Birger and Fredrik Ljungström were among the many major Swedish inventors around the turn of the century. In 1908 AB Ljungströms Ångturbin (ALÅ) was established to exploit the double-rotation steam turbine, invented by Birger Ljungström.
Licensed production of the Air Preheater for stationary installations commenced during the 1920s. Svenska Maskinverken, James Howden & Co and The Air Preheater Company Inc. were the first licensees.
During World War II an extensive development program on behalf of the Swedish Defence Forces included projects involving missiles, athodyds (air thermo dynamics, ram-jets), turbo-superchargers ducts and torpedoes. In 1950 the remaining patents for steam turbines were sold to Stal which was later merged with the De Laval Steam Turbine Company to form Stal-Laval, today ABB Stal. In 1951 the name of AB Ljungströms Ångturbin was changed to Svenska Rotor Maskiner AB (SRM). Until 1981 SRM was listed on the Stockholm stock exchange. As of 30 December 2003, SRM was acquired by Opcon AB, parent company of the Opcon Group. Opcon AB has been listed on the O-list of Stockholmsbörsen (The Stockholm stock exchange) since 31 December 1998.
If you want a more detailed background of SRM and the Screw Compressor Development, and at the same time a glimpse of the Swedish industrial history, please click on the link below.
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