Armox - l'acciaio che vorresti tra te e il rischio
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CASI STUDIO
Armox protection plate masters the challenge at MaxiDoor
It’s a challenge when a customer wants a product that combines extreme strength and safety with an appealing design.
“But it’s also very inspiring to get such projects. We do our best when the task is a tricky one,” says Jens Gustafsson, president and co-owner of MaxiDoor in Frövi, north of Örebro.
Just as its name suggests, MaxiDoor manufactures doors, sections, walls and facades for applications that demand the highest level of fire safety and protection.
“Many of our customers have businesses that require security-rated products,” explains Gustafsson. “In the beginning our products were mainly geared towards fire safety, and even forcible entry and exit. In 2016 we added explosion-proof doors to our product portfolio.”
The first contact in a productive relationship
It was during the development of the RC 4 security door that Gustafsson first came into contact with SSAB’s Ramor 500, the tested and certified armor plate used as drill protection for lock cases.
"We were working on a solution for a customer in England,” he says. “The safety requirements were high, and we had to quickly obtain a steel that met both the customer’s security requirements and our own technical requirements.”
The company needed to industrialize the manufacturing process in a smart way.
“We simply needed a steel that was both tough and durable, but at the same time bendable and possible to weld without losing its properties,” explains Gustafsson.
At that point Gustafsson approached Tomas Svensson-Brunstedt, specialist in SSAB’s armor and ballistic steels Armox and Ramor. Together they quickly found a good solution.
Test samples from SSAB help the buying decision
“My contact with Tomas was decisive in two ways,” says Gustafsson. “On the one hand, he explained what you could actually do with Armox, and on the other hand, he saw to it that we had test samples of the plate. That really meant a lot to us.”
He offers examples of when the material samples may have proved instrumental in winning a big order:
“Basic properties, like heat resistance and bullet protection, are easy to test,” says Gustafsson. “We get certificates with this information when the plate is delivered. But how does the plate hold up if someone is continually kicking the door? Now the customers could come here themselves and test it out. The result exceeded our expectations, and we got the order.”
Multi-component, multi-purpose doors require the best steel
A security door is much more than a door leaf in a protection plate. The door frame, fasteners and locks must meet the same high standards. This means that a lot of plate must be used before a door is ready for delivery.
“The door leaf consists of a combination of steel grades,” says Gustafsson. “This is because it’s supposed to provide fire and burglary protection, and sometimes bullet protection. So, unique solutions might be needed to ensure that it is not possible to drill through the faceplate and that the door still remains flat and attractive after painting and finishing. And it’s also got to be able to withstand someone’s breaking in with a crowbar without becoming deformed.”
Here, Armox offers clear advantages. Thanks to the springback, the results of the break in attempts were barely noticeable.
SSAB products save weight
Another benefit that Armox brings to MaxiDoor is the use of thinner plate in the doors.
“Weight means a lot in the entire chain,” says Gustafsson. “It means the most during installation work, but there are clear benefits of lighter products in our production and for the end user of the door.”
Today, not all installers are happy working with door leaves that weigh more than 150 kilos.
“But thanks to Armox and Ramor, we manage the weight for normal-sized doors,” says Gustafsson. “For example, we went from 4 to 3 millimeter thick sheet on the RC 4. That means we cut the weight by 25 percent and the solution by an amazing 20 kilos.”
MaxiDoor has high hopes for the UK market.
“Our sales staff have been trained on Armox armor plate by Tomas Svensson-Brunstedt,” he explains. “That was highly valuable training. Broader knowledge about the materials we use in our products provides a clear added value when customers are considering buying our doors.”
Looks do count
But before a deal is sealed, after the long list of requirements is met, one more item must be checked off:
“It’s got to look good,” says Gustafsson. “And our products do. We have delivered security-rated window frames to the National Museum and other projects with high standards on aesthetics. MaxiDoor always has a solution that works.”
Sentinel: a success with Armox
Sentinel is a name with obligations. It stands for border guard, which originally was exactly the purpose when the vessel Sentinel was designed by the company Nautic Africa.
“The Sentinel has become a real success story”, says Eddie Noble, responsible for Special Projects at Nautic Africa. “This vessel is based on a light and efficient hull and an armoured superstructure where extensive use of SSAB Armox plate guarantees the safety of the crew”.
From the beginning this design was the result of an increasing demand for secure solutions for crews working on boats transporting supplies to oil rigs of the West Coast of Africa.
“This is a tough environment in all respects”, states Eddie Noble. “And the companies present in the area have seen increasing activity from pirates in recent years”.
Even though the attacks seldom are successful, there is always the risk of people on-board getting injured”.
“Our solution has solved the problem”, says Eddie Noble. “Pirates typically focus their weapons on the control of the vessel, namely the superstructure, as this is where the crew are most of the time. Since we introduced Armox, the security for the crew has increased dramatically”.
The big leap in development came when Nautic Africa came into contact with SSAB in 2012.
“We found Armox very interesting in several respects”, says Eddie Noble. “Firstly, of course, because its properties perfectly matched what our customers needed regarding protection against gunfire. It was also important that SSAB could offer plates the required properties directly from their warehouse in South Africa. This logistic solution means a lot to us as we have a very efficient production process where everything has to be delivered just in time”.
Initially Nautic Africa used the SSAB Technical support
“The manufacturing of the superstructure takes place in another plant, specialised in working with composite material”, says Eddie. “As a first step, we received an introduction into cutting, bending and welding Armox from SSAB. But after that we have managed on our own as the Armox quality is the same from plate to plate. The high quality is very important for an efficient manufacturing process”.
It is important to Nautic Africa that the superstructure is as light as possible. The Sentinel vessels are known for high performance with weight having a huge influence on speed, endurance and manoeuvrability of the vessel.
“Also in this respect using Armox gives us an advantage”, says Eddie . “It is often possible to use thinner steel but still have the same level of protection”.
“We have created a multi-purpose design, vessels that are meeting changing operational requirements in the oil and gas industry, but at the same time providing essential safety for the crew”, says Eddie Noble. “There is always a market for multi-purpose vessels like this”.
Facts about Nautic South Africa
The company Nautic Africa is one of the subsidiaries in the Nautic Group The others are Nautic South Africa, Veecraft, Anchor Boat Shop and Southern Power Products. The Sentinel range is a complete range of fast and efficient multi-function vessels, primarily providing solutions to the offshore oil and gas industry. The Nautic Group is part of the Paramount Group of companies, which offers customised vessels solutions for the military and naval markets.