Behind the screens of Svensson, there's a library of great ideas and breakthroughs – and some failures and missteps. An evolution.
It documents the journey of Svensson's work with the greenhouse climate. From an idea to provide shade that grew from 100 years of curtain manufacturing through the formative years of the 1970s energy crises. From the early years of individual experiments in single greenhouses to coming home to an astonished workforce with an order for 10 hectares from a Dutch greenhouse installer.
Woven into each sample are years of effort. Perhaps three for research and development, sometimes a year of machine redesign, and six months of production tests. Each successive test requires running the knitting machines up to speed and creates a tennis court-sized piece of cloth.
Svensson production technician, Magnus Hallin, has been at the company for 29 years, ever since he first had a summer job at the mill at the age of 14.
"It's not until you produce something – a knitted cloth – that you can start the testing and research," says Magnus. "I remember that we conducted 123 test runs in order to produce today's Obscura 9950 screen, for example."
That's why he prizes the rolls on the shelves of the sample library. And when the engineers in research and development have a new idea, he often finds himself reaching for a piece of cloth. Just a few meters of cloth, but he might have given three months of his own working life to it a decade ago. And with it under his arm, he can bring 50 years of Svensson knowledge to the table. And help ensure that Svensson's next step in providing the perfect climate to its customers is a step forward.
For more information:
Ludvig Svensson
[email protected]
www.ludvigsvensson.com