ENG Ap omslag - Aplicator System

ENG Ap omslag
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Sidan 1
25 years as
professional
supplier to
the reinforced
plastic industry
ENG Ap omslag
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Sidan 2
Welcome
Contents
the year that most
1974 was
people in Sweden remem-
S. 3 – Aplicator veteran.
ber as the year when four young Swedes
wearing extreme platform shoes won the
Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton; they
called themselves Abba and sang about
Waterloo. Others remember with pleasure
Ralf Edström’s beautiful goal in the World
Soccer Championship match against West
Germany.
Internationally almost everything was
about politics, about Nixon’s resignation
because of Watergate, or the final phase
of the war in Vietnam.
Here at Aplicator we remember all of
these events of course, but that particular
year is remembered by many of us because it is related to the birth of Aplicator.
This year we are celebrating our 25-year
jubilee.
A lot of water has passed under the
bridge since the first machine with
Aplicator’s name on it left the factory –
new machine models have been developed, markets have been penetrated,
employees have come and gone, and so
forth. We consider this Jubilee
Publication as an excellent opportunity
for us to both summarise some of our 25year old history and to speculate on the
next, and hopefully equally successful,
quarter century.
Unfortunately, we cannot relate everything that has happened, or tell you about
all our customers, suppliers and partners,
in this particular publication. If we did
we would need many more pages than
the 24 we have set as a limit. However,
we hope that this paper will give you
some interesting information in brief
about Aplicator, what we have done and
what we can do.
At the same time we present a few of
the products that our machines have contributed to manufacture. Anyway, we
hope that this will be a contribution to
pleasant reading.
Lastly, from Aplicator we take this
opportunity to thank our sponsors (see
list on the back page) who have contributed to make this Jubilee Publication possible. Without their help the paper would
never have reached the printing press and
we would not have had the possibility of
telling you at least about some of the
things that we wish to share with you.
We thank you all, and look forward to
continued and mutually fruitful cooperation.
Pleasant reading!
Alf Svensson has been with us for 25 years, from the
very beginning. Through the years he has many
memories that he is pleased to share with us.
S. 4 – Long-distance.
Ali Al Nazar makes boats in the United Arab Emirates.
Hundreds of boats have been produced and lately the
rate has increased – with the help of Aplicator.
S. 6 – Waterproof.
There are many boat builders round the world, and
one thing a lot of them have in common: Aplicator
machines on the shop floor.
S. 8 – High technology.
It started as a small engineering company. Today it is
a hi-tech company with customers all over the world.
Who are we talking about? Aplicator of course.
S. 10 – Fresh winds.
The first wind power machine is said to be dated from
the year 1271 BC. Aplicator wasn’t involved then, but
today it’s alive and kicking and supplying equipment
to many leading rotor blade manufacturers.
S. 12 – Worldwide.
Aplicator is represented by its distributors in many
countries in Europe and round the world. Take a
look at the map to see the full scope.
S. 16 – High altitude.
The new Swedish all-round aircraft, JAS Gripen,
requires extreme high precision and high technology
in its production. Aplicator is one of the suppliers.
S. 19 – P4 wins ground.
P4 is Aplicator’s latest pride. In the long term it is
expected to double, treble or perhaps quadruple the
turnover. Important orders have already been received.
S. 20 – In the sandbox.
Myresjö Plast, deep in the Småland forests has not
been seen by many people. But its product is found
at the side of almost every Swedish road.
S. 22 – In Short.
WebPages, agents meetings and seminars – read
more on the In Short Pages. And take your chance in
winning prizes in the competition.
Produced by MediaSpjuth AB 1-0141
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Sidan 3
Celebrates
a double
jubilee
Alf Svensson is one of
Aplicator’s really longserving loyal members.
For 25 years, from the
very beginning of the
company, he has always
stood by the firm
through thick and thin.
“Certainly, there has
always been plenty of
work but very pleasant
too,” says the grand old
man himself.
When Alf Svensson looks back on
his 25-year relationship with
Aplicator there are many memories that flash by in the mind: The
company’s very first machine that
was designed, free-hand sketches,
the first export order, special-purpose solutions for demanding customers, and so on.
And so on. The list can be made
long because Alf has lived a considerable part of his life at the company and the stock of memories is
therefore considerable.
Wise by experience
“Naturally there’s a big difference
at Aplicator now compared to
when the company started twen-
ty-five years ago. It was exciting
in a different way then, building
machines and not always with the
help of precision drawings for
each machine. Of course, that
could cause problems if a machine broke down,” he says and
sounds as if he is speaking from
experience.
“Now the control is completely
different and everything is well
documented. Although quality
was already our guiding star
when the company started and I
believe that it was our high ambitions that gave us a good name in
the business, something that we
have nurtured all the time.”
Respect
When Alf Svensson talks about
the years that have passed, events
that have occurred and the people
he has met, he often returns to
one particular category – the suppliers. Some of them have been
there as long as Alf himself and
this has naturally created a close
relationship between the companies. Hard words have been
exchanged at times, but mutual
respect has always been there.
“One of the outstanding features of Aplicator, and one that I
think is particularly positive, is
Celebrating an anniversary. Aplicator was founded 25 years ago, and Alf Svensson, one of the
founders, has been there all the time in Mölnlycke.
the fact that we cooperate with so
many different firms, from very
small mechanical workshops to
some of the world’s biggest
groups. This has given me many
friends through the years.”
Perhaps it is the personal relationships that cause Alf to stay
with the company year after year.
There has been no lack of offers,
he admits, but in the final analysis
Alf Svensson, the Purchasing
Manager, has always been loyal
to Aplicator.
