BUOYED by overwhelming responses at previous SaudiBuild exhibitions, the Dammam-based Saudi Tyre Recycling Company (Saterco) is all poised to gain greater mileage from this year's expo with its new name, Saudi Rubber Products Company (Sarpco).
According to Mian Multan Sarwar of Sarpco, the company has been in the process of changing its name for some time now and will officially present its new name at SaudiBuild 2003.
He says the company clinched some major deals during the previous expos and hopes that the trend will continue. The company, involved in the manufacture of safety surface tiles for sport and recreational activities, has already made inroads into the local Saudi market where it currently sells 80 per cent of its production. The remaining share is distributed across the markets in the neighbouring countries.
Established in 1998, Sarpco produces a wide range of safety surface tiles from recycled tyres. Each year, millions of tyres from trucks and automobiles are converted into marketable and environmentally-friendly products and applications, says Sarpco. Its range of the products includes coloured non-laminated EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) finished and flocked rubber tiles, playground tiles and freckle sport and flocked floor mats. It also makes traffic and parking accessories and produces crumb rubber in various sizes.
The coloured rubber tile is a non-laminated, one-piece floor tile consisting of polymer-bound recycled tyre rubber that is alternatively mixed with various colours. The EPDM finished rubber tiles finds its use in playgrounds, walkways, jogging tracks, daycare centres, and recreational facilities.
The flocked rubber tile is a non-laminated, one-piece tile consisting of polymer-bound recycled tyre rubber granules finished with electrostatically-adhered tough nylon bristles/flocking material. The playground tile is a non-laminated, one-piece floor tile consisting of polymer-bound recycled tyre rubber alternatively mixed with coloured EPDM granules or coloured SBR (styrene butadiene rubber).
The products are made at a modern factory at the Dammam Second Industrial Area, which is spread over an area of 18,500 sq m. The facility is equipped to process millions of tyres per year and is supported by two mobile shredders located in the central and western provinces.
According to Sarpco, new systems are being developed with help from specialists in the US for the application of crumb rubber in road development works in the Kingdom.
Sarpco, which will exhibit its products at Stand 657, says that its research team has spent the last four years researching, developing and acquiring the expertise in environmental material processing and used tyre recycling and transforming it into profitable enterprise.
