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(NOMINATION FOR AUREA 2015 AWARD): Feplo - Factory for producing waterproof ECO building panels
Sunday, 15.03.2015.
16:43
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November 2014 saw the opening of the first factory for producing ecological waterproof building panels made from recycled waste material in this part of Europe – Feplo, in Konjevici near Cacak.
Unlike other panel materials that are used in the construction industry nowadays, such as OSB panels, panels from this factory are waterproof. In addition, production process is completely environment friendly because no glues are used, while the raw material is waste Tetra Pak packaging that would otherwise be disposed of at landfills.
Aside from the fact that the opening of this production facility represents a step towards alignment with environmental standards, the new factory will also contribute to the development of industry in this area. A total of EUR 0.5 million has been invested in the production of ecological waterproof panels which pose an original domestic product. There are currently 24 production workers at the factory.
This product from Cacak-based factory is competitive in the market in terms of price as well. The sale has already started in Serbia and Bulgaria, and these eco waterproof panels should soon be available in Montenegro too.
INNOVATION
The primary advantage of the panels made in Cacak-based factory Feplo over the previously most used panel materials, such as OSB panels, is their resistance to water. OSB panels are only resistant to moisture, while water causes them to swell and rot, which is why they cannot be used for exterior works. Besides, various kinds of glues are used in their production. Waterproof ECO panels can be used for both interior and exterior works and, unlike all previous panel materials, they are made without the use of any glue, which makes the product 100% environment-friendly.
The process of producing Feplo panels starts with the grinding of waste Tetra Pak packaging. After that, if the material is wet, it is first sent to the kiln and then back to silos. Conveyor belts then take the material to a five-level table that turns it into panels. Ground panels then go to the press where they’re compressed at 170 degrees Centigrade and a pressure of 200 bar. Baking takes 15 minutes and each process is repeated after that time. Ready-made panels produced in this way then undergo a finishing process, that is, they’re pared in order to obtain smooth edges.
Once finished, panels are placed on pallets of 100 pieces. A total of 300 panels are produced every day in two shifts, while the factory’s monthly capacity amounts to about 80 pallets.
The attestations of resistance to physical damages and water that were completed at the IMS Institute have showed that these products meet the requirements and standards of the construction industry, and the plan is to also carry out the attestation process for heat and floor insulation.
Machines for producing these panels were designed by Feplo engineers. This production process is unique in Serbia and this part of Europe. A similar process was once used by a company in Turkey, but it used to produce one panel instead of five that the Feplo factory is now producing.
SOCIAL UTILITY
If Feplo was not using waste Tetra Pak packaging in the production of eco panels, it would be disposed of at landfills. It takes up to 20 kilograms of Tetra Pak packaging to make one Feplo panel of 2.5 square meters, meaning that the company also takes care of the environment when utilizing this waste packaging.
The factory in Konjevici has signed an agreement with the Tetrapak factory in Gornji Milanovac on the supply of about 150 tonnes of raw materials a month. Every month Feplo requires additional 100 tonnes of Tetra Pak packaging and procures them from other manufacturers (through Sekopak).
OSB wooden panels that have been the most used panel material so far are not being produced in Serbia. Waterproof ECO panel is a Serbian product, and it is important to mention that 24 people from Cacak and Gornji Milanovac got a job when the production in Konjevici was commenced.
Feplo plans to switch to the four brigade system in May so the production could run 24 hours a day, which would result in the creation of additional 20 jobs.
FINANCIAL POTENTIAL
Since the start of production in mid-November 2014, over 100 pallets have been sold. Interest is huge, part of the production is already exported to Bulgaria, while first batches of these panels should also be shipped to Montenegro these days. Feplo expects to sell the entire monthly production as of March, when the construction season starts.
For the time being, Feplo panels are available in a thickness of eight and ten millimeters, whereas the production of 12 and 15 mm panels should start very soon.
Possible applications of waterproof ECO panels are numerous: elements of roof and inter-story structures, sandwich panel walls and ceilings, external and internal wall structures, various types of floors, wall and ceiling finishes, panel materials for repairs and reconstruction, expansion of residential facilities, carpentry works, production of inter-story pillars, temporary fences, modular (temporary) tool sheds at building sites...
Unlike other panel materials, Feplo's building ECO panels are waterproof and, therefore, can be used for both interior and exterior works, which is a great advantage on the market. They also represent a good heat-insulation material, while the completed attestations show that these products meet all the requirements and standards of the construction industry.
In addition to quality, the price also makes these waterproof ECO panels competitive in the market. One square meter of these panels costs 2.5 euro, which is about 20% cheaper than the price of other panel materials available in the market.
The most frequent buyers are construction warehouses, while some of the companies using these panels are Omega Profix Sabac, Iva Smederevo, TermoDom...
FEPLO d.o.o. Čačak
eKapija.com Beograd
Tetra pak Production doo Beograd
Termodom d.o.o. Beograd
OMEGA-PROFEKS Loznica