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  • 2026-02-03

Limestone – Crucial for Indesko’s Mineral Blends

For nearly a century, AB Indesko has supplied the ceramic and metallurgical industries with a wide range of mineral-based products. Through cooperation with SMA Mineral, Indesko secures access to the lime required, among other things, for the production of fluxes for the steel industry.

SINCE 1934, the raw materials specialist Indesko has produced and delivered customised raw materials, minerals and supplies to industry. The company receives and further processes “virgin” raw materials from all over the world, as well as by-products from a wide range of operations. The materials are further processed in several stages into finished, customer-specific products.

“Locating and securing access to materials is perhaps our most important task,” says Kjell Pålsson, Indesko’s Sales Manager. “In a world that looks as it does today, this work requires considerable time, responsibility and care. Through established partnerships with suppliers around the world, we help ensure stable and reliable material flows for our customers.”

The largest volumes leaving Västerås are fluorspar and top slags, but Indesko also offers bauxite, vermiculite and magnesite, as well as clays, olivine sand and chromite sand.

“Our broad raw material base makes it possible to create products tailored entirely to customers’ process requirements,” says Kjell Pålsson.

INDESKO’S CUSTOMERS are primarily steel producers, but large volumes are also supplied to foundries and manufacturers within the ceramic and refractory sectors. The focus is on the Nordic market, with emphasis on Sweden, but Indesko also delivers materials to countries such as the USA, Slovenia and England.

Indesko’s head office is located in Stockholm, but all production is concentrated in Västerås, where raw materials are stored, processed and packaged before delivery to the end customer.

“Production includes drying, crushing, screening, mixing and magnetic separation,” explains Stefan Salmonsson, Site Manager in Västerås. “Most products are further refined in one or more stages. Deliveries from Indesko can be made in loose/bulk form, in big bags or in smaller packages adapted to customer needs.”

Fr.v Stefan Salmonsson, Mikael Zackrisson och Kjell Pålsson
From left: Stefan Salmonsson, Mikael Zackrisson and Kjell Pålsson

Limestone Essential in Fluxes

In the fluxes supplied to the steel industry, lime plays a decisive role.

Lime contributes to a stable and reactive slag that efficiently binds and separates impurities from the molten metal.

Indesko primarily uses two grades of lime.

“Steel industry processes require lime with different properties,” says Mikael Zackrisson, Sales Engineer at SMA Mineral.

Shaft kiln lime from the lime works in Boda is a “base lime” that works excellently for most purposes. However, Indesko also purchases rotary kiln lime from Rättvik, with an exceptionally low residual carbon content and very high strength and stability.

“Coarse fractions with good strength are important to prevent the material from breaking down,” says Stefan Salmonsson. “For some of our customers, this is particularly important. Here, the rotary kiln lime from Rättvik is superior.”

Since lime is a perishable product, frequent deliveries are required to ensure quality.

“Lime is called off and delivered weekly, sometimes several times per week,” continues Stefan Salmonsson. “This requires smooth routines for call-offs and notifications, which works well.”

THE COOPERATION between Indesko and SMA Mineral has been ongoing for a long time but was deepened at the end of last year.

“We reached a point where we wanted to concentrate our purchasing,” says Kjell Pålsson. “SMA Mineral offers a complete product range, which for us means freedom of choice and high flexibility. They are also easy to work with and have handled our rapidly growing volumes in the best possible way.”

Mikael Zackrisson from SMA Mineral adds another dimension to the partnership.

“For us, it is an advantage to work with someone who views the market from the same perspective as we do, and who meets customers with roughly the same requirements as our own. We understand each other easily and always have plenty to discuss.”

Sustainability is a Key Issue

Sustainability and circular flows are high-priority areas within Indesko. These issues are addressed from several perspectives.

“It is naturally important to do everything we can within the framework of our own operations, but in the overall picture, the choice of supplier and materials also plays a major role,” explains Kjell Pålsson. “The by-products we use in our blends make a positive contribution from both a resource and environmental perspective.”

The company’s efforts have resulted in mapped emissions for Scope 1 and 2, and work is now actively under way to complete calculations for Scope 3, which concerns indirect impacts from the supply chain.

IT IS ALSO in this context that Indesko is following with interest SMA Mineral’s ongoing work on fossil-free lime within the ZEQL project.

“There is no doubt that fossil-free lime production will have a positive impact on our own environmental work,” notes Kjell Pålsson. “We also believe that our pre-portioned, ready-made slag mixes would be particularly well suited from a charging perspective for customers interested in testing ZEQL lime.”

A trial delivery of ZEQL lime has already been supplied and examined with keen interest at Indesko’s offices. Interest in testing the product under full operating conditions is growing steadily.

“We stand ready when SMA Mineral is ready,” Kjell Pålsson concludes.

Video from Indesko

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682 27 Filipstad
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+46 590 - 164 00
sma@smamineral.com

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