A plant installed by the Middle East's leading manufacturer of architectural and industrial aluminium extrusions to meet regional requirements for extrusion dies and tools is set to raise the extruder's profile to even greater heights.

Aluminium Products Company Limited (Alupco) commissioned its Die Manufacturing Plant (DMP) in Jeddah in 1999, putting an end to Alupco's total dependence on European manufacturers for extrusion dies and tools. The DMP is seen as another example of Alupco's customer-focused approach, which over the years has prompted great investments and developments.

While previously it took as much as eight weeks to import dies from Europe, the DMP could turn in the dies within two to three weeks. In addition to greatly reduced times, the DMP has been instrumental in providing improved profile quality and the flexibility for Alupco to meet contractors' requirements. "Essentially it means that our customer requirements can be met more decisively and swiftly," said general manager Khalid M AlFuhaid.

The die making plant, thanks to its technical advantages and increasingly sophisticated designs, coupled with direct communications with the extrusion press facilities, is in an unrivalled position to support Alupco's quality production, observed AlFuhaid.

Alupco quality is also the outcome of state-of-the-art CNC technology, CAD/CAM design and programming systems as well as the installation of Charmilles fully submerged wire-cutting machines. The latest machines were sourced from Germany, Switzerland, Holland, the UK, Japan and Italy, which is the acknowledged leader for die production.

One of the recent big projects Allupco won was the Kingdom Centre contract. As sole supplier to the distinguished edifice, Alupco made available some 1,200 tonnes of aluminium extrusions produced through 75 dies as well as powder-coated aluminium profiles with high-specification metallic grey colour and fabricated profiles with thermal break systems, their quality assured through Alupco's service unit in Dammam.

Alupco's production from its twin Dammam and Jeddah facilities exceeds 50,000 tonnes with some 30 per cent exported, making the company a significant global player in aluminium extrusion, coating, anodising and the manufacture of advanced extrusion dies.

Other major projects Alupco has been associated with include the Faisailiah Center in Riyadh, which used more than 8,000 separately curved anodised cladding sheets; the Burj Al Arab, Dubai; Dubai Internet City, the National Bank of Bahrain, Citibank, Bahrain; the National Bank of Abu Dhabi and the Telecommunication Tower, Kuwait.

Most of the Kingdom Centre's die requirements were met by Alupco's own DMP which has a dedicated staff of more than 30 technicians, designers and engineers and can produce up to 3,000 extrusion dies and tools per year. The capacity not only meets Alupco's requirements but also allows any surplus available to be sold to regional and international aluminium extruders.

A customer-focused approach developed by AlFuhaid and his team served well in enabling Alupco to serve major projects including Kingdom Centre. The approach was evident in several strategic investments the company made including the state-of-the-art 3500/3800 tonnes Cadex press, the Middle East's largest extrusion press, and the uniquely designed vertical paint lines in Dammam and Jeddah. AlFuhaid was also an active proponent of the $8.8 million die manufacturing plant that put Alupco in a position of strength.

According to AlFuhaid, investment in the DMP facility was a courageous decision by Alupco's shareholders and reflected a longer-term vision and commitment for quality and growth expected of a global organisation.

The DMP, described as a world-class centre of excellence, has been established not only to meet all Alupco's requirements but also eventually to meet the exacting demands of the global extrusion and fabrication industry.

Alupco's success story goes back to its incorporation in 1975 and the opening by King Khalid bin Abdul Aziz of an 85,000 sq m manufacturing plant at Dammam's First Industrial City in 1979. The plant's opening was described as an event of great importance not only for Alupco but also for Saudi Arabia's industrial development. Leadership was provided by the chairman Gen Hashim Saeed Hashim and the board members whose vision and guidance put the company on the course of expansions, modernisation and diversification.

The first general manager and one of the early pioneers was Abdallah Y Al Mouallimi, later the Mayor of Jeddah, whose commitment to the creation of a strong indigenous aluminium industry led to great development within Alupco and co-operation in the GCC's aluminium sector. During his tenure the Alupco name became almost the generic term for aluminium extrusions. Production levels rose so that by the mid-1980s Alupco had an annual capacity of 30,000 tonnes from its Dammam and Jeddah plants, sufficient to meet half the demand for aluminium extrusions in the Kingdom. Sensing demand would grow with industrialisation and infrastructure development, Alupco went in for additional investments to expand capacity, modernise and introduce world-class research and development facilities.

Alupco' excellence is due to carefully orchestrated phased expansions and the application of innovative and leading-edge technologies from the very outset of its production history. It is not surprising then that the company has earned the distinction of becoming the Middle East's pre-eminent extruder, one that is able to meet growing demand in the Kingdom and in international markets.

A "no-compromise" approach characterises Alupco's manufacturing process. The attitude has led to quality production and services as well as precise scheduling and reliable delivery throughout its ISO 9001 quality-assured facilities.

The company has so far commissioned six immense extrusion presses, four anodising lines and three coating lines at its facilities at Dammam and Jeddah that aggregate 140,000 sq m. Among the world-renowned systems produced at Alupco's installations in Dammam and Jeddah are Schuco, Reynolds, Installux, RC Systems and Hueck.

As well as producing common architectural alloys, the company specialises in such alloys as 6082, 6061 and 6351, among others. Quality certificates for alloys are provided after a series of tests are conducted for chemical composition and mechanical properties.

Alupco exports go to countries including Germany, France, Belgium, the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Poland, Greece, Austria, Argentina, Uruguay, Sudan, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Pakistan and Vietnam. A number of GCC and Middle Eastern countries are also destinations.

Restructuring in the late 1990s has helped transform Alupco into a more customer-focused, technically advanced and market-oriented organisation characterised by proven and certified ISO 9001 and DIN quality assurance procedures, rigorous quality control systems and innovative product development.

Current general manager AlFuhaid has in recent years further accelerated the pace of development with his emphasis on providing best-quality products and unrivalled customer service.