Sandvik AB is a Swedish multinational engineering company
specializing in metal cutting, digital and additive manufacturing, mining and
construction, stainless and special steel alloys, and industrial heating. The
company was
Sandvik AB is a Swedish multinational engineering company
specializing in metal cutting, digital and additive manufacturing, mining and
construction, stainless and special steel alloys, and industrial heating. The
company was founded in Sweden in 1862. In 2020, the Sandvik Group had
approximately 37,000 employees and revenues of about 86 billion SEK in more
than 160 countries. Europe accounted for 35% of its sales, followed by North
America (22%), Asia (20%), Africa/Middle East (9%), Australia (9%) and South
America (5%).
Business areas
Sandvik's operations are grouped into four business areas.
- Sandvik Manufacturing and Machining Solutions manufactures
tools and tooling systems for metal cutting. Its brands include Sandvik
Coromant, Seco, Dormer Pramet and Walter. It also offers digital and additive
manufacturing.
- Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions supports the mining and
construction industries. Applications include rock drilling, rock cutting,
loading and hauling, tunneling and quarrying. Its brands include Artisan,
Inrock and Newtrax.
- Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions specializes in rock and
mineral processing for the mining and construction industries, including
crushing, screening, breaking and demolition.
- Sandvik Materials Technology manufactures stainless steels
and special alloys, including tubular products, bar and strip. It also offers
products for industrial heating.
History
The beginning
The company was founded by Göran Fredrik Göransson in 1862.
He was an early user of the Bessemer process on an industrial scale. The
company started as Högbo Stål & Jernverks AB in Sandviken, Sweden and was
later reorganized as Sandvikens Jernverk (Ironworks) AB in 1868. The Sandvik
brand name was first used officially in 1876 when Sandvik began selling
products in the USA. Sandvikens Jernverk was introduced on the Stockholm Stock
Exchange in 1901.
In the 1860s, sales were conducted through trading houses in
Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the UK, Russia, Germany and France. In 1914 the
company opened its first sales subsidiary in the UK. This was the start of a
long period of expansion as subsidiaries were opened around the world.
Early years
Sandvikens Jernverk introduced the first seamless tubes made
of stainless steels on the market in 1924 and by 1934 was the first in Europe
to perform pilgering of tubes on an industrial scale. The Second World War
forced the company to reorganize production. In 1942, the Sandvik Coromant
brand was established and the first cemented-carbide tools for metalworking
were manufactured a year later. Bessemer steel production was discontinued in
1947.
By 1967 Sandvikens Jernverk had 40 subsidiaries and sales in
100 countries. The company changed its name to Sandvik AB in 1972 and many new
factories and acquisitions followed, including Osprey. Cemented carbide
production took off and the first Rotoform equipment was developed.
1980–2000
Sandvik experienced a substantial decline in 1982-1983 and
in 1983 the company recorded its first loss in 62 years. Restructuring
measures, a new, decentralized organization and focus on strong areas brought
earnings and profitability back on track in only a couple of years.
Sandvik began investing in Eastern Europe in 1989 and
subsidiaries and plants were opened in Eastern Europe and Asia.
In 1994, Sandvik started producing diamond-coated carbide
cutting inserts on an industrial scale. Safurex®, a high-alloy duplex stainless
steel, was developed in 1996. In 1999, Sandvik divested its Saws and Tools
business areas.
2000 to present
Automation and remote control of mining equipment,
Automine®, was introduced in mines in Canada and Sweden in 2001. In 2004,
Sandvik's Kanthal division developed the production of high-temperature alloys
via powder metallurgy. In 2002, Sandvik acquired a majority shareholding in
German tool manufacturer Walter and Austrian tungsten producer Wolfram Bergbau
und Hüttenwas acquired in 2009. In 2014, Sandvik companies Dormer, Safety,
Impero and Pramet came together to create Dormet Pramet.
In 2017, the divestments of Process Systems and Mining
Systems were completed.