Relocating an entire production line

Within just seven months, the SCHOLPP Ibérica team managed to relocate an entire production line from the Spanish capital Madrid to Skövde in Sweden for its customer VOLVO GTO Powertrain. They started by dismantling the entire system, which is used to manufacture crankshafts for the latest Volvo and Renault engines, and packaging it ready for shipping. The components were temporarily stored in a SCHOLPP warehouse close to Madrid before being loaded onto the boat.

Through rough seas unscathed

The assembly line in question comprised 17 large machines including machining centres, horizontal lathes, deep hole drills, hardening systems, conveyor systems with nine stations and industrial ovens, as well as 13 smaller washing machines and test rigs. The individual components weighed up to 35 tonnes.

The machines were moved to SCHOLPP’s temporary storage facility, and then shipped in four phases to the ports of Santander and Bilbao to be transported by sea to Gothenburg. In Skövde, the line was positioned and installed while production was ongoing. The greatest challenge was keeping to the tight time frame. The most nerve-wracking part was when stormy weather in the North Sea and snow in Sweden put a lot of pressure on our logistics and assembly plans.

But SCHOLPP’s assembly team worked successfully with VOLVO GTO Powertrain to ensure that every stage was completed according to plan. Production in Skövde began right on time, and the initial cost estimates were adhered to.