“No, I don’t intend to move. I
enjoy working with the people
here.”
This is something that management, customers and suppliers are
pleased to hear.
“The Aplicator Family”
The company organises a variety of activities
from time to time to strengthen the “we-spirit”
among its employees. Everything from fishing
trips to study visits. Recently we took a trip to
Denmark and visited two of our customers, LM
Glasfiber and EM Glasfiber. Our employees
were given a chance to see the manufacturing of
rotor blades for wind power plants, bathtubs,
car bonnets and other items. The products are
made using a variety of different production
methods, all the way from application by hand
to spray up, pressing and injection moulding.
Aplicator 25 Years
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Sidan 4
Boat builders in the
desert use Aplicator
ldtext:
It is not only black gold that glitters in the United
Arab Emirates. Off the shore the shoals of fish
gleam in the salt water and the proud fishing and
boat industries are enjoying favourable times. Like
Major Ali Al Nazar, one of the countries foremost
builders of the traditional dhow.
The Major has constructed hundreds of dhows
using Aplicator’s machines. All of this although it is
only a sideline, his most important assignment is as
bodyguard for the Emir in Sharjah.
Ali Al Nazar is proud of his company, but this is nothing compared
to the pride he feels for his assignment of honour as Major and
bodyguard of the Emir.
Is it difficult to combine the two
roles?
“No, there are no difficulties,
and here in the United Arab
Emirates we are used to work
hard so I don’t have any big problems,” says Major Ali Al Nazar
and laughs while hammer blows
from the shipyard almost drown
his voice.
Rich country
Dhow builder. Major Ali Al Nazar, dhow builder in the United Arab Emirates, with a partiality for Aplicator machines.
4
There are few countries that have
greater wealth per capita than the
United Arab Emirates.
Since oil was discovered and
exports commenced at the beginning of the 1960s the country has
gone through a transformation
that has no parallel.
Nowadays it is the oil industry
that employs most of the between
four and five million people who
live and work in the country.
However, despite the boom, the
country’s tradition of fishing
maintains its position at the side
of the oil and other industries as
an important line of business. The
sea off the coast of the Persian
Gulf, or as they call it, the Arab
Gulf, is rich with Spanish mackerel, tuna and a variety of sharks.
“Many people fish here, either
professionally or in their spare
time,” says Ali Al Nazar, owner
and Managing Director of the lar-
gest dhow shipyard, Al Hamad
Craft Factory.
Fishing is vital
It’s not at all strange that fishing
has an advanced position in the
country’s business life. The extremely dry climate and the low-lying
and sand covered desert landscape
offers little income in the way of
lucrative farming.
Moreover, the seven Emirates,
which comprise the United Arab
Emirates, border on the Arab
Gulf. The fish are always there, a
contributing factor to the fact that
Ali Al Nazar has succeeded in
building a prosperous dhow
industry. However, in his opinion
there is another explanation:
Aplicator. Al Hamad Craft
Factory has been one of
Aplicator’s major customers since
the middle of the 1980s and there
are no signs that cooperation will
end.
Work perfectly
“Aplicator’s machines are fantastic,” Ali Al Nazar says, “I have
built more than 500 dhows with
my machines and they work perfectly.”
“Before we started to use the
machines it could take perhaps 20
persons to do the job that three
men can now do using Aplicator’s
equipment.”
“The machines are very fast,
make light work of the job and
give good results. Eliminating
heavy work is important because
it is very hot here especially during
the summer and therefore the
speed and efficiency of the machines is particularly significant.”
Exclusive
The company builds boats in twelve different models – in sizes between 54 an76 feet – with the common feature that they are made
mainly of glass reinforced plastic
to withstand the total stress to
which they are subjected by the
Aplicator 25 Years
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Sidan 5
One of many. Altogether,
Major Ali Al Nazar has built 500
dhows with the aid of
Aplicator’s machines.
salt water. The dhows are exclusive and no expense is spared with
regard to quality or money.
“We export dhows to all countries round the Arab Gulf and everywhere the demand is for the highest quality,” explains Ali Al
Nazar.
Aplicator found
One can ask the question, how
did a boat builder in the Middle
East find a machine manufacturer
in a small place on the outskirts of
Gothenburg. Far away in the
north? The answer is simpler than
you may think.
“Aplicator is a leading manufacturer of this type of equipment,
and when one is looking for high
quality one makes certain that the
best supplier is found,” says Ali Al
Nazar, pointing out that the first
contact between the two companies was made via the local distributors.
“Aplicator has a well-developed
distribution network and so have
we, that’s how things work.”
Aplicator 25 Years
First in the East. George Polychronis (on the right) became
Aplicator’s first customer in the Middle East in 1981, here together
with Tryggve Burge, Managing Director of Reichhold Inc., Dubai, who
represents Aplicator in the Middle East.
Uncomplicated solutions
made the choice easy
In February 1981,
George Polychronis in
Saudi-Arabia received a
catalogue from
Aplicator. The result
was an order for two
machines and Aplicator
thus had its first customer in the Middle East.
Mr Polychronis’ company had
previously used Austrian machines, but after a fire that totally
destroyed all the equipment it was
necessary to find new equipment
quickly. “The Austrian machines
were very complicated and when I
saw Aplicator’s simple solution I
decided immediately to order two
machines direct,” says George
Polychronis.
In September the same year, after
some muddle with the Saudi authorities, the machines arrived and
then were run warm for five years.
“I trained two operators who
used the machines together with
me. Maintenance was organised
with the aid of spares from Sweden,” says George Polychronis.
