How Nøsted & AS doubled its chain manufacturing capacity with ENRX induction hardening equipment
Executive Summary
Nøsted & AS upgraded its induction hardening and tempering system with support from ENRX to eliminate production bottlenecks and reduce downtime risk. The modernised heat treatment process provides greater process control, improved reliability and significantly increased throughput. For some chain dimensions, production capacity has effectively doubled while maintaining the high quality standards required for demanding applications in forestry, fisheries, lifting and offshore industries.
Project at a glance
Customer: Nøsted & AS (Mandal, Norway)
Technology Provider: ENRX
Application: Heavy-duty industrial chain
Process: Precision induction hardening and tempering
Challenge: Ageing equipment, production bottlenecks and downtime risk
Solution: Modernised induction heat treatment system from ENRX
Results:
- Up to double production capacity for selected chain dimensions
- Improved process control and repeatability
- Minimized downtime risk
- Increased production reliability
Heat treatment may not be the most visible part of chain production, but it is one of the most critical. The balance between hardness and toughness determines whether a chain performs reliably over years of heavy use – or fails when it matters most.
In industrial chain manufacturing, induction hardening and tempering play a vital role in achieving the strength, wear resistance and durability required for demanding applications such as forestry, offshore operations, lifting equipment and fisheries.
By modernising its induction hardening and tempering process with support from ENRX, Nøsted & AS has gained precise process control, significantly higher throughput, and a more robust foundation for long-term production continuity.
At Nøsted & AS, everything is about connections – not just between the links in their chains, but between people, processes and long-term partnerships.
This simple idea lies at the heart of the Norwegian industrial company, which has been rooted in Mandal since 1939. For more than eight decades, Nøsted & has designed, developed and delivered chains and equipment that must perform when conditions are at their toughest. When your products are relied upon in some of the world's harshest environments, there is no margin for error.
"We design and manufacture high-quality products for very demanding conditions," says Jan Kristian Benestad, Chief Commercial Officer at Nøsted &. "Our chains must perform reliably in severe weather and rough terrain – whether they are used in forestry, fisheries, lifting operations, or offshore."
For Tommy Gulbrandsen, System Specialist at Nøsted &, that responsibility is closely linked to reputation.
"When people think of Norwegian products, they often think of something solid – something they can trust," he says. "And trust is built by doing things properly, every single time. There are no shortcuts here."
We design and manufacture high-quality products for very demanding conditions. Our chains must perform reliably in severe weather and rough terrain – whether they are used in forestry, fisheries, lifting operations, or offshore.
Jan Kristian Benestad
Chief Commercial Officer at Nøsted &.
Built link by link
“The weld is absolutely critical,” says Gulbrandsen. “If it doesn’t hold, nothing else matters. Chain failure is not an option – customers depend on us to get this right.”
After welding, the chain undergoes heat treatment to achieve the right balance between strength and toughness. This includes hardening, to increase wear resistance and load‑bearing capacity, and tempering, which reduces brittleness and ensures the chain can absorb shock without breaking.
As part of its ISO‑certified quality system, Nøsted & maintains full traceability and testing throughout production.
“All chains leaving our factory are tensile tested,” Gulbrandsen explains. “We know exactly how many tonnes each chain can withstand.”
Removing bottlenecks – and risks
Like many long-established industrial sites, Nøsted & operates a mix of legacy equipment and modern production technology. Over time, some systems had become less well suited to today's demands for uptime, efficiency and production continuity.
"In a large production facility like ours, bottlenecks will always appear," says Benestad. "The key is to identify them early and deal with them before they affect delivery schedules or operational continuity."
One such bottleneck was an ageing hardening and tempering installation.
"With outdated components, even a small failure could have caused weeks or even months of downtime," says Gulbrandsen. "That's a risk we simply couldn't accept."
To future-proof this critical part of the production process, Nøsted & decided to invest in a major upgrade of its induction hardening and tempering system. The company turned to ENRX to modernise the installation while maintaining the quality standards its customers depend on.
Producing a high-performance chain is a complex process with many carefully controlled steps.
The weld is absolutely critical. If it doesn’t hold, nothing else matters. Chain failure is not an option – customers depend on us to get this right.
Tommy Gulbrandsen,
System Specialist at Nøsted &
Induction heating that delivers control and confidence
At the core of the upgrade were new, high‑power inverters that control the energy delivered to the induction coils.
“Induction heat treatment is a highly specialised field,” says Gulbrandsen. “It allows you to heat the steel very precisely, exactly where it’s needed, and with excellent repeatability. That level of control makes a real difference to both quality and productivity.”
For Nøsted &, ENRX’s role went far beyond supplying the hardware.
“Working with ENRX has been an excellent experience,” Gulbrandsen continues. “They understand the process in depth and are genuinely interested in optimising the system, not just restoring what was there before.”
“They respond quickly, give constructive feedback and are always ready to help. With a supplier like that, you feel secure – and that matters when this part of the process is so critical.”
Working with ENRX has been an excellent experience,” Gulbrandsen continues. “They understand the process in depth and are genuinely interested in optimising the system, not just restoring what was there before.
The upgrade has also improved process stability, increased operational flexibility and significantly reduced the risk associated with ageing equipment.
More capacity, same commitment
The objective of the upgrade was clear.
"When we invested in the new system, the aim was to increase throughput and process more chain each day," says Benestad.
"For some chain dimensions, we have effectively doubled our previous capacity," Gulbrandsen adds. "And we've achieved that without compromising on quality – quite the opposite."
The upgrade has also improved process stability, increased operational flexibility and significantly reduced the risk associated with ageing equipment. For Nøsted &, that means greater confidence in production planning and an even stronger foundation for reliable customer deliveries.
Connections that go beyond technology
Walking through the factory, one thing stands out as clearly as the machines: the atmosphere. There is an easy, friendly tone among colleagues, combined with a strong sense of shared responsibility.
Three Norwegian words printed on the back of an employee’s shirt capture this spirit:
“Medarbeiderskap, vilje, innovasjonskraft” – cooperation, determination and innovation.
“For me, it is important that everyone understands that their daily work is part of something bigger,” says Benestad. “Work is more meaningful when people feel connected and pull in the same direction.”
And that brings the story back to where it began.
“Yes, in the end, it all comes down to connections – with our employees, the local community, our customers and partners like ENRX,” Benestad concludes. “Together, we build solutions and relationships that are strong, reliable and made to last.”
Frequently asked questions about chain hardening
The ENRX induction heating system effectively doubles production capacity for selected chain dimensions by utilizing high-power solid-state inverters that generate rapid, precise electromagnetic thermal energy directly within the steel links. Unlike conventional gas or electrical resistance furnaces that rely on slow external heat penetration, induction heating cuts cycle times down significantly while maintaining exact metallurgical specifications. This enables Norwegian manufacturers like Nøsted & AS to eliminate legacy line bottlenecks and scale daily manufacturing throughput without expanding their physical factory footprint.
Modern high-power inverters mitigate production downtime by replacing volatile legacy components with reliable, software-controlled solid-state induction technology. In automated heat treatment operations, a failure in aging equipment can instantly freeze assembly lines, risking weeks or months of backlogged delivery schedules. Upgrading to ENRX inverter technology provides stable process repeatability, real-time energy monitoring, and continuous diagnostic feedback, granting industrial operators full predictability over their asset lifecycles.