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In 1996, Raufoss AS will celebrate its centenary. Almost 3,000 people are employed in the industrial Group with a total turnover of USD 350 million.
The company was established in 1896 as an army arsenal for manufacturing 6.5 mm cartridges. From the very beginning the factory's progress and expansion has been based on the development and manufacturing of ammunition.
On numerous occasions through its 100 years history, RA has been shaken by dramatic changes in the defence market. Therefore it has been a challenging job for the company's management through the decades to utilize the defence technology and resources systematically for developing commercial industrial products. Today the Raufoss Group is a valued international supplier of automotive parts and other metal products.
There is still a demand for RA's defence and aerospace products representing 25 per cent of the total turnover.
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However, Raufoss's R&D activities are concerned with extensive projects for the international commercial vehicle and automotive industry. Besides R&D¥s efforts in using new materials, especially composite materials, spin-off effects for many non-military products are provided, for example 200 litre composite tanks for compressed Natural Gas for bus application.
It was in line with the national ambitions of establishing a domestic industrial processing of aluminium, that Raufoss in the late 1950´s began an investment programme to develop aluminium based products.
Anodised bumpers and door frames for Volvo cars became the first successful result of marketing automotive parts. Today Raufoss exports more than 2.5 mill complete assembled bumper systems and aluminium structural parts.
Raufoss is a leading European supplier of brass based couplingsystems for the commercial vehicle industry and the construction market.
The European transport vehicle manufacturers are established business partners and customers of the Raufoss air-brake fitting system on a world-wide basis. Isiflo is currently among the most applied type of water supply coupling in major areas of Europe.
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