Ormond Building Products Ltd has invested in PCE Engineering Oy's Acotec building technology for the production of extruded lightweight concