News Balk & Hål: 30 years of innovation powered by Bystronic...
The first thirty years are over, and now the company Balk & Hål in Mosslunda, one mile south of Kristianstad, is looking ahead. The company name undoubtedly makes you wonder what is being produced on the premises. One person who has been with us the whole time is Michael Nyberg, who says that the very first customer was Absolut Vodka, which is still produced in Åhus a few kilometers from here.
- They built the entire production line with conveyor belts where the bottles are washed, filled and transported through the factory, explains Michael Nyberg . They manufacture 140 million bottles annually in the factory, so it is important that the belts last.
"We also manufacture beams and support frames for elevators, which through our own design can be made so narrow that they fit buildings where you need to build an elevator into an existing stairwell".
Michael Nyberg
70/30
"We can be described as a traditional subcontractor that makes parts for both small and large customers. We are good at thinking unconventionally and are happy to solve construction problems for our customers... 70% are subcontractors, the rest are our own products, where we are seeing an increase in elevator foundations".
Mikael Nyberg
Growing in size and strength
A new owner, Per Lindahl, entered the company in 2012 and saw that it was cramped and the company was expanded. This made room for one of the first fiber laser cutters in Sweden.
- It was a Bystronic of 2000W, there were 6 employees at the time. A few years after that the company expanded even more and made room for a larger laser, and that's the way it is. Today they have 17 employees.
Two press brakes complement each other
"Often, it's about solving problems for customers where you can manufacture the parts as economically as possible. As a contract manufacturer you don't really know what jobs you can expect, but we are equipped for both small and large jobs, says Michael as we go out into the large workshop where the newcomer is".
Mikael Nyberg
A 320-ton Xpert Pro with a length of four meters.
An impressive press brake with the capacity to handle the toughest challenges. The operator Kristian Olsson has ten years of experience with press brakes and demonstrates how the LAMS on the press brake works.
It is a blue laser that measures the degrees from both sides of the lower tool and ensures that the bending is precise.
"There can be tensions in the material when bending, and what you want is an exact result every time. The laser measures and can increase the pressure a little more on a second press if necessary. A security when you have 700 pieces in two-meter lengths of 10-millimeter sheet metal to bend".
Kristian Olsson
Another special piece of equipment for the large press brake is the bending aid, where the relief helps the operator handle sheets of the heaviest and thickest dimensions. An ergonomical hit!
The small one
Next to the large press brake, the small, agile Xpert 40 press brake where Anna Larsson sits almost disappears. It was purchased in 2016, and Balk & Hål has benefited from the combination.
"Precision jobs in smaller sizes and larger numbers of workpieces are complemented by this small one. It is also nice to sit down and work with it".
Anna Larsson
A positive outlook
Two designers are new employees in the company, and the future looks bright. New office space has been built, and the premises have grown to 3,000 square meters over the years, and together with their own painting facility, they are now a completely complete supplier ready to face the future.
"We deliver to all of Scandinavia, and we will continue to grow".
Michael Nyberg
The combination with the small 40-ton press brake and the newcomer 320 offers a completely versatile unit.
Press brake operators Anna Larsson and Kristian Olsson plan the day's runs in the new 320-ton press brake.
LAMS reads the degrees and corrects during bending to constantly and repeatably provide accurate end results if the material has tensions in it.
Michael Nyberg with a part for a motor foundation for an elevator structure.The parts consist of sheets in dimensions 15-20mm and are cut, welded, bent and painted in-house.