<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=1">Nolato Magazine 1 ➤ ➤ ➤ ➤ ➤ Thanks to a small Swed</a> ish-developed fuel cell, you will be able to obtain power for your phone out of thin air or use a laptop without having to be close to a power source. An ingenious silicone rubber membra- ne can replace u-bends and other space- consuming solutions as a way of preven- ting drain smells. What’s more, it saves water too. Nolato Magazine Power out of thin air Clever odour-free solution Cleaner HGVs Contemporary classic A rubber and metal membrane from Sunne helps prevent hundreds of thou- sands of cubic metres of oil from being discharged into the air by HGV engines. The Ellan rocking-chair is a contem- porary classic. Resource-efficient and designed to be flat- packed, it can be assembled without the use of tools or force. No 18 See page 4 See page 8. See page 13. See page 16. Yaxin Hou proudly shows off the first products made by Nolato Medical in China. Read more on page 10.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=2">Nolato Magazine Sida 2 2 M ale incontinence can be</a> caused by both illness and stress. But whatever the cause, this is a highly embarrassing and unpleasant condition. Previous devices to prevent uncontrolled urine leakage could prove troublesome, both- for the sufferer and for healthcare workers and carers. Also, the design and the packag- ing – often a bulky plastic bag – caused users problems. Openly advertising this condition was obviously not something that sufferers wanted to do. A whole new design and material When Coloplast, in cooperation with Nolato Medical, developed a new generation of uri- nary sheaths, the big challenge was creating a product which did not have these draw- backs. The product should be secure, comfortable to use, and not signify illness. The solution turned out to be a whole new design, in a new material, packaged in an attractive, functional plastic box. Injection moulded in silicone The new device is injection-moulded by Nolato Medical Rubber in liquid silicone, a material which is completely neutral and non-allergenic, whilst also being soft and pli- able. “By injection moulding in silicone, we have managed to take a big step forwards in terms of user-friendliness and reliability,” explains Johan Christiansson, Head of Projects and Sales at Nolato Medical Rubber. “The problems of kinking and leakage have been virtually eliminated, adhesion is good, and the injection moulding enables us to create functionality which can’t be achieved using other techniques.” Elastic and breathing The urinary sheath is now easy to put on, for both users and carers. There is very little risk of it coming off or of the tube to the urine collection bag coming loose. The elasticity of the silicone also means that it feels comfortable and sits in place well. The silicone allows the skin to breathe, which also helps to minimise discomfort. Involved in the development “We were involved throughout the develop- ment process, contributing our materials and manufacturing expertise. “The urinary sheath is just 0.2 mm thick in places, which posed a real challenge in terms of filling the mould evenly. “The liquid silicone is now injected into the mould at very high pressure, which makes for excellent manufacturing precision. Our Effective medical device in attractive packaging Incontinence can be a real problem for those who suf- fer from the condition. However, this problem can be alleviated to some degree by a good medical device – a device which needs to be easy to handle, whilst also being watertight and not overtly suggesting illness.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=3">Nolato Magazine Sida 3 3 Nolato Magazine is produc</a> ed for our custormers, shareholders, employees and otherswhom we wish to inform about the Group. Editor Mats Håkanson [mats@strateginfo.se]. Translated by Teknotrans. Printed by JMS, Vellinge, Sweden, November 2008. Nolato AB, SE-260 93 Torekov, Sweden Phone +46 431 442290, fax +46 431 442291 E-mail info@nolato.se, Internet www.nolato.com W elcome to the latest edition of Nolato Magazine, which I trust will make for enjoyable and informative reading. I feel that the articles reflect much of what characterises Nolato itself: in-depth expertise in materials and processes, early involvement in the customer’s projects, advanced project management and detailed knowledge of each customer’s spe- cific circumstances. A number of the articles also deal with our involvement in the development of green products. For example, you can read about the innovative fuel cell which charges a mobile phone using power “out of thin air”, the membrane which helps ensure a cleaner environment on the world’s highways, the drainage solution which saves water, and – last but not least – a resource- efficient contemporary rocking-chair. You can also find out about Nolato Medical’s successful launch in Beijing, how the Walkman phone gets its deep black finish, and – to the left – about an innovative solution for incon- tinence sufferers. And not forgetting the story of a relationship spanning more than three decades between Nolato and Lindab. I n the