From car repair shop to computer simulations
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Michael Lindgren’s interest in machinery actually began at home in his father’s car repair shop in Rättvik. Michael also trained to become a car mechanic and he ended up at the National Road Administration county repair shop in Falun, repairing trucks and other vehicles. But the job market was bad back then and he moved on to work in the wood industry, for Nordbo door and ultimately followed a path as NC operator for five years. Michael was extremely resourceful and greatly appreciated for the many improvements he suggested. Maybe he should become a production engineer instead?
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To make a long story short, he ultimately ended up in Linköping, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He’d found his wife in Skellefteå and they had their first child. At that point a PhD position in production engineering opened up at the university in Borlänge. Today he is Sweden's only PhD in roll forming and he is also self-employed.
“I’ve followed Triple Steelix from the beginning. I took part in the graduate school in production engineering, and I was working on my research project in both traditional roll forming and 3D roll forming as an industry-based doctoral student at Ortic. I always tried to introduce Triple Steelix whenever the opportunity arises since I’ve always received support from them. For example, I’ve received financing for graduate workers who have helped me in my research and we received support for the demonstrator at the university’s production engineering center.
“In 2009 I had published a total of four research papers in various publications, including the International Journal of Material Processing Technology, and presented three articles at international conferences. It was part of my work for my doctor's degree that same year. Over the years as a researcher, I developed a growing interest in designing tools using simulation technology in roll forming. Right before I earned my PhD I decided that I probably wanted to start my own company with the business concept of offering the industry simulation, tool development, training and research in roll forming. So I resigned from Ortic.”
Michael contacted the German world-leading company Data M Sheet Metal Solution GmbH, in the same industry, which was looking for partners on its website and asked them if they were interested in a partner in the Nordic region. They said yes, so he and his family traveled to Munich. He met the management group and told them that he intended to start his own company, showed his business plan and gave them various alternatives to consider. Two weeks later he heard from them. They wanted to start a company, in which Michael would be CEO and be responsible for the Nordic market. And that’s what happened.
The German company currently has several subsidiaries in locations such as India, Brazil and the UK, and since March 2010, Data M Scandinavia AB, where it is majority shareholder.
“You have to decide what you want to do with your life,” says Michael. “In 22 years I’ve accomplished quite a lot. As a researcher you learn to work independently, so entrepreneurship suits me. You decide on the pace; moving forward is what counts, there is no reverse gear.”
Michael has free access to the most developed software in the market. He sells the German company's products, attends trade shows and often travels. But he still has one foot in the world of academia. He is developing the Materials Lab and teaching machinery components. He is a member of the Triple Steelix development group as a representative for the university and is involved in their Focus Innovent development project. When he is not sitting at the computer he can usually be found amidst the machinery in the Bearbetningscentrum, where he has put into operation and developed laboratory equipment for production engineering.