IsoCool
The plastics industry is growing at an exceptional rate in the Middle East, providing rich rewards for those fast enough to capitalise on the opportunities. However, in order to generate success in the long term, businesses must be built upon basic fundamentals such as delivering high quality products, fulfilling orders in a timely and reliable manner, and investing in research and development. In short, manufacturers must today exceed client expectations in order to maintain market share in the future.
Essential to any successful plastics manufacturing plant is its supporting cooling system – not only because cooling is vital to the process, but also because it is usually one of the largest overheads a company will face. As a result, a clear focus on cooling efficiency and performance must be top of the agenda for any forward-thinking plastics manufacturer. Potential strategies should include investing in industry-leading energy efficient cooling equipment, optimising plant performance, maximising uptime, reducing maintenance, and planning for future expansion.
The alternative – failure to pay due diligence to ancillary cooling systems – will inevitably lead to a host of costly problems, from poor performance and energy inefficiency, through to unnecessary breakdowns and repairs, and a lack of business continuity. Of course, some plastics manufacturers might get away with poor cooling practice in the short term – while the MENA plastics industry is growing enthusiastically and market opportunities remain relatively wide open – but such an approach is not conducive to business longevity, especially as competition increases.
Due dilligence
Unfortunately, as any plastics manufacturer in the MENA region will know, finding the right process cooling expertise and skills to deliver outstanding cooling systems can be very difficult. The drawback of any emerging market is that there’s often a lack of the high level technical skills, experience and expertise required to maintain a long-term presence after the boom time, ‘free-for-all’ economic trading conditions have passed. As a result, MENA’s plastics industry is plagued with service providers that have limited proven skills in providing expert process cooling solutions.
To avoid engaging opportunistic, unqualified cooling experts, due diligence should be taken. For example, manufacturers should ask to see case studies of the company’s previous work and look for strong evidence of an intelligent, forward-thinking approach. It is also worth asking the company to demonstrate improvements in energy efficiency and plant performance, flexibility throughout the installation process, and due consideration to the needs of clientele, such as budget and goals. Ties with industry leading cooling equipment manufacturers can indicate worthiness, since OEMs are selective in their partnerships. Testimonials (especially those from MENA-based manufacturers) can also be followed up, providing an opportunity to gain first-hand recommendations.
Until the MENA plastics industry matures, it is wise to draw upon the expertise of cooling specialists with proven backgrounds in established, world-leading plastics manufacturing markets such as the UK. However, if doing so, it is essential that the cooling specialist has experience working in the Middle East, is mindful of the specific technical needs of plastics manufacturers located here, and is able to offer business continuity, ideally in the form of locally based maintenance and installation engineers and consultants.
