technology. Employed with the group since
1993.
ABSENT:
Göran Fahlén (b 1951). Strategic development,
Swerea. Studies in Mechanical Engineering at
Chalmers University of Technology and Forestry
Production at Umeå University. Employed with
the group since 2010.
Five-year summary
Turnover, MSEK
Operating profit after
depreciations, MSEK
Income after net financial
items, MSEK
Balance sheet total, MSEK
Shareholders' equity, MSEK
Operating margin, %
Return on equity, %
Equity/assets ratio, %
Cash liquidity, %
Capital expenditures, MSEK
Average number of employees
Balance sheet
2015 20142013 20122011
711.1 678.1 666.3 604.9 472.0
8.8
15.4
682.0
347.6
1.2
3.3
51
121
31.6
532
2.3
6.6 -0.822.6
10.3
15.7 10.030.6
638.4 654.9616.4527.7
337.3 328,.5 317.6273.6
0.3
1.0-0.1 4.8
2.1
3.0 2.39.2
53
50 5252
125
131 145134
28.8
39.8 51.823.7
523
532
527
407
Income statement
Sums in kSEK
Operating revenue
Net sales
Other operating revenues Total revenue
20152014
Sums in kSEK
ASSETS
Fixed assets
INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Capitalized expenditure for computer software TANGIBLE ASSETS
Land Land improvements
Buildings
Costs invested in another party's property
Machinery and technical systems Equipment, tools, fixtures and fittings
Fixed assets under construction FINANCIAL FIXED ASSETS
Shares and participations in group companies
Other securities held as fixed assets
Deferred tax asset
Other long-term receivables
Total fixed assets
20152014
503
470
503470
476
35
20 825
25 900
29 389
63 047
10 302
149 974
476
39
20 759
28 664
32 432
65 774
148 144
10
145 983
175
3 589
149 757
300 234
11
136 731
150
3 844
140 736
289 350
3 413
3 413
3 547
3 547
66 555
24 015
6 400
87 117
184 087
66 252
7 621
5 371
87 151
166 395
709 858
1 274
711 132
676 644
1 480
678 124
-266 213
-406 910
-251 420
-395 851
-29 218
8 791
-28 550
2 303
Profit from financial items
Profit from other securities and receivables
accounted for as fixed assets
Other interest income and similar profit/loss items
Interest expenses and similar profit/loss items
Profit after financial items 3 791
3 924
-1 126
15 380
3 544
4 950
-487
10 310
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS
12 088
10 643
CASH AND BANK BALANCES
Total current assets
182 198
381 786
168 493
349 078
Profit before tax 15 380
10 310
TOTAL ASSETS 682 020
638 428
Tax on profit for the year
-3 839
-3 393
PROFIT FOR THE YEAR 11 541
6 917
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND LIABILITIES
RESTRICTED EQUITY
Share capital
Restricted reserves
NON-RESTRICTED EQUITY
Profit or loss brought forward Profit for the year PROVISIONS
Provisions for pensions
Provisions for deferred tax
Other provisions
12 157
13 421
25 578
12 157
12 607
24 764
310 479
11 541
322 020
347 598
305 645
6 917
312 562
337 326
3 722
12 236
745
16 703
3 621
13 147
721
17 489
1 644
1 644
3 863
3 863
181 692
43 237
25 701
65 445
316 075
160 845
32 033
23 523
63 349
279 750
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 682 020
638 428
Operating expenses
Other external expenses
Personnel expenses
Depreciation and write-downs of tangible
and intangible assets Operating profit Current assets
INVENTORIES, ETC.
Finished products and goods for resale
CURRENT RECEIVABLES
Accounts receivable, trade
Taxes recoverable
Other receivables
Prepaid expenses and accrued income
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Advances from customers
Accounts payable
Other liabilities
Prepaid expenses and deferred income 34
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Sustainability and competitive
advantage with CSR*
Sustainability is one of the most
important drivers of the projects
in which Swerea participates.
