It is reported that Alaf Ltd, a roofing material specialist in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, has invested USD 35 million in a new metal coating plant.

The plant, with a capacity of 70,000 tonnes per annum, will produce Zincal metal, which is an alloy of zinc 42.4%, aluminium 55%and silicon 1.6%. Zincal draws its superiority from the production process, which Alaf Ltd acquired from BIEC International Inc.

Mr Sharad Salgar CEO of Alaf Ltd said that the alloy dubbed Simba Dumu, was developed after extensive research on the traditional galvanized zinc coated steel called simba mabati, aimed at improving its performance.

Researchers found that by adding aluminium to zinc while metal coating on the base steel, a new product is formed that is durable.

He added that “Just like its predecessor, we expect Simba Dumu to lead the market because of its superior quality that includes better corrosion resistance, long life and that it reflects heat better than the normal galvanized sheet, leading to cooler interiors.”

Alaf Ltd is part of the Safal Group of Companies, a leading manufacturer of roofing, flat and long products in Africa. Alaf Ltd specialises in cold rolled steel coils, aluminium zinc coated steel coils, black pipes, Z-purlin and hollow sections under the brand name Simba. For the past 50 years Alaf Ltd has been leading in roofing materials through Simba mabati roofing sheets.

(Sourced from theeastafrican.co.ke)