Our rich history inspires future alloys

The Alleima team is proud of the company’s long history, which dates back to 1862 with the foundation of the company Sandvikens Jernverk by Göran Fredrik Göransson. “He was a pioneer in using the Bessemer method for steel production on an industrial scale,” explains Jane. “Today, we continue our long tradition of innovation to develop alloys for the industries of tomorrow.” With an astonishing 900+ advanced alloys in its portfolio, Alleima’s R & D team is continuously working on extending its product range to meet the evolving needs of clients across the globe. “Innovation is in our DNA,” smiles Jane. “All of our staff – from sales teams to technical marketing – have technical training, so they have the expertise to understand our customers’ perspectives and future needs.”

With a turnover of SEK 21 billion (EUR 1.8 billion) in 2023, today Alleima employs around 6500 staff worldwide and has customers in eighty countries.

Sustainability a core issue

“The topics of sustainability and environmental protection are close to our heart,” continues Jane. “We take this responsibility seriously, not only in our production facilities, but also by helping customers to reduce their carbon footprint. Because the impact of sourcing raw materials is a key CO2 contributor for us, we work exclusively with trustworthy, audited sources who supply sustainable, ethically produced materials. Our alloys have always contained a high percentage of recycled products; in 2023 it was over 80%. Alleima now have started to provide LCA (life cycle analysis) for their products for complete transparency for our customers.”

“Of course, steelmaking is very energy-intensive, and our European production units have run on 100% fossil-free electricity for many years, and globally, this figure is 97%.”

The Alleima team works closely with customers to help them select the best and most sustainable material for their applications.

“Because we have a deep understanding of our own CO2 footprint, we can support customers to reduce theirs. There is increasing demand for sustainable solutions and our alloys are able to address this. The ability to provide verifiable data is essential.”

Supporting the energy transition

As the energy transition gains traction globally, advanced materials will play an increasingly important role, explains Barinder. “Alleima has provided alloys to the refining and petrochemical industries for many years. We’ve been highly successful in helping operators to reduce lifecycle costs while providing them with long-lasting equipment. Alleima is now applying that same tactic to the energy transition industries. We have prioritised some key renewable sectors: biofuels, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, concentrated solar power (CSP), wind power and geothermal.”

“We have appointed dedicated segment leaders for each sector to run global teams. The focus varies in each region; for example, the European sector is very active in the areas of biofuels, hydrogen and carbon capture, but we don’t have CSP as the climate is not suitable.”

The Alleima teams have already booked significant successes in several sectors, and most notably in biofuels and hydrogen. “These successes are largely due to two factors,” Barinder continues, “the close relationships we have built with customers over the years and significant investments in time and energy to develop material solutions for those industries.”

“While the biofuel sector is a new application, we are actually working with the same customers,” adds Jane.

“Everybody is going through the energy transition together, so our existing customers come to us looking for solutions. As soon as they are able to provide new process data and feedstock, we can deliver them new materials perfectly suited to the biofuel industry. So, although it’s a new sector, we know the key players very well.”

Sanicro® 35: the new workhorse

Three years have passed since Alleima launched Sanicro® 35 (UNS NO8935), a structurally stable, PRE 52 super-austenitic alloy that offers extreme localised corrosion resistance and outperforms conventional 6Mo grades, with a moderate nickel content. The alloy won the materials design category in the Materials Performance Corrosion Innovation of the Year Awards in 2021 hosted by AMPP and is enjoying global success in various applications, including refineries, biofuel plants, and smaller CO2 footprint. As it’s ideal for so many industries and applications, customers will save money because they won’t need to have multiple grades in stock; they will only need this one alloy.”

Barinder continues: “It will also be a game changer for the hydraulic and instrumentation sector, which until now has used many different material grades. Sanicro® 35 will provide significant savings as it replaces expensive alternatives such as Alloy 625.” In a cost-conscious environment, Sanicro® 35 can be considered an all-round tube solution to many H&I and HX challenges.

Heat exchanger express hollows program

While heat exchanger tubes may only be a small part of a large and complex refinery, an unexpected failure can force a shutdown and a significant loss of income. To alleviate this problem for customers, Alleima recently launched its express hollows program to ensure it could offer rapid solutions to customers who urgently need stock.

“Delivery time to customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) has been reduced to just eight weeks from order to placement,” explains Jane. “A supply of material hollows is maintained to be shipped with a very short lead time. The program also provides flexibility to rapidly send small quantities for emergency maintenance. The express hollow program has been a great success because it means customers can restart their equipment earlier and minimise production losses.”

New SAF™ 3006 for heat exchanger tubing

Alleima recently launched the alloy SAF™ 3006, described as ‘the missing tool in your duplex toolbox for heat exchanger tubing’.

Barinder explains: “SAF™ 3006 is a high-alloy duplex stainless steel tailored to enhance corrosion resistance in acid and caustic environments. As it’s been designed especially for heat exchangers within the chemical and petrochemical industry, it is a cost-effective alternative to nickel-based alloys and austenitic stainless steel. It offers all the benefits you’d expect of a duplex in terms of strength, lighter weight and cost-efficiency, but is tailored to resist acids in heat exchangers, with or without seawater cooling.”

“Following extensive laboratory testing we are now looking for partners who can test this material in real application.”
“The development of SAF™ 3006 is a great example of how Alleima identifies gaps in industry and invests the R&D required to develop an ideal solution. Yes, we already had duplexes and super duplexes in our portfolio, but SAF™ 3006 is specifically designed to outperform all other materials in this specific application.”

Technical training

In the competitive arena of stainless steel production, Alleima continues to differentiate itself by sticking to what it’s always done: investing time, effort and money into research and development.

Jane: “As a leading manufacturer, we fulfill our responsibility to develop new materials and increase knowledge of materials within the industry. We are very open to sharing our competence and knowledge, and invest heavily in materials training with our staff, customers and distributors.”
“At the end of the day, business is done between people.

Therefore it’s important to take time to sit down with customers so they can ask questions about any challenges or performance issues. It’s not just about selling a product; we are there to help find solutions. This may range from providing material training to conducting trials and tests to identify the best solutions for specific application.”

Barinder adds: “An important avenue for the Alleima team to share its knowledge is conference participation, an activity which provides opportunities not only to talk about our new grades, but also to meet the right people and organisations. Our Technical Marketing team are expert speakers who can talk with authority about our materials. We are also closely associated with a lot of universities and colleges where our technical staff give lectures.”

“At Alleima, the R&D department, product management, technical marketing, sales, and communication staff all work closely together. Teamwork is one of our greatest strengths.”

Joining the team

While some manufacturers struggle to find qualified staff, Alleima has a good track record of sourcing and retaining the right people.

Jane explains: “In-house, our Alleima Academy provides extensive training packages which are offered to all employees, whether they have recently joined us or have been with us for a while. The Academy provides a solid basic training, and then offers more in-depth programs as employees progress through the company. Whether your job is in sales, production, or support, you will have the mandatory basic training. This ensures that every team member knows exactly who they work for and what we do. This level of commitment to our staff is vitally important for the company’s future, especially for those who join us straight out of university or may be new to the industry.

At Alleima people come first, and we are always willing to invest in that belief.”

About this Featured Story

This Featured Story appeared in Stainless Steel World June 2024 magazine. To read many more articles like these on an (almost) monthly basis, subscribe to our magazine (available in print and digital format) – SUBSCRIPTIONS TO OUR DIGITAL VERSION ARE NOW FREE.

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