The machines would probably
have been in use for several more
years but a fire at the end of 1986
destroyed both the machines and
the factory. However, George
Polychronis’ relationship with
Aplicator did not end with the
fire. In 1993, in Greece, he again
came into contact with the
Swedish machines and when Mr
Polychronis started his present
company, Quatar Plast, he quickly
ordered two installations of the
Aplicator 6000 model.
“They run like greased lightning, and I’ve not had to repair
them at all. Now I also get very
good support from Aplicator’s
agent in Dubai, who can provide
any necessary spare parts, and the
maintenance course that I went
through is helpful,” says Mr
Polychronis.
“It makes the machines even
better and my life easier.”
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Sidan 6
Companies
on the move
No, Aplicator has not started to build
boats and most probably will not be
doing so in the future either. On the
other hand, many boat builders do use
Aplicator’s machines to form hulls and
other items. Names like Nimbus,
Hallberg-Rassy, Kockums/Karlskronavarvet and Storebro ought to be well
known in boat-building circles. Here
are a few samples of what can be achieved using Aplicators machines.
Hallberg-Rassy 62. The pride of the company and its biggest boat,
model 62 is a beautiful creation. Developed in cooperation with the
Argentinean Germán Frers and 1,200 of them made since 1989.
Styrsö. With an overall length of 36 metres and a displacement of 200
tonnes the minesweeper Styrsö from Karlskronavarvet is in a class of its
own with regard to size. Though the potential customers are in a rather
different category perhaps.
Nimbus 29 Nova. A fast way of moving over the waters.
Nimbus 29 Nova reaches a speed of 38 knots, and that without giving up any comfort – equipped as it is with standing-height pantry, roomy berths and separate toilet.
Double keel. When one keel is not enough you can
always have two, as illustrated by this catamaran from
the French Fonuntaine Pajot.
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Ryds 515 GTX. One of the latest additions in the Ryds range, the
515 GTX is beautiful and fast.
Uttern 5500. With a 90 horsepower engine and four persons in the boat the Uttern 5500 reaches a speed of 31
knots.
Storebro Royal Cruiser 500. Modern technique
and skill combined in a magnificent shell. The Royal
Cruiser 500 offers features such as beautiful wooden
trimmings, integrated automatic pilot, radar, GPS
and VHF.
De Kapiteinsloep. Classical yacht design in modern material.
Manufactured by S.V Plastics for Mogano Shipbuilding.
Fairline Squadron. The Fairline Squadron series goes from 52 to 65 feet. This is the 62 feet
version of this beautiful yacht.
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Sidan 8
The rising star that
continues to rise
From a small engineering company with local
customers to a world
embracing hi-tech supplier with customers
such as Volvo, Saab,
Boeing, Ford and
Chrysler. Aplicator has
certainly experienced
positive development
during its 25-year history.
Few people had any idea when
Aplicator was founded in 1974
that the company 25 years later
would have some of the world’s
biggest groups among its customers. As direct customers too.
For example, there are not
many small Swedish companies
who can say that they have been
inside the most eminent secret
rooms of American carmakers,
rooms that only a few of their
own employees have access to; in
the strongly guarded research
department. But Aplicator has
been there.
“It was an unreal feeling – walking out from the most strictly
classified rooms with a drawing
under my arm. A verification that
even the really big customers have
respect for our work here in
Mölnlycke. Otherwise they would
obviously never have let us anywhere near,” says Peder Jönsson,
Managing Director.
However, the story of Aplicator
of course did not begin in the
development departments of Ford
or GM. The company’s very first
product was a machine for applying gelcoat, and it was made in a
cellar in Partille on the outskirts
of Gothenburg.
Using this equipment, Aplicator
replaced the earlier mode of application by hand and immediately
the road to a wide circle of customers throughout the whole of
Scandinavia was opened. Shortly
after, two other machine series for
different modes of application for
reinforced plastics were launched
and Aplicator became a supplier
that was in demand, not least in
the boat building industry.
“We quickly became a wellknown name among boat builders, and because this was an
expanding sector it meant good
business for us too,” says Peder
Jönsson.
Vätterleden took over
The demand from the boat industry was relatively steady during
the 1970s, which implied that
there was no discussion about any
Future work. Björn Rosberg and Anders Reuterberg in
Aplicator’s development department working on future Aplicator
machines.
8
major expansion for Aplicator.
The first real expansion phase
in the company occurred when
Vätterledens Invest acquired control in 1979. With the new owner,
new strategic plans were drafted
at the office in Mölnlycke: Export
became the latest word of honour.
“We started to explore several
markets outside Scandinavia, but
there was no deep diving into the
unknown. We have always followed a policy of taking on one
market at a time and analysing it
carefully before making any
investment. In this way we have
approached country after country.
Germany, Britain and so on,”
explains Clas-Åke Johansson,
Sales and Marketing Manager.
New start
So far, the technical development
of the machines had not accelerated. However, following an informal meeting in Denmark in 1986
the course of Aplicator’s future
activities was changed.
“We decided that the company
should concentrate seriously on
research and development, and
thereby build not only machines
but even complete production
plants. More advanced machines
than those we already made. In a
way this was like a new start,”
says Clas-Åke Johansson.
The initial result of the meeting
was that another two technicians
were employed to develop and
upgrade the existing range. This
naturally had considerable significance.
The technical content became
more sophisticated, including for
example PC control and the number of models in the range became
greater. This made Aplicator
attractive in other industries and in
additional geographical markets.
“The objective was to widen
our approach and stand firmly on
several platforms at the same time.
