Shape

A magazine from the Sapa Group • # 1 2009

› BRIGHT FUTURE FOR

LIGHTING DESIGN

› THE ARTIST WHO SWITCHED

FROM PAINT TO ALUMINIUM

› NEW SURFACE FINISH

STOPS CORROSION

› SOLAR-POWERED BILLBOARD
SAVES ENERGY

winds
OF CHANGE
SAPA ON CONTRACT FOR WORLD’S
BIGGEST WIND FARM

page 8›
# 1 2009 SHAPE • 1
 CONTENTS #1
Closer to you Aluminium profiles are becoming
increasingly popular in the furniture and
lighting industry. Optimised design using

S 03
apa is expanding into new markets. We are recruiting tal- aluminium profiles can deliver savings
ents of all nationalities and growing stronger internationally of up to 50 percent in manufacturing
to help our global customers even more with their specific costs, according to Sapa in Spain.
needs.
Our presence in 29 countries enables us to work more closely
with customers during every stage of development. Together, we The world’s largest ocean-based wind
can solve the challenges of making products designed specifically farm is being built in the North Sea.

08
for your market. The wind farm consists of 80 turbines
Making customised products can be a complicated business. that will start generating electricity
We are well aware of the efforts that are required to create clever in autumn 2009.
solutions. A close working relationship between suppliers and
customers helps achieve this. That is why, wherever you are, we
aim to be there too, for instance through Sapa’s three global busi- Geometric art works created from
ness segments – Mass Transportation, Thermal Management and aluminium profiles have become the
Automotive. signature of Lars Erik Falk.

11
Finding ways to reduce CO² emissions is one of the automo- “I didn’t want to use a beautiful
tive industry’s greatest challenges. Pressure is on the industry to material … it detracts from the impact
produce vehicles that consume less fuel and emit less CO². One of the composition,” he says.
solution is to build lighter, aluminium vehicles, since they use less
fuel and release fewer CO² emissions than heavier, steel vehicles.
Sapa’s contribution is to increase the share of aluminium parts. Sapa’s business segment managers talk
One of our customers, Audi, was one of the first car manufac- about globalisation and the benefits of

14
turer to produce an aluminium car. Today we have the technology working closely with customers. Early
to serial produce aluminium cars and most vehicle manufacturers involvement right from the design stage
are moving towards using more and more light-weight aluminium can be the key to a successful solution.
in their vehicles.
At Sapa, we are working hard to not only facilitate the manufac-
turing of aluminium cars, but to find ways to do so at a reasonable
A new surface treatment for the car
cost. Investing in such activities is especially worthwhile when the

world is looking for solutions to environmental problems.
Our goal is to develop an aluminium solution suitable for your
business, no matter what
industry you are in, or
where you are located in
the world.
Let Sapa add value to
your business by making
it our business.
Ole Enger,
President and CEO
18
industry from Sapa Components gives
aluminium parts better protection from
corrosion due to alkaline chemicals.
Sapa is an international indus- Editor-in-Chief: Eva Ekselius
trial group that develops, Editor: Anna-Lena Ahlberg
manufactures and markets Graphic design:
value-added aluminium profiles, Karin Löwencrantz
profile-based components and Production: OTW Publishing
systems, and heat exchanger Printing: Strokirk-Landströms,
strips in aluminium. Sapa has Lidköping, Sweden
annual sales of approximately Changes of address: Customers
SEK 35 billion and roughly should inform their contact person
15,000 employees in compa- at Sapa, employees their sal-
nies throughout Europe, and in ary department and others the
North America, Central America Communications Department on
and China. Shape is the Sapa +46 (0) 8 459 59 00.
Group’s customer magazine, and
is issued twice annually in 14
languages. Shape is also avail-
able at www.sapagroup.com
Shaping the future

2 SHAPE • # 1 2009
 DESIGN

Aluminium has many properties that

make it suitable for furniture and
lighting. It is strong, practical,

BRIGHT
weather-resistant – as well as
aesthetically attractive.
Sapa Profiles in Spain has chosen

FUTURE
to invest in the furniture and lighting
industry by working closely with
customers right from the design stage.

for aluminium

›
Design

›
SHAPE ASKED
A FEW OF SAPA’S
I
t may seem remarkable today, but in the early
20th century, before aluminium began to be
used industrially, it was regarded as an expen-
CUSTOMERS IN
sive and exclusive material, and was often used by
designers and artists of that period.
Today, this once exclusive material has
THE LIGHTING
become a utility material thanks to improve-
ments in technology. As a result of growing
general interest in interior design, aluminium
INDUSTRY WHY THEY
has also become more relevant in high-quality
applications where design, innovation and
aesthetics are important factors. Nowadays alu-
USE ALUMINIUM PROFILES.
minium is more often associated with futuristic
concepts and high-tech design, which makes it
a prime candidate for the manufacture of furni-
ture and lighting.

SAPA IN SPAIN has seen increased use of aluminium

profiles in the furniture and lighting industry, and
is strongly committed to the industry and its cus-
tomers. In Spain alone, production in the furniture
and lighting industry rose by 10 percent in 2007,
compared with the previous year, and exports
climbed by 22 percent between 2006 and 2007.
The combination of good design with the vari-
ous advantages of aluminium can create numerous
benefits.
“Good design should not make the end prod-
uct more expensive – just the opposite. A well-
designed product can instead be cheaper to make,”
says Raquel Fernández Campaya from the market-
ing and communication department, adding that
optimised design can cut manufacturing costs by
as much as 50 percent.
BECAUSE ALUMINIUM is recyclable it enables practi-
cal design to be combined with ethical values. It
is also possible to integrate several functions in a
single profile, making production more efficient,
which can ultimately lead to a product that is even
more innovative and attractive, explains Raquel
Fernández Campaya.
“Designers today cannot focus solely on the
elegance of the finished product and ignore the
industrial aspects; they have to combine aesthetic, Ataro, made from a con-
production and technical requirements.” tinuous aluminium profile.
Sapa Profiles in Spain offers a collaborative part-
nership with customers in order to develop practi-
cal solutions together. The plant in La Selva has
specialist expertise in this area, and Sapa has recent-
ly opened a new application centre for research and
development in Navarra, where customers can get
advice from experts and engineers during the prod-
uct development phase. One of the companies
with which Sapa has entered such a partnership
is the lighting company Ornalux, which among
other products, makes advanced lighting for hospi-
tals, trade fairs and exhibitions.
“Working with our customers right from the
design stage is important, as it means we can
contribute our experience from the outset,” says
Matteo Luppi, managing director of Sapa in Spain.
“In future we aim to become an integral element
in the client’s value chain, in order to provide a glo-
bal service. We offer collaboration in the design of
profiles, mechanical solutions and surface finishes,
so that customers can concentrate on their core
business – design.”
TEXT Jessica Johansson