current global financial crisis, it is reassuring to be able to report continued strong growth in our nine-month inter- im report for 2008. However, we can’t take our eye off the ball. On the contrary, everyone at Nolato is doing their very best to ensure that our customers – both existing and potential – should see us as their first choice of partner when it comes to developing and manufacturing tailor-made, flexible and effec- tive solutions for the development and production of polymer product systems. Hans Porat President and CEO Hans Porat, President and CEO of Nolato. Dear shareholders, customers, employeesand other readers of Nolato Magazine N olato is pleased to report a strong third quarter, with increases in both sales and earnings. Sales totalled SEK 693 M (624) and oper- ating income (EBITA) was SEK 64 M (56), representing increases of 11 percent and 14 percent respectively compared with the same period during the previous year. “Our healthy growth has continued during the third quarter,” says Hans Porat, President and CEO of Nolato. Volumes were high in all Nolato Medical’s customer areas. Deliv- ery volumes from the Hungarian unit rose steadily during the quarter, and produc- tion will begin at our new Chinese unit during the fourth quarter. Nolato Telecom’s sales consisted largely of products launched during 2008, for which volumes have shown strong growth. Product deliveries were made as planned during the quarter to a new customer, RIM, whose opera- tions include developing and produc- ing the BlackBerry. A drop in demand from the auto- motive industry forced Nolato Indus- trial to make cuts in terms of both staff and costs. However, we have also received a number of orders for major new projects, including with- in the automotive and hygiene seg- ments. The 2008 year-end report will be issued on January 29, 2009. ■ Strong third quarter, with increases in both sales and earnings production quality is extremely high, which has enabled Coloplast to reduce its quality-control costs.” Well-designed moulds, which don’t leave any noticeable residue on the parting line, also contribute towards the high quality standards. Attractive packaging Unlike the old, bulky plastic bags, the new urinary sheath comes in an attractive pill box-like packaging which fits easily into the pocket and is less suggestive of illness. The box is manufactured by Nolato in Hungary and, like the uri- nary sheath itself, is delivered to Coloplast’s factory there. “Our cooperation with Coloplast has been extremely productive, enabling us to progress from idea to product launch in just a year and a half.” The product has been very well received by customers, and has even won a number of design awards including the Medical Design Excel- lence Award and the Look Good Feel Good Award from the British Association of Urological Nurses for the most innovative continence product. ■ Product deliveries to RIM were made as planned.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=4">Nolato Magazine Sida 4 4 A nyone who has used func</a> tions such as Bluetooth, WLAN and web surfing will know that today’s mobile phones consume a lot of power. And that’s without actually making phone calls. The more advanced the phone, the less time we can use it between recharging, which isn’t particularly conven- ient for the user. But the problem is bigger than that. It’s not the actual phone technology which limits the advanced functions which can be included in the phone, it’s the battery capacity. And even the most advanced batteries on the market have reached their maximum charge density, meaning that even minor manufacturing or design faults can increase the risk of over- heating and fire. Power out of thin air Fortunately, a solution is at hand which lit- erally obtains power from the air. A small Swedish-developed fuel cell generates pow- er from the reaction between hydrogen gas and oxygen. This power can then be used to operate mobile phones with advanced tech- nological functions which don’t need to be plugged in to recharge. The pocket-sized myFC fuel cell already exists, and could be on sale within a year. It is based on a proton-conducting polymer membrane which uses hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O) to generate power. The process is completely clean, with the only waste product being normal water (H2O), which evaporates into the air. This means that the fuel cell produces The fuel cell which charges a mobile using power from the air myFC is a fuel cell which converts hydrogen gas and oxygen into power, which can run or charge mobile phones, laptops, etc. without having to be near a power source.