In this way the risks involved in
being dependent on a single industry or on one specific market were
minimised,” explained Clas-Åke.
The decision proved to be
Aplicator 25 Years
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Sidan 9
Successful years. Sales and Marketing Manager Clas-Åke Johansson and Managing Director Peder
Jönsson can look back on 25 very successful years, in which Aplicator has grown from a small engineering company into a hi-tech company with the whole world as its market.
exactly right. A little more than
ten years after launching the first
machines in the new generation
Aplicator was represented all over
the world.
Where would the company be
today without the decisions that
were made in Denmark?
“Well, that’s not an easy question to answer, but I’m fairly certain that we would not have been
as successful as we are if we hadn’t made the effort then,” reflects
Clas-Åke.
“Though we were rather early
in our efforts and a couple of
steps ahead of our customers. Not
least with regard to injection
(RTM) and glassfibre pre-forming
techniques.”
Bright future
Aplicator today stands firmly in
industrial ground. Development
into the future is at a breakneck
pace and there is no time to relax
or take a break from strategies
and futuristic visions.
“The future looks bright. Now
we have to further consolidate
our activities and replace all the
older machine models with newly
developed ones so that the entire
machine equipment range is fresh
and updated,” says Peder.
“Furthermore, we intend to
expand the range of smaller
machines so that we stand fully
complete for the 21st Century.
Even though our bigger equip-
Aplicator 25 Years
ment, such as the P4, draws most
attention it is the smaller machines that represents the largest part
of our turnover, and the smaller
customers are at least as important to us as the bigger ones,”
explains Clas-Åke.
Getting all of the machines out
into the market is a matter of
having a sharp ear and being
innovative in searching for new
outlets. The Internet is one such
outlet, and since Aplicator launched its homepage on site,
www.aplicator.se, the requests for
quotations and information have
flowed in. The number of visitors
to the site is increasing month by
month.
“Because we are represented all
over the world the Internet is an
unbeatable way of communicating information. With the aid of
our homepage we can quickly,
inexpensively and efficiently convey information to distributors
and customers. We also note that
many of our customers prefer to
communicate via e-mail,” says
Clas-Åke.
Internet
Aplicator is on the starting line in
developing a database to be coupled to its homepage.
The idea is that our distributors
will be able to go to the homepage and see what is in stock and
place an order direct via the
screen. This is something that will
become more important the more
that Aplicator grows. Because,
according to Peder Jönsson and
Clas-Åke Johansson, there are
plans for further geographical
expansion. Even if markets that
have not already been explored
are rather scarce.
“India, Australia and the whole
of South America are three big
markets where our marketing
efforts so far have been rather
meagre. But I believe that they are
on the way and there is a demand
for our machines even there,”
believes Clas-Åke.
However, regardless of how big
the company becomes and how
many markets the company conquers during the next 25 years
there is one essential factor that
Aplicator does not intend to change, and that is its consideration
for the customer.
“This is a question of what
came first – the chicken or the
egg. We would naturally never
have grown so big and strong if
the customer had not enjoyed
working with us and our machines,” explains Clas-Åke.
“Our policy is transparency
and honesty in relation to our
customers and an open relationship. No matter whether the customer is GM or a small company
working in reinforced plastics in
Småland, we treat them all on an
equal footing,” emphasises Peder
Jönsson.
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Sidan 11
New winds give
Denmark power
Like majestic, oversized
sunflowers the wind
power rotors rise over
the flat Danish countryside. Not so strange perhaps, when one considers that Denmark is
the country in the world
that produces most
wind power per capita.
Aplicator has played a
part in this environment-friendly success –
the company has supplied machines to several
of the country’s leading
manufacturers.
Using the wind as a source of
power is by no means new; it has
been used for thousands of years.
As early as 1271 BC there is a
description from the Middle East
of a wind power machine constructed
by
the
scientist
Disnastyi.
The design is probably the
oldest that has a date. However,
there are some that are better
known, for example, who does
not remember Cervantes’ hero
Don Quixote and his battle with
the windmills?
Wind power plants, as we
know them today are however of
a much later date, even if the
basic principle is mainly the same.
Round the world there are tens
of thousands of wind power
plants. In Denmark alone, about
4000 reach up to the sky (compa-
red with about 300 in Sweden).
The wind power industry there
employs 9,000 people, with an
annual turnover of several billion
crowns and it has developed into
the country’s fourth largest export
industry.
Enormous power
The successes and the extensive
experience have resulted in some
of the world’s leading manufacturers being based in Denmark.
Building a modern wind power
plant is no easy match; tremendous demands are put on the
actual design.
The rotor blades rotate with
enormous force, and one can imagine what would happen if a
blade should break. Safety, in
other words, is a vital factor. A
broken blade could actually mean
the end of the manufacturer’s
business.
LM Glasfiber A/S, with its head
office in Lunderskov, Denmark, is
specialised in making the rotor blades and at present is the world’s
biggest supplier in this field. In the
manufacturing of the up to 35
metre long blades in glass fibre
reinforced polyester, LM Glasfiber
uses a big number of Aplicator’s
machines, and they have been
doing so for many years.
“We use the IPL 8000 roller
machine, the IPP 8000 filler
machine and the IPG 8000 gelcoat
machine”,
says
Anders
Christensen, Sales and Marketing
Director at LM Glasfiber.
for Aplicator is because their
machines are quite simply the best
in the market for our needs. They
are easy to use, fast and give good
results”, says Anders Christensen.
With the aid of Aplicator’s equipment, LM Glasfiber can make
rotors that have a surface as hard
as stone, an extremely strong surface that is necessary to withstand
the gnawing tooth of the wind
year after year.