“Good design should not make the end product

more expensive – just the opposite. A well-designed
product can instead be cheaper to make”
4 SHAPE • # 1 2009
1 3
Hoffmeister Leuchten GmbH in
Germany manufactures, among
other things, utility lighting
products for architect-designed
indoor and outdoor settings.
Frank Lesch, purchasing
manager, replies.
Why do you use aluminium profiles in your
products?
“It’s the best solution for creating lamp hous-
ings with the same cross-section but in different
lengths. Aluminium profiles are also light, and with
an anodised finish you also get good corrosion
protection. We use aluminium profiles for indoor
and outdoor lighting, and for lighting tracks.”
What are the benefits?
“Aluminium profiles are light, they’re easy to
machine and they have good thermal conductivity.”
Bibox spotlight.
Have you encountered any challenges in pro-
ducing furniture and lighting in aluminium?
“The main challenges in the design of new lamp
housings lie in meeting the designer’s requirements
for thin walls and creating new, contemporary
shapes in the manufacturing process.”
2
The Waldmann Group is one of
the leading lighting companies in
Germany, and designs lighting for
offices and the workplace, as well
as medical lighting. We talked to
Wolfgang Auber, marketing manager.
Which products do you use aluminium
profiles for, and why?
“For desk lamps, floor lamps and industrial
lighting. Aluminium profiles are high-quality
materials with a long life and excellent thermal
conductivity, which is especially important when
lamps are fitted with LEDs.”
What are the advantages of this material?
“We buy in semi-fabricated profiles and it’s
relatively easy to add other components, using
screw fasteners or by bonding, for example.”
What quality requirements do you impose
when choosing materials for a new prod-
uct?
“Long life, the right material properties for each
application, the ability to apply surface finishes
in different colours, manufacturing requirements,
the ability to recycle the material, and materials
handling requirements for production.”
What was the main challenge with your
new Ataro lamp?
“The challenge lay in bending the long alu-
minium profile and thus creating a one-piece
aluminium frame without joints.”
Modular Lightning
Instruments in the
Netherlands produces inno-
vative lighting designs for
concert halls, private homes
and offices. Tom Samyn, marketing manager,
answered as follows.
Why do you use aluminium profiles?
“Aluminium profiles are incredibly versa-
tile, which is essential for products that are
ordered by length. Modular uses 15 different
aluminium profiles, each with a unique design.
It’s not just the visible shape of the profile that
is important, but also the internal channels,
which are part of the design of the profile and
help to make installation easier.”
What do you use the material for?
“Aluminium profiles are used in our light pro-
files business area. This division specialises in
products that are ordered by length. We start
with aluminium profiles with a maximum length
of six metres. We cut the profile to the desired
length and make holes for mounting different
types of light sources. Each order is unique,
with different designs, lengths and configura-
tions.”
What are the benefits of this material?
Aluminium is an incredibly flexible material.
It can also be 95 percent recycled, which is an
increasingly important factor due to concerns
over the environment and sustainability.”
What do you see as the biggest trend in
lighting products at the moment?
“Right now it is fashionable to use coloured
aluminium profiles. White and black profiles
are very trendy, whether they are anodised or
lacquered.”
Lighting profiles for offices.
# 1 2009 SHAPE • 5
 Design

Etherea office lighting.

Products from Ornalux in Spain include

high-tech lamps for hospitals, official
buildings, exhibitions and office environ-
ments. We spoke to Isabel González de
los Reyes, co-ordinator.

Why do you use aluminium profiles?

“The main characteristic of the material
is its flexibility – it’s possible to shape alu-
minium in so many different ways. You can
produce a great variety of finishes to suit
the image you want the product to convey
and its intended purpose. The material also
enhances designs; it is hard-wearing and
completely recyclable.”
Which components do you use alu-
minium for?
“For any components that have a regular
cross-section, where we can exploit the
mechanical properties of aluminium, such
as its thermal conductivity, light weight and
ability to take an anodised finish.”
What are the design benefits of extrud-
ed aluminium?
“It’s a material that stands for elegance,
practicality, quality and concern for the

4
environment.”
How have you benefited from Sapa’s
services?
“Sapa have made constructive sugges-
tions that have improved our design.”

5
Imperial is a lighting manufacturer that has a market
lead in Poland and sells a product range that extends
to over 2,000 different lighting products. Export man-
ager Bartłomiej Družba replied as follows.

For which products do you use aluminium profiles?

“We’ve designed our own aluminium profiles and we use them to
produce the lamp housings for our Profi range of products.”
What are the current trends in lighting in the Polish market?
“The Polish lighting market has grown in recent years. Poland fol-
lows all the European trends in lighting. Suspended and recessed
light fittings for T5 light sources with housings made from aluminium
profiles are very popular. LED lighting is also popular.”
What are the benefits of aluminium?
“The most important benefits are reductions in product weight, bet-
ter cooling for electronic components and all the design possibilities.”

6 SHAPE • # 1 2009
 BRIEF NOTICES

Designer shade
and shelter
> In the hotel and outdoor restaurant business they’re known as “jumbrellas” –
those ultra-sized umbrellas or parasols that offer shelter from sun and rain.
Take the Bahama Largo by the German manufacturer Becher Textil- & Stahlbau
GmbH. A single unit provides up to 64 square metres of outdoor roofing. Unfolded,
it can withstand wind gusts of up to 130 kilometres per hour. It looks like a stylish
tulip, with built-in lighting and manoeuvring gear drive, and it can collect rainwater
inside, draining it directly into the sewage system through the centre pole.
Becher Textil- & Stahlbau has more than 30 years of experience in processing
and even welding aluminium. The company appreciates Sapa’s reliable deliveries,
readiness and flexibility to meet technical requirements and its ability to under-
stand a customer’s particular needs.

