First in industry with metal analysis lab

We specialise in turning complex components and work mainly with different steel variants, but also a lot with brass. Although the elements in the materials are always within the framework of the material specification, there are differences that may adversely affect the tools in the machines. Something which many in the industry have noticed but have not done anything about, according to Jens Ringborg, materials analysis manager at Gnosjö Automatsvarvning who is primarily responsible for the initiative:

“The only thing we’ve done so far ourselves is complain and change the tools more often. We’ve just had to put up with that. With material analysis, we can examine the material under a microscope to find deviations by comparing the properties of the better and worse materials.
The idea is to build up a knowledge bank to learn more about the materials. In this way we can better control the process and preserve the tools in the machine for longer by always choosing the material that is best for both production, the machine and the end result.

“It’s partly about increasing our own productivity, but as with everything else we do, sustainability and the environment are a major focus for us. If the material is of poor quality, the tools wear out and that generates more scrap. We want to avoid that,” says Linda Fransson, CEO of Gnosjö Automatsvarvning.

We hope to be able to implement and develop this together with our suppliers with whom we already have a good relationship.

“The dream scenario would be for us, together with our suppliers, to able to analyse and hold discussions on this for a few years to then arrive at sufficiently clear guidelines that the entire industry could be involved in. But of course we can’t guarantee what we’ll get out of it – you never know when testing something that no one else has done before,” says Linda.

But this isn’t the first time that Gnosjö Automatsvarvning has ventured into something new and unexplored.
“I’ve never heard of anyone who’s done this before, especially someone who does machining. But it’s always been important for us to be a driving force in terms of development and be bold enough to try out things and find new and better approaches. This is a major part of us and our identity,” concludes Linda.