“We have strict requirements
with regard to our suppliers. This
is essential because if our products don’t work in an optimum
manner we loose future orders.
That’s why we always make sure
we have the best suppliers”, says
Anders Christensen.
Satisfied
Environment friendly power.
Aplicator supplies machines and equipment to several of the world’s leading
manufacturers in the wind power
industry, among them LM Glasfiber
and Vestas.
Aplicator 25 år
The machines are used in the
rotor blade manufacturer’s nine
factories in Denmark and also in
the
production
plants
in
Germany, Spain, the USA and
India.
“That we are a big customer
Landmarks. Wind power plants
stand as enormous landmarks in
the countryside.
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Sidan 12
The World According to Aplicator
As you see, there are many distributors
for Aplicator’s products.
Get in touch with us in Mölnlycke,
Sweden, we will be pleased to
assist you in finding the nearest person who can help
you. Address and telephone number noted on the
last page.
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Sidan 13
rding to Aplicator
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Sidan 14
Some examples from
our customer’s range
Aplicator’s machines are used in
the manufacturing of the most
varied products.
It could be a flagpole, a whirlpool bath, or even a bridge. Here
are a few examples.
Bröderna Fränninge. Cadazzo is a name among people who know
about whirlpool baths. Bröderna Fränninge in Staffanstorp make the
products. Bröderna Fränninge have been making whirlpool baths and
other bathtubs for many years and the company is one of the biggest
manufacturers in Europe. The company has been an Aplicator customer
for many years and among other equipment it uses the IPG-6000, MIPG6000 and IPS-6000.
Tidaplast. Flagpoles are products that
more and more often are being made of
reinforced plastic, a material that is suitable because of its low weight, strength
and its negligible need of maintenance.
The illustration shows flagpoles made by
Tidaplast in Tidaholm, a company that has
cooperated with Aplicator for many years.
Plastcisterner. Manufactures a wide range of products in reinforced
plastic, but concentrates primarily on tanks and cisterns. All of the products feature high quality and long useful life. The company was founded in 1965 and was the first in Sweden to make reinforced plastic oil
tanks and was also one of Aplicator’s first customers when it bought
its first machine in 1974.
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Sidan 15
Harding Safety. Ranks as an internationally leading company in the manufacturing of lifeboats and other special boats. Aplicator’s distributor in
Norway, Fiber-Kemi, has installed several machines through the years at
Harding Safety in Norway. Manufacturing is very rational and takes place
on modern premises in Rosendal on the west coast of Norway.
Fiberline. Danish Fiberline is the leading company in pultrusion. The company has a wide
assortment of profiles that can be used for the
most varied products; from trains to bridges.
The illustration shows such a bridge. Fiberline
uses special-purpose machines from Aplicator in
its production of profiles.
Fiberform Vindic. Fiberform Vindic is one
of the biggest manufacturers of pick-up
hoods in the Nordic countries. The company
makes hoods for several car models, including Volkswagen, Skoda, Nissan and GM.
Manufacturing is done using Aplicator’s
machines for injection (RTM) and spray up.
Steiner. One of Austria's leading manufacturers in reinforced plastic. The
first machine from Aplicator was purchased ten years ago and the company
now has four machines in its production plant. The illustration shows a purifying plant in Singapore that uses cover sheets made by Steiner.
ENG Ap 3-22
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Sidan 16
Success
for Jas
Gripen
The USA may have its
F16 and F18, but
Swedish fighter pilots
do not envy the
Americans their battlescarred “veteran” planes. JAS 39 Gripen has
given the Swedish
Royal Air Force pilots a
platform that has no
equal, and not altogether without the help of
Aplicator…
At the beginning of the 1980s it
was decided that Sweden should
develop and build a new allround aircraft, that is to say an
aircraft that by small means can
be converted for use in three different roles: fighter, attack and
reconnaissance.
The result that we see today, 16
years and a few tens of billion
Swedish crowns later, is a hightech masterpiece that without
computers would crash but with
them can perform acrobatics that
few other aircraft can master.
A real Porsche
Captain Jörgen Skoglund at F7 in
Visigothic Såtenäs is very pleased
with his new plane.
He has long experience of
Gripens predecessor, Viggen.
“I flew 37 Viggen before. The
difference is comparable with driving a Volvo 242 and a Porsche
911. It’s incredibly easy to fly. The
computers take care of most
things and I can concentrate on
the rest of the job. ”
Såtenäs was the first squadron
to get Gripen, and thus the first in
the world to get an aircraft in
what is referred to as the fourth
generation in service. The squa-
16
dron is working intimately with
Saab to develop the plane even
further. The control system is
based on computerisation and
this means that it is very easy to
adapt the plane to new requirements.
Joystick
For a computer user who is used
to having two computer crashes a
day this may sound rather alarming, but Jörgen Skoglund has no
fear of Gripen’s top -modern control system and neither does he
miss the old fashioned direct wire
contact with the control surfaces.
“It was surprisingly easy and
quick getting used to Gripen’s
joystick-type controls”.
Related to this statement is the
news that Jas really cannot fly.
Well, at least not by old definitions. The aircraft is aerodynamically unstable, and if it wasn’t for
the computers it would be impossible to control. However, the
advantage of this solution is that
the aircraft demonstrates fantastic flying characteristics.
One of the air force pilots is
reported as saying after his first
flight, “I must confess that I have
been blind for the past 20 years”.
When the discussion about
making Gripen was going on, the
politicians had several options to
choose from. Among them the
American F16 and F18. Jörgen
Skoglund is glad that the choice
was neither of these nor any of
the other options.
