Heat pump manufacturer NIBE plans to increase their production capacity at their Markaryd, Sweden facility. Recently, the company ordered a new line solution from AP&T for the production of water heater components.
“The demand for energy-efficient systems for heating and hot water production is growing steadily all over the world and we continue to see a strong demand for our products. We are now investing in new manufacturing capacity to future-proof the volumes we will need,” says Henrik Broström, production technical group manager for sheet metal and welding at NIBE Energy Systems.
The new production line from AP&T will be used for manufacturing stainless steel water heater ends and will be an important complement to today's existing lines.
“In addition to being able to manufacture more units, the new line also ensures a stable production process with high repeat accuracy and availability,” says Stefan Persson, project manager at NIBE Energy Systems, who, like Henrik Broström, was deeply involved in developing the new line.
Together, NIBE and AP&T discussed and evaluated a number of different options before the final concept took shape.
“Our ambition was to develop a process solution optimized for NIBE's specific needs and conditions that provides clear customer values. The line needed to be energy efficient, take up little floor space and be able to perform several steps with a few machines and tools,” says Dan Barvö, Key Account Manager at AP&T.
In the fall of 2022, AP&T presented a fully developed proposal that met all of NIBE's needs: A compact, energy-efficient, fully automated production line with a 500-ton press for deep drawing, a smaller modular press, linear robots and tooling. The order was placed in December and the plan is for the line to be commissioned in 2024.
“Collaborating with AP&T to develop the concept was constructive and resulted in a solution that we feel very satisfied with,” says Stefan Persson.
Facts about the NIBE Group
- A global group that contributes to a reduced climate footprint and better utilization of energy.
- Consists of over 100 independent companies with more than 19,000 employees.
- Divided into three business areas: Climate Solutions, Elements and Stoves.
- Headquarters in Markaryd, Sweden.