EuroWire January 2021

Manufacturing Technology

▲ Inside the new factory in Liepāja, Latvia

Efficient new production facility in Latvia

The Lesjöfors Group provides a wide range of springs and pressings to customers in diverse industries around the world. With expertise in highly technological, custom-made solutions and a flexible manufacturing capacity, Lesjöfors, owned by Beijer Alma, comprises almost 40 manufacturing and sales companies inmany countries. In Latvia, a newmanufacturing plant has been in full operation since last April and is already exceeding expectations. The highly sustainable facility is optimised not only for streamlined production, but also for a healthy working environment. The new 11,300m 2 factory in Liepāja houses all of the company’s manufacturing of springs, gas springs and pressings in Latvia, replacing six different manufacturing buildings in two locations. The new site is good for transportation of both products and people, as well as having close access to surrounding services. Having all of the manufacturing under one roof brings a number of advantages.

The manufacturing rooms are all designed to meet the diverse needs that different spring type production requires. During the relocation process, the management’s focus was to keep only the latest machinery, to ensure high quality products. The project team also worked to streamline process flows as well as material logistics. The building process went beyond expectations, with the contractors handing over the keys six months ahead of schedule. The relocation from several different addresses into the new premises was also smooth. Some of the busiest and most important machines were only turned off for two hours before they were back in operation in the new factory. “Our turnover or delivery precision were not affected at all by the moving process and there was no need for employee downtime planning either,” said Ingars Jaunzems, MD of Lesjöfors Springs LV. “Everyone involved made extraordinary efforts to make this happen.”

In the planning process of the new building, the project team had the company’s sustainability goals in focus at all times. Every detail in the factory was important to increase productivity, save energy and reduce transportation. There are coordination benefits to having an integrated manufacturing unit, which can also add to the sustainability objectives. “Our new, updated machinery that replaced the old machines is also an important step for us to be not only more productive but also more environmentally friendly,” said Mr Jaunzems. “We are very happy that Lesjöfors’ management team understands the great potential here and believe in us. The Latvian team is now more than ready to take on new business and advanced spring projects.” Lesjöfors Group www.lesjoforsab.com

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January 2021