The exhibition floor a platform for new business

We are talking about wire in many different materials and just as many designs. Low alloy steel, carbon steel or stainless steel; round, flat-rolled or profiled - with different properties and adapted to different requirements.

- "We want to understand customers' needs for both function and appearance in the application so that we can offer the right solution. Garphyttan is one of the few manufacturers that can offer the full range of materials and designs," says Ola Ericsson, Product Manager Non-Automotive.

Important to develop new business
Suzuki Garphyttan's automotive roots are strong - and challenging in an age of electrification.

- We are still one of the world's largest manufacturers of wire for automotive spring applications and we continue to develop the automotive product segment. But we have worked hard within our organisation to create conditions for new products outside the internal combustion engine. It is important to develop new business," says Ola Ericsson.

Automotive demand favours new industries
We are showing product examples of wire with properties that border on the extremes, such as fatigue.

- We have spring wire that can withstand up to a billion compressions without fatigue. This is where we come from, from the requirements in automotive. Now we are trying to apply our expertise to develop other segments," says Ola.

The fair is a good opportunity to get to know customers
The stainless steel wire shown on the stand at Elmia Subcontractor is part of this initiative. A wire that is chosen by customers for both function and appearance. New business has opened up in areas such as the food industry, medicine, textiles, machine construction and industrial applications.

- "And we chose to come here to Elmia Subcontractor as an exhibitor for the first time to prove to our customers that we don't just talk about development, we also deliver. We see the fair as a good opportunity to get to know our customers, both existing and new, to see how we can help them," says Ola Ericsson.

Heavy investment behind the development
Switching from volume-based production in automotive to new segments is not easy.

- As a supplier, you have to be more flexible both in terms of development time and delivery quantity. But we have invested heavily to achieve this," says Ola.

Among other things, major efforts have been made on the personnel and market side with investments in application knowledge, business development and R&D.

- We have also invested in new draw benches for Garphyttan Sweden. Globally, we have also made machine investments to meet the need for the same breadth of product range as in Sweden," Ola explains.

The goal for Suzuki Garphyttan is to double its turnover by 2028 - with at least 50 per cent of the turnover in the non-internal combustion engine segment.