Adding precision and value to materials handling

Stellana is a global leader in the development and manufacture of thermoplastic, polyurethane, and rubber wheels for the materials handling industry. Philip Yorke talked to Peter Lindblom, the company’s sales and marketing director about the company’s move into new market sectors and its increasing investments in the world’s fastest-growing markets.

Stellana is part of the multinational Hexpol Group and was founded in Sweden in 1946 to manufacture polymeric products; it has since grown to become one of the world’s biggest producers of Vulkollan, thermoplastic polyurethane tyres for forklift trucks. The Hexpol Group is focused on two business areas: compounding and engineered products, of which around 95 per cent are exported to global markets. Nine of the group’s 24 production sites are located in the expanding regions of Asia, Mexico and Eastern Europe.

Today Stellana plays a vital role in the group’s manufacture of high quality rubber wheels and solid tyres for the transport and material handling industries. Stellana operates state-of-the-art manufacturing plants in North America, Europe and Asia. Together the Stellana/Elastomeric brand names are recognised as significant global partners to the leading OEMs and parts suppliers of the material handling and transportation equipment industries. Stellana currently employs more than 1,400 people worldwide and in 2012 recorded sales of more than SK185 million.

Standard and tailor-made solutions

Stellana offers a wide range of standard Vulkollan, polyurethane and thermoplastic products designed for fork lift and pallet

truck applications, as well as a diverse range of phenolic wheels for the industrial castors sector. However, as the world leader in the development and manufacture of high quality industrial wheels, the company also offers its customers a comprehensive and flexible resource for its special, customised products. These are made of various polymers with many combinations in terms of strength and resilience. The company is also a global leader in the supply of high-quality wheels for hand pallet trucks and in this segment standard materials include Polyamide, polyurethane and rubber.

Stellana’s industrial solid tyres for forklift trucks are constructed from a well balanced, three layered structure, that is comprised of a base, cushion and tread, each designed to ensure an optimal dynamic solution for each application. These advanced industrial wheels are composed of highly engineered materials and are available for marking and non-marking operations. Lindblom said, “At Stellana innovation and quality work side by side to produce the best possible solutions for any future materials handling challenge. We continue to invest heavily in new plant and technology and this year introduced the latest ‘Robotcell’ technology for the automatic assembly of wheels, bearings and shafts etc. In addition to these ongoing investments in the latest technical advances, we have also built a major new plant in China for the production of polyurethane industrial products, which is probably the most advanced of its kind in the world.”

Lindblom added, “As a Swedish company, one of our main priorities has been the protection of the environment and all our manufacturing plants are accredited to the international eco-certification standard, ISO 14001, as well as to ISO 9001. Although we rank number three in the league table of manufacturers in our specialised area of activity, we are the only company that is able to offer a truly global service and a worldwide manufacturing capability. We are also developing our presence in South America with special emphasis on the Brazilian market where we already have a sales network in place.

“All Stellana R&D is conducted in Sweden but we have regular global meetings with our technical staff worldwide to pool our technology and innovative resources. Our increasing manufacturing capability in China is designed to meet the demands of the local market there and also to be close to our multinational clients and partners. Looking to the future we will continue to expand both geographically and in the other market sectors where we are not represented. We will also keep the door open for acquisitions should the right opportunity present itself.” Delivering ‘Lean’ manufacturing

Both the Stellana and Elastomeric brands are recognised as leading the field in ‘Lean’ manufacturing processes. The company’s plant in Sri Lanka is one of the world’s foremost producers of rubber industrial products and processes more than 150 tonnes of natural rubber products every month. This is achieved using the latest state-of-the-art technology which meets the strictest international manufacturing standards. Today lean manufacturing is the operational tool which has helped Stellana to maximise its production efficiency and to achieve ‘world-class’ status in the specialised materials handling marketplace. As a result of its dedication to manufacturing excellence and quality management procedures, the company’s products are synonymous with superior quality, reliability, fast delivery and unparalleled customer service.

The company has also adopted a ‘teamwork concept’ which has been introduced to enhance employee participation and to encourage involvement in the contribution of ideas, improvements and suggestions to reduce or eliminate problems in working practices. This is with a view to improving overall efficiency and productivity throughout the entire value chain. Today Stellana continues to set high standards for the industry and is well placed to meet its ambitious goals for dynamic growth in the years to come. n