Gulf Extrusions Co, one of the largest aluminium extrusion plants in the Gulf region, has voiced concerns about the continued use of low quality and light weight profiles that are made by unscrupulous manufacturers copying Gulf Extrusion Profiles. Last year the company had expressed its concerns about the quality of aluminium profiles in the GCC, following independent tests that showed various samples from external manufacturers had failed to conform to requisite Aluminium Association (AA) alloy specifications.
Robert Holtkamp, Director Sales and Marketing, Gulf Extrusion, said, "We are extremely worried at the rampant use of low quality profiles, which are being manufactured copying our profiles. There is a significant danger that the low weight profiles’ chemical composition and impurity levels can have an impact on the final product and its application.”
There have also been instances where several building contractors ignored specifications from their customers by using profiles that are copied from Gulf Extrusion Profiles.
Rashid Mohamed Almutawa, Director – Projects Department, Dubai Development Board, said, “The using of low quality aluminium profiles are of great concern as there would be a continuous and sustained erosion of quality. We urge that the contractors use profiles that adhere to the highest standards.”
“In any project, aluminium profiles constitute a part of the total system and copying them into low weight profiles will lead to an unbalanced structure which will result in an imperfect project. The final quality of the project is highly dependent on the characteristics and specifications of each of the component used. Contractors and fabricators should be very strict and cautious of the quality of profiles they are using in their projects.” Holtkamp concluded.
Gulf Extrusions is part of the Al Ghurair Group of Companies and is one of the largest extrusion plants in the region with over 25 years' history of top-quality production. The company's facility located at Jebel Ali produces a range of over 7,000 profiles, varying from architectural sections to components for household items, air-conditioning grills and customised products. The export markets for Gulf Extrusions products include South East Asia, other GCC countries, Europe and Canada.
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