With the support of the Norway Grants, AB METAL has invested almost EUR 1 million in an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient production line for stainless steel, aluminium and other non-ferrous metals, enabling the company to increase its competitiveness while becoming more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.
“To continue to grow and strengthen our competitiveness in the sector, it was essential for us to modernise our existing technological processes. The environmentally friendly, energy-efficient and innovative technological line introduced within the project is a long-term investment in the company’s development, the modernization of existing technological processes, as well as a step towards the goal of becoming a sustainable leader in precision metalworking,” says Arnis Balodis, Board Member of the company.
Thanks to a project supported by the Norway Grants, the family-owned company AB METAL is able to offer customers the highest quality stainless steel, aluminium and other non-ferrous sheet metal working services.
The total cost of this project amounted to EUR 948.5 thousand, of which more than EUR 521 thousand was provided by Norway Grants. The project is implemented under the programme “Business Development, Innovation and SMEs”. The technology line consists of two main components – an energy-efficient digital programme control combined sheet and tube optical fibre laser cutting machine and a multi-stage grinding machine with an automatic feed system.
The new 15 000 W optical fibre laser cutting machine requires half the power compared to the company’s previous CO2 laser cutting machine (4400 W) while increasing production speed fourfold. “With the new laser cutting machine, we are not only working faster, but we are also able to process up to 50 mm thick sheets instead of the previous 25 millimetres, significantly increasing the company’s productivity,” explains Arnis Balodis.
During the project, AB METAL successfully cooperated with its Norwegian partner ACMOTECH AS, which provided significant support in monitoring the project and achieving the energy-efficiency targets. This partnership allowed new knowledge to be gained and ensured that all phases of the project were implemented according to high quality and sustainability standards.
AB METAL has been specialising in precision metalworking since 1975. The company manufactures products according to customer drawings, from prototyping to large batch production. The main areas of activity are sheet metal working and machining, with the parts produced being widely used in various industries, from metalworking and mechanical engineering to energy, construction and even medicine.
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