Uddeholms AB
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| Privately held company | |
| Industry | Steel production |
| Headquarters | Hagfors, Sweden |
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Key people
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Johnny Sjöström, CEO Franz Rotter, Chairman of the Board |
| Products | Tool Steel |
| Owner | voestalpine AG |
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Number of employees
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800 |
| Parent | Böhler-Uddeholm AG |
| Website | Uddeholm.com |
Uddeholms AB is a multinational producer of high alloyed tool steel with production in Hagfors, Sweden. Since 1991, the company is part of the Austrian Böhler-Uddeholm group which in turn is part of the voestalpine AG group since 2007. Uddeholms AB has 800 employees in Sweden. Globally, the Uddeholm group employs 3000 people.
The company was founded in 1668 by Bengt Gustaf Geijer. The company was then privately held until 1870 when it became a public company named Uddeholms AB. The second half of the 19th century was a time of rapid modernization for the company. New production methods were introduced, electrical power stations and railways were built. The Uddeholm railway was the first private railway in Sweden and in 1920 also one of the first to be electrified.
Already in 1830 the first businesses were done with the United States and from the 1920s onwards, a modern international sales organization was created. In 1945, Associated Swedish Steel was created together with four other major Swedish steel producers to sell steel to the new markets in South America, Africa, Middle East and Asia. In 1976, Uddeholm bought the whole of ASSAB and since 1 April 2011, it is fully integrated in Uddeholms AB with the exception of ASSAB Pacific Pte Ltd.
Uddeholms AB's production plant is Hagfors Järnverk (Hagfors Iron mill) in Hagfors, Sweden. There are three production routes. In every route except granulation, the materials are heat treated and machined to get the desired properties.
Melting of steel scrap in an Electric arc furnace
Purification of tool steel in ladle
Uphill casting
ESR-remelting
Ingot casting
This type of production has three phases. First, steel scrap is melted in an Electric Arc Furnace. After melting, the steel is purified in a secondary metallurgical treatment to remove sulfur, slag and other unwanted materials. In the third step, the steel is poured into an ingot. Different methods such as Up-hill casting and the use of protective noble gases can improve purity further.
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Wikipedia