Finland’s Partnership
aluminium delivers the mail
boom > A letterbox in each door – rather than mailboxes at the entrance –
has been the norm for apartment blocks in Sweden for some time. But

> For decades, wooden interior wall

systems and partitioning systems
were the rule in Finland. But when things
this is about to change as a new company, Blockbox, aims to offer a totally
new alternative to the basic solutions that have been available so far.
“We want residents to feel that home begins at the entrance to their apart-
started to change, Finnish interior build- ment block,” says Markus Berglund from Blockbox. “In an age when interior
ing and construction specialist Muotolevy design is so important, it’s only natural to expect a touch of elegance in the
Oy didn’t want to be left behind. stairway.”
“Architects love aluminium,” says Mika Kujanpää, sales manager for interior wall Blockbox mailboxes are available in a choice of styles, with replaceable
systems. “Aluminium systems have been growing for years and are now at least as components. The company has given a lot of
popular as wood.” attention to the design of the boxes,
Muotolevy soon realised that a tailor-made design was needed to meet the even ensuring that the sound they
requirements of sound isolation and flexibility. make is muted when opened and
“Our cooperation with Sapa has been successful and we got a lot of valuable closed.
advice when developing our product,” says Kujanpää. The Swedish post office’s
requirement for central locking and
architects’ requests for a modular

Did you know that ... design were naturally taken into
account at the design stage.

… if the weight of aluminium cans Blockbox developed the range

using aluminium profiles, in order

were reduced by five percent it would

to keep the investment and tooling
costs to a reasonable level.
“Sapa have been a valuable
cut carbon dioxide emissions by 78,000 sounding board throughout the devel-
opment process,” says Markus Berglund.

tonnes in the European market alone. “Aluminium profiles make it easy to develop modular
solutions. We can extend the width and height as required. And
Source: Aluminiumriket of course Sapa can supply an enormous variety of surface finishes, so we
(A Swedish aluminium business association) can create a wide choice of variants based on just a few components.”

# 1 2009 SHAPE • 7
ENVIRONMENT

SAPA COOLS
NORTH SEA WIND FARM
The biggest ocean-based wind farm is currently being constructed
in the North Sea. ABB has the task of linking the new wind farm
to the German grid – a task that requires effective water cooling.
“Continuous improvements are being made in the water-cooling
system and Sapa have an active role in this,” says Pontus Mellung,
who handles purchasing from Sapa at ABB’s HVDC division in
Ludvika, Sweden.

G
erman energy company eon is responsible
for constructing the wind farm that will
supply power to the German grid. The
output from the wind farm is equivalent to that
of the average coal-fired power plant, or half a
Swedish nuclear plant.
abb’s role in the project is to transfer power
from the wind farm. This is one of the biggest
status and any faults is sent to a manned centre
onshore by fibre optic communication links.”
On the platform, electricity from the wind
farm is converted from alternative current
to direct current and then fed by cable to an
onshore receiving station, where it is converted
back to ac.
According to Tommy Lövehagen there is a great
deal of optimism about offshore wind farms:
“It’s the first time such a big installation has
been built offshore and it’s important that it is
successful. This is a growing market and we’re
working very hard to establish a strong position
in this field. We also have a unique technology
for this type of project.”


single contracts for abb in 2007, with a value of ELECTRICITY IS CONVERTED at either end of the cable TEXT mats lundström

sek 2.7 billion. The contract is for an hvdc Light
system, a transmission technology in which abb
has a strong lead.
“It is proven technology, but this is the first
time we are using it on our own offshore plat-
form with an unmanned operating centre,”
explains Tommy Lövehagen, overall project
manager at abb.
“This requires other solutions, since offshore
installations increase the
need for automation and
communications. The
platform is 128 kilometres
offshore. We have to be able
to carry out most of the
inspection and maintenance
without travelling out to the
Tommy Lövehagen platform. Information on
by converters known as valves. This process gen-
erates heat, which has to be carried away by cool-
ing profiles made by Sapa in Finspång, Sweden.
“The high precision that is required for effi-
cient cooling is achieved using profiles that are
joined by friction stir welding (fsw),” says Rolf
Pettersson, sales representative for cooling pro-
files at Sapa.
A large number of water coolers of different
types are needed to keep temperatures down.
Sapa therefore maintains close contact with abb
so that products can be continuously developed.
Numerous other aluminium products are also
being supplied for the project.
“We’re working together to develop new prod-
ucts and to refine existing ones. A team from abb
meets up regularly with representatives of Sapa,”
says Pontus Mellung.
The wind farm in brief
• The project is called NordE.ON 1 and the instal-
lation is located 128 kilometres off the North
Sea coast of Germany.
• The wind farm is made up of 80 wind turbines
that will be brought into operation in autumn
2009 and will have a combined output of
400 MW.
• There are plans to build further large clusters of
wind farms, with each cluster consisting of sev-
en to eight wind farms. The clusters are called
Borkum 1, Borkum 2, Helgoland and Sylt.
• Germany is investing heavily in offshore wind
power. By 2020 the total output is expected to
be 12,000 MW.

8 SHAPE • # 1 2009
 DENMARK

BORKUM 2

Sylt

128 km
Helgoland

Norden
Cuxhaven

Borkum

Emden
Wilhelms- Bremerhaven
haven

NEtherlands DIELE
GERMANY

# 1 2009 SHAPE • 9
BRIEF NOTICES

15,000 Pneumatic elevators

cans were used to build
a 12-metre tall model break new ground
of the Eiffel tower, > A pneumatic elevator –
sometimes called a pneu-
which was exhibited matic vacuum elevator – is like a
crystal tube containing a cabin that
at the Aluminium 2008 travels up or down to the desired
level through no visible means

trade fair in Essen in of propulsion. Air, or rather the

absence of air pressure, silently

September. lifts the elevator to an upper floor,

and atmospheric pressure gently
Source: Aluminiumriket (A Swedish pushes it back down to the ground
aluminium business association) floor. A pneumatic elevator uses
a small amount of regular-voltage
electricity on the way up and none

First project for at all on the way down.