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=5">Nolato Magazine Sida 5 5 energy without having any</a> discernible effect on the environment. The fuel cell can be filled with hydrogen gas in a number of different ways. One way is to fill a tank, much like gas in a cigarette lighter, while the oxygen is obtained from the air. The membrane – where the entire process actually takes place – is just a couple of μm thick and a few cm² in size, meaning that the fuel cell can be extremely compact. The first commercially operational fuel cell, the myFC Excess Charger, is only the size of a mobile phone and is connected via a cable. It is thought that it will be possible to make even smaller fuel cells in the future, building these into the phone from the out- set. Nolato – a strategic partner The technology is based on a patented inno- vation by Anders Lundblad, a researcher at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stock- holm who is now CTO of myFC, the compa- ny developing the product. As a specialist in polymer products, Nolato got involved with the development work at an early stage, and is now one of the compa- ny’s strategic partners. “We’ve been on board since the early development stages,” says Lars ‘Malte’ Pers- son, who is responsible for research and development at Nolato Telecom. “This is an extremely interesting product for us in terms of both the manufacturing technology and its applications.” Among other things, Nolato has developed a practical solution for manufacturing the small membrane patches in a safe and eco- nomical manner. The manufacturing process needs to be extremely precise and quality- focused, due to both the complex chemical processes and the fact that some of the mate- rials are very expensive. Great precision “The manufacturing process involves a tech- nology called converting, which is normally used for manufacturing packaging and other small components for mobile phones.” The patch is positioned with great preci- sion using rotary die-cutting on a support- ing material, which can then be mounted in the fuel cell. (Read more about converting on pages 14–15.) Further development is underway with the Faculty of Engineering at Lund University to manufacture the membrane using inkjet technology. “We hope that inkjet technology will ena- ble us to achieve a high degree of control, and to control the thickness at each indi- vidual point. This will make production extremely flexible and fast, getting the most out of the material whilst also ensuring high quality. But at the moment, we are using die- cutting. Low lifecycle cost “The production of the membrane patch is extremely demanding in terms of both mate- rials and the process. One reason why the fuel cell can be made smaller than before is its high power density, which makes it diffi- cult to manufacture. However, we use stand- ard components and have optimised the pro- duction process to achieve a low lifecycle cost for the end user.” A thousand prototypes have now been produced, and are undergoing a rigor- ous testing and validation program. myFC expects that the product will be available on the consumer market within a year, and will represent a practical and effective alternative for charging mobile phone batteries without access to electricity. ■ Just imagine if you could use your mobile phone for weeks on end without having to plug it in to recharge it. Or if it had enough power to stream high definition TV continu- ously or run other power-hungry applications. All this will soon be reality, thanks to a Swedish pocket-sized fuel cell which literally creates power out of thin air.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=6">Nolato Magazine Sida 6 6 T ake, for example, the r</a> elationship between Nolato Polymer in Torekov and Lindab in Grevie. The two companies are just a stone’s throw away from each oth- er, on the Bjäre Peninsula. One manufactures soft polymer products, while the other pro- duces rigid air duct systems, with the whole world as their market. “After more than thirty years together, we know each other pretty well…” Erik Bordin, Jimmy Wallin and Kenneth Johnsson can look back on thirty years of cooperation between Lindab and Nolato. Not every company is fortu- nate enough to have a supplier right on its doorstep – especial- ly one which they can continue to work with year after year. This requires a special relation- ship whereby both partners can work and grow together.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=7">Nolato Magazine Sida 7 7 “We started working toget</a> her back in 1976,” says Jimmy Wallin, Head of Market- ing and Sales at Nolato Polymer. “We started off by manufacturing just a handful of com- ponents for Lindab, but the number of prod- ucts has grown and grown over the years. Today, we make a couple of dozen different products for them.” These products are the flexible seals which sit in the connectors between Lindab’s vari- ous ventilation channels, ensuring a tight fit between metal sections so that there is no air leakage. “Obviously we’ve been extremely pleased with the way Nolato have treated us as a customer,” says Kenneth Johnsson, Head of Purchasing for Lindab’s Ventilation business area. “Otherwise we wouldn’t have been customers for more than 30 years – it’s as simple as that! High demands “We expect a lot from our suppliers. They need to keep a close eye on quality, deliver what they promise and be flexible. And, of course, their prices need to be competitive.” Over the years, the relationship between Nolato Polymer and Lindab Ventilation has grown increasingly close. “Nolato have a full overview of our stock, and they ensure that the correct stock lev- els are