Erik August Forsberg
Erik August Forsberg (c1875-1946)
1946 Obituary [1]
Mr. Erik August Forsberg, Technical and Vice-Managing Director of Aktiebolaget Separator, Stockholm, Sweden, died on 16 October 1946, at the age of 71.
After obtaining his diploma as a civil engineer in 1896, Mr. Forsberg began his career with four years' practical work in Russia. In 1902 he entered the firm of Aktiebolaget Separator, where he was appointed. Technical Director (1906), member of the Board of Directors (1909), and Vice-Managing Director (1922). Even as a young student Mr. Forsberg was noted for his keen intellect and his desire to penetrate and analyse every question. He always created problems, and in many cases his keen reasoning solved them. He preferred to present his solution in mathematical form.
His first task as an engineer at Aktiebolaget Separator was to study closely Dr. Gustaf Laval's invention of the continuous milk separator, and he explained mathematically the theory of that invention. At the same time he started to work on machine tools, with the object of making them more effective and. economic. His minute studies in this respect raised the capacity of Separator's works to a level hitherto unparalleled in Swedish mechanical industry.
Mr. Forsberg did not stop at the machine tools. He very soon realized the importance of the movement called "scientific management", initiated by Taylor in the U.S.A., and he introduced these theories in Sweden and then took a great interest in their development for several decades. Thus he became tile first representative of this special branch of studies at the Royal Institute of Technology at Stockholm.
In 1916 he published the book "Industriell ekonomi" (Industrial Economics) which became of basic importance to the further development in this field. Mr. Forsberg published his studies of machine technics in the volume on "Arbetsmaskiner" (Machine Tools) of "De Tekniska Vetenskaperna" (The Technical Sciences) 1920, and in 1929 an extensive treatise on the cutting speeds of machine tools. At the management congress in 1935 he presented a paper on the limitations of mechanization, and, in the course of years, numerous other articles on technical matters. He also continued his work on perfecting centrifugal machines and adapting them to different purposes.
When the Swedish Academy of Engineering was founded, Mr. Forsberg was made a member. -O. LINDGREN.