With a solid history of over 110 years FRAM is widely known as the leading brand within masterlinks, chains and components for lifting, lashing and mooring.
FRAM products are made by Nøsted &, a family-owned Norwegian industrial company with head office in Mandal, Norway. The company was founded by Alf Nøsted in 1939 when he established “Norsk Kjettingindustri AS” in Mandal. Since then, the company has grown steadily though organic growth and acquisitions and is today a global company with appr. 370 employees developing, manufacturing, and delivering solutions for multiple purposes across the world.
Our main focus is to deliver products and services that fully satisfies international standards and customer requirements. The FRAM portfolio offers a wide range of products and includes many DNV type-approved and type-examined products within lifting and suspending of lifeboats, as well as chain and components product-certified by Aquastructures for fish-farming anchoring.
In addition to our product scope of supply, we specialize in the design and manufacture of special lifting equipment. Examples of special equipment are yokes, rings and master links adapted to crane hooks, special hooks, plate fittings, etc.
When standard fittings can’t be used without endangering the safety of personnel and / or goods, we are authorized to design and certify customized fittings. We specialize in fast construction and manufacture of such fittings in close cooperation with the client. Special lifting equipment is delivered with certificates in the same way as standard equipment.
Products
- Chain
- Master links
- Hooks
- Couplings
- Shackles
- Chain tools
- Coupling plates
- Cables
- Lashing & safety equipment
- Lifting yoke & Spreader Beam
- Eyebolts
- Straps
- Controlling and calibrating
- Tailored solutions
Nøsted & is the only remaining chain manufacturer in Norway.
Fram was the fist in the world to offer alloy chain, today known as grade 80 chain. Fram grade 80 chains are produced in both short link, long link and midlink chain. Short-link chains are delivered for both lifting and lashing purposes in accordance with NS-EN 818-2 and as a trawl chain.
Fram short chains grade 80 are produced up to 32 mm
Fram Mid link chains grade 80 are produced up to 38 mm
Forward long-chain chains grade 80 are produced up to 38 mm
Alloy chain is also available in the same dimensions in hot-dip galvanized or thermo-galvanized versions. Hot-dip galvanized and thermo-galvanized long-chain chains are product certified in accordance with NS 9415.
Historie
Kjættingfabriken AS with the brand name FRAM was established in 1909 by Oscar Wilhelm Spilhaug. Oscar, born in 1879, was a very gifted young man. After studying in Germany where he finished as the school's best student, he left in 1903 from Kristiania to New York to look for work in the land of the dreams. During his stay in the United States, he happened to see, one Sunday in Pittsburgh, a number of machines for chain production in the factory windows of the company McKay.
Already before Spilhaug left the USA, he had investigated the possibilities for chain production in Norway. "A place to be" was crucial, and in the summer of 1908, he traveled together with his father, around Eastern Norway to investigate the possibilities for hydropower. The company was founded at Magnor by the Swedish border on January 27, 1909. The production method chosen was machine forging, "fire welding".
Spilhaug constantly developed new and better production methods - with its own constructions and development of significantly better production equipment for electrically welded chains, the production of snow chains under the name "FRAM" also came into the picture. The snow chain was a great success. In the 1930s, exports also gained momentum, and North America became an important market. There was a lot of foreign competition in the snow chain market and it was necessary to maintain high quality. In addition, the cost level in Norway was higher than in the countries it competed against, but there was some support in the power deliveries. The need for electricity meant that Spilhaug began to look around for a new production site where the company could build its own power plant. Thus, the introduction to the purchase of Helle Bruk near Kragerø was underway. Helle Bruk was bought in 1937 and in 1939 the construction period was over and production in Kragerø could start.
April 9, 1940, Hitler and Germany attacked Norway. The occupation period that followed created significant problems for Norwegian businesses and industries, as well as for Kjættingfabriken. After difficult times during the war, years followed with a new growth, and constant new development of methods and equipment. In 1958 Oscar Spilhaug died, and Oscar's son Helge took over the management of the company. Hoists, loops and coupling elements gradually became an important part of the product range. On the technical side, the year 1972 gave a very important result as "Fram Alloy Blue Chain" - Grade 80 - was launched in the market. The quality took over all production of lifting equipment and has meant a lot to this part of the turnover.In 1973, T.W. Spilhaug, who was an internationally renowned machine designer, as CEO. After TW Spilhaug abruptly passed away in 1987, the company had several management constellations in the years leading up to the millennium. In 2001, Kjættingfabriken was acquired by Nøsted Kjetting AS by Alf-Arne Nøsted. Thus, Norway's two longest living and most innovative chain manufacturers were united, and a new era began.
Copyright 2023, Nosted& AS