Per Ling first became part of Ferroman in 2005, working in a mechanical workshop in Torshälla. Today, he works with Spare Parts & Equipment within Ferroman’s Special Steel business area, helping industrial customers find, recreate and improve critical parts and equipment.
Per prefers factory visits to Teams meetings. He likes problems that need more than a standard replacement. His company van is also difficult to miss.
Your Ferroman story started on the workshop floor. How did it begin?
I started at a mechanical workshop in Torshälla in 2003, working with carbide coatings. Ferroman took over the workshop in 2005 and operated it until 2010.
I then moved to Outokumpu in Torshälla but stayed in contact with Ferroman and continued to support coating work when my expertise was needed.
When production moved to Finland in 2012, Ferroman called and asked if I wanted to join full-time in sales. I started with coating solutions, and the role gradually grew to include spare parts for steel rolling mills and the heat treatment industry.
I like sales because I get close to both customers and suppliers. I also like being involved when a part or piece of equipment can be improved.
Good colleagues have been another important reason for staying. There has always been someone ready to help when I have needed it.
What do you work with today?
I work with Spare Parts & Equipment within Special Steel. Most of our spare parts are based on customer drawings.
I need to understand what the part does, where it operates and what problems the customer is experiencing. Sometimes the customer needs a direct replacement. Sometimes there is a better way to make it.
We then look at the material, design and manufacturing method together with our colleagues and specialist partners. The goal might be a lower price, shorter lead time or longer service life.
Ferroman has changed a lot during my time here. We used to be more of a trading company. Today, we have much broader engineering competence and can help with more of the complete solution.
Why are customer visits so important to you?
I prefer meeting customers in person. You build a better relationship, and you understand much more when you are actually there.
On the factory floor, I can see the process, the equipment and the conditions around the part. I also get to speak with the people who use the equipment every day. They often know things that may never come up in an email or Teams meeting.
“An improved part isn’t finished when it’s delivered. It’s finished when it has proven that it works better.”
— Per Ling
Can you give an example?
One customer had a roller that was expensive to manufacture, had a long lead time and lasted only around four to five months.
The original roller was made from a forged tube with a high-alloy weld overlay. It was a demanding manufacturing process, and the heat from the welding could deform the material.
We were already supplying centrifugally cast furnace rollers in high-alloy materials. That made me wonder if this roller could be made in a similar material all the way through.
We developed a new proposal. The price was significantly lower, the lead time was shorter and the new rollers remained in operation for 2.5 years.
They were eventually replaced as a precaution after something happened elsewhere in the process. They were not taken out because they had failed.
That is the kind of result I like: lower cost, shorter lead time and a much longer service life.
What happens when the customer does not have a drawing?
Sometimes the customer does not have enough documentation because the original equipment manufacturer has not released it.
Together with a specialist partner, we can use 3D scanning and reverse engineering to recreate the drawings. The part can be scanned at the customer’s site or sent to the partner’s workshop if it is small enough.
Not having a drawing does not mean we have to stop.
Tell us about the FerroVAN
The FerroVAN, or the “rolling Christmas tree”, started with my first company vehicle in 2012.
I drive a lot on dark roads in Värmland and Dalarna, where there is plenty of wildlife. The extra lights were originally added for safety.
After that, one thing led to another: side bars, roof bars, work lights, position lights, a warning beacon and a few other additions.
“I’m an old car builder. I don’t like driving anything completely standard.”
— Per Ling
When Mercedes introduced the updated Vito in 2016, I was among the first to modify that model with bars, lights and wheels. Mercedes-Benz Malmö contacted me for an interview, and the Swedish magazine Lätta Transporter later featured the van on its front cover.
A few people have even used the FerroVAN as inspiration for their own builds. It has also been good advertising for Ferroman out on the roads and at customer sites.
Did you really drive to Italy to collect furnace rollers?
Yes. Over New Year in 2016, around ten furnace rollers were ready for collection in Cremona. We could not find a regular carrier because of the holidays.
I joked with a colleague that I could collect them myself. Then that was exactly what happened.
A friend and I took a larger Volkswagen Crafter to Italy, collected the rollers and drove them back to Sweden. We did stop for a proper Italian pizza before heading home.
The rollers were delivered to the customer on Monday morning. It was not a normal delivery, but the customer received what they needed on time.
What do you do when the FerroVAN is parked?
Then it is usually family activities, the gym or practical projects at home.
During the summer, I spend a lot of time working in the garden or finding projects at the family’s summer cottage in Dalarna. I like having something to do and am usually the person who solves practical problems for family and friends.
If I run out of projects, there is almost always something to wash or improve on the FerroVAN.
Want to get in touch with Per?
Have a part that is difficult to find, costs too much or does not last as long as it should?
Call Per or send him an email.
He will probably want to come and see it for himself. The FerroVAN is ready.
Phone: +46 70-883 02 05
Email: per.ling@ferroman.com
