With the right steel the only limit is your imagination

News and Press Releases

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ABOUT OVAKO

Ovako is a leading European manufacturer of engineering steel for customers e.g. in the bearing, transportation and manufacturing industries.

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Ovako is looking for talented, innovative minds to join our journey towards becoming a steelmaker with world-leading capabilities.

Stories

RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

Hultafors produces superior wrecking bars with Ovako boron steel

Wrecking bars are invaluable tools for prying apart objects and pulling out nails. Yet, despite its sturdy appearance, a poor-quality bar made from inferior material can snap unexpectedly under pressure, putting workers at risk. That’s why Hultafors, the Swedish hand tool maker, uses high-strength Ovako boron steel for its best quality wrecking bars. The benefit is not only in increased safety, it also enables Hultafors to produce wrecking bars with claws that are thin for great access but still really strong.

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RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

Vacuum Tank Degassing facility drives new opportunities

Aristotle said, “nature abhors a vacuum”. But our customers are loving the impact of vacuum treatment on the high-quality steel produced by our Smedjebacken mill in Sweden. This follows a €11 million investment in a Vacuum Tank Degassing (VTD) facility that started operation in the summer of 2020. It is the final piece of the jigsaw that enables Ovako to supply customers who need high-performance, reliable and cost-effective steel for demanding applications, especially in the automotive industry.

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RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

Digital audit process helping to keep steel production on track

We have overcome travel restrictions during the pandemic by working digitally to achieve the annual quality management certifications for our mills. Maintaining certifications is essential for us to continue supplying our customers. Therefore, we have turned to web conferencing and video calls in place of the usual in-person approach.

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RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

How to specify the right type of wear resistant steel

In the tough environments of the mining, construction and agricultural industries, wear is a fact of life. However, with clever design and specification of wear resistant WR-Steel, engineers can design machines to withstand challenging conditions for longer. As a result, operators will get more life from their machines, reduce repair and maintenance spend, and avoid downtime.

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RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

A quick guide to mechanical wear and tear

Abrasive wear shortens the life of equipment in agriculture, construction, mining and other industries. When a machine experiences excessive wear, it has to come out of service and go for repair or be replaced completely.

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RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

Material Data Sheets – find the best steel grade for your application online

Our Material Data Sheets (MDS) module is an important extension to Ovako’s digital Steel Navigator. With just a few clicks of a mouse it enables you to search a database of hundreds of steel grades to compare options and select the best steel for your specific application.

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RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

Ovako’s Piston Rod Predictor can ensure your design never buckles under pressure

We have developed a unique online tool, called the Piston Rod Predictor, to compare the resistance of different steel grades to buckling in piston rod applications. The emphasis is on buckling because it is the key design consideration for hydraulic cylinders, especially in single-action, push-only applications.

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RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

First in the world to heat steel using hydrogen

Together with Linde Gas AB, Ovako have completed the world’s first successful full-scale trial in a production environment of using hydrogen to heat steel before rolling. The use of hydrogen in combustion would have a great positive effect on the environment since the only emission generated is water vapor.

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RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

When the going gets hot – Hybrid Steel® gets going

Ovako has developed Hybrid Steel to merge the unique properties of tool steel, maraging steel and stainless steel into one high-performance steel grade that also offers the production economy of conventional engineering steels.

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RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

R&D is the strength behind Hybrid Steel® – meet Steve Ooi, a key member of Ovako’s research team

Steve Ooi is an Ovako Group R&D technical specialist based in England, at the University of Cambridge’s prestigious Maxwell Centre. We asked him to tell us about his background and to answer some questions about the particular benefits of Hybrid Steel.

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RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

Hybrid Steel® – a step-change in steel metallurgy

Jan-Erik Andersson, Senior Group Technical Specialist, Ovako R&D answers our questions about the new Hybrid Steel family.

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SUSTAINABILITY

Products that prove their environmental credentials

Sustainably-sourced steel can help OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturer) deliver climate-smart products and reduce their overall carbon footprint – and in turn attract environmentally conscious customers and respond to tightening legislation.

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RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

Making steel strong – the inside story

To make our steel strong, Ovako takes precise control of three key factors: 1. How the steel is cooled from its molten state 2. Its microstructure – the very small scale structure seen under a microscope 3. Its chemical composition – both the carbon content and other alloying elements

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