Alleima increases production capacity in Sandviken for advanced materials

During the last years, the strategy for Alleima has been to expand the portfolio towards more highly alloyed nickel grades, both for bar and tubular products. Extensive efforts in research and development have led to a new platform for high alloyed nickel grades and Alleima’s new products Sanicro® 625 and Sanicro® 925 have been well received by the market.

Alleima currently has three VAR furnaces at the production site in Sandviken, Sweden. With the addition of a new furnace, Alleima will be able to meet the increased demand for remelted materials in high nickel and stainless steel.

“Material innovation and technology leadership is a fundamental part of the Alleima strategy and development work. This investment enables us to further leverage and capitalize on ongoing advancements in material development. Increased remelting capacity will support growth in several of our strategic segments,” says Carl von Schantz, President Tube division.

Vacuum remelted materials are used in Medical applications such as orthopaedic implants, bone screws and other trauma fixation devices. Also, the Aerospace industry utilizes remelted grades for airframe components such as flat tracks, landing gears and various structural elements in the aircraft.

Sanicro® 625 is a very versatile grade with applications in many industries, while Sanicro® 925 is a niched grade that is mainly used in the oil and gas industry due to the ability to withstand the demanding environment.

“The VAR furnaces are key assets for Alleima to deliver high value products that are required in segments like Aerospace, Medical, and Oil & Gas. VAR is a secondary melting process, where ingots are remelted under vacuum conditions, enabling high purity and chemistry control to meet the end-user requirements for material properties in very demanding applications,” says Sofia Hansson, President Business Unit Tube Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).

Last year, Alleima announced the acquisition of the production facility of Söderfors Steel, which added capabilities in hot rolling of small diameter bars and profiles to expand the offering of advanced materials for the Medical and Aerospace segments. The new VAR furnace will further strengthen deliveries to these segments.

The furnace will be installed onsite during the summer production stop 2025 and will be in production in the start of autumn.