“Gripen is better, and because
it is made in this country we have
a much better chance of influencing the aircraft than one that had
been bought overseas”.
Furthermore, both the F18 and
F16 are old aircraft compared to
Gripen. Gripen will be able to
stay at top level for a very long
time. And who knows, perhaps
the young pilots who get Jas as
their first plane will be able to
keep it until they are too old for
flying service.
Aplicator 25 Years
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Sidan 17
“Aplicator is
a world-beater”
Anders Höglund, manufacturing engineering at
Saab, does not hesitate
when he explains why
Saab chose a special-purpose machine from
Aplicator to make parts
for Gripen.
“Aplicator is a worldbeater, and when one is
making aircraft of the
most outstanding international class it is necessary that suppliers are
also in the same league”.
“We are very satisfied with
Aplicator 25 Years
Aplicator, the company is a professional supplier that has been able
to develop new products. For
Gripen, Aplicator has specially
made a new type of machine for
epoxy resin that is applied at high
temperatures”.
Anders Höglund also explains
that SAAB has very high demands
in relation to its suppliers, including
demands that can differ from those
imposed by the automotive industry for example. Strength is more
important than short cycle time.
Lars Jansson, responsible for
information at SAAB, agrees:
“Each aircraft represents not
only a big investment, it is also
something that one must be able to
rely on in a critical situation. The
tiniest problem could put the pilot
and the aircraft at risk. All manufacturers impose more or less strict
requirements, but very few indeed
have a product that is tested under
such extreme conditions”.
Facts: Gripen
Starting weight: 7,400 kg (max. 14,000 kg).
Max. payload: 5,300 kg.
Length: 14.9 metres.
Wing span: 8.4 metres.
Engine: Volvo Areo RM 12, based on a General Electric GE 404.
Thrust: 54,000 newton without after-burner, 81,000 with
after-burner.
Max. speed: mach 2 (about 2,000 kilometres per hour), 1.2
at sea level.
Range: More than 3,000 kilometres.
17
ENG Ap 3-22
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Sidan 18
Aplicator’s uplifting
Aplicator is celebrating
its 25th year. At this
particular opportunity
we look back into the
past, but build for the
future.
Towards the end of
this summer the new
head office will be
ready for moving in.
A stately building is taking shape
opposite Aplicator’s present building
on
Metallvägen
in
Mölnlycke. Two thousand five
hundred square metres in a twofloor building with a shining aluminium façade.
On top of the roof a high glass
dome rises, like a crown, shedding light on the activities below.
The entire building breathes hitech.
After the annual holiday the
office will be ready for the opening ceremony, performed hopefully by a distinguished guest. All
activities from our present head
office will then be transferred to
the new building. The old premises will still be owned by
Aplicator, some of it will be rented to external customers and
some of it will continue to be used
by Aplicator.
Multi-million investment
“Our new premises will be a big
boost for everyone in the company”, claims Peder Jönsson,
Managing Director. “The building is made-to-measure for our
specific needs. The office staff will
be concentrated in one department and the designers will be
able to work undisturbed in another. In addition we will have
access to more space for manufacturing and various projects”.
The new building also includes
conference rooms, a cafeteria, a
testing department and a large
exhibition area for machines.
The building represents a multimillion investment, but then the
premises include the latest with
regard to technology and work
environment.
A modern air treatment plant,
air conditioning and systems for
the efficient recycling of energy
are installed in the building.
Building for the future
Some of the existing machines
will also be renewed; everything is
to be of a high standard.
“We are building for the 21st
Century and for continued expansion. Hopefully, we will be staying in these new premises for a
long time and that’s why we decided to design a high-quality building from the very beginning”,
says Peder Jönsson.
If further expansion becomes
necessary there are 3,000 more
square metres available for more
buildings. Aplicator is well prepared for the future.
“During our 25 years of business we have grown too much for
our present building. Who knows
what the situation will be like at
our next jubilee, perhaps it will
again be time for a new building”, says Peder Jönsson with a
smile.
Head Office. Aplicator has grown out of its old premises and is therefore building a new head office,
although the move will not be far – just across the road on Metallvägen.
18
Aplicator 25 Years
ENG Ap 3-22
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Sidan 19
Melody of the future. “The P4 is unique ,” explains Joakim Stridh, a P4-technician at the company, and
continues, “no competing solution can provide the same combinations of profitability, precision and quality.”
P4 puts a hold
on competitors
With the P4, Aplicator
has taken a further step
into the future. High
technology in the form of
microprocessors and
robots in combination
with Aplicator’s 25 years
of experience and knowhow has resulted in a
world-leading product.
What is the P4? It is a glassfibre
pre-forming installation that is
ideal, for the production of parts
to the automotive industry for
instance. Instead of the almost
handicraft method of laying fibreglass fabric, the P4 sprays its own
fibre with very great precision.
The result is a form that is as
vital for moulded plastic parts as
the skeleton is for a human being,
and the function is about the
same. “The P4 is important for
Aplicator,” says Peder Jönsson,
Managing Director, “we estimate
that it will double, treble or possibly quadruple on present turnover.”
Things are already happening,
despite the fact that Aplicator has
not really started to market the
product. For instance, a major
American consortium (Automotive
Aplicator 25 Years
Composite Consortium), consisting
of General Motors, Ford and
Chrysler have already ordered and
received the P4. Customers whose
names in themselves imply a shining tribute to the quality of the P4.
The Americans do not buy anything unless it conforms to their
uncompromising requirements.
