Husqvarna Automates Heat Treatment with New Industrial Oven

Husqvarna has invested in a new industrial oven from ElectroHeat as part of its effort to improve safety and quality in its cylinder factory. The oven is fully automated and accommodates 1200 cylinders simultaneously, an impressive capacity that takes production to the next level.

Husqvarna manufactures cylinders for handheld products such as chainsaws. The cylinders are cast, machined, and surface-treated. To relieve internal stresses in the metal structure, the metal undergoes heat treatment for three hours at 260 degrees. Traditionally, the cylinders have been manually packed in a basket placed in an oven, but now they have invested in a fully automated continuous furnace that handles 1200 cylinders at a time. The oven also ensures that each individual cylinder has a uniform temperature during heat treatment.
Claes Hogander at Husqvarna has been responsible for the installation and is very satisfied today.
– The new industrial oven is part of our “Smart Plant 2020” project, which aims to eliminate manual handling of products, says Claes.

A major change

Husqvarna manufactures cylinders for handheld products such as chainsaws. The cylinders are cast, machined, and surface-treated. To relieve internal stresses in the metal structure, the metal undergoes heat treatment for three hours at 260 degrees. Traditionally, the cylinders have been manually packed in a basket placed in an oven, but now they have invested in a fully automated continuous furnace that handles 1200 cylinders at a time. The oven also ensures that each individual cylinder has a uniform temperature during heat treatment.

Claes Hogander at Husqvarna has been responsible for the installation and is very satisfied today.

– The new industrial oven is part of our “Smart Plant 2020” project, which aims to eliminate manual handling of products, says Claes.

Chose the industrial oven from Swedish ElectroHeat

– The industrial oven was delivered in one piece, and with 2 centimeters to spare, we got it in, says Claes Hogander, looking pleased.

The impressive oven is manufactured by ElectroHeat in Gothenburg, which built it according to Husqvarna’s wishes. The oven is connected to industrial robots and control systems, where a conveyor belt of low-alloy steel allows the cylinders to travel through the oven itself. In heat treatment, uniform temperature is important, and it is crucial to feel confident in an automated process where 650,000 cylinders will pass through annually.
– The goal is the highest quality for our products, and it is important to feel confident in a fully automated facility like this one. I think we have achieved that goal with our new oven, says project manager Claes Hogander at the Husqvarna factory.

All industrial ovens have different requirement specifications

What about the manufacturer? Well, at ElectroHeat in Gothenburg, they are naturally pleased to be able to contribute their efforts to automate the process.

– In this particular continuous furnace, the flow and temperature uniformity were the most important factors, as well as reliability, of course. We have over 40 years of experience in manufacturing various industrial ovens, and we deliver globally. We have built everything from an industrial oven that is 150 meters long, 10 meters deep, and 5 meters high (an oven located in the USA and used for cable manufacturing) to small, handy containers that keep welding electrodes warm in humid environments, and everything in between, says salesman Joel Lagerqvist at Electroheat.

Company facts

Husqvarna Group has 13,000 employees worldwide and a turnover of around SEK 41 billion. The first Husqvarna factory was founded in 1689 as a gunsmith. Over the centuries, Husqvarna has manufactured a wide range of products, including sewing machines, bicycles, motorcycles, and kitchen equipment.