maintained,” says Erik Bordin, a pur- chaser for Lindab Ventilation in Grevie. “We don’t have to spend time ordering – we can rest assured that we will always have the right number in stock.” Flexible re-stocking “If more products are ever required over and above our anticipated levels, our proxim- ity and Nolato’s highly flexible production mean that we can re-stock quickly – often overnight. “And Nolato’s compact organisation, where one person tends to have an overview of the entire process, means that our com- munication can be very direct and open.” Just like any long-term relationship, there’s mutual trust and a degree of give and take. “We know each other pretty well by now,” concludes Kenneth. “So we share the ben- efits of the savings we can make by work- ing together, thus keeping development costs down on both sides.” It’s a win-win situation – which is just how it should be! ■ Lindab Arena, Ängelholm, Sweden
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=8">Nolato Magazine Sida 8 8 The membrane which helps </a> ensure a cleaner environment on the world’s highways T he piston rings in a diesel engine are never completely sealed, which means that exhaust fumes leak into the crankcase. Previously, these oily and sooty fumes were simply discharged into the air through a hose from the engine, but this environmen- tally-unsound practice is now being banned in more and more parts of the world. There are a number of different ways of cleaning the crankcase gases from a heavy- duty diesel engine. A filter can be used, and this does provide acceptable cleaning, but has the disadvantage of needing to be replaced regularly. Another possible solution is the use of cyclone fans, which don’t have any filters to replace, but which aren’t effec- tive enough at cleaning. Swedish company Alfdex – a joint ven- ture between Alfa Laval and Haldex – has therefore devised a new solution: a separator for cleaning crankcase gases which is both maintenance-free and highly effective. It uses centrifugal technology to remove both soot particles and oil residues from diesel engine crankcase gases. “Ours is the most effective solution on the market today,” boasts Mats Olsson, Techni- cal Manager at Alfdex in Landskrona. The Alfdex separator is sealed for life and requires no maintenance. It also does an excellent job of cleaning crankcase gases – as close to one hundred percent as it is possible to get. The air emitted contains less than 0.1 grams of oil per hour of operation. The separator is based on thin discs which rotate at 7,000-8,000 rpm, extracting oil droplets and soot particles from the crank- case gases. The extracted oil then goes to the engine’s oil sump, while the cleaned air Alfdex offers the most effective HGV diesel engine crankcase gas cleaning available today. This membrane, developed by Nolato Sunne according to Alfadex’s specifications in a combination of rubber and metal, ensures that the crankcase pressure stays within set limits.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=9">Nolato Magazine Sida 9 9 A dedicated materials lab</a> oratory, real commitment and a flexible organisation proved to be deciding factors when Alfdex came to choose a supplier for a membrane which helps to prevent hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of oil droplets from being discharged into the air by HGV diesel engines. is either recirculated into the engine or dis- charged. One vital element in this process is a mem- brane which sits in the cleaned-air exhaust channel and ensures that significant under- pressure does not occur in the crankcase. And this membrane is manufactured by Nolato in the western-Swedish town of Sunne. “We got involved after Alfdex had start- ed to produce prototype separators for prac- tical testing,” explains Petter Lindberg, a salesman at Nolato Sunne. “The solution which had been chosen at that time for con- trolling underpressure turned out not be up to scratch, so Alfdex contacted us to see if we could help them.” The membrane is a valve which limits the outflow of air, so that the crankcase pres- sure stays within set limits. A spring keeps the membrane open as long as the pressure remains at the correct level, but if there is too much underpressure the membrane reduces the airflow. Quick solution needed “With the original design, we found that the reverse of the membrane was damaged by wear and tear,” says Mats. “What’s more, the material of the membrane didn’t work well with the plastic material in the separator housing, which meant that for some appli- cations the membrane stuck to the separa- tor housing and stopped working after an hour’s use.” Nor did the previous design meet the per- formance specification for the entire range of temperatures, whereby the membrane had to work between -40°C and 140°C. “We already knew of Nolato Sunne, who had supplied Haldex with excellent products for a number of years, so we asked them if they could quickly come up with a proposed solution. We presented them with the same challenge as we gave the supplier of the orig- inal membrane.” “We thought that this sounded interest- ing,” says Petter, “so we mobilised all our resources