Global Insulation Conference and Exhibition 2007
15-16 October, Berlin, Germany
Reviewed by Dr Nino Mancino, conference co-convenor
Image gallery for the Global Insulation Conference 2007
Berlin – once divided, but now united – was given the honour of hosting the Global Insulation Conference and Exhibition 2007. Over 80 delegates from 23 countries met at the Crowne Plaza hotel – a truly multinational gathering of insulation experts. A total of 11 papers were presented on a variety of topics, ranging from Asian insulation markets, a focus on expanded polystyrene (EPS), and innovations in insulation materials chemistry and technology.
Day One
On the opening morning there was a tangible sense of interest and eager anticipation in the air. What followed did not disappoint…
The conference began officially with a warm welcome to all the delegates from the co-convenor, Dr Robert McCaffrey. In his introduction Dr McCaffrey commented on the recent rise in crude oil prices, with a barrel of crude oil now approaching a high of US$90. The inevitable increase in domestic fuel costs will provoke a move toward more energy savings. The insulation industry is thus in a prime position to take advantage of this and help home owners and industry use their energy more efficiently. This thought-provoking speech was followed by the keynote presentation, delivered by fellow conference co-convenor Dr Nino Mancino on the subject of ‘Global Insulation – Materials, Trends and Markets’. As the title suggests, the presentation touched on a broad range of themes, and included an overview of popular insulation materials, company profiles of selected insulation producers, in addition to a summary of the forecasted trends in the insulation market. By 2011 the market for insulation products (both residential and industrial) is expected to grow by 3.4%. This increase equates to US$33bn of potential business. If it wasn’t the case already, the delegate’s curiosity had been undoubtedly piqued!
The second talk was presented by Wang Lihe of construction firm CNBM International, on the state of the rockwool and fibreglass markets in China, both past and present. Insulation usage, and the establishment of insulation plants has grown spectacularly over the last 50 years. Most of the main manufacturers have facilities strategically placed throughout the country (and by our reckoning China has at least 200 plants in total, and probably more). As a result, the expected boom in Chinese construction projects will mean good times for insulation producers in the years ahead. That’s not to say China doesn’t face problems in this area – for example, the country has too many small plants that are plagued by inefficiency, pollution and outdated technology. But the potential is enormous, especially considering the hundreds of millions of rural homes that lack proper insulation.
The Asian theme was continued by Dr Narasimhamurti Srinivas of Mumbai-based Lloyd Insulations Ltd. His talk focussed on the technical problems of providing adequate insulation in a hot, sunny and tropical country such as India. According to Dr Srinivas, too many hurried and ill-thought-out insulation projects have been implemented in India. This has resulted in poorly-protected buildings and homes that adversely affect the thermal comfort of residents and office workers, the latter being a key workforce that has underpinned the rapid development of India’s economy. Only by putting in place carefully designed insulation projects – the criteria of which were described by Dr. Srinivas – will India emerge as a well-insulated nation.
It is well known among conference veterans that sessions immediately after lunch are often subdued, owing to the effects of a well-fed audience. However, the events post-lunch on the first day certainly knocked that assumption on its head.
Paper number three was presented by Stephen Long of the European Manufacturers of Expanded Polystyrene (EUMEPS). The fire retardant properties of EPS were described in an attempt to dispel some commonly held misconceptions about the material. After an assessment of fire damage data, Mr Long concluded that there is no statistical evidence that the insulation type influences the fire performance in standardised test methods or actual fires. The subsequent question and answer session turned out to be a rather animated affair, with one particular member of the audience debating the veracity of the data and the conclusions derived from it. Nevertheless Mr. Long conducted a robust defence of his paper, and it was left to the session chairman to invite the delegates to continue their discussion during the coffee break.
The fourth presentation, delivered by Hans Tepper of Dutch firm Stybenex, related to the work done by the EU to introduce harmonised standards for the use of EPS in civil engineering applications. Mr. Tepper explained the long and sometimes arduous work involved in producing standards that must accommodate national and regional building regulations. However, that work is now complete in the form of standard EN 14933, which will make the uptake of EPS in civil engineering projects much more widespread and easier to audit.
Dr. Govind Rauniyar of newly-created company Ineos Nova then gave a very interesting presentation on the subject of EPS loose-fill cavity wall insulation. He began by giving a thorough analysis of insulation science, including an analysis of the all-important R-value, and the vitally important issue of leveraging insulation technology to enable savings in energy consumption with regard to combating global warming. The main technical thrust of his talk was saved for the subject of EPS Silver™ Polymer, a new cavity-wall insulation material developed by Ineos Nova. These charcoal-grey synthetic beads offer improved performance and energy savings compared to traditional white EPS.
