Gulf Plastic and Converting Industries  (Tahweel) — a multi-faceted UAE-based manufacturing company and part of the Tahweel Investment Group – has secured orders worth more than Dh20 million ($5.45 million) for the year 2007-2008 from varies construction companies for the supply of its pipes and fittings, according to Ehab Sharaf, production manager of Tahweel.

Among them is a Dh500,000 contract signed by the company with Al Taddamon  Engineering Consultants in Ras Al Khaimah.
Tahweel — which is on the wait list for the Big 5 given the huge response to the show — is involved in supplying various engineering systems such as pipes and fittings (pressure, drainage, electrical) for the construction sector.  Backed by ISO 9001 certification and approved Dubai Center Laboratory, the company’s products have been gaining popularity in the market, says Sharaf.
The company is now planning to expand into the electrical conduit and trunking field with the introduction of RAKducts, which are used in duct pipes and duct fittings for electrical-related purposes.
“RAKducts are suitable for use as electrical conduits and trunking systems that are part of wiring installations in modern residential, commercial and industrial buildings,” says Sharaf.
To be manufactured using state-of-the-art German equipment and technologies at Tahweel, the products will conform to BSI standards and will be available by the year-end. The pipes will be manufactured alongside components comprising the highest quality, pure and consistent resins that ensure reliable joints in barely few seconds, he adds.
Established in 1969, Tahweel has been manufacturing various products that include plastic pipes and fittings, which are manufactured in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan.  It has been offering a wide range of conduit and trunking systems and has set up a network of distributors and agencies in all Middle Eastern countries, Europe, Asia, and the African continent. Currently, the company is planning to extend its reach to South America and the Far East Asia.
With a newly-established administration and a head office based in Sharjah, and a 40,000-sq-m manufacturing complex in Ras Al Khaimah manufacturing 300 tonnes of products per month, Tahweel is well on its way to become the regional leader in water supply and drainage systems, says Sharaf.
The company's latest products include the multi-layer “Stabi” pipe (PP-R with aluminium layer) and Propex (coils) pipe used in under-floor heating.
RAKtherm is the company's versatile and comprehensive system for water and fluid delivery and is used in applications involving pressurised warm and cold water in all modern residential commercial and industrial facilities.
“With the construction sector booming in the Middle East and worldwide, we stepped in to fill the growing demand for related products by launching our first integrated PP-R pipes and fittings system under the trade name of RAKTherm and pex pipes and fittings under trade name of PROPex,” says the spokesman.
These piping systems are used in houses, high-rise buildings, hotels, hospitals and virtually all types of commercial and residential buildings, factories with high-pressure water and compressed air circuits, rainwater drainage and collection systems, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, gymnasiums and their water filtration circuits and water installations, irrigation and agriculture applications and industrial applications including delivery of aggressive chemicals.
“Health too is taken into consideration with the manufacture of these pipes,” says Sharaf. “RAKtherm's top priority is guaranteeing the quality of water that runs through its pipes is harmless to consumers. The pipe material — PP-R 80 — is inert by nature and does not react or affect potable water unlike other materials used in conventional piping systems.”
“The company is also environment-conscious about its products. Since heavy metals like nickel and chrome have a negative impact on the environment, the use of such plated metal inserts in the pipe fittings has been done away with in our products — with the result that our pipes can be 100 per cent recycled and also reused,” he says.