Assembler

HUDDIG machines have emerged at his hands for 30 years

Göran Rydfelt started as a welder at Huddig in 1990. After welding all the details to a HUDDIG for fifteen years he changed position within the company to become an assembler. Piece by piece he has now been mounting HUDDIG machines since 2005.

“I started at the assembly line where we previously put all the details together to become a complete HUDDIG. It was a tough position to begin at. Where I started, two complete frames where to be assembled and therefore the station had many demanding elements to be taken into account. At that time, we pulled in hydraulic hoses and electric cables, mounted the cab and the engine and put on the wheels and the loader. It would have been a lot easier for me to start as a component-assembler, but I always liked to take on big challenges, which is why I went straight to the main assembly line.”

Today, a larger part of the work is done on assembly at different pre-assembly stations, where teams help each other to assemble smaller components. This is done in order to simplify the work of the main assembly line and later the start-up of the machine.

“Today we have another workflow where we pre-assemble more details. It feels good to constantly develop our ways of working in order to facilitate for each other.“

One of the more challenging steps in the assembly process of a HUDDIG is when to mount the articulated pivot point on the front frame.

“We freeze the shaft axis to about 90 - 100 minus degrees Celsius, which makes it shrink 20 thousandths in diameter. This makes it possible to mount it as it is very tight to get it in place. When it later reaches room temperature, it swells and becomes unremovable. The only way to remove it if the mounting fails is to drill it out. During all my years here, this has only happened two or three times so for the most part the coupling process of the pivot goes well.”

Göran's main responsibility as an assembler is to supply the production line for HUDDIG 1260E with Cummins Tier 4 Final engines. This is a central part of the assembly line where he also has an overview of his colleagues and helps out where needed.

“I prepare the engine for mounting, which means that I mount the distribution gear box, hydraulic pumps, generator, compressor for air conditioning and all cables. When my colleagues need help, I assist at the final stations of the main assembly line. You could say I'm at the heart of things.“

What he appreciates about working at Huddig, in addition to his work tasks, is the culture and his colleagues.

“Huddig is a small company. We are 100 people, but it feels like we all know each other, and the company information always reaches us in a good way. There is a sense of safety and pride in all of us working here which makes me feel great at work.”

Moving ahead, he looks forward to working with TIGON and hearing what customers think when the machine is out on the market.

“I have done some work in assembling TIGON at the experimental stage, which was great fun. It is unclear when the production will start, but it will be exciting to build up the new line and start assembling the machine. I'm also curious to talk to customers and hear what they think when TIGON has been out in the market for a while.”

Given the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, Huddig's factory has been closed for visitors. Göran's hope is that the situation will change so that they can open up again soon.

“Of course, we shall follow the authorities' guidelines and it is a good decision to close the factory for visitors. At the same time, I hope that the situation changes soon so that we can receive customer visits again. There is a special charm to meet each other right here, where their HUDDIG being built“, Göran concludes.