Significant collaboration with Kongsberg

The overall common goal is to take care of the soldiers in the best possible way, when Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace (KONSGBERG) and RIVAL collaborate on the weapons station productions.

It requires outstanding quality and documentation to produce critical and costly components for KONGSBERG’s Remote Weapon System (RWS). If something goes wrong, it has big consequences. In the extreme, it can cost human lives.

“Good enough” does not count
RIVAL has invested millions in equipment, employees and procedures in order to meet KONGSBERG’s requirements and expectations. “An important element in being successful is that our employees go to work with the right attitude and the right skills,” project manager Flemming Hansen says.

“They know that ‘good enough’ does not count for our customers. The requirements are extensive, and we work every day with great fervour to fulfil them. We know, it makes a difference for both our customers, our job satisfaction and, in the end, for the Danish soldiers out in the field.”

Production at the DMG MORI Centre
In the production hall, RIVAL’s DMG MORI DMU 75 and DMU 65 with a PH cell are the focal point of the collaboration with KONGSBERG. RIVAL’s CNC expert Jakob Koch Pedersen has the overall responsibility here.

“We have invested over DDK 8 million in new equipment to be properly geared for the collaboration with KONGSBERG,” he says. “We have structured the work so that all start-ups and run-ins takes place on the DMU 75. Then, the production is moved to the DMU 65 with the PH cell (Pallet Handling system) and runs around the clock. By thinking in terms of entire weapon systems, we have streamlined the collaboration. We produce all the critical components for one weapon station at a time, get it packed down and prepared for delivery.”

Quality and documentation
At KONGSBERG, they are extremely satisfied with their collaboration with RIVAL. The customer praises RIVAL’s control on quality, subcontractors and documentation.”25% of the time we work for KONGSBERG is spent on quality control and documentation,” production manager Flemming Hansen says. “We carry out full measurements of all references on the customer’s drawings, we have control over certificates and sub-suppliers and must document the whole thing for the customer. In the future, we will have more customers with precisely these requirements and are continuously working to become even sharper at solving this type of task.”