Metals, Metalworking & Mining
Creating the stainless steels of tomorrow Outokumpu is the global leader in the development and manufacture of advanced stainless steel materials. The company continues to increase its competitive edge through a combination of innovation and consistent high quality. Ground-breaking container tanks and validated aerospace bar products are considered ‘game-changers’ by many, as Philip Yorke reports for Industry Europe.
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utokumpu was founded in Finland in 1910 as a result of the discovery of a rich copper ore deposit in eastern Finland. Over the years, Outokumpu has evolved from a mining and multi-metal company to the global leader in stainless steel. The company as it is known today was formed through the acquisition of Avesta Sheffield in 2001 and Inoxum in 2012, the stainless steel arm of Thyssenkrupp. The company has been instrumental in developing the stainless steel industry into what it is today. Outokumpu’s production facilities cover all continents and are located in Finland, Germany, Mexico, Sweden, the UK and the USA. It also has a global sales and service network located close to its key OEM customers. Today Outokumpu is organised into three distinct business units: Europe, Americas and Long Products. Each business sector is represented in the company’s leadership team with sales, production and profit responsibility. In addition, its business support functions serve these areas to ensure the most efficient global processes for its customers.
In 2016 Outokumpu recorded sales of almost €6 billion and achieved stainless steel deliveries of 2,444,000 tonnes. Currently the company employs over 10,000 professionals in more than 30 countries worldwide with headquarters in Helsinki, Finland, and shares listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.
Revolutionary flexibility Finland’s leading Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) tank manufacturer, LNGTainer, has recently launched a revolutionary new cryogenic tank which brings together two Innovations: LNGT’s game-changing tank container and Outokumpu’s unique austenitic stainless steel grade, Supra 316+ (EN1.4420, UNS S31655). “The most revolutionary aspect of LNGT’s new tank container is that its structure includes a unique, light and flexible inside tank as well as a special outside pressure vessel. For the lightweight inside tank the manufacturer needed a superior stainless steel with very special properties. The only specification that could meet LNGT’s challenging requirements was Outokumpu’s Supra 316plus stainless steel grade.
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