Extreme Heat

Elkem, Bjølvefossen is located right by
the Hardanger fjord 110 kilometers from
Bergen, Norway.
Elkem specialises in producing magnesiumferrosilicon
master alloys. Bjølvefossen is
among the world’s largest producers of
magnesium-ferrosilicon. Magnesiumferrosilicon
is used in different steelmaking
processes. The liquid metal is poured into
a 3 m3 large vat and then transported to
different parts of the factory where the liquid
metal is divided to smaller vats.

Elkem operates a specially designed
Kalmar DCG160-12 to transport the vat of
liquid metal. The medium sized machine is
equipped with heat protection kit in order to
cope with the extreme heat generated from
the vat. All hoses in the mast and carriage
are heat protected and an extra windshield
to protect the cabin from splashes from the
vat. The metal mixture reaches a temperature
of almost 2000° C.

Elkem´s Per Einemo, Maintenance Manager
has been working for Elkem over 40 years
and has a long experience of Kalmar´s
Forklifts:
– “We bought the first Kalmar machines
in the eighties and we have been very
happy with the quality and support from
Kalmar. We have one 10 ton machine which
has been running more than 35.000 h. Kalmar
forklifts are a nice piece of machinery,
they just run and run. I expect the new
DCG160-12 will last just as long,” says Per.