to come up with a new mem- brane. We felt that we were in a strong posi- tion, with our own materials laboratory, our excellent materials suppliers and, not least, our fast, flexible organisation.” Tricky adhesion solution Studies were carried out on a number of different combinations of materials and designs, resulting in a membrane which com- bined soft, flexible rubber with an integral supporting core consisting of a thin, non- corrosive plate. “One problem we encountered was how to get the special rubber to adhere to the metal. All the so-called experts claimed that it was impossible, but our technicians refused to give up and managed to come up with a method which actually worked. So it was with a mixture of pride and expectation that we were able to present Alfdex with a solution which we were really rather pleased with.” “Nolato Sunne’s competitor also came up with a new solution,” says Mats. “Once we’d carried out detailed tests, it turned out that both companies had actually managed to produce a membrane which met our require- ments. In the end, the deciding factor was that, throughout the entire process, we felt that Nolato Sunne were really on the ball. They were fast, and they delivered.” Today, Nolato Sunne supplies all mem- branes for the separators. “Our working relationship is excellent. We had a common goal, and we developed the product together. And the solution really works. We’re carrying out a long-term test of the material, and it’s already passed the lifespan requirements with flying colours and without dropping below our strict per- formance requirements!” ■ Petter Lindberg and Mats Olsson are pleased with the partnership between Nolato and Alfdex.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=10">Nolato Magazine Sida 10 10 Yaxin Hou Nolato Medica</a> l’s Chinese operations have been set up according to plan. Production is now underway and inspections have been carried out for certification to medi- cal devices standard ISO 13485 – with excellent results. Markus Månsson and Felix Wang are proud that medical production in Beijing has achieved ISO 13485 certification. Nolato Medical launches in China Beijing production unit gains ISO certification with flying colours
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=11">Nolato Magazine Sida 11 11 Peng Li N olato Medical</a> has now started man- ufacturing medical devices in China, barely three months after the decision was made to enter this growing market. “The combination of Nolato’s previous experience in China and our in-depth med- ical expertise has enabled us to set up very quickly,” says Christer Landgren, one of the people responsible for launching Nolato Medical in China. Benefited from Nolato Telecom “Even though we’ve built up a completely separate flow for medical production, we’ve obviously benefited enormously from Nolato Telecom’s established quality system. “Nolato Telecom also carries out a lot of clean-room production and has to meet sim- ilar strict requirements to those that are such a big feature of medical technology produc- tion.” Successful ISO inspection September saw the Beijing medical opera- tions undergo a successful ISO 13485 inspec- tion. “Thanks to close cooperation between Nolato Medical’s existing facilities and the team in China, we were able to set up a high- ly effective medical system extremely quick- ly.” Nolato Medical’s new Beijing unit manu- factures products for global Danish medical device company Coloplast’s Chinese factory, which mainly supplies the Asian market. Where the customers are Nolato Medical is one of Coloplast’s strate- gic suppliers, already carrying out produc- tion on the company’s behalf in Scandinavia and Hungary. “Our partnership with Coloplast is an exact match for our overall strategy,” says Christer Wahlquist, head of Nolato Medi- cal. “We will follow our customers wherever they need us, thus ensuring that we both reap the benefits of our previous experience.” Setting up in China is part of Nolato Medical’s goal of producing and delivering where its customers are. “We now have a platform in Asia which we can build on together with other global customers. “Quite simply, we want to be close to our customers – physically as well as ment- ally!” ■
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=12">Nolato Magazine Sida 12 12 T he phone is encased i</a> n a gorgeous, piano gloss black cover, which has been designed to shine with a real sense of depth. “We’ve achieved this effect by using a spe- cial technique in which two foils are inte- grated into the injection-moulded plastic,” explains Patric Mattsson, Marketing and Sales Manager at Nolato Telecom. Two different foils This technique, known as IMD (In Mould Decoration), involves printing logos and other design elements on a plastic foil, which is then inserted into the mould and incorpo- rated into the plastic component. A single foil is normally used on top of the plastic to produce the desired cosmetic appearance and to give better scratch-resist- ance. However, in this particular case two different foils are used together with a trans- parent plastic, which is injection-moulded between the two foils