Sigma Coatings has claimed success in its user- and ecologically friendly coatings saying it also cut down production and time costs.
Area manager for marine coatings, UAE and Iran, Michael Beeston, said the company's weldable shop primers and solvent-free epoxies for ballast tanks had made it possible to build vessels in block stage, while the latest technology for tin-free anti-foulings, the Sigma Alphagen series, had begun to become more and more used by large ship owners and managers worldwide in order to follow the directions of the IMO legislations.
"Many large ship owners worldwide have recognised the value of having a reliable partnership with Sigma Coatings. Some examples are: Bilinder, Worldwide Tankers, Papachistides, Stena P&O, I.T.M., U.A.S.C., Docenave, S.C.I., Acomarit, Frontline, NIT.C, IRI.SL, Princess Lines and Shell Tankers, among others," Beeston said.
"As Sigma Coatings opt for full time supervision during dry dockings, ship owners are convinced that due to product quality, professional supervision and advice the actual lifetime of the applied systems can reach far beyond the expected lifetime." For maintenance paints, Sigma explained it had a tailor-made paint system that was economical and met the customer's needs in protection (durability), easy application, surface preparation and maintenance. Beeston described Sigma's tank coatings as having a worldwide reputation "second to none".
"Its systems vary from specialised tank coatings for product/chemical tankers to specialised ballast tank coatings and the famous Sigmauard CSF (a cold solvent free epoxy coating) which is the solution for tank botton refurbishment in single, but lately also in double-hull oil tankers," he said. For newbuildings. Sigma has established itself as an approved main supplier of various reputed yards all over the world including: Hitachi/Sozen, Mitsubishi, Hyundai Mipo, H.H.I., Samsung, Kvaerner, Gdynia, Gdansk, Fricantieri, etc.
Local companies presently using Sigma Coatings products on their vessels include Vela International, National Gas Company Abu Dhabi, Gulf Liners, Sudan Shipping Company, N.P.C.C., Orient Express, Shreyas International, International Tanker Management and N.M.S.
In the Gulf region Sigma Coatings products are produced and marketed by Sigma Paints S.A. Ltd., a licensee of Sigma Coatings Holland. Sigma Paints has its head office in Saudi Arabia where it also operates two factories with an annual production capacity of 60,000 tonnes. An additional factory is located in the Musapha Industrial Zone in Abu Dhabi, which produces a large range of decorative, protective and marine products for the U.A.E., Oman and Iran markets. The marine sales branches across the Gulf, of which the U.A.E. organisation is the biggest, offer commercial and technical advice and technical services and have extensive stocks of all main products. These branches can match almost any known colour for polyurethanes, epoxies and alkyd based products with the latest computerised colour dispensers.
"The organisational set-up and customer-focused attitude has resulted in the fact that Sigma's market share has grown steadily over the past few years." Said Beeston.
