This year, the Swedish Steel Prize has been awarded to A-Ward Attachments Ltd. of New Zealand. The company has designed a flexible system using high-strength steel which compresses and packs metallic scrap in containers.
The aim of the Swedish Steel Prize is to inspire and disseminate knowledge about high-strength steels and the possibilities to develop lighter, stronger and more sustainable products.
From an environmental perspective, the recycling, management and transportation of metallic scrap is very important. A-Ward has worked for two years to perfect the design of a scrap loader which improves the management and transportation of scrap. The loader is manufactured from SSAB’s Hardox wear plate.
The scrap is loaded directly onto the containers, which saves both costs and time. Moreover, horizontal loading reduces the risk of damage to the containers. The environmental impact is reduced because the scrap containers need not be specially manufactured and ordinary container transportation can be used. The scrap loader will be sold worldwide to companies in the recycling and waste management sector.
“We are pleased to announce our first winner from New Zealand. A-Ward demonstrates the advantages of high strength steel with an innovative and well-planned solution. Productivity and service life have been improved significantly and their products contribute to a more sustainable society,” says KG Ramström, chairman of the jury and SSAB’s Chief Technical Officer.
"I would like to thank SSAB for putting on such an amazing global event like the Swedish Steel Prize. After spending the last couple of days at SSAB, I must say that my expert team just got a lot bigger. The innovative A-ward Mi-Slide product may come from one of my crazy ideas, but to turn it into reality, I have surrounded myself with a team of experts. Apart from the feeling of watching your brand new product work for the first time, also winning this prestigious award means a great deal to me," says Simon Ward, Managing Director A-Ward Attachments.
Other nominated companies have been awarded the second prize in the 2012 Swedish Steel Prize. These companies are Gremo (Sweden) and Borcad CZ s.r.o (Czech Republic).
SSAB established the Swedish Steel Prize in 1999.
