Insulation industry news from Global Insulation
China: Javier Gimeno, head of Saint-Gobain’s business in Asia-Pacific, has blamed production overcapacity for the company’s decision to stop manufacturing glass wool. He said that overcapacity had forced prices down and lowered margins, according to the Wall Street Journal. He added that the company is targeting profits over 10% and that it wants its business in China to grow faster than the national economy. Subsequently, the group has focused on products such as mortars, plastics and car windows. Gimeno also raised the issue of environmental regulations being stricter for foreign firms in China, although this is changing.
China: Luyang Energy-Saving Materials plans to spend US$11m towards upgrading its mineral wool insulation plant in the Yiyuan Economic Development Zone in Shandong. The upgrade will add 25,000t/yr production capacity to the plant, increasing its total output to 50,000t/yr, according to Reuters. Construction is scheduled to start in July 2017 with completion in June 2018.
Belgium: Knauf Insulation’s chief executive officer (CEO) Jean-Claude Carlin says he is committed to increasing production investment in Europe and North America. The group’s Visé plant in Belgium plans to restart its second line by the end of 2017 as well as adding new capacity to meet increasing demand for blowing wool. An upgrade to a line at St Egidien in Germany is underway following mineral wool production line upgrades at Nova Bana in Slovakia and Skofja Loka in Slovenia in 2014 and 2015 respectively. Another as yet unannounced European production line upgrade is planned for 2018. The group is also restarting the second line at its Inwood plant in West Virginia to support growing residential demand in the North East of the US.
“The first few months of the year proved to be highly promising for the industry and in good times it is vital that we focus on doing an even better job of providing the best possible service and quality for our customers. That is why we are planning on maximising our global footprint through investing in improvements and increasing our production capacity across the globe,” said Carlin. He has conducted a fact-finding mission visiting plants and customers since he took up the post in February 2017.
Australian insulation reseller optimistic that mineral wool insulation shortage is ending
08 June 2017Australia: Pricewise Insulation says that it is hopeful that a shortage of pink batts mineral wool insulation products will be resolved following the end of a strike at Fletcher Insulation in late May 2017. Workers at the insulation producer started industrial action in mid-February 2017. Pricewise, an insulation distributor noticed falling stock levels of the product during the strike.
UK: The British Board of Agrément (BBA) has given its approval to Rockwool’s Rainscreen Duo Slab façade insulation product. It is the first stone wool product to gain this for use in ventilated rainscreen systems. As part of the certification process the product was tested for factors such as thermal performance, condensation risk, behaviour in relation to fire, and durability in order to meet national regulations. Rainscreen Duo Slab has achieved certification status for use as a Hybrid frame system and Rainscreen system.
“It is incredibly important to us to put our products through the BBA process, as the certification provides architects with peace of mind when specifying our products” comments Paul Barrett, Product Manager at Rockwool.
Rainscreen Duo Slab is a dual density insulation board that offers weather resistance on its outer surface whilst being installed and an inner surface that is designed to accommodate the substrate to which it is being applied. It is fire resilient and complies with Approved Document B, achieving the Euroclass classification: A1. It also complies with BR135: Fire Performance of External Insulation for Walls of Multi-Storey Buildings.
Russia: TechnoNicol plans to invest US$2.3m towards upgrading its mineral wool insulation plant in Chelyabinsk. Just under US$0.9m was invested in the plant in 2016, according to the Kommersant newspaper. The unit supplies products in the Ural Federal District as well as to the Perm region, the Orenburg region, Bashkortostan and Udmurtia.
US: Owens Corning announced plans to introduce formaldehyde-free mineral wool insulation solutions at the American Institute of Architects Conference on Architecture 2017 in Orlando, Florida. Thermafiber SAFB (Sound Attenuation Fire Blankets) is available for specification now and will be in the market later in 2017. Thermafiber UltraBatt will follow in a series of formaldehyde-free Thermafiber mineral wool insulation products.
“Remaining true to the brand’s history as an industry pioneer, the launch of formaldehyde-free Thermafiber mineral wool insulation coupled with our investment in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Joplin, Missouri strengthens our impressive portfolio of product solutions and our commitment to the industry,” said Todd Fister, vice president of insulation strategic marketing.
Kazakhstan: Politerm plans to open a mineral wool slab plant in the Bulandy district of the Akmola region in July 2017. The unit will cost US$22m, according to Interfax. The plant will have a production capacity of 34,0000t and the project is expected to create 138 jobs. Politerm produces mineral-based insulation materials and it was founded in 2008 in the Akmola region.
Rockwool completes upgrade of Troitsk insulation plant
18 April 2017Russia: Rockwool has completed an upgrade of its stone wool insulation plant at Troitsk, in Chelyabinsk region. The unit will use Power+ technology with enhanced micro-distribution of the binder and optimised fibre-spinning technology on the production line. These improvements are intended to improve the final product’s homogeneity and performance properties.
Paroc to shutdown Oulu mineral wool plant in July 2017
02 March 2017Finland: Following negotiations with staff Paroc has decided to shut down its Oulu stone wool plant in July 2017. The closure will involve the transfer and centralisation of support functions currently in Oulu to other Paroc plants and locations. Production of building insulation will be moved mainly to the Paroc plant in Parainen and support functions will be moved to other Paroc locations. 64 members of staff will lose their jobs, including all of the production workers at Oulu, and five staff will be moved to other locations.
“The decision to shut down the factory was difficult due to the considerable impact it will have on the personnel. However, the utilisation rate of the current capacity of Finnish stone wool factories is too low to ensure competitive operations in Finland. The factory located in Oulu is old and, in addition to the already high cost structure, continuing operations would require significant investments in the near future,” says Kari Lehtinen, chief executive officer of Paroc Group.”