The most modern facility in Europe for advanced surgical dressings has been inaugurated in Mikkeli (St. Michael), Finland. Behind this investment of about SEK 200 million and 100 newly created jobs is Mölnlycke Health Care of Sweden. Their leading edge technology in this branch is the patented Safetac line, silicon-coated surgical dressing products which have well-documented patient-friendly and healing characteristics.

The Swedish conveyor belt company Sicon Roulunds has just been awarded a special prize by the trade organisation SCEMMI in its "Scandinavian First Maintenance Service Award" competition.

IAVI's Scientific Blueprint 2000 seeks head-to-head trials and compressed timelines;With "goal in sight," IAVI urges US$1.1 billion in new funding for focused R&D effort

Punctured and subsequently repaired tyres of the two most commonly used types in Europe for motorcycles and scooters have survived comprehensive high speed tests carried out by TÜV (Technischer Überwachungsverein) in Germany, with good results. Four popular types of car tyre were also tested and were driven problem-free after nail punctures had been repaired by using the same method. The car tyres were in addition subjected to an extra long test while under load. Two of the Safety Seal repair methods were thus proved to pass this recent impartial testing.

This year there will be more opportunities than ever before to establish international business contacts at Scandinavia's largest industrial trade fair, Scandinavian Technical Fair with Machine Tools 2000 arranged in Stockholm October 17-21. The fair has grown 20 per cent in size from last year and will include some 650 exhibitors representing 1300 companies from 25 countries, among others Russia, Poland, Taiwan, China, USA, France, Japan, UK and Germany

The board used for packaging hot liquids such as soup must be able to withstand hot filling and heating in a microwave oven, and ensure the shelf life of the contents. Once a difficult problem to solve, Stora Enso is now able to offer a solution to these demands.

The first models in a new series of hydraulic motors, specially developed for trucks, are now being launched. According to the manufacturer, Sunfab Hydraulics AB, they have a high starting torque and are based on the company's well established SC type pumps. "Hydraulic motors permit great flexibility when installing such components as high pressure pumps, compressors, vacuum pumps, generators or other rotating items on a truck", says Mats Wettermark, the company's marketing manager.

With the aid of both ergonomists and users, Morse Controls has brought out a new type of programmable joystick that will enable more ergonomic operation of equipment, such as industrial vehicles.

The beginning of May marks the introduction of new manufacturing standards and quality control systems at Stora Enso's Baienfurt plant in Germany. It is believed to be the first mill in Europe to base its folding box board manufacturing on the stringent hygiene and quality standards normally found only within the pharmaceutical industry that meet European Directives for Good Manufacturing Practice,GMP.

The Swedish company SSAB Oxelösund claims to be the first in the world to guarantee the precision of their AccuRollTech rolled steel plate. The guarantee covers thickness tolerances and applies both to ordinary steel and the Hardox and Weldox grades, in plate dimensions from 4 mm to 150 mm. These close thickness tolerances for rolled plate have been made possible by means of a new and advanced four-high rolling mill. "Today we can produce plate with a thickness tolerance down to +/-0.2 mm", says Johan Anderson, Business Development Manager for the company. Such close tolerances save weight and material, and have many other advantages too.