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Hub North Provides Customers
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New member surprised about the significance of having a business network right at hand.
“People always believe that one's home market is well covered but then we met at Hub North and found out that that is not the case at all”.
Claus Michael Kjær, Managing Director of Abratek and Per Thomsen, Technical Manager at the same company, were somewhat uncertain about the benefit of spending an afternoon at a meeting with other companies of which they had limited knowledge. But they ended up going to the Hub North network meeting at Aalborg University on November 30. And they were busy immediately.
“We met people who we determined would be useful. And we would probably be useful to them. Already the next day we had our first discussion with another meeting participant”, says Claus Michael Kjær.
While the Hub North journalist was visiting, the Nørresundby company was called by a large wind turbine manufacturer. The Technical Manager, Per Thomsen, quickly disappears behind a door and comes out smiling a half an hour later. It is something about a gear whose points - or the ridges - on a grommet had become worn. Nothing more can be revealed just now.
Thermal spraying
Abratek performs surface treatment for heavy industry. Customers include Aalborg Portland, FL Smidth, Dong Energy, Vattenfall, Rockwool, Maxit and Metso. Surface treatment of giant blanks of black steel for mine operations is also an application. The company has shown good results in different test programs, including tests of the coating on boiler walls in cooperation with Dong and Vattenfall. The surveys show that a power plant with the right coating can run at higher steam temperatures without corrosion or abrasive wear on the boiler wall.
Abratek, who works with Sulzer Metco in Switzerland, began in its time with the traditional wear material, chrome carbide steel, but now it has mainly gone over to thermal spraying. The process is called HVOF. That stands for High Velocity Oxy Fuel and is a form of thermal spraying. The powder is shot into the item at a speed of 2600 km per hour and the energy from the high speed creates a bonding ability that exceeds normal levels. The method results in a very hard surface and it is possible to go down in reasonably small tolerances at the same time.
Mobile solution
“Wear is a constant challenge for heavy industry. Companies are always seeking improved up time in production”, says Claus Michael Kjær.
“A good coating also allows cheaper steel to last longer because we can treat the surface at spots that are particularly exposed. A pipe, for example, can last up to five times longer this way than if it were not treated at critical spots. Therefore it can make good sense to spare the fine, alloyed metals and instead sacrifice a good coating”, says Per Thomsen.
What is special about Abratek's product is that it can be taken off site. The entire production apparatus, i.e., the handheld control module for the HVOF machine and all accompanying tools and gas containers, is driven directly out to the client in a large van. Thermal spraying is otherwise not as efficient because the items usually have to be transported to the site where the process takes place.
“As far as I know, were are the first in Denmark to offer on off-site solution”, says Claus Michael Kjær.
Hub North membership a huge advantage
“A vistor made us aware that the wind turbine network Hub North might be something useful for us and we signed up not having great expectations”, says Abratek's Managing Director.
Now the Nørresundby company was on the membership list on the Hub North website and an inquiry came only a few days later.
“We received a call from AH International and now have an order as a subcontractor. They serve the wind turbine industry, among others, and need to be able to restore materials that are worn or not performing to capacity”.
The opportunities really opened up at the network meeting itself.
“We could have certainly spent even more time talking to each other in the groups but we ended up getting in contact with Fjero, a company in Skive, that specialized in pistons and hydraulic solutions for the wind turbine industry. Thermal spraying is not very widespread in Denmark so they told us that they sought a solution in Germany. They did not know that capability was a lot closer and we did not know about their needs. Now we are going to have a meeting with the company to take a look at working together”, says Claus Michael Kjær.
There was also a company from Frederikshavn that would like to get a machine up to its original tolerancen.
Political area
And then there were ideas for solutions for other Hub North members.
“For example, there was a plastic company with injection moulding as a specialty to whom we could offer surface treatment, when the auger in the mould, the extruder screw, has become worn after pressure, stress and high temperatures over time. We would not have thought about that if we had not met them at a Hub North meeting. We also are reminded that they are here, right in our local area even”, says Claus Michael Kjær.
In order to spread knowledge of thermal spraying in the Danish market, Abratek was ready to start with some more marketing when the request to join Hub North arrived.
“It was actually a welcome opportunity. We could certainly see from the participant list that there were many interesting companies for us. We did not get to meet the ones we picked out at the first network meeting. But then there were a lot of others who we did not believe we had a lot in common with who turned out to be potential customers”, says Claus Michael Kjær.
He expects a lot from the new business network.
“The wind turbine industry is a very political area. Where are things going to go? And then there are the more practical production-oriented things. So a network is necessary to be keep ourselves informed”.