All aspects of sustainability are
at the crux of society's greatest environmental, societal and
economic challenges.
Swerea's collective expertise enables
unique possibilities for adopting a
broader view, even when approaching issues of a seemingly insular
nature. All projects address challenges that are related to a system; a
lifecycle from raw material to product,
use and end-of-life management.
Swerea has a deep and genuine
commitment to sustainability, and the
Swerea institutes practise what they
preach. Here, development is ongoing and during 2015, among other
things, we have produced a research
policy and a business policy. We
have also presented proposals for
ethical guidelines for Swerea.
Practising what we preach
Swerea creates broad,
group-wide research and
development platforms in areas
where we see that our collective
expertise can contribute to meeting society's challenges. Swerea
Industrial recycling is one such area.
Lightweight, Additive manufacturing, Industrial work environment and
Swerea Virtual Lab are other areas in
which we create benefit for industry
with a holistic approach.
All of the Swerea institutes work
continuously to improve sustainability in their own operations. As an
example, in 2015 Swerea KIMAB
conducted a review of its energy and
heat consumption. Swerea IVF has
updated its climate declaration and
the results showed a further reduction in climate impact per hour.
In collaboration with the property
owner the institute also installed
solar panels on the roof in order to
make energy use more sustainable.
Sustainability in practice
Most of Swerea's work towards longterm sustainability is done successfully in concrete projects in collabo
ration with industry and our research
colleagues. Getting the most out of
a raw material while using as little
energy as possible is the top priority
in many projects.
Similarly, focus is placed on deve
loping new materials and upgrading old materials, and reducing the
environmental impact of products
during use and when they have
reached end-of-life.
Swerea's model for sustainability
assessment of projects has been
applied in several of Vinnova's** strategic innovation programmes, such
as Metallic Materials and LIGHTer.
Equality and diversity
Swerea strives to balance the
numbers of men and women in all
positions. In our work groups people
with different backgrounds and experiences meet with mutual respect
to deliver on Swerea's promise:
scientifically and creatively excellent
solutions that meet industry-related
challenges.
Swerea MEFOS has also participated in an EU-funded development
project, Mångväx, where the goal has
been to put the principles of equality
and diversity to practice in developing the company's business.
Both Swerea MEFOS and Swerea
KIMAB have arranged professional
development days on the theme of
diversity and equality.
* Corporate Social Responsibility
**Sweden's Innovation Agency
Work environment
To be able to deliver research results
and maximum benefit to industry it is
absolutely essential to be an attractive employer. Therefore, creating and
developing a good physical and psychosocial work environment is always
at the top of the Swerea institutes'
agenda.
During the year Swerea SICOMP
has designed workspaces and deve
loped working methods for working
with nano-modified materials based
on the latest research in nanosafety.
Swerea SWECAST has built an
integrated management system and a
new quality management system in an
effort to ensure continuous improvement. Work environment management
is done systematically.
Making a difference in the world
The expertise that accrues from
projects and collaboration with the
Swerea institutes often brings benefit
on a broad front.
Swerea IVF has produced a new
guide to green public procurement.
The guide, produced in collaboration with Kammarkollegiet, is an aid
to public procurement of very large
volumes.
As an important Swedish industrial
research entity, we have a very great
responsibility for development that
leads to greater sustainability.
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NOTICES
mpanies
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Volvo Global Trucks Operations
Volvo GTO Powertrain
Volvo GTT
Volvo Lastvagnar AB
Volvo Personvagnar AB
Volvo Personvagnar Karosskomponenter AB
Volvo Powertrain AB
Volvo Powertrain Corporation AB
Volvo Technology
WR Controls AB
VVS företagen
Växjö Energi
X-Cim AB
Xstrata Nikkelverk
Xylem Sverige AB
Y. Berger & Co AB
Yaskawa Nordic AB
Yourflow AB
Åhléns AB
Åkers Sweden AB
ÅLÖ AB
Älmhults Gjuteri AB
Öhlins Racing AB
Öresundskraft Kraft & Värme
Österby Gjuteri AB
Award winners
Two of Swerea KIMAB's co-workers
have been awarded for their efforts.
