Volvo Cars invests in Olofström

The new press line, L38, in Olofström body plant

Olofström : September 30, 2008 - Volvo Cars Body Components in Olofström is investing in the future. The most modern stamping system in Europe - a new line with five presses and ten robots - produces body parts for the Volvo XC60.

Recycling Train - which transports scrap from Volvo Cars Body Component

And the new Recycling Train, which transports scrap for reuse, means about 5,000 fewer truck transports and 55 percent lower carbon dioxide emissions in one year.

Wednesday 24 September was a big day at Volvo Car Body Components (VCBC) in Olofström. Both the Recycling Train and the new press line - Line 38 - were officially inaugurated.

The official premiere trip of the Recycling Train was organised by Stena Recycling, with guests which invited guests from the local council, the region and press supplier Müller Weingarten/Schuler along for the ride. The new train considerably cuts both costs and environmental impact compared with previous scrap transport alternatives. The train has been running since September 3.

Biggest investment in 20 years
Line 38 has cost 300 million kronor (approx. $46.9 million) and is the biggest investment made at the Olofström plant in 20 years.

"The project started in 2004," says Technical Project Manager Anders Boling.
"That was when we reviewed our stamping capacity. It was clear that new press lines would be needed, but there was to be a lot of discussion before the first sod was turned in 2006," he says.

It was no foregone conclusion that the line should be built in Olofström. It was, in the event, the plant's track record and unique expertise in automotive stamping that convinced Ford and Volvo Cars to make the investment here.

Line 38 means 45 per cent higher efficiency for VCBC, as it is able to press twice as many parts (blanks) per stroke (descent) of the press. Examples of the XC60 parts that areto be made here are the doors, bonnet, front wings, wheel arches and tailgate.

MORE FACTS - LINE 38

• Before the new line, Volvo Cars Body Components had 17 main stamping lines in Olofström and four in Gothenburg
  
• L38 is housed in a new building of 4,140 square metres
  
• It has five hydraulic presses weighing 500 tonnes each. One of these exerts a stamping force of 3,200 tonnes, the others 1,600 tonnes
  
• The line also has ten turntables and ten robots
  
• The heavy equipment consignments from the German supplier called for transporters capable of Exceptional Loads, escorts and temporary road closures to get them through to Olofström in time
  
• It takes one working week just to assemble a press on site

Once fully commissioned, L38 will be able to produce three million body parts per annum