This new kind of elevator, which

unitised curtain wall

was initially developed about 10
years ago, is rapidly gaining market
share in single-family houses. The

> Sapa Building System has won a project for new offices at the
Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. It is the first application for
the new unitised curtain wall.
A unitised curtain wall is a facade of panels – made of aluminium pro-
files – and glass that is put together in the factory and then installed on
the building at the site. With the unitised system, the lead times at the site
can be reduced substantially.
“The first order is the ultimate test of all features of the unitised curtain
wall,” says Hans Johansson, business area president, Sapa Building
System.
installation takes up no more than a square meter of space and doesn’t require
a pit or a machine room. The devices are easy to install and you can even take
them with you when you move.
Elevadores Neumáticos Ibéricos S.L. is a manufacturer building up a solid
position in Spain and Portugal after just two years in business. Sapa supplies
the aluminium profiles – bent, machined and finished according to Elevadores
Neumáticos’ own design and specifications – which are used for the tube’s
frame, including rings and clasps.

On the right track

> Switzerland-based Montech is a world leader in the automation of complex
production and intralogistic processes. Its successful Montrac modular
transport system, widely used across the world and industrial fields, relies on a
monorail track made of clear anodised extruded aluminium supplied by Sapa.
A wide range of standardised components, such as curves, shuttles, lifts,
crossings and switches, allow a variety of layouts and configurations according
to the customer’s needs.
Since the length of these rail systems can amount to hundreds of metres of
track, supporting an intense traffic of moving parts, extreme precision and a high
resistance to torsion are required. “Aluminium profiles with a perfect and sustained
quality level and a positive visual impact contribute a lot to the success of our prod-
ucts,” says Marco dal Maso, purchasing manager at Montech.

10 SHAPE • # 1 2009
 PROFILE

PHOTO: ANDERS BARKFELDT

LARS
erik
FALK
It was when his name
appeared in Sweden’s
National Encyclopaedia
that Lars Erik Falk realised
he had become a part of
Swedish art history.
Now he has written a
book about life and art,

›
and a little about
aluminium.

# 1 2009 SHAPE • 11
 ›
PROFILE

H
is creations are geometric,
often constructed using the
same equal-sided, L-shaped
“If I don’t use paint, I use wax to create a slight
aluminium profiles from Sapa.
The racks in his attic studio
sheen. I rub in car wax, and it turns out that Sapa
support metre after metre of
the raw material.
“My work isn’t based on real
does the same when they want a slight gloss”
life. Instead I use the aluminium profiles to build
my own reality. My sculptures are called modular He calls himself a constructivist, since he does not I work at all. But I feel there is room for differ-
sculptures and modular reliefs. The modules are portray what he sees around him, but creates his ent lines of attack.”
identical all the way, so I can build whatever I own worlds. He always makes meticulous drawings first. And
want,” says Lars Erik Falk. He has remained loyal to constructivism he recommends younger artists to burn everything
His studio is simply the top floor of the house since he first encountered it. In the 1940s he they are not happy with, as he has done himself.
that he and his wife Margit have shared for dec- studied painting under
ades. The walls are covered with drawings signed the Swedish artist Isaac

MAGNUS GLANS
by his children and grandchildren. Lars Erik has at Grünewald, who was
least three work benches. When one becomes too infuriated by his student’s
cluttered he simply moves to another. A bookshelf interest in the abstract.
houses a personal library of books on constructiv-
ists such as Olle Baertling, who always instructed “SO, YOU’RE CREATING a new
taxi drivers to take an extra turn around Lars Erik reality – is this one not good
Falk’s sculpture at Hornsplan in Stockholm. enough for you?”
“The answer is that I
HIS STUDIO IS FILLED WITH machinery and tools, since want the freedom to do
he builds his sculptures himself. what I want; I don’t need
“Obviously some of them won’t fit in here, as to spend my time paint-
they can be twelve metres high. So I build them at ing people. That doesn’t
a boatyard,” he says. mean that I set myself
There are books and paintings on the stairs lead- above those who paint
ing to the top floor. He has just completed two figuratively. A friend and I
exhibitions, one in Stockholm and another in his often sit and philosophise
hometown of Sigtuna. about the difference. We’ve
“It’s hard work, you have to meet people and come to the conclusion
sign books and hold an opening exhibition. I may that it doesn’t matter how
also have an order for a public artwork, but I can’t it looks, as long as the art is
talk about that yet; it’s too early. You often get good,” he says.
enquiries, but then there’s so much bureaucracy
that it can sometimes fall apart. So I’ll probably get ALTHOUGH he describes
to grips with that once I’ve had a little time off.” contemporary art in his
His new book Life/Art Lars Erik Falk is mostly book as “young women
self-biographical. Many unsuccessful artists passed with figurative period
through the doors of the cut-price hotel that Lars pains”, he is more diplo-
Erik’s father owned in Uppsala. Sometimes his matic in real life.
father had to accept paint in lieu of payment for “My approach isn’t at all
hotel bills that never were paid. His parents were intellectual or about work-
sceptical of his artistic ambitions, and as a result his ing with installations. You
debut came later than usual. His first independent know, the idea of setting a
exhibition was in 1952. Lars Erik Falk is one of few tiger trap and creating an Lars Erik Falk’s distinctive leaning profiles, seen here on Karlavägen in
artists who has not followed trends and fashions. interior. That’s not the way Stockholm.

