Outokumpu’s thin strip Kloster (Långshyttan, Sweden) is expanding capacity by half and will also broadened its product range. Kloster’s second Supplier of the Year Award from Europe-based ElringKlinger enhanced the inauguration celebration. “Stainless steel is our most important raw material, and Outokumpu was our number one supplier for it last year,” asserts ElringKlinger’s Purchasing Director Stefan Schötz at the inauguration celebration. The company chose the inauguration event to make the statement and hand ElringKlinger’s Supplier of the Year Award 2006 to Kloster, as a recognition of the plant’s delivery record and high quality. Kloster receives the recognition for the second time in three years, being the first supplier to be awarded by ElringKlinger twice. Kloster is expanding production capacity by 50%, to be ramped up in stages. At the same time, the plant is broadening its product range to include thicknesses down to 0.12mm in the annealed condition and widths up to 1100mm. In addition to cylinder-head gaskets, the majority of Kloster’s products go to plate heat exchangers, to automotive flexible tubes, and for the welding industry. Approximately 95% of the customers are end-users. The investment is divided into four sub-projects: there will be 10,000sqm of new floor space for production facilities, a new cold rolling mill, and new bright annealing and slitting lines, to complement the previous, similar lines.