during the manufac- turing process. Vacuum metallised “Using two foils with different appearances has enabled us to achieve the special effects which Sony Ericsson’s designers were look- ing for,” continues Patric. The top foil is glossy and transparent, giv- ing the phone its mirror-like finish. The Sony Ericsson logo is also printed on this foil. The base foil has been vacuum metallised to give it a glossy, dark smoked effect. Positioning this beneath the transparent layer of plas- tic is what creates the impression of depth, making the surface appear less flat and giv- ing it a life of its own. “This technique might be easy to explain, but the process itself is actually extreme- ly demanding. For example, it’s incredibly important to ensure that the process is abso- lutely clean. The tiniest speck of dust would show up, which is why we manufacture the phone’s cover in a clean room with strict requirements in terms of being free from particles. Advanced technology “We’ve worked hard to perfect this advanced technology, but we feel that we’ve come a long way.” And the rich glossiness of the W980 is daz- zling proof of this. ■ Two IMD foils and a clean-room to create glossy music phone When Sony Ericsson designs a top-of-the- range Walkman phone for the ultimate music experience, functionality isn’t the only important factor – the phone’s appearance should also be in a class of its own. Take for example the W980, where a special injection-moulding technique has been used to create a glossy, black feeling of depth.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=13">Nolato Magazine Sida 13 13 Conny Eklund (left) and</a> Carl-Åke Johansson (right) from Purus have worked with Nolato Polymer staff including Johan Skyllerstedt, Staffan Svensson and Thomas Lindberg. T raditionally, the foul smell from sew- age pipes has been kept away from our sensitive noses using water-filled u-bends or floor drains with water traps. These do a marvellous job of keeping the stench at bay when they work, but aren’t much fun to deal with when they get blocked or are emptied of water. The Swedish company Purus – one of Europe’s leading sanitary ware players – has therefore teamed up with Nolato Polymer to develop a solution which stops bad smells without the need for water. The solution is based on an ingenious lit- tle membrane, which lets running water through when needed, but which provides a tight, odour-free seal the rest of the time. The membrane sits inside the pipe, which means that the solution also saves space. A single straight or bent pipe running from the sink is all that is required. “We’ve been a strategic supplier of TPE and rubber products to Purus for many years,” says Johan Skyllerstedt, who manag- es Nolato Polymer’s relationship with Purus. “Now we’ve assumed overall responsibili- ty for producing a number of the products which make up the new membrane.” The membrane is injection-moulded in two-component silicone in Torekov, while the plastic parts are made in Ängelholm. An opened plughole smells bad, as anyone who has unscrewed the trap under a sink to clear it of hair, soap residue and goodness knows what else will testify. As will anyone who has a floor drain which has dried out. But now there’s a solution – a clever little membrane developed by Purus and manufactured by Nolato. Clever membrane stops smells and saves water “This overall responsibility means that we also buy in components which we don’t man- ufacture ourselves, and then assemble the complete product and deliver it packaged, ready for sale to the consumer.” One of the products which Nolato Poly- mer supplies is used as a bottom valve for urinals and washbasins. Here, the novel lit- tle membrane has another advantage – it dra- matically reduces the need for flushing. The membrane also acts as a venting valve as well as a backflow valve if water runs backwards. “Previous solutions required a good flush- ing after every use in order to make life more pleasant for the next user,” continues Johan. “But with this membrane, virtually no water at all is needed in order to keep the urinal odour-free. It’s a solution that’s good for the environment – and good for the wallet!” ■ The membrane is made from two-component silicone in Torekov, while the plastic parts are made in Ängelholm.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=14">Nolato Magazine Sida 14 14 Dan Wong D espite only </a> having been established in 2007, Nolato Lovepac Converting has extensive experience of producing advanced products for the mobile phone industry using rotary die cutting. For a number of decades, the business was part of Nolato Lövepac, but is now operated as a separate company in order to focus particularly on the needs and desires of mobile phone manufacturers. Flexible and quick “Although this technology is largely the same for any customer area, the telecommunica- tions industry has its own particular require- ments in terms of flexibility, quality and tech- nical solutions,” explains Dan Wong, MD of Nolato Lovepac Converting. “Generally speaking, everything has to move extremely quickly, and we have to be highly flexible when it comes to volumes and