12 SHAPE • # 1 2009

These 16-metre tall aluminium profiles reach for the sky from the platform at Kista underground station in Stockholm. Lars Erik Falk also chose the colour scheme
for the entire station.
“I’m glad I did. It’s no fun to see work that’s
not good. And it’s immoral if people buy it for
good money.”
Lars Erik grew up in an environment that was
social democrat in every respect. His sons were
active in the radical student movement of the late
1960s, and Lars Erik designed posters in protest
against the commercialisation of Christmas,
among other things.
HOWEVER, HIS OWN art carries no political or emo-
tional message.
“It’s easier to write about that than to paint
it. I also feel that art takes place in the eye of the
beholder,” he says.
The constructivists are a small group, with a
not entirely fashionable perspective towards art,
in an age when controversial photo-art and dia-
mond-studded skulls are in the media spotlight.
“There’s so little left when you distil a theme
as I do, so what remains can sometimes be per-
ceived as cold. But we have a passion like any
other artist.”
From painting the Uppsala plains in the
1940s, he progressed into cubism and geomet-
ric cardboard figures, when painting became
too two-dimensional. Then he turned to alu-
MAGNUS GLANS
minium, the material that has since become his
signature. The artist in close-up
“I didn’t want to use a beautiful material,
which is not to say that aluminium is ugly. If
you use copper, it is beautiful in its own right. It
detracts from the impact of the composition.”
You can also paint aluminium. Lars Erik’s
sculptures are often painted in bold, primary
colours. It’s a time-consuming job to get the
finish just right, which he does himself.
“If I don’t use paint, I use wax to create a
slight sheen. I rub in car wax, and it turns out
that Sapa does the same when they want a slight Born: 1922 in Uppsala, Sweden.
gloss,” he says. Trained: By Otte Sköld and Isaac Grünewald.
Studied graphic design at Beckmans College
ALUMINIUM IS ALSO IDEAL in another respect. It of Design. It took until the 1980s to make a liv-
works well on a large scale. ing from his art.
“It’s part of my approach to art, that I see Family: Sons Hans, Johan and Gunnar, with
and express the full extent of the images I work his former wife Kerstin, and son Mikael with his
with. I’ve naturally pictured in my head how it present wife Margit.
would look if it were full size. But there’s still an Home: Sigtuna in Sweden.
element of uncertainty. Will it be good? Will it Other interests: Enjoys reading proletar-
appear as I hope? How will it be received? It’s ian authors; the books he has most enjoyed
hard work, and it keeps me awake at night. I’ve recently are those of Elsie Johansson.
never been disappointed yet, but it’s still just as Favourite work of art: A cardboard guitar by
difficult every time.” Picasso.
TEXT EMMA OLSSON
# 1 2009 SHAPE • 13
INSIGHT: BUSINESS SEGMENTS

Three markets
– ONE PHILOSOPHY
Sapa Profiles’ three strategic business segments serve three
different markets but share one philosophy: to move the operation
from the supply of profiles to the delivery of solutions.
Sapa Profiles’ business segments have been estab- philosophy that drives the business forward. teams of sales, marketing and technical experts
lished to harness the Group’s global resources in All three are challenging markets, and to in the markets, developing specialised knowledge
order to meet the specific requirements of cus- become part of them, Sapa has recognised the and a close understanding of how the key players
tomers in the automotive, rail and marine, and need to become much more than simply a sup- work and exactly what they want from their sup-
telecoms and electronics industries. Although plier of aluminium profiles. One of Sapa’s key ply partners. The key objective that the business
quite different markets, they share certain charac- strategic pillars is customer intimacy: each busi- segments share is to add value and move from sup-
teristics that have enabled Sapa to develop a single ness segment has set itself the task of immersing plying profiles to delivering solutions.

Victor Schneider Tolga Egrilmezer Lars-Inge Arwidson Lars Forsberg

14 SHAPE • # 1 2009
Matching global footprints
A key feature in the business segments’ markets is globalisation. and the next we might be visiting an Asia-
Pacific shipyard.
“The major players in each segment operate globally and look “In rolling stock there is growing emphasis
for supply partners that can match their global footprint,” says Lars on public transportation, and we’re seeing
major developments in everything from trans-
Forsberg, head of business segments. continental high-speed trains to tram and
metro networks.
“Our business segments build one-to-one rela- “If we’re working with our customers from “Some significant high-speed train projects
tionships with customers and identify design the outset, we can carry out the necessary are coming up in North America in the next 10
and supply solutions, then operate across all thermal calculations to arrive at the optimum to 15 years, and aluminium is still in its infancy
Sapa territories to ensure a seamless supply design,” Arwidson says. “Take heat sink devel- in this market,” Egrilmezer says. “We need to
operation when and where in the world the cus- opment: with involvement at an early stage, we be able to talk to our customers’ customers to
tomer wants it,” Forsberg says. can advise the customer how best to design for encourage the specification of aluminium.”
Forsberg has overall responsibility for two maximum efficiency to extend component life.
business segments, Sapa Thermal Management A joint venture with Alcoa has had a major
and Sapa Mass Transportation. “Our market can encompass any application impact on the size and structure of Sapa
Sapa Thermal Management, with its roots in where you need to get heat away from elec- Profiles’ business. “Shortly after the formation
the telecoms industry, began by working with tronic components. We’re looking to build on of the joint venture there was a major strategic
Ericsson on enclosures. When a push from the our established base in telecoms where we’ve review, and we committed to growing our
market drove production towards Asia, Sapa set developed expertise alongside market leaders business by 150 percent,” Forsberg says. “To
up a manufacturing facility in Shanghai. like Ericsson and Nokia, into applications such meet this target, it is essential that we bring the
Sapa Profiles business segments work as part as power, consumer products, windmills and right people on board – people who have direct
of the customer’s design and development team, hybrid drives.” industry experience and technical experts who
which they describe as engineering in partner- Sapa Mass Transportation is the smallest can help us build close relationships with our
ship. “As an integral part of the customer’s segment with the biggest global ambition, customers by combining their specific industry
design team, we can help produce better solu- segment manager Tolga Egrilmezer says. knowledge with Sapa Group’s wider compe-
tions,” says Lars-Inge Arwidson, Sapa Thermal “One week our team can be working on a tence. This will enhance our value offering to
Management’s manager. high-speed passenger train project in Europe, customers across the globe.”

