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A winner of the VINNVÄXT award. Competitive companies and new jobs are the top priority for Anders OE Johansson of Luleå University of Technology, Lars-Eric Aaro, Director of Research and Development at LKAB and Mayor Karl Petersen. north of Stockholm. Mayor Karl Petersen has no doubts about the reasons for its success. – The universities and heavy industry are the backbone of the region. BROADER RESEARCH The challenges that Luleå faces are the same as in the north of Sweden as a whole – the primary industries must produce more at ever lower cost, and at the same time new, highly qualified jobs are needed. Sweden’s two northernmost counties are now cooperating within the framework of the ProcessIT project in order to achieve this goal. Anders OE Johansson of Luleå University of Technology is the project leader: GROWTH PROGRAMMES IN THE REGION The aim of the VINNVÄXT programme (Growth in regions by R&D and effective Innovation Systems) is to promote sustainable growth and international competitiveness in regions by means of needs-driven research. Another aim is to develop the innovation system so that it attains an internationally competitive level in a specific growth area. The ProcessIT project is a VINNOVA project implemented within the VINN- VÄXT framework. The participants are the authorities and universities in Umeå – We have long experience of dedicated, needs-driven research. LKAB and other industrial companies realize that they must go a step further and engage in broader research together with the universities. One of the aims of the ProcessIT project is to produce generic lessons. It must be possible to apply the technological solutions not only in mining, but also in the chemical industry, paper manufacturing and engineering industries. This opens the door for new cooperation projects in which the industries concerned support small local researchbased companies at the cutting edge of technological development. With the primary industries as customers, they and Luleå and the following companies: LKAB, Boliden, SSAB, Kappa Kraftliner and SCA. Lorentz Andersson, governor of Västerbotten county, chairs the board of the ProcessIT project. – Our aim is, together with our neighbouring county, to support cooperation between large companies and the universities. Today, the technological level in the primary industries is at least as high as in the telecom industry. Lorentz Andersson is looking even will be able to grow and create new jobs. The ProcessIT project started by carrying out an analysis of the region’s companies and their production. This generated a hundred proposals for improvements, including measurement data that will make it possible to control production chains, which are often complex, more efficiently. Close collaboration is the motto for the ProcessIT project, a winner of the VINNVÄXT award. Competitive companies and new jobs are the top priority for Mayor Karl Petersen, Lars- Eric Aaro, Director of Research and Development at LKAB, and Anders OE Johansson of Luleå University of Technology. further afield and would like to expand cooperation to the Gulf of Bothnia region as a whole. – A large proportion of Europe’s suppliers of raw materials, i.e. iron ore, steel, forest products, oil, natural gas etc., are to be found in this region. Successful companies are not only crucial to regional growth, but competitive primary industries in the north are vital to Europe as a whole. 1 0 | V I N N O V A M A G A Z I N E
INNOVATIVE THINKING From steel pellets to meatballs Small balls of iron ore are one reason why the Swedish production chain from iron ore to finished quality steel is the most profitable and efficient in the world. Using pellets instead of ordinary ore makes steel production more reliable and less energy-consuming. THE CONVEYOR BELT trundles at the rate of a few metres per second towards the top of Furnace 3 at SSAB. Several thousand tonnes of ore pellets, coke and lime are poured into the 40 metre high furnace every day. After eight hours at a temperature of 2,000° C the iron minerals are converted into liquid pig iron that can be tapped from the bottom of the furnace and be worked into quality steel. THE KEY TO SUCCESS The ore pellets with a diameter of one centimetre that constitute the raw material are the key to SSAB’s success. The process in the blast furnace is complicated. It requires great precision to produce high-quality pig iron with the minimum of energy. Using pellets of a consistent quality rather than lumps of ore makes it easier to control the process, although the size and quality of the ore pellets must be checked, too. – But when we get the results of the day’s slow test the ore is already in the furnace and it is too late to change the After eight hours at a temperature of 2,000° C the iron minerals are converted into liquid pig iron. mixture of pellets, coke and slag-forming materials, explains Robert Johansson, who is a development engineer. With the help of the ProcessIT cooperation project the aim is now to measure the properties of the pellets at the same time as the furnace is charged, thus optimizing the quantity of coke in relation to the size of the pellets. – This could save several million euros a year if we were able to avoid using too much coke – having too low a temperature in the furnace might otherwise mean that we would have to stop production. John Erik Larsson is the man who will make this possible. He used to be a researcher at Luleå University of Technology and runs an optical metrology business called MBV Systems. – Using high-speed measurements we can create high-resolution threedimensional images of the pellets while they are on the conveyor belt. Advanced calculation methods then tell us the size distribution and roundness deviations, which give an indication of the quality of the pellets. Iron pellets are a rapidly growing product that is profitable both for mining and steel companies. Work is in progress on the development of a laser-based method for measuring deviations in the quality of the small pellets. FLEXIBLE SYSTEMS The ore pellets, which consist of finely ground grains of ore and various binders, are easy to handle and reduce the need for treatment steps at the steel works, explains Lars-Eric Aaro, Director of Research and Development at LKAB. – Ten years ago we only made one kind of pellet. Nowadays pellets account for more than 80 per cent of sales and we have a range of seven different types that have all been developed to meet the requirements of various customers, he says. John Erik Larsson mentions the breadth of the ProcessIT project. – The technology we develop should not be restricted to the needs of a single customer. My system can measure and monitor the quality of everything from wood chips in heating plants and pulp plants to meatballs! V I N N O V A M A G A Z I N E | 1 1
Page 1 and 2: Swedish research for growth A VINNO
Page 3 and 4: 4 4 6 7 9 12 14 15 Small country -
Page 5 and 6: Swedish protein research proved to
Page 7 and 8: INNOVATIVE THINKING Sweden became a
Page 9: INNOVATIVE THINKING SVENSK INDUSTRI
Page 13 and 14: The sensor developed by researcher
Page 15 and 16: INTERVIEW Smooth cooperation at ABB
Page 17 and 18: STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE Wood Manu
Page 19 and 20: GOOD IDEAS RECEIVE SUPPORT Maria Gr
Page 21 and 22: Acreo is a Swedish R&D institute wh
Page 23 and 24: Advanced production of nanothreads
Page 25 and 26: 3G OPENS UP NEW OPPORTUNITIES - Cut
Page 27 and 28: SAAB RESPONSIBLE FOR HYBRID CARS Sa

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