Kuka Nordic AB (Västra Frölunda, Sweden):

Andersson C., e-mail: carola.andersson@kuka.se

The new fully automatized ring rolling mill at Hofors works in Sweden, the largest mill of such kind worldwide, operated by Ovako Tube & Ring company has been put into practice three years; it can be characterized as a result of efficient investments providing not only quick and reliable technological process, but also substantial improvement of product quality and labour conditions. Three new heavy-duty robots make all hard, dull and continuous operations. Successful experience of using these robots KR 1000, manufactured by Kuka Nordics company, for manipulations with rings having weight 50–400 kg in the unfavourable conditions of cyclic work, high temperature (1200 ºC) and high humidity is described. Each robot has loading capacity 1.3 t and operating radius about 4 m; they are located at different production sections, along the technological line in the shop. It is shown that products of this ring rolling mill of Ovako Steel & Ring company are used in roll bearings and have stable demand in many applications and geographic regions.