Gala Dinner
After the excitement of the first day, the delegates boarded a bus for the trip to the gala dinner venue, the Opernpalais in the eastern part of the city. Situated along the famous Unter den Linden boulevard, the Opernpalais was once the residence of King Friedrich III's three daughters. It is now home to a delightful café and two restaurants decorated in 19th century style opulence. The delegates were treated to a delicious meal and first-class entertainment in the form of a jazz quartet, complete with a very talented female solo singer.
Toward the end of the dinner the inaugural prizes for Global Insulation Manufacturer of the Year and Global Insulation Equipment Provider for 2007 were awarded to Russian company TechnoNICOL and Danish firm Simflow Systems respectively. Igor Rybakov, owner of TechnoNICOL, was extremely pleased and proud to receive the honour in recognition of the emergence and success of this relatively young, but highly ambitious mineral wool producer.
The award to Simflow Systems was received by managing director Bent Hansen, in acknowledgment of the success his company has enjoyed in developing innovative simulation software for the insulation industry. This move has led to significant improvements in terms of the output and efficiency of insulation manufacture for those factories that have adopted the software in their day-to-day work.
Day Two
The second day was kicked-off by Josef Milz of Thermo Fisher Scientific when he showcased his company’s online gauging system for ensuring insulation quality control. One of the main themes of Mr Milz’s talk was the advantage offered by X-ray sensors over and above nuclear sensors for product quality analysis. Overall, users of the online gauging protocols have enjoyed superior batt quality, reduced waste and significant costs savings.
Next to present was Axel ManØe Jepsen of Seelen. Interestingly titled ‘shaping more efficiency out of your cold end;’ Mr ManØe Jepsen explained Seelen’s palletising and wrapping technology that is used by insulation manufacturers worldwide with great satisfaction. Highlights of this include Multipack, EasyOn system and the latest in its range of packing solutions – the Video Monitoring System. The latter allows for easy and real-time monitoring of operations, providing valuable information and remote problem solving by virtue of a modem-based link up.
The penultimate presentation was given by Sergey Kanashov, a materials scientist for award-winning Russian firm TechnoNICOL. Mr Kanashov described how his company has led the way in Russia to developing mineral-wool based insulation. His talk included some very interesting materials science, including the chemistry of binder solutions to enhance adhesion between mineral fibres.
The final presentation of the conference was conducted by Bent Hansen of Simflow Systems, Denmark. The winner of the Global Insulation Equipment Provider Award gave a real-time run through of his company’s esteemed Virtual Data Center simulation programme, designed to replicate all functions of an insulation plant, complete with operators walking to and from equipment! The value of this software is that it allows plant managers to simulate a whole host of possible scenarios, and importantly to forecast production volume during any set of circumstances.
The last formal part of the conference was a discussion panel, chaired by Dr Robert McCaffrey. The panel touched on a number of themes, including the importance of insulation firms promoting the value of insulation to a largely uninformed public. Also discussed was the issue of insulation producers being too close-minded to the benefits of rival insulation materials. This subject attracted some passionately held opinions on both sides. However, this eagerness for both sides to present their point was always done in a way that was never less than stimulating and thought provoking.
Global Insulation Awards and Farewell
After another excellent lunch the final prizes were awarded and the venue for the Global Insulation Conference 2008 was announced. Premier Tech Systems won the prize for Best Exhibition Stand for 2007, with the award received by Patrice Maltais and Phil Lewis on behalf of their company. The prize for best presentation was awarded to Alexandre Taquet of Aspen Aerogels after his excellent talk on the subject of flexible aerogel blankets, followed by Axel ManØe Jepsen in second place and Bent Hansen in third. The overall quality of presentations was high, but Mr Taquet was a deserving winner, and the large margin of winning votes certainly attested to that.
Last but not least, following a delegate vote, the venue for next years Global Insulation Conference was announced – Barcelona (with 60% of votes cast ahead of London, Toronto and Shanghai). We hope that all of the delegates present at this years’ event will make the trip to Spain in 2008, in addition to a healthy contingent of Spanish insulation experts.
Our last afternoon in Berlin was spent on a walking tour through the city, sampling the very best that Berlin architecture and hospitality has to offer. Like the host city, we hope all the delegates left with a newly-found sense of purpose, and united by a need to spread the vital message that insulation is important to all of us. Auf wiedersehen, and see you in Barcelona!
