Gulf Construction Online - Leister tools help set up plant in Abu Dhabi

UAE Focus

Leister tools help set up plant in Abu Dhabi

01 April 2012

EXTRUSION welders from Leister Technologies of Switzerland were recently in service to help build a galvanisation plant at Al Jaber Street Light Factory, which has been set up in Abu Dhabi.

The factory was constructed on a fast-track basis as its first batch of lamp posts were urgently required to meet Abu Dhabi’s move towards sustainable infrastructure.

Richard Honein, sales executive for Leister Products at BMC Gulf, explained: “Abu Dhabi is making huge investments in sustainable infrastructure and this includes switching over to LED streetlighting systems that will help reduce energy consumption by 30 per cent.”

Al Jaber Street Light Factory is now operational and helping meet the emirate’s needs of streetlights.

The galvanisation plant at the factory was set up by German company C Illies, which opted to use Leister welding tools for the construction of the facility. An important reason cited for selecting these tools was the guarantee by the local Leister partner BMC Gulf to provide 24-hour service.

The galvanisation plant at Al Jaber Street Light Factory in Abu Dhabi.

Twelve giant plastic tanks have been constructed for the galvanisation plant and more than 100 tonnes of polypropylene (PP) plate material were used for their construction.

To meet the tight deadline, C Illies had to work within a narrow time-frame in a multiple shift operation amid the harsh desert summer in the emirate.

“Up to 60-mm-thick plastic was welded with Leister extrusion welders under outdoor temperatures of more than 50 deg C,” said Honein. “Illies met the time schedule and today, up to 20 tonnes of lamp posts are machined daily in the completed plant.”

Like C Ilies, Leister Technologies is represented throughout the world which was another important factor in Illies’ decision to utilise the tools including Fusion 3, Weldmax and Triac S for the installation of the system, according to Honein.

Regional manager of C Illies in Abu Dhabi Andreas Schwarte commented: “The reason why we work with Leister tools on our various projects throughout the world is simple: Leister has first-class service centres all over the world. That means we are certain of having the tools handled professionally anywhere and at any time, ensuring they are returned quickly to the construction site. Of course, the high quality of the tools is also paramount for their use.”

Leister produces extrusion welders with an extrudate output of up to 6 kg an hour. However, the small and practical Fusion 3 and Weldmax are used in Abu Dhabi, because of the very confined spaces.

Despite its modest size, the Fusion 3 achieves an output of up to 3 kg extrudate an hour. Weldmax, the smallest extrusion welder made by Leister, is primarily applied for tricky details. “The manual welding tool Triac S was needed for small welding work on the construction site, where even the flexible extrusion welders were unable to gain access. The Triac S has been the top-selling tool of its kind for many years now. That clearly reflects its outstanding quality,” Honein pointed out.

The rapid availability of spare parts represents yet another advantage of Leister’s broad sales network for customers. As a result, the tools can be returned to where they are needed within 24 hours.