Claes Taxén has been awarded the
2015 Einar Mattsson Award, amounting to 30,000 kronor. Claes Taxén is an
innovative researcher who has extensive
knowledge of fundamental corrosion,
electrochemistry and modelling. Thanks
to his solid understanding of the theory
of chemical processes, Claes can create
directly applicable corrosion models.
Christer Eggertson has been awarded
the 2015 Rune Lagneborg Award,
amounting to 30,000 kronor, in recognition of his outstanding contributions in
the field of experimental simulation of
steelmaking processes.
Both are also good ambassadors for
Swerea KIMAB.
New technology will reduce
Europe's vanadium imports
Vinnova has granted Swerea MEFOS
funding amounting to 3 million kronor for
a vanadium extraction project, of which
the aim is to develop new technology
for economically viable, environmentally
friendly exploitation of untapped vanadium resources in Europe. In the EU,
where industry accounts for 13% of total
world consumption, vanadium is classed
as an economically important metal.
Vanadium is used primarily in the production of high-strength, low-alloy steels,
special steels (e.g., tool steels) and in
special alloys for the aerospace industry.
The technology can reduce Europe's
import requirement for vanadium raw material by as much as 80-90 percent.
Re:Source – It's all interrelated
Sweden will be a world leader in minimizing waste and upgrading residual
products. RE:Source, a national
industry-wide innovation programme
that gathers many participants from
Swedish industry, waste management and research, has now begun.
RE:Source will address three challenges: Less waste, sustainable materials
supply and reduced dependency on
non-renewable resources.
“It is exciting to start and coordinate
a new innovation programme that
brings together, and benefits, all of
society,” says Johan Eriksson, Swerea,
who is responsible for “Sustainable
materials supply”. The programme is led
by SP Sveriges Tekniska Forsknings
institut (Technical Research Institute of
Sweden).
New pipeline to supply pilot plant
with blast furnace gas
Construction of a 500-metre-long pipeline from SSAB's BF 3 to Swerea
MEFOS began in autumn 2015. The
gas pipeline is part of the Stepwise project and will supply the new pilot plant
at Swerea MEFOS with process gas.
The new pipeline also augments
Swerea MEFOS's pilot plant facilities
while giving the institute a means to
make a considerably greater contribution to the steel industry's efforts to
reduce CO2 emissions. The capacity is
about 2,500 m3n/h.
ANNUAL REPORT 37
“Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.”
Albert Szent-Györgyi
© 2016 Swerea
Project manager: Karin Edfast
Text and graphic design: Plan Sju kommunikation AB
Translation: Mark Wilcox
Photo: Swerea, Maria Åsén, Patrik Svedberg, Anneli Nygårds, Anders Alm, Fredrik Broman, Carina Olsson, Matton.
Printing: Lule Grafiska AB, May 2016.
w w w. p la ns ju. s e
Swerea AB
Box 7047
SE-164 07 Kista,
Sweden
+46 (0)8 440 45 00
[email protected]
www.swerea.se
Swerea IVF
Box 104
SE-431 22 Mölndal,
Sweden
+46 (0)31 706 60 00
[email protected]
www.swereaivf.se
Swerea KIMAB
Box 7047
SE-164 07 Kista,
Sweden
+46 (0)8 440 48 00
[email protected]
www.swereakimab.se
Swerea MEFOS
Box 812
SE-971 25 Luleå,
Sweden
+46 (0)920 20 19 00
[email protected]
www.swereamefos.se
Swerea SICOMP
Box 271
SE-941 26 Piteå,
Sweden
+46 (0)911 744 00
[email protected]
www.swereasicomp.se
Swerea SWECAST
Box 2033
SE-550 02 Jönköping,
Sweden
+46 (0)36 30 12 00
[email protected]
www.swereaswecast.se

Annual Report 2015

Transcription

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