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May 12, 2003
Technology in Hønefoss
Alanna Simone Tyler
 We
began our day at Hand-Pro, a privately-owned company that manufactures
wheel chairs and customizes vehicles to allow individuals using wheelchair
to drive. The company began in 1985 producing customized vehicles for
persons with disabilities. By 1989 the company recognized a need for wheelchairs
to fit in the vehicles. Today the company has 60 employees. (Photo
right: Hand-Pro AS produces custom designed vans and motorized wheelchairs
for Norwegian and international markets.)
We had a tour of the facility lead by Peter
Einar Lie. He recently joined the company and is responsible for sales
in the Norwegian market. Describing the company Peter said, "It is
good to work with something that matters for people. This [product] is
their legs and arms and ability to get around. We are making a difference
for people."
 Annually
HandPro manufactures 420 wheelchairs and customizes about 55 vehicles.
One-third of the wheelchairs produced by Hand-Pro are for the Norwegian
market. In Norway, the primary buyer of wheelchairs is the government.
Hand-Pro is one of several companies listed in a catalog from which the
19 counties governments may order. The other two-thirds of the wheelchairs
produced are distributed to seven European countries and the United States.
Hand-Pro manufactures several models of wheelchair that allow the users
to lift themselves, stand or sit at a 45 degree angle. (Photo left:
Hand-Pro AS produces custom designed vans and motorized wheelchairs for
Norwegian and international markets.)
 We
thanked Peter and made our way to the Statens Kartverk, Norwegian mapping
authority, where we were met by Ringerike Rotarian Arne Holt. He escorted
us to the mapping authorities museum in the lower level and turned us
over to chief engineer, Bjørn Geirr Harsson. The museum has examples
of modern and old tools used for measuring heights, setting coordinates
and map making. After a quick lunch we visited an area with two digital
photometric workstations. Each of us put on glasses (of a far superior
quality than the ones we used at moving theaters back in the old days
but the same idea) that allowed us to see the heights and valleys on the
screens. We had a view from 6000 meters. (Photo right: Bjorn Geirr
Harsson explains the science of topographic measurement at the National
Mapping Authority in Hønefoss.)
 We
visited a second work area to get a demonstration of a map on CD available
from Statens Kartverk. The map allows the user to see varying level of
details. For example, it is possible to look at a winter map and see ski
lanes and cleared paths. The same CD includes a summer map. And if you
are prone to getting lost, you can take a laptop computer and the map
on CD and connect to a GPS (global position satellite) to find out where
you are. We said so long for now to Arne who we will see Wednesday at
the Ringerike Rotary Club meeting. (Photo left: GSE team and hosts
at Statens Kartverk, the Norwegian National Mapping Authority.)
 Tronrud
Engineering in Røyse, Norway was our last stop today. Tronrud produces
electricity conducting wafers and a diverse line of machinery including
helicopters, digital weaving and customized packaging machines. Arne Ramsland
has been with Tronrud for 18 years and he showed us around the company.
We had an opportunity to see quite a lot of production in process. One
thing that stands out is a prototype of a machine that completely packages
CDs. The machine picks up a sheet of paper describing the CD, folds it,
delivers it into the cover, inserts the inner tray to that holds the CD,
places the CD in the inner tray, inserts a brochure in the front cover
and closes the package. In one minute the prototype machine can package
over fifty CDs and accompanying paper work. Tronrud started as a manufacture
of helicopters.  Today
the company also provides maintenance for all of the helicopters in the
eastern part of Norway.
The applications of technology we saw today
in Hønefoss were quite impressive. Special thanks to Ole Roen and
Arnt Schjong for accompanying us.
(Photo above right: Arne Ramsland
presents the widely diversified custom engineering projects of Tronrud
Engineering, including a helicopter service center. Photo left: Robotic
milling tool at Tronrud Engineering, with tolerances to 0.003 mm.)
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