“It was at the JEC fair in Paris
last year that we exhibited the P4
for the first time – with a good
response I must add.”
Capacity available
Aplicator makes about two plants
each year at present, but there is
sufficient capacity to meet a considerably increase in demand.
Something that is not altogether
unfeasible judging by the satisfaction shown by the present customers with regard to P4’s performance. The feature that makes the
P4 unique is that it does things
right from the beginning. The
result is perfectly shaped preforms
and in contrast to the competitors’ options even spill is avoided.
“The P4 is outstanding. It implies economical, qualitative and
environmental advantages that no
other manufacturer can meet.”
P4 is Aplicator’s most advanced
product today, in principle it is a
matter of entire factories for car
bodies, everything controlled by
computers.
High technology is vital
High technology is something that
the company will be concentrating
on wholeheartedly in the future.
“Hi-tech in the form of microprocessors and robots is becoming
more and more common and it is
something that we embrace and
recognise as an advantage. It enables us to make better and better
products.”
P4 model
19
ENG Ap 3-22
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Sidan 20
Lennart’s bins,
savers in need
There are some things that Swedes take for granted
when driving on the roads. Things are simply
there; lampposts and road signs for example, or
perhaps those green bins with sand at the side of
the road on long, uphill drives. Whoever wonders
who it is that makes them? Lennart Johansson in
Myresjö, Småland, does not have to think twice.
Because he is the man who makes them.
He had not thought initially of
having his own business in the
GRP industry. Born and bred in
east Småland, he moved to
Vetlanda as a young man together
with his newly wedded wife. The
first item on the schedule was getting a job at Philipsons (the
Swedish Mercedes importer) in
the town, but he did not stay
there for long.
If you are from Småland you
are almost genetically destined to
start your own business.
There he stood empty-handed
and with a sideways glance at his
father-in-law who ran his own
business in the plastics industry,
he simply followed in his footsteps.
“However,” he says rather
shrewdly, “these hands are not
particularly full today either.”
Nevertheless, he has built up a
business with five employees and
a turnover consisting of as many
million crowns.
Joinery shop
Very much thanks to an especially
favourable contract that he managed to get during the 1970s,
Lennart Johansson lay out some
bait and in Blekinge the company
Bröderna Hedlunds Plast took it.
This company was in need of help
making sand bins for the national
road administration, councils and
property owners.
“This was a gigantic lift for us.
During the summer we could
make boats and during the winter
sand bins.”
Today this part of the business
represents half of the turnover.
When the company started,
working by “bucket and brush”
was the method used but soon it
was insufficient:
“It was dirty and laborious,
and therefore we bought our first
Aplicator machine in the middle
of the 1970s and today only a
fraction of the work is done by
hand.”
Since then, Lennart Johansson,
Aplicator and the sand bins have
kept company through the years.
To begin with the manufacturing premises consisted of an old
ramshackle joinery shop, 160
square metres. Extended in three
– four stages, he now has 1,100
square metres, and everywhere
there are green sand bins waiting
to be dispatched.
Myresjö Plast, together with
Bröderna Hedlunds Plast in
Aplicator 25 Years
ENG Ap 3-22
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Sidan 21
Jack-in-the-box. Lennart Johansson knows his sand bins, he and his firm, Myresjöplast, have been
making them since the 1970s.
Karlskrona make a total of 3,000
– 4,000 sand bins a year. A larger
number were made previously but
in these times of cutting public
spending everything is subject to
reduction, including sand bins.
A total of almost 80,000 bins
have been made through the years
in the plastic factory in Myresjö.
Thousands of bins
Those who still buy the bins can
have them in any of four standard
colours: green, blue, yellow and
orange. In addition, special
requests are catered for. The
Royal Institute of Technology in
Sweden wished to distinguish
itself from the crowd, and ordered
black bins. The Institute received
its bins in the desired colour, but
you will not seeing any in this
colour along the roads of the
country.
Aplicator 25 Years
Myresjö Plast and Bröderna
Hedlund do not have a monopoly
in the market.
However, they are the biggest,
and most of the sand bins that can
be seen along the roads have their
origin in Myresjö, Småland.
“Super satisfied”
Lennart Johansson does not have
much to say about the sand bins,
other than a natural statement
that they represent an asset as
company cash cow. On the other
hand he has a lot to say about
Aplicator.
“I’ve not even considered any
other solution, I’m super satisfied
with what I’ve got and the service
and support that is offered by the
supplier.”
“My first machine was an IP7000, and the next, and the next.
They are so good I don’t want to
replace them. They can run
during my lifetime at the company, they are reliable machines.”
There are a total of five machines at the company, all identical,
all IP-7000. Lennart travels all
round the country buying up
second-hand machines, to make
sure that he has a sufficient stock
of spare parts.
He is 56 years old today and
cannot make up his mind whether
to retire at 60 or 73. He has three
daughters, but none of them work
in the factory.
On the other hand he has three
sons-in-law and perhaps someday
one of them will take a step forward to make a generation change even on the machine side.
Lennart Johansson is fully
satisfied to continue making sand
bins using his old Aplicator
machines.
21
ENG Ap 3-22
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Sidan 22
In Short
Sales conferences
White water rafting, paintball and accommodation in
Laplander’s tents – anything
can
happen
during
Aplicator’s recurrent meetings for distributors. The
company’s distributors from
all over the world get together in Sweden every other
year for a few long days of
information and pleasurable
and adventurous training.
“Sales conferences are very
important, both for us and
for our distributors. We discuss the latest products, present technical information,
status of the markets and
plan for the future”, explains
Clas-Åke Johansson, Sales
and Marketing Manager.
