An aluminium composite panel production facility – the first of its kind to open in the Gulf – was officially inaugurated in Bahrain at the end of last month (July 28) by Bahrain’s Minister of Industry, Dr Hassan A Fakhro.

The facility, set up by the local Falcon Industries (which is owned by the Al Sawad Group), has a production capacity of 1.2 million sq m (on two shifts) of Alpobond cladding materials. Located at Maamer Industrial Area, the factory covers a site area of 5,500 sq m and is equipped with an advanced integrated and an automated production line. It is currently manned by 12 employees, however, the number is set to rise to 20 soon when the plant is fully onstream.
According to general manager Ellie Bautista, the plant will produce 240,000 sq m of panels in its first year and will increase output in line with global market demands.
“We will initially target the Gulf market, and then Africa and the Middle Eastern countries, to be followed by Eastern Europe and South Asia,” says Bautista. “We are optimistic about being competitive in the Asian market despite competition from existing Japanese, Korean and Chinese manufacturers and our studies show that our FOB (free on board) prices are similar. We have the advantage of local supply of raw materials and lower energy costs.”
The composite panels are manufactured using raw materials such as the aluminium coils coming from the local Gulf Aluminium Rolling Mill Company (Garmco) and polyethylene (PE) infill from Gulf manufacturers.  The aluminium coils are coated with PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride)-based resin on the exposed surface and a polyester coating on the underside prior to the fabrication of the panels.
Alpobond panels are manufactured in three standard thicknesses (3, 4 and 6 mm) and lengths of 4, 5 and 6 m - however shorter or longer custom lengths can be produced to meet customer requirements, he says.
Falcon Chemical has already applied for ISO9001:2000 certification with a German certification body to assure customers of its quality-compliant production facilities, Bautista adds.
The panels are installed on aluminium subframes fixed on the walls, which ensure good alignment of the panels while taking care of the condensation within the open gap through drainage channels. The aluminium subframes are produced for Falcon Chemicals at Bahrain Aluminium Extrusion Company (Balexco).
Elaborating on the advantages of the panels, Bautista says: “Alpobond is environmental-friendly as it can be recycled; it is resistant to humidity, chemicals and saline environment which is commonplace in coastal areas.  The panels also provide thermal and sound insulation, while dampening vibration and can also be manufactured to be flame-retardant.
“The panels provide a flush aesthetic surface which can be coated in virtually any colour of the client’s choosing.
“From the client’s point of view, Alpobond can help reduce the superstructure costs if considered at the design stage, as it is lighter in weight and imposes less load on the structure than many other cladding materials.
“In addition, maintenance is easy as the panels can be cleaned with a water jet.”
“The product is offered with a 20-year guarantee,” he adds.
Besides cladding of buildings, Alpobond can also be used to clad columns, partitions, canopies, soffits, escalators, elevators, and for signage.
Falcon Industries has already secured orders from Sudan and Saudi Arabia and is expecting good business from Qatar and India, according to Bautista.
The company has appointed distributors for Alpobond in Sudan (to serve the Sudanese, Egyptian and Libyan markets), Saudi Arabia (to cover the Gulf region).  It is currently in negotiations with a view to appointing distributors in Iran, Syria, India and Lebanon.
Falcon Chemicals is also looking at increasing awareness of its products in the region and will be participating at major exhibitions in the Gulf including Project Qatar 2004, SaudiBuild and the Big 5 Show.