Refurbished products are profitable news to SCA Östrand.

At SCA Östrand’s pulp facility in Timrå, Sweden, you find one of the world’s largest production lines for bleached softwood sulphate pulp. Maintaining its high quality and sustainability performance requires a process with perfect flows. To help achieve this, Fagerberg supplies products such as flow meters. Additionally, SCA has access to a trade-in program where broken parts can be restored to like-new condition. This improves sustainability and reduces costs, making the solution increasingly appealing.

Things must work like clockwork at the Östrand pulp facility. Flow meters and flow tubes are crucial parts of this process. Previously, they were discarded when they stopped working, resulting in large amounts of waste. Continuing like that is not feasible, which is why Fagerberg’s trade-in program is so welcome, according to Andreas Niemelä, group manager of maintenance, electronics, and automation at SCA Östrand.

“It’s really starting to pay off. Before, we sent the biggest tubes, but now it’s profitable even for smaller ones. We also send broken and replaced amplifiers to flow meters, as Fagerberg runs a trade-in program for those. So, it’s more than the tubes; it’s the electronics too

The program results in the refurbishment, repair, and upgrade of products that would otherwise be needlessly discarded, providing participating customers with fully functional products in return. From a sustainability perspective, it’s also beneficial, as it decreases the need to produce new products. This lessens the strain on our planet’s limited resources and minimizes the environmental impact of manufacturing.

When SCA identifies a product that needs changing, they replace it with a working one from their stock. The one in need of a check-up is sent to Fagerberg, which troubleshoots, repairs, and returns the refurbished item. Once the product arrives in Timrå, it is stored until it is needed.

Now, not every product is shipped. The products that need replacement are assessed based on their condition, age, and purchase price before deciding whether to refurbish them at Fagerberg.

Most of us enjoy buying new stuff, and Andreas Niemelä is no exception. However, when he considers material issues, prices, transportation, and lead time, it’s clear that prolonging the service life of existing products is becoming increasingly attractive. This shift has taken place in conjunction with Fagerberg, and the conversation is easier thanks to a nearby office. Additionally, Fagerberg’s has a strong ability to respond quickly when there’s an urgency.

"The closeness and the people we meet from Fagerberg are highly appreciated,” says Andreas Niemelä.

That flow meters and other parts are fully operational is critical to him. If not, the machines won’t run, which causes costly downtimes. Here, the trade-in program provides extra security by ensuring access to the necessary parts. And when asked how he would summarize it, Andreas Niemelä is crystal clear:

Fagerberg’s trade-in program benefits the environment, provides access to fully functional parts anytime, and it cuts costs while speeding things up."