PRODUCT diversification is top priority for metal coating company Unicoil, which has launched a new research and development (R&D) department to execute this ambitious programme. The company’s plant engineers are also in the process of developing new technology that will help enhance production capacity and cut costs.

As the first company in the Middle East to manufacture pre-painted steel and aluminium coils, Unicoil has made tremendous strides in the pre-painted steel coil manufacturing business in regional markets. Its product applications include: walling and roofing (cladding), roll-up doors, sliding doors, single and double doors, interior partitions, ceiling panels, composite panels (refrigeration industry), furniture, lighting panels, white goods, shelves, air-conditioning units and ducts, scaffolding and electrical control panels.
Unicoil’s products have been used in many airports as well as at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, under a contract from Saudi Aramco, which built the project.
With a market share of 70 per cent to 75 per cent, the company has an installed capacity of 210,000 tonnes per year (tpy) for pre-painted and 250,000 tpy of galvanised iron (GI) steel coils. It recently commissioned a technologically-advanced continuous galvanising line (CGL) to produce excellent quality GI steel coils under the new brand name Mogalvin. The galvanised coils manufactured by the company are said to have excellent zinc adhesion and corrosion resistance. A suitable chemical treatment on the coated surface to prevent formation of white rust further enhances the corrosion resistance.
The galvanising line has the most modern non-oxidation furnace. It has a 4-high skin-pass and tension-levelling facility to produce galvanised and skin-passed material with zero spangles for colour-coating applications of aesthetic appeal. The galvanised coils and sheets manufactured by the company are globally accepted.
“The in-house production of GI coils has given Unicoil a unique capability to exercise full control over quality, cost reduction and timely supplies which eventually benefits its customers,” says a company spokesman.
“Additionally it is also contributing to the development of the Saudi and regional markets, saving precious foreign exchange by import substitution.”
Unicoil’s major clients are involved in the trading of corrugated sheets, which represent about 70 per cent of pre-painted steel consumption. The industrial clients mostly have specific requirements, which require close partnership with the supplier, says the spokesman.
“Our clients prefer pre-painted coils for its high resistance in coping with aggressive natural conditions, its good looks and environment-friendly features,” he says.
The company’s biggest market is Saudi Arabia where it realises 80 per cent of its sales. “We export our finished products mainly to GCC countries and other neighbouring Arab countries, besides East Africa and Europe,” the spokesman says.
Unicoil felt the impact of the global slowdown in its export business, which was suffering until the end of September, according to the spokesman, though its domestic market was relatively unaffected with limited decrease in demand.
Unicoil is bound by a sound policy of quality and safety. It has a full-fledged in-house state-of-the-art quality assurance laboratory which includes: emission spectrometer, metallurgical microscope, DJH thickness measuring unit, datacolour spectrometer, Portaspec x-ray spectograph, universal tensile testing machine, lock-forming machine, Erichsen cupping machine and universal hardness tester.
A health, safety and environmental (HSE) management system supports the company’s safe operations including environmental compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and related good practices.