Saudi Rockwool, a leading regional manufacturer of rockwool insulation materials since 1992, is all set to inaugurate a new plant this month, which will add even more products to the company's portfolio.

The new products will include cavity panels, high density (HD) board, low density (LD) board, HD blankets, LD blankets, pipe sections, ceiling tiles, acoustic panels, roof slabs, fire boards, duct wrap and duct board.

The expansion of facilities at the company's sophisticated 28,000 sq m factory in Riyadh's third industrial city is in response to what marketing and sales manager Nabeel Abu Habeeb describes as a "very good" business environment in the past year, in which turnover reached $4.5 million. It also reflects the increased use of high-tech insulation products to help in energy conservation, reduced heating/cooling costs, comfort and overall environmental protection.

The company's existing product lines are the result of processing locally-sourced basaltic lava rock to make rockwool panels, felts, mattresses, pipe insulation and loose rockwool.

The cavity panels, used as thermal insulation, acoustic and fire barriers in cavity walls, partitions and steel structures, are made from rockwool fibres and bonded with thermosetting resin to form semi-rigid boards of medium density, says Abu Habeeb. The acoustic panels are designed for sound absorption in workshops, factories, conference rooms and sports halls, while rigid roof slabs are also of high density for extra load-bearing characteristics, he adds.

"The pre-formed pipe sections are moulded around pipes of various standard diameters at a set thickness and dried to form rigid hollow insulation. The sections are slit lengthwise, so they can easily be snapped on to pipes. They are designed to provide effective insulation over a wide temperature range for domestic and industrial applications," he says.

Felt blankets are, meanwhile, manufactured at low densities using a thermosetting binder to bind the fibres together while providing flexibility and resilience to the product. They are designed for use in steel structures, cold stores, refrigerated tanks, circular ducts and machinery, central heating systems, prefabricated houses and poultry farms.

Quilted blankets, for light frame construction, are manufactured in various densities from rockwool fibres that are formed into rolls by stitching them with cotton or fibreglass yarn. They can be faced or non-faced, though those with low thicknesses and densities are normally faced, explains Abu Habeeb.

"Our wired blankets are high-density thermal and acoustic insulation products in which the rockwool fibres are quilted with steel wire mesh. These blankets are designed for heavy industrial applications where severe conditions of heat and vibration are involved.

"Loose wool, made from thin fibres, is recommended for thermal and acoustic insulation in cavity walls, ceiling tiles, insulated doors, partitions, chimney walls and also as a fire barrier in regular and irregular cavities, fireproof doors and flanges," he continues.

Saudi Rockwool's fire board is a resin-bonded high-density rockwool board coated on both sides with a specially-formulated intumescent material which has high dimensional stability and will not warp or shrink under normal conditions. It is strong and lightweight, and is easy to install and remove if building or services modifications are necessary. It can also be cut or shaped to fit any aperture.

Insulation blankets are another innovative offering from Saudi Rockwool, designed to insulate gas and steam turbines and diesel generator exhausts. The blankets can also be used in refineries, chemical plants, and on high-temperature process pipes.

"And our noise absorbers are a range of acoustic tiles and sheets that come in various shapes and sizes and can be fixed with adhesives, screws, onto metal profiles or fitted with S-hooks or metal springs for installation. They are designed for commercial and residential applications," he says.

Overall production at Saudi Rockwool currently stands at 4,700 tonnes per year which, although up on last year, is still a touch under the company's output capacity of 5,000 tonnes per year. However, the prospects for strong market demand this year and next continues to drive progressive plans at the ISO9002-accredited company, says Abu Habeeb.

The new products which will be manufactured shortly will represent the latest in manufacturing technology, and advantages will include: excellent thermal and acoustic insulation, stable physical and chemical properties, water-repellent properties, non-corrosive, high compressive resistance, no ageing effect on thermal properties, high fire rating, asbestos-free, chemically inert, easy to handle, durable, light weight and flexible material.

Saudi Rockwool, which has a proactive policy of introducing new products to markets which stretch throughout the Middle East and also include Africa, says that it continues to seek new markets.

However, 70 per cent of the company's output is still sold locally.

The company is currently supplying two export orders. The first one is to Qatar Fertiliser Company (Qafco) in an order worth SR3 million ($800,000) and the other is for Aden Commercial and Tourism Centre in Yemen.

A major recent project completed was the Shoaiba Power Plant in western Saudi Arabia and the Four Seasons Hotel in Cairo. Other major projects recently supplied with Saudi Rockwool's insulation materials, both in the Kingdom and internationally, include the Al Faisaliah Centre and Kingdom Centre developments in Riyadh, the Petrokemya petrochemical facility expansion in Jubail for Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), and the Al Ahli Hospital in Qatar.

Saudi Rockwool is an approved supplier for several leading organisations in the region, including Saudi Aramco, Sabic, Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), Saudi Electric Company (SEC), Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC), Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and Qatar Petroleum (QP).

By manufacturing products which conform to BSI and ASTM standards, Saudi Rockwool's clients can be assured of outstanding and consistent quality.