deliveries. At the same time, we also need to be able to deliver both simple standard prod- ucts and more complex, innovative solutions to our customers’ problems.” A key element of the customer concept is to be where the customers are. Nolato Lovepac Converting therefore set up its main operations in Beijing, but also has develop- ment, project management, technical sup- port and production resources in southern China (Shenzhen) and in Hungary (Moson- magyaróvár). In Sweden, there is a sales and project team, which serves European customers while also working closely with the Asian organisation. “We will continue to refine our geographic presence in accordance with our customers’ wishes,” adds Dan. Ideal for telecom production Many of the major players within the mobile phone industry are Nolato Lovepac Con- verting customers. For example, its die-cut products are used in Nokia and Sony Eric- sson mobile phones, as well as in the new iPhone. The company’s customers also include contract manufacturers such as Fox- conn, BYD and Jabil. Nolato Lovepac Con- verting also supplies a number of leading electronic brands. Converting is a technique which Nolato uses to manufacture self-adhesive, laminated components for sealing, shock absorbing and packing, delivered on reels and ready for use in the final assembly of mobile phones, etc. Fast, flexible rotary die cutting for innovate telecoms solutions
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=15">Nolato Magazine Sida 15 15 Song Shugui “Converting</a> technology is ideal for this kind of environment,” says Mattias Sköld, who is responsible for technical support and sales in Europe. “Compared with tradition- al flatbed die-cutting, we can combine dif- ferent materials much more flexibly. Since the various materials come on reels and run through the die-cutter on different rollers, we can start by die-cutting using one mate- rial, and then add more and more materials to create additional die-cuts in one continu- ous process. “The end-product is built up using sever- al different materials which are laminated together and die-cut in one continuous proc- ess, enabling us to create products with the particular qualities required for the applica- tion in question.” Ready to be automatically mounted The die-cut products are mounted on a pro- tective liner, and are delivered to the custom- er on a reel. The products can then easily be automatically mounted straight from the reel, ensuring effective, precise assembly. “But we do more than ‘just’ die-cutting,” continues Mattias. “One current example is loudspeaker components for one of the big mobile phone manufacturers, where we vac- uum metallise the die-cut protective netting covering the loudspeaker to meet the design requirements. Another example is a complex composite mobile phone product which can’t be produced using a single die-cutting proc- ess, so we’ve developed a die-cutting meth- od whereby we automount pre-cut products onto newly-cut products. “After all, our job is to solve the custom- er’s problems, so nothing’s impossible!” ■
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=h06mcnst&gInitPage=16">Nolato Magazine Sida 16 Nolato AB, SE-260 93 Torek</a> ov, Sweden T he Ellan rocking-chair is a contempo- rary classic. It is manufactured from a composite material which is 51 percent wood waste and 49 percent plastic. And its construction is such that it can be assembled without the use of any fittings or tools. The only material used is the wood plastic com- posite. IKEA markets the Ellan as a highly novel chair – stripped of all but the essentials, flat- packed and fully recyclable. In fact, it was recycled before it was even made. And for a simple piece of furniture, it certainly posed a few challenges for Nolato Alpha, which manufacturers the chair, before flat-packing it and delivering it to IKEA all over the world. “Mixing wood with plastic is nothing unique in itself,” says Henrik Enoksson, Technical Manager at Nolato Alpha. “But normally it’s a case of extruding components where the look of the surface isn’t particu- larly important. “But this is a chair, and all the parts are vis- ible, so IKEA obviously had much stricter requirements for the surface finish. What’s more, all the surfaces need to feel good against the hand, the back and the bottom.” A lot of test-runs had to be carried out before the manufacturing process was per- fected, but the mass production of the Ellan now runs just as smoothly as any “normal” plastic injection-moulding process. “The material has some fascinating prop- erties. Not only is the manufacturing proc- ess highly resource-efficient, the chair is also lighter than a plastic equivalent with the same mechanical properties. That means less environmental impact and lower transporta- tion costs. “The surface has a great texture. It can also be painted, so the designer can achieve the exact look they’re after.” ■ The Ellan rocking-chair is rather unusual. It comes flat-packed, and can be assembled with- out using either tools or force. It is made by Nolato Alpha, using a resource-efficient process in which plastic is mixed with 51 percent wood waste. Contemporary classic
