The Nordic steel distributor Tibnor is an important player when more ore is to be mined in northern Sweden. More than 1,000 new ore wagons have been constructed by Kiruna Wagon, with Tibnor supplying the steel for the ore baskets. The fifteenth train set is currently under production.

In total, 15 new train sets for Malmbanan (the iron ore railroad) are involved, with 68 wagons in each set. Kiruna Wagon is constructing the wagons, which have been ordered by LKAB. Each wagon has an ore basket capable of carrying a load of 100 metric tonnes. The ore baskets are manufactured of laser-cut and laser hybrid welded steel from Tibnor. The transaction represents part of a new customer concept within the SSAB group, in which deliveries of advanced high strength steels are combined with logistics and production services.

“The transaction is an affirmation that complete solutions, in which SSAB’s steel know-how is combined with Tibnor’s services, create customer value,” says Mikael Jansson, director at Tibnor’s Marknad Sverige (Market Sweden). “With this new customer concept, we are exploiting our shared expertise to an even higher degree than previously.”

The steel selected for the ore baskets is hot rolled DX 355 MCE and DX 650 MCE from SSAB. Tibnor is coordinating the flow of material and laser cutting the steel at its subsidiary, EM Eriksson, with production in Borlänge. E M Eriksson laser cuts ends and sides, and bends top beams and cross bars for the ore baskets. Thereafter, the steel proceeds to Duroc in Luleå, which carries out laser hybrid welding, before Kiruna Wagon completes the production.

“I’m proud that EME is one of the players in the value chain to the customer,” says Ted Anderses, CEO of E.M. Eriksson. “We were acquired by Tibnor in the summer and, by being able to contribute our expertise to this solution, it feels as if we are already an integral part of the SSAB group.”

With the delivery of the fifteenth train set, Tibnor will have delivered more than 1,000 ore baskets for Malmbanan’s new wagons. Production is in full swing and the final delivery to Kiruna Wagon is estimated to take place at the beginning of 2013.

LKAB’s iron ore wagons in high strength steel was nominated to the Swedish Steel Prize in 2008. www.steelprize.com