# 1 2009 SHAPE • 15
INSIGHT: BUSINESS SEGMENTS

Speaking
the automotive language
The automotive industry plays an important part in Sapa’s growth build a strong automotive network inside
Sapa’s operating companies around the world
strategy, and changes in the market offer major opportunities for Sapa to enable them to relate to the industry in
Automotive. Environmental issues call for a new approach to their regions. We are developing people who
know the automotive business, who speak the
design, and extruded aluminium is an ideal materials choice. customer’s language and know the customer’s
expectations.”
Victor Schneider, vice president Sapa Auto- Sapa Automotive’s approach to the market is
motive, has joined the business with a 25-year based on customer value management, work- The automotive industry is not only globalised
track record in the automotive industry. A ing closely with customers from an early design but also very standardised. “To be a key supplier
mechanical engineer by profession, he has stage to ensure that the optimum solutions are to the automotive industry it is not enough to
worked in the automotive industry in the identified. Key account managers are supported simply offer good technology or product inno-
United States and Europe, spending the last 10 by dedicated engineering experts. “Our mission vation,” Schneider says. “We must also under-
years with a Tier 1 supplier in France. “Light is a total focus on the automotive industry, and stand the way in which the industry as a whole
weight design is a major driver towards the we have developed an engineering competence works. It is an industry that expects all the play-
reduction of fuel consumption for lower co2 dedicated to that market,” Schneider says. ers to work to the same sophisticated manage-
emissions,” he says. “Aluminium is an ideal ment procedures and standards. These systems
material for both cars and trucks because of its From its strong position in the Nordic market, are the baseline of good business development
excellent weight-to-strength ratio, good corro- Sapa Automotive is now embarked on a and are part of the automotive ‘language’ – the
sion resistance and ease of processing. With our strategy to extend its automotive business language that Sapa Automotive is committed
technological know-how and manufacturing model globally. “To achieve this we have to to speak.”
capabilities we are confident that we will be able adapt ourselves and develop our organisation TEXTS LINDA TROTMAN

to offer more and more innovative solutions for to reach new customers in other regions,” PHOTO ED SHAW

a wide range of automotive applications.” Schneider says. “A key to our success is to

16 SHAPE • # 1 2009
 A tent protects workers and the
bridge structure during repairs.

GIANT TENTS ENABLE

FLEXIBLE CONSTRUCTION
A lightweight material that is easy to erect and easy to form
– these were the main criteria that made aluminium profiles the
choice of Norwegian company OB Wiik, for its storage tents and
weather protection.
ITS HEADQUARTERS are located in Norway, but OB a better working environment for the builders. Aluminium profiles are also used as the sup-
Wiik sells its products all over the world – at “The weather protection is designed to meet porting structure for some of OB Wiik’s storage
the South Pole, in Siberia, Malmö, Oslo and the market’s high demands for flexibility. The tents – a flexible alternative for those who need
Hamburg – wherever there is a need for tempo- framing system for the walls and roof is built to be able to erect and dismantle storage facili-
rary storage or to protect building projects from using an aluminium beam that Sapa machines ties quickly.
the wind and weather. and assembles according to our specifications,” “We’re seeing growing demand for this type
“Moisture during the building stage is one of says Lars Dalgaard. of warehouse facility. In many cases it’s a better
the biggest problems for the building industry solution than a traditional building, especially if
today. That’s why we build more and more HE EXPLAINS THAT steel was the first choice of you’re unsure how long you’ll need storage for,
under cover. Demand from building contrac- material for this type of structure for a long or if you don’t have the resources to buy a per-
tors and developers is growing,” says Lars time, but in the last five years OB Wiik has manent warehouse,” says Lars Dalgaard.
Dalgaard, managing director of OB Wiik. increasingly been using aluminium. Reduced Once again aluminium is increasingly replac-
The product that makes this possible is weight is naturally one of the benefits, but Lars ing traditional steel-framed solutions for this
weather protection, which basically consists of Dalgaard also points out that aluminium is type of product.
a tent that is erected over the building. It can be easier to form to precisely the shape you desire. “The biggest advantage is speed of erection.
used for new builds and for roof replacement or “That’s important for us, as we’ve come up If a structure has to be erected and dismantled
extensive renovation projects. As well as elimi- with a special design that makes it easier to several times, aluminium is the best choice.”
nating damp problems this solution also creates attach the tent material to the frame.” Text Susanna Lidström

# 1 2009 SHAPE • 17
Today’s technology

The new coating from Sapa has

been tested on roof rails, window
surrounds and grilles, with good
results.

