Top plastic processor Rowad National Plastic Company has announced it will manufacture new products from injection moulding at a freshly constructed production unit within its Riyadh factory.

The new products, including decorative plastic containers and paint pails which will be out in the market before long, join an impressive product range that has put the company in the forefront of the Middle East plastic processing industry.

Riyadh-based Rowad produces 9,500 tonnes per annum (tpa) of various kinds of engineering plastic sheets including polycarbonate (PC/Lexan), acrylic (PMMA), high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) and general-purpose polystyrene (GPPS), polyethylene (PE) and ABS, offering them in thickness of 2mm to 15mm. Production of the material goes on in the company’s two state-of-the-art plants, one in Riyadh and the other in Dammam,
In recent years the company set up units in Riyadh to produce automotive battery cases and to recycle waste plastic from spent car batteries.

“By keeping pace with changes in technology and adapting them to meet the needs of the market, Rowad has gained wide acceptance throughout the region. Consequently, production has expanded and the company is now the fastest-growing plastic processor in the Middle East,” a Rowad spokesman said.  Rowad is an affiliate of National Industrialisation Company (NIC), a business conglomerate in Saudi Arabia having some 28 companies within its fold.

“Because only the best raw materials (virgin resins) are used in production, all our plastic sheets comply with quality standards meeting international specifications. This integration matrix has attracted prospective customers and strengthened confidence in the existing clientele,” the spokesman said.

 “The natural outcome was wide-spread acceptance of our products in more than 15 countries in the Middle East and Europe, and now America.  Rowad’s relentless hard work keeps the company observant with the technical and marketing challenges which abruptly sweep the local and international markets.”
Mohammad Z. Al Laabon the general manager, has said it was his vision that Rowad emerged as a distinguished Saudi manufacturer producing world-class specialised plastic products (extrusion and injection) and be recognised for its integrity, customer focus and growth.

Al Laabon is keen that Rowad contributes to the Saudi industrialisation drive through technology transfer and the manufacture of engineering plastic products that meet the expectations of the shareholders and customers.

He has said that every effort should be made to preserve client confidence and its own hard-earned reputation for quality and performance built over the years. The company has been certified as an ISO 9001:2000 manufacturer.

“Today Rowad is the market leader in plastic sheets not only in Saudi Arabia, but also in the Middle East. Its polycarbonate (PC) sheets, commonly known in the market as Lexan sheets, are a high-performance engineering thermoplastic characterised by high clarity, heat and flame resistance, dimensional stability and exceptionally high impact strength over a wide temperature range,” the spokesman said.

 “Rowad’s PC sheet is virtually unbreakable and has 250 times the impact strength of glass, and its weight is approximately half that of glass. The PC sheet also provides up to 25 per cent better thermal insulation than single-pane glass. The unique feature of this Rowad sheet is that it contains on each side a UV protection layer not less than 50 microns, making it more durable. It maintains colour and light transparency over a long period in the hot local environment.  The sheet is also secured by a 10-year warranty.
Rowad PC sheets have become popular because of their wide range of applications such as skylight and domes, roofing for swimming pools and stadiums and glazing for doors, gates and windows. They are available in clear, opal white, bronze, green and blue and also as plain, textured, prismatic and bamboo.  The recent addition is crystal. They come in different sizes with width up to 2,050 mm and thickness between 2mm and 13mm.
The Rowad acrylic sheet is appreciated for its sparkling crystal clarity and outstanding surface hardness, together with superior weather ability and good chemical resistance. It has a wide range of applications such as decorative sign work and display, window glazing and bathtubs and is used as a light diffuser and skylight. Acrylic sheets are available in several colours - clear, bronze, green, blue, black, orange, white and red - and the surfaces are plain, textured or prismatic with thickness between 2mm and 15mm.
Rowad PMMA sheets almost wiped out all imports of cast acrylic sheets for thermoforming applications. They are popular with distributors, traders and end users.
The company’s polystyrene (HIPS) sheets have a wide range of applications such as refrigerator components, houseware and moulds for industrial stones as well as general packaging for items including food, jewelry and watch boxes.

“Rowad is proud of being a sole producer of HIPS sheets for several major local refrigerator manufacturers with whom we have long-term supply commitment,” the spokesman said.
Another important sheet that Rowad makes is ABS.  This too has a wide range of applications such as automobile components, sanitaryware, refrigerator inner liners, cosmetic packaging, luggage and houseware, business machines and telecommunications components, toys, appliances and tools.

Also well known is the Rowad polyethylene (PE) sheet, which has applications in pickup bed liners, small swimming pools for children and geo-membranes (pond liners), among other things.

As part of its diversification programme, Rowad introduced an injection moulding section. The sophisticated and fully automatic machines have high production capacity and fulfill the requirements for high-tech components. The system is intended to serve market needs for engineering goods including automotive battery components such as battery cases, covers and caps. These are produced in accordance with international standards - JIS, DIN & US - with high-quality co-polymer, which shows excellent chemical, weather and stress resistance, toughness, load-bearing strength and dimensional stability.

Rowad’s popular battery case and cover models are available in automotive standards including DIN 55, 88/100 (three types), JIS N 50, N 70, N 60 (55D23), N 40//NS 60, N 100, 120, 150 (14 types) and the American 65-650. The company is the biggest supplier of battery components and now exports to GCC countries.

The company’s plastic products are exported to all Arab and GCC countries on a regular basis. Rowad sheets have found new markets in Europe and Africa. Fahad Al Zeer, the sales and marketing manager, says: “Our target is to export about 25 per cent of our annual production and we hope to achieve that this year.”
The 5,000tpa plant for recycling of waste plastic (PP) from spent car batteries is acknowledged as a bold decision by Rowad to protect the Saudi environment from the acid that comes out of dumped batteries. 

“Today Rowad’s production of injection-grade PP regranulate/resin is above 300 tonnes per month. With the completion of the (ongoing) commissioning of additional equipment, which will reprocess plastic lumps of PP / PE / PS using the latest available technology, our recycling capacity will be doubled,” said Ashraf A Shah, business development manager.

“Rowad is proud to offer its accumulated experience in terms of advanced products, high quality and competitive prices,” the company said.