In addition to the informative, business side of the meeting the group is bonded
together in somewhat different activities.
Meetings during recent
years have included balloo-
Aplicator’s best weapon. Aplicator’s loyal circle of
agents gather now and then at meetings for both tactical
discussions and some relaxed training.
ning, sailing, snowmobile
driving, plus the activities
mentioned above.
“I think it has been very
much appreciated. Spending
the night in a Laplander’s
tent or driving snowmobiles
are entirely new experiences
for many of those taking
part, and they won’t forget
them in a hurry. The activities are also an excellent way
of getting to know one another in a more personal and
relaxed way”, says Clas-Åke
Johansson.
Service on the move
Store in the vehicle. Roland Janssen is always on the
move to assist Aplicator’s customers with service.
Ronald Janssen, Prodef Holland, takes his entire
stock of spare parts with him when he visits a
customer. Ronald, who took over Prodef a year
ago, is one of Aplicator’s vital distributors.
With his service vehicle, he makes certain that
Aplicator’s customers in the Netherlands
get quick service if any machines need
attention. The vehicle works as spare
parts store and workshop and every imaginable spare that might be needed for any of
Aplicator’s machines is promptly available. In this
way the customer gets very quick service on site.
Technical training
Good service has always been a prestigious term for
Aplicator and its agents, and not only in the home
market. Each year, Aplicator arranges technical
seminars in cooperation with its agents to which
customers and users of Aplicator’s machines are
invited to see the latest technical features, to learn
how to solve problems or to receive other information concerning the machines. These seminars are
usually well attended and appreciated.
“I see it is a matter of customer-support. The customer shouldn’t feel that he is out of sight and out
of mind as soon as a machine is delivered. We hope
naturally that the users of our machines learn how
to take preventive and corrective action themselves
as far as possible, it pays both for them and for us”,
explains Per-Uno Ohlsson who together with ClasÅke Johansson usually lead the seminars.
22
Customer-support. That’s what it’s about when Aplicator invites
its customers to participate in seminars. Self-help, learning how to
service the machines themselves.
Aplicator 25 Years
ENG Ap omslag
4/6/99 11.21
Sidan 23
ww
w.
ap
li
ca
to
r.
se
www.aplicator.se – the best way to get
information. Remember to take a look
at Aplicator’s homepage on the Internet.
At the address www.aplicator.se you
will always find the latest information
about products, activities and news. You
can always place orders there for presentation material or make a request for
quotations. You can also register your
e-mail address for future information.
Satisfied
Leidenfrost recently installed
its seventh machine from
Aplicator, an IPG-8000 gelcoater. This company has
been using Aplicator’s
machines for many years in
its production, the first
machine was purchased as
early as 1988. According to
the management at this
Austrian company the reason why Leidenfrost chooses
Aplicator is because the
company is very satisfied
with Aplicator’s quality and
excellent service. Leidenfrost
manufactures a large number of products, including
swimming pools.
Do you have the best Aplicator
photo? Win excellent prizes!
Through the years Aplicator has
delivered thousands of machines.
Where each machine has ended up
and what products it has been used
to make is something that nobody
knows. Perhaps you can shed some
light on this, and that is why we
now announce a competition:
Send us your best picture of a
product made using Aplicator’s
machines. We are looking for
colour photos and both colour slides and paper copies are welcome.
Excellent prizes just waiting to be
won!
To enable us to display all the
fine photographs that we hope are
sent in we reserve the right to use
them in various connections.
Aplicator’s address is noted on
the last page. Mark the envelope
“Aplicator Competition.”
Don’t hesitate
– send your
pictures now
Loyal to Aplicator. Leidenfrost has just bought another machine from Aplicator, an IPG-8000.
Straight pipes with
Aplicator’s help
Patented solution. Svensk Rörinfodring has
a unique solution using a specially made
Aplicator machine to repair old sewage pipes.
Aplicator 25 Years
Priceworthy
pics?
Svensk Rörinfodring chose Aplicator as
machine supplier for its patented method of repairing old sewage pipes. The
method (Pro-line) consists of building
up a completely new drain system inside the old sewage pipes. The idea is
revolutionary and has quickly become
a success among property owners. To
spray the resin inside the old sewage
pipes, a special-purpose machine built
by Aplicator is used to mix and apply
the plastic material in the right amount.
Lots
of fairs
Aplicator participates in several
fairs every year. We consider exhibitions as an important part of our
marketing efforts, where we get an
opportunity to meet the end users
of our machines. In recent years we
have participated in trade fairs in
Paris,
Beijing,
Shanghai,
Singapore, Dubai, the USA, the
Czech Republic, Italy and Britain.
In addition to the fairs we also participate in seminars organised by
our distributors and other organisations in the reinforced plastic
industry.
23
ENG Ap omslag
4/19/99 11.09
Sidan 24
We express our thanks to the following companies
who have contributed to our Jubilee Magazine and
look forward to continued favourable cooperation.
A Johansson & Co Mek. Verk.
Härryda Mekaniska
AB Ratio
OEM Automatic
Angereds Mekaniska
Precisionsprodukter AB
Arsi Mekan AB
S:t Bernhards Mek AB
B Sandhs Mekaniska AB
Sannes Göteborg
Bröderna Bräder
Skandia AB
Busak+Shamban
Stens Verkstad
CLMV
Wagner Sverige AB
Aplicator System AB
Metallvägen
S-435 33 Mölnlycke
Sweden
Phone: +46 31 88 30 10
Fax: +46 31 88 06 79
Telex: 27147 S
E-mail: [email protected]