18 SHAPE • # 1 2009

War on
corrosion
Growing use of aluminium by
car makers has increased the
vulnerability of vehicles to
corrosive chemicals. But a
new anodising process
can boost the metal’s resist-
ance by a factor of 10,000.
It’s an increasingly tough world for cars.
Even at the car wash, more aggressive clean-
ing fluids are taking the shine off aluminium
components faster than ever before. To
counter this attack, Sapa Components Ltd in
Gloucester, United Kingdom, has developed
an enhanced anodising process that offers
a much-improved resistance to corrosive
chemicals on the market.
Anodising is a widely used surface treat-
ment for aluminium alloys that provides a
protective coating by oxidising the metal by
electrolysis in sulphuric acid. The benefits are
increased resistance to corrosion and wear,
and anodising provides better adhesion for
paint primers and adhesives than bare metal.
“The new anodising process consists of a
new type of corrosive-resistant coating that
has the ability to inhibit the attack of alkalis
on the surface of the anodised aluminium,”
says Richard Shaw, anodising manager at
Sapa Components (Pressweld).
The new process has been developed in
response to the automotive industry’s need
for more corrosion-resistant car components,
particularly as aggressive alkali chemicals
are used increasingly in high-pressure car
cleaning. Strong alkalis degrade anodised
aluminium coatings quickly, and the growing
use of aluminium by vehicle manufacturers
has prompted intense development activity
to address this issue. To give some idea of the
improvement, Shaw says: “Standard alumin-
ium oxide films are usually stable between
a pH range of 4 to 8. The coating that we
intend to offer is in excess of 12.5 pH.” As
the pH scale is logarithmic with a maximum
value of 14 for the strongest alkalis, the
actual increase from 8.5 to 12.5 represents an
improvement of a factor of 10,000.
Details of the process are a closely guarded
secret, says Tony Wall, sales director at Sapa
Components. “We had to overcome consid-
erable technical hurdles,” he says “to achieve
a coating with the right physical characteris-
tics to deal with increasingly corrosive alkali
exposure. The two-year development project
adds an extra step to the anodising process,
and Sapa has worked with its main chemical
suppliers to develop the new coating. “The
make-up of the chemicals is key to the proc-
ess,” Wall says.
The company has invested around £500,000
in the development of the new process and
associated equipment and production facili-
ties that have given Sapa “a two- to three-year
lead over key competitors in the market-
place,” Wall says. Though a small number
of companies across Europe claim to offer
a higher level of resistance, Wall says, “We
believe we are the only company capable of
offering 12.5 pH resistance anodised finishes
in a variety of colours.” In addition, the com-
pany’s development activities are aimed at
pushing this pH resistance towards the magic
figure of 13.5, which has been requested by
Today’s technology
automotive companies but not yet achieved
practically. Experimentally, Sapa has dem-
onstrated that 13.0 pH resistant coatings are
possible.
As well as benefiting existing exterior alu-
minium car components, the new coating
offers vehicle manufacturers the ability to use
this lightweight and recyclable material more
widely. Cutting the overall weight of a vehicle
saves fuel consumption and reduces carbon
dioxide emissions. In addition, the resistant
aluminium coating also offers the attractive
finish that is used increasingly in trim com-
ponents.
The new coating has been tested on a
number of automotive components such
as roof rails, window surrounds and grilles
with major car companies including General
Motors, Ford, Jaguar and Aston Martin. And
following the success of these trials, the com-
pany had its first volume product order with
a major original-equipment manufacturer for
finishing of a new exterior trim, Wall says.
Sapa has also set its sights on exploring the
wider application potential of its new coating
which it believes has great potential within all
aspects of aluminium anodising sectors. One
promising area is in the architectural market
for window frames. In the United States, one
aluminium window manufacturer is inter-
ested in the extra protection the coating can
give to products installed in coastal regions
where sea salt is a corrosion issue.
The kitchen appliance market is another
sector where the new anodising process could
be of benefit for products such as dishwashers,
cookers and washing machines where alkaline
cleaning products are commonly used, Wall
says.
Text Elaine McClarence
# 1 2009 SHAPE • 19
Today’s technology
A SUITABLE ALLOY
When the EU banned lead
as an additive in aluminium
alloys, a plant in Italy set out to
find a substitute.
“Creating an alloy mix is like tailoring a
suit,” says Sergio Sannicolo, location manag-
er for Sapa Profili s.r.l. in Bolzano, Italy. Just
as custom suits are designed for the wearer,
the hard alloys used in the aluminium pro-
files produced by the Bolzano plant have to
be suited to specific client needs. Since the
Bolzano plant specialises in profiles for auto-
motive and industrial applications (largely
hard alloy screw machine stock for mechani-
cal, electrical and electronic equipment), the
alloys it uses need to fit the requirements of
those industries.
Until recently, Sapa had used lead in its
alloy mixes, because the addition of up to
two percent lead helped enhance productivity
in the manufacturing process. Lead reduced
20 SHAPE • # 1 2009
excess metal shaving and increased speed and
accuracy. But two European Union regula-
tions passed by the European Parliament in
2002 and 2003, coming into effect in 2006
and this year, essentially prohibited lead as
an additive in aluminium alloys. (Up to 0.4
percent lead is still acceptable, but only if it’s
already present in recycled aluminium.)
“These edicts created significant problems
for our industry,” Sannicolo recalls. Sapa
would have preferred that the eu specifies a
substitute alloy, but Brussels left it up to the
market. So for the past several years Sapa
has focused on developing a lead-free alloy
that would retain lead’s desirable properties.
After many months of research, the company
developed an alloy of aluminium mixed with
magnesium, silicon, copper, tin and bismuth.
The additives, notably the tin and bismuth,
mimic lead in that they enhance the charac-
teristics of the alloy.
“The initial results were very good, just
about as good as alloys with a lead additive,
and the shaving problem was handled well,”
says Sapa marketing analyst Claudio Del
Furia. “Of course it’s not quite like lead, but
it is rather satisfactory and much healthier.”
Once Sapa had an alloy mix it thought
might work, it began testing the mix with a
German client in the automotive industry to
see how it actually performed. The client was
so pleased that he has ordered 600 tonnes
of the new alloy for 2009, notes Sannicolo.
“We would say that we have reached the 80
percent mark in terms of a solution to the
lead-free issue.”
Nevertheless, Sapa continues to work on
the alloy to refine it. Research is ongoing at
the company’s research centre in Sweden to
reduce the waste from metal shavings, as well
as improve quality control. Automotive proc-
esses are high speed and highly automated. If
a metal is of inferior quality, it threatens both
the speed of output and the quality of the
final product.
“We should always be striving for perfec-
tion, no?” says Sannicolo.
Text Claudia B. Flisi
 BRIEF NOTICES

One-stop supplier
provides better terms
> “Thirteen years ago, Hällde had three suppliers of aluminium profiles, but now we have
just one: Sapa,” says Rami Riihimäki, purchasing manager for Hällde.
Hällde is a Swedish manufacturer of catering appliances. With a number of key patents, the
company has achieved a global lead in the development and manufacture of vegetable slicers
and other food processors. Its products are sold in over 80 countries around the world.
These professional appliances are in a class apart from everyday household appliances.
Hällde appliances have a reputation for efficiency, safety, ergonomics and performance.
“The Hällde range of appliances is built around housings made from aluminium profiles sup-
plied entirely by Sapa, and thanks to the high volumes, Sapa have been able to offer us a com-
plete, cost-effective solution,” reports Rami Riihimäki.

Two at the top

> Two important commercial projects in Portland,
Oregon, have won third place in the 2008 “Daily
Journal of Commerce” Top Projects Awards.
The Atwater Place condominium in Portland boasts a
custom glass railing system and aluminium privacy screens
by Sapa, which provided in-house paint, engineering, draft-
ing and project management.
The Casey, another award-winning Portland condominium,
has a highly customised Sapa railing system combining
three types of infill (glass, panels and interior panels) and
a three-coat commercial-grade charcoal paint. All designs,
drawings, die creations, extrusions, etcetera were done in-
house.

Solar solutions at Sapa

> Aluminium is a material of choice for the
solar industry. Its strength, ductility, corrosion
resistance and low weight make it ideal for this kind
of application. Aluminium profiles can integrate
functionality, are highly durable and practically
maintenance-free and can be finished according to
customer needs. And – a must for green applica-
tions – they are 100 percent recyclable.
Sapa has launched a new organisation for the
solar industry offering total solutions, whether for
solar panel frames or installation systems. Over
the years, the company has built a huge bank of
knowledge covering almost all industrial fields, and
every day it sees examples of ideas and solutions
feeding into each other. All this experience is now
at the disposal of the solar industry.
For more information,
see www.sapagroup.com/solar

# 1 2009 SHAPE • 21
WORLD’S SMARTEST
BILLBOARD
It can cope with any weather. It does not require a mains supply for illumination.
And a single person can change a poster in less than five minutes. Bannergear
in Finland has developed the billboard of the future – in aluminium of course.

