Insulation industry news from Global Insulation
Knauf Insulation’s Supafil glass wool insulation awarded Declare Red List Free label
09 December 2020UK: The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) has awarded Knauf Insulation’s Supafil range of blowing glass wool insulation with Declare Red List Free Certification. The label signifies that the products contain none of a list of agreed harmful chemicals. The company says that its Supafil range, which is produced using 80% recycled glass, is the first blowing wool solution in Europe to receive the certification.
Director of housing and specification Matt Prowse said, “For the first time, people can see the environmental impact of individual construction products at a glance, in a clear and transparent way. For architects and housebuilders, using products with the Declare label – like the Supafil range – is good for business. It ensures installer wellbeing and is a powerful point of difference to customers in a competitive market.”
Superglass completes Euro43m upgrade to glass wool plant
19 November 2019UK: Superglass has completed a Euro43m upgrade to its glass wool plant in Stirling, Scotland. Production capacity at the unit has been doubled to 60,000t/yr, according to the Scotsman newspaper. A new furnace, curing oven and an automatic packing system were installed as part of the upgrade. The project was first announced in 2017 following the acquisition of the company by Russia’s TechnoNicol in 2016.
Superglass tests glass wool tea cosy
24 January 2019UK: Superglass has tested a glass wool tea cosy against a traditional woollen version in a promotional video broadcast live on social media. In the experiment the tea cosy, made of 84% recycled glass wool insulation, kept a teapot hotter over a 90-minute period than an identical teapot with a woollen one. The teapots were filled with identical volumes of water and were measured with identical thermometers. By the end of the 90-minute experiment, the Superglass pot registered 67.7°C and the traditional cosy was down to 55.0°C.
“Of course, the tea cosy video is a bit of fun, but it highlights just how much of a difference good insulation can make,” said Bob Dalrymple, Head of Marketing at Superglass. He added that the company does not intend on manufacture tea cosies for sale.
Isover France launches Isover Recycling
26 April 2018France: Isover France has launched Isover Recycling, a closed-loop recycling service for construction and demolition glass wool waste. The new service has been developed in partnership with recycling specialists. It aims to reduce glass wool dumping in landfill and increase the proportion of recycled content in Isover’s glass wool insulation products. The Isover Recycling service is currently being deployed in two pilot areas: South-East France and Ile-de-France. It will then be rolled-out across the rest of the country. Other countries like Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden already offer construction site waste recycling services.
Saint-Gobain Isover to restart glass wool production line at Ploiesti plant in Romania
04 December 2017Romania: Saint-Gobain Isover plans to reopen its glass wool production line at its Ploiesti plant in July 2018. The line is expected to restart following a complete furnace rebuild and other upgrades. 50 new jobs will be created in production, logistics and administrative departments.
“The production line allows Isover to adapt its glass wool production capacity to the market demand in the region, given that Romanian market is the largest of the South-East European region. Our decision was generated by the positive trend registered by the construction market in the past year, a trend that is expected to continue over the next years as well,” said Ovidiu Pascutiu, General Manager for Saint-Gobain Rigips and Isover Romania.
Isover has also announced plans to upgrade its stone wool production line at the Ploiesti plant in 2018. The production capacity of the line will be increased by 30,000t/yr in 2019 following the Euro50m upgrade.
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.
GlassRock completes commissioning of 20,000t/yr glass wool line
21 November 2012Egypt: GlassRock Insulation Company, part of regional mining platform Ascom, has reported the successful completion of the commissioning phase of its new production line for glass wool. The new production line will produce 20,000t/yr of glass wool increasing the plant's total production to 50,000t/yr, of which 30,000t/yr is mineral wool.
"We are exceptionally proud to be manufacturing these strategic insulation materials, which can be used as both residential thermal insulation and as acoustic insulation. Our products can help to significantly reduce the impact of the energy crisis that Egypt is currently facing," said chief executive officer Bechir Dardour. According to Dardour the glass wool insulation that will be produced in GlassRock's Sadat City Free Zone plant is being manufactured principally with local materials.
In September 2012 GlassRock announced the launch of its first mineral wool production line. The company is now targeting exports to key markets in Europe, North Africa, the Gulf Cooperation Countries and Turkey.
Egypt’s GlassRock Insulation targets foreign markets
27 September 2012Egypt: GlassRock Insulation Co. has started targeting exports of mineral wool to key markets in Europe, North Africa, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Turkey following the start of production at its US$70m Egyptian greenfield facility in May 2012. The company, part of a portfolio owned by Citadel Capital's regional mining platform ASCOM, will also begin production of glass wool insulation in September 2012.
"Our goal is to become a world-class provider of heat and noise insulation solutions," said GlassRock Insulation chief executive officer Bechir Dardour. "Energy-efficient building materials are the only option going forward in Egypt and around the world and we are delighted to be part of the solution to the creation of a greener, more environmentally-friendly future."
Construction of the US$70m greenfield GlassRock plant, located eqhalf-way between Cairo and Alexandria in the Sadat City Free Zone, began in 2010. The facility has created 260 direct jobs and operates with technology licensed from Italy's Tenova. When fully operational GlassRock's production capacity will be 30,000Mt/yr of mineral wool and 20,000Mt/yr of glass wool.
Saint-Gobain commits to Japan and Russia
29 July 2011Japan: To more effectively serve customers in western Japan, Saint-Gobain plans to build a new glass wool production facility near Osaka in the Kansai region through its local subsidiary Mag-Isover, Japan's leading insulation manufacturer. With a planned capacity of 60,000t/yr, the plant is scheduled to be commissioned before the end of 2013.
Representing a total investment of around Euro140 million, the plant will directly employ more than 100 people. Its output will add to the 90,000t/yr of glass wool currently being produced by the Mag-Isover facilities located near Tokyo in the Kanto region. This will bring the company's total production capacity across its four plants to 150,000t/yr.
This investment comes at a time when Japan is aiming to reduce its energy consumption. Buildings account for 30-40% of the energy consumed in the country and therefore offer an enormous combined energy saving potential, particularly in the areas of heating and air conditioning.
Russia: Saint-Gobain is also pursuing its expansion in Russia, where it has acquired Linerock, a company based in Tcheliabinsk, Ural region. Linerock is the Ural region's leading manufacturer of rockwool products, the most widely used insulation materials in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The company employs over 500 people and reported consolidated revenues of around Euro25 million in 2010.
Johns Manville unveils Slovakian investment plan
22 July 2011Slovakia: Johns Manville (JM) has announced plans to expand current fibre insulation production capacities in its Trnava facility in Slovakia. According to JM, an expanded furnace will be installed at the plant, which is due to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2012. It will enable added production flexibility within JM's product families and expand the production of selected products by as much as 40%.
In 2004 JM invested in a greenfield project to produce glass fibres at the site. The company says that its expansion plan clearly demonstrates its commitment to the European composites business.
Enno Henze, JM's vice president and general manager for Engineered Products Europe/Asia stated, "We feel confident that this major investment will continue to support our customers' plans for growth and underscores JM's commitment to growing the composites industry. Additionally, it highlights our drive to enhance customer relationships, product innovation and service excellence."
"With our commitment to innovative growth and the financial stability provided by being a part of the Berkshire Hathaway family of businesses, our fibres business is set to make its mark while supporting the growth agenda of our customers," added Henze.