The overall common goal is to take care of the soldiers in the best possible way, when KONSGBERG and RIVAL collaborate on the weapons station productions.
Top-shelf quality and delivery ability is a must in the defense industry and in RIVAL’s collaboration with German KMW.
RIVAL’s customers in the defence industry place great demands on RIVAL’s employees and machines. Just now, RIVAL has signed a multi-year agreement with a customer to produce components to the armoured Stryker vehicle used in the American Defense.
RIVAL’s new 17 tons DMG MORI NTX 2500 machine works with extreme stability and precision. It works around the clock unmanned with the KUKA robot from QRS.
After several weeks of implementation, the DMG MORI machine and the KUKA robot from Quality Robot Systems (QRS) are now ready to produce critical and costly components with particularly high tolerances to the armoured Stryker vehicle. It happens during evenings and nights only monitored by one employee.
Four parts invent a new production set up
The preparatory work to the production of the components to the Stryker vehicle was initiated several month ago in an innovative collaboration between RIVAL, DMG MORI, the tool manufacturer Seco Tools and QRS. Previously, the components had to go through two turning and milling operations. Now, in the new setup with the DMG MORI machine and the KUKA robot, the entire production is carried out in one fixing. This reduces the time spent as well as the risk of errors.
Reduces the need of quality control
The DMG MORI machine is very special. Due to its weight and size as well as its build-in cooling system, the machine operates with extreme precision – even at many repetitions.
“Extreme precision is an essential element when we have to comply with demanding tolerances over a long production period,” foremann Glenn Scharling says. “Thus, it provides a great advantage in serial productions of complex components to the armoured Stryker and is supported by the machine’s ability to both turn and mill in one fixing.”
Significant streamlining of the production
With the new set-up, both RIVAL and DMG expect to be able to reduce the production time by half. “Since we can avoid having components waiting on pallets before the next operation, the production process is streamlined significantly,” Henrik Holvad says. “It also reduces the risk of errors and streamlines the process of control measuring tolerances in our Zeiss measurement machine. So, we can offer our customers in the defense industry a really good deal, which is also the reason why, we entered into this new agreement.”
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On Tuesday, October 22, General Lieutenant Flemming Lentfer, head of Danish Ministry of Defence, visited RIVAL with some of his colleagues and representatives from General Dynamics European Land Systems-Mowag (GDELS).
In the past years, RIVAL has been a supplier to GDELS and therefore to the Danish Defence as well. The visit was a part of the Danish Defence’s – including the Danish Ministry of Defence’s – work and dialogue with the Defence Industry and its’ suppliers.
General Lieutenant Flemming Lentfer attended the tour and the dialogue at RIVAL with Lieutenant-colonel Carsten Hasenfuss, Major Torben Grinderslev and Major Christina Hviid Mailund. Representatives from GDELS also joined the tour, hosted by sales director Christian Aarup and owner Henrik Holvad from RIVAL.
Competent company
Flemming Lentfer experienced RIVAL’s interest during the visit, and he gained new insight and inspiration.
“In our dialogue with the Industry, market knowledge and ongoing visits at Danish companies are important aspects. We need to attain greater knowledge of what Danish companies can offer FMI and the Ministry of Defence’s authorities,” Flemming Lentfer said. “You are a very competent company, and it’s so important that you maintain your mantra about quality and delivery reliability.”
The stakes are high – every time
Through the years, RIVAL has produced critical and costly components to combat vehicles such as PRIANHA P5, EAGLE 5, Leopard 2 and Ajax.
“When it comes to such jobs, it’s so important to focus a hundred percent on quality and delivery, because the stakes are so high,” owner Henrik Holvad says. “If we fail on the quality, catastrophic consequences might follow. It’s a matter of life and death, and our employees are extremely aware of that. Therefore, they go to great lengths to solve the jobs to the letter.”
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RIVAL has collaborated with customers in the Danish, German and Norwegian defence industry for many years. They appreciate RIVAL’s strengths within development and deliverance of critical components to the customers, and they value quality, documentation, traceability and reliability of delivery higher than the lowest price.
In close collaboration with other sub-suppliers, RIVAL has been responsible for the total supply of advanced parts to a combat vehicle. “In these types of projects, we always take the full responsibility for the project management,” says Christian Aarup from RIVAL. “In this way, we secure the customers, that their orders live up to the agreed terms and that they only have one contact regarding the project.”
System supplies through networks
RIVAL’s collaboration with many customers in the defence industry shows the great importance of being able to work as the system supplier of the customers’ projects. “As system supplier we enjoy the strong network of sub-suppliers, whom we collaborate with, especially within surface finishes, certificated materials and research & development,” says Christian Aarup. “We constantly focus on expanding our network, for which reason our membership of CenSec is important.
Take on responsibility
Today, RIVAL has considerable competencies and experiences, which make it possible for the company to boost big projects with system supplies to the defence industry in collaboration with competent sub-suppliers. “We know that parameters such as reliability of delivery, quality, traceability and close collaboration regarding the projects are important factors to the customers in the defence industry,” says Christian. “Both our employees and sub-suppliers are ready to use their knowledge on new projects in the industry, in which we believe, we can make a productive difference to the customers.”
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RIVAL has valuable collaborations with many companies in the defence industry, who appreciate RIVAL’s competencies within production of critical and costly components as well as serial production of system supplies.
RIVAL’s production runs around the clock and our robots work closely together with the advanced multi-processing centres. RIVAL’s employees are planning the working process in details and they make sure to follow the customer’s demands on tolerances and documentation.
To-sided production strategy
The customers in the defence industry are interested in RIVAL’s to-sided production strategy. The strategy focuses on producing other components, than those typically produced, by increasing the number of employees, who work at night.
Favourable overall economy
“An effective production, which runs according to the plan is crucial to the customers. At the same time, they value our technical insight and our ability to work in many different materials as well as accommodating the customers communication-wise,” says sales director Christian Aarup. “They appreciate the fact that we offer all of the element in the RIVAL package, which is always adjusted to each customer’s requirements. This results in our customers having a very favourable overall economy and high-quality components.”
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