TRADITIONAL BILLBOARDS HAVE been around for a long

time, and normally have a frame of wood or steel
and a poster that is pasted on. This often takes
more than one person and requires very careful
positioning, since the posters are pasted up in sec-
tions.
The approach that Bannergear takes is differ-
ent. The poster is hooked to a frame made from
aluminium profiles and then simply winched into
place.
“It means that one person can replace a poster
measuring several square metres in the space of
just five minutes. The posters can be supplied in
a variety of materials – paper, polythene, airtex or
pvc – depending on the customer’s wishes,” says
Kari Karesola, product man-
ager at Bannergear.
The size of the billboard
can also be tailored to the
customer’s requirements, along
with a choice of lighting, by
Replacing billboard posters is now both quicker and easier.
spotlights above the billboard
or led lighting behind semi-
Kari Karesola
transparent posters. They quickly understood what we were looking occasionally. We’re also looking at a variant that is
The frame profiles for the for and can supply profiles in different lengths.” wind-powered, which will be ideal for windy loca-
billboards are always made from the same mate- The billboards can also be made even more tions,” says Kari Karesola.
rial, however, and Kari Karesola explains his com- environmentally friendly by attaching solar cells to Current customers include the German food
pany’s choice. the frame. This allows the lighting to be powered giant Lidl, and the building company K-Rauta.
“The profiles have an extremely long life, they without a mains supply. “There is a lot of interest, so there is a good
are easy to machine and a variety of features can “This means the customer can effectively place likelihood that Bannergear will grow over the next
be built into the profiles themselves. The fact that the billboard anywhere that receives daylight. All few years.”
aluminium is an attractive material is obviously an the customer needs to do is change the poster  Text DAG ENANDER

added benefit. Sapa are very good to work with.

22 SHAPE • # 1 2009
 BRIEF NOTICES

Urban
enlightenment
> Many cities in the world may soon benefit from a modern
touch of “la belle époque,” as changing styles of urban
architecture transform the shape of aluminium lighting columns,
influenced by fashion, design and technical developments.
Today modern extrusion techniques allow Sapa Pole Products
to supply affordable and innovative aluminium columns, such
as the square columns that fit the Philips Urban Line lanterns
shining in Düsseldorf, Tilburg, Eindhoven and Amsterdam. The
one-stop-shop Sapa plant in Drunen, the Netherlands, can deliver
not only round and square aluminium lighting columns but a large
variety of different shapes. Through a combination of an extensive
knowledge of aluminium, extrusion technology, procedure, design
and fabrication, Sapa Pole Products are able to fulfil the needs of
customers.
Riverside pearls
> Picture a neighbourhood with miles of riverfront for walking, running or
cycling. Think of a district featuring art galleries, bookshops, new res-
taurants and cafés. Then put the two together.
Downtown culture and the great outdoors are the backdrop for the
Waterfront Pearl, two 10-storey towers on the banks of the Willamette River
in Portland, Oregon. The architects behind the project contacted Sapa
Railing Systems to provide residents with an unobstructed view.
The final design used Sapa’s series 200 flat top aluminum railing
with 1/4" tempered glass infill and decorative horizontal midrails.
The residents of the Waterfront Pearl can maximise their pano­
ramic views while feeling safe and secure on their balconies.

Good suspension takes the lead

> Motorsport enthusiasts are used to seeing Öhlins’ service vans at racetracks around the world.
But it is not just competition motorbikes, cars, snowmobiles and ATVs that use suspension com-
ponents from Öhlins Racing. A growing number of private users are ordering Öhlins dampers made in
Sweden for their two-wheel, four-wheel or tracked vehicles.
Sapa, which has been a supplier to Öhlins for 25 years, has followed the company all the way,
from local manufacturer to world contender in the highest division. Continuous research and
product development lie behind Öhlins’ success, and have been key elements in the part-
nership with Sapa as a supplier of increasingly complex and refined components.
“We set high standards of quality, performance, function and appearance,” says
Lars Macklin, purchasing manager at Öhlins Racing. “Picture a newly washed
motorcycle standing in the sun … the owner is obviously not going to be satis-
fied with a shock absorber that is simply the best – it has to look like the best as
well.”

# 1 2009 SHAPE • 23
DANCING IN ALUMINIUM
Most of us use aluminium foil
for wrapping a packed lunch or
covering leftovers in the fridge.
But Israeli choreographer Ilan
Azriel saw a slightly different
application for this material
than you would normally expect,
and turned it into the key element
in his dance performance: the
Aluminum Show.
24 SHAPE • # 1 2009
S
ince its premiere in Israel in 2003 the show
has toured the world and drawn capacity
audiences. Accompanied by modern dance
music, audiences have seen aluminium in the form
of gigantic cushions that hover over their heads,
giants controlled by the dancers, an opera-singing
ball gown, and in the form of enormous Slinkys,
those spiral toys that were able to walk down stairs.
The performance is a mix of dance, music and
special effects, topped with a generous serving of
imagination and creativity.
At the press conference prior to the European
tour in 2008, Ilan Azriel explained how he hit
upon the idea:
“I was looking for inspiration for my next show
and happened to find a piece of aluminium duct
from an air conditioning system. I stuck my hand
in the duct and realised how flexible it was, and
my imagination took over from there. Once I’d
decided to use aluminium I discovered that you
can do almost anything with this material.”
He received assistance with the technical details
from Yuval Keden, a special effects designer, who
made the most of all the crazy ideas the choreo-
grapher had. The performance can be interpreted
as questioning whether man controls technology,
or technology controls man, but can also be seen
purely as light entertainment.
For the dancers, however, this is no light task, as
they frequently have to dance wearing outfits made
from aluminium.
“Rehearsing for the performance wasn’t easy,”
reports Ilan Azriel.
“Dancers like to show themselves off, but here
they are mostly hidden inside a variety of alumin-
ium shapes. It takes time getting used to dancing
in aluminium, but because they are all profession-
als it eventually becomes as natural as any other
costume.”
And yes, of course, all the aluminium that is
used in the performance is recycled.
Text Henrik Emilson