The company that reinvented the wheel
Sleipner Finland Oy from Jyväskylä is a company that came up with a really unique innovation: a transportation system for mining machines. The fast-growing company's equipment are used in limestone mines in Central Europe, in Australia's hot drylands, on the Andean Mountains, as well in the tropics of Central Africa.
The story of Sleipner, founded in 2011, dates back to 1996, when Ossi Kortesalmi, a driver of a excavator loader, needed a better way to transport the loaders in the chromium mine in Kemi. Valuable working hours were wasted in the transportation of a machine that uses undercarriage to move at a maximum of two kilometers per hour, and Kortesalmi developed a new transportation system that put wheels under the trackpads.
The transportation system consists of two pairs of axles, and the earthwork machine's trackpads are driven onto the axle ramp. The mining truck, which works as a towing vehicle for the system, can move the machines at a speed of 10 to 15 kilometers per hour. That reduces the time spent on transportation by 60 to 80 percent. Compared to traditional transportation methods, Sleipner's products are effective and, thanks to their simple design, they are also extremely reliable. Careful design and patented solutions also guarantee the safety of the machines in all conditions.
The machines, which have several patents, are used in the same locations as the mining machines. The company does a lot of development cooperation with customers in various circumstances. The company is not just a supplier of equipment, but it also takes the personnel and the environment into account in its operations. From the perspective of sustainable development, providing equipment training and support in the implementation phase for the customer are important issues.
The Finnish culture forms the foundation for the company's reliability, and Sleipner has a good reputation around the world. The international company values the strong expertise and good networks in Central Finland. Sleipner is especially grateful for the excellent know-how of Jyväskylä's small units and the cooperation with educational institutions – benefits that cannot be found in other areas.
Although recent years have been very difficult for the mining industry, Sleipner has managed to grow. Compared to its beginnings, the company has managed to triple its offer books, and one of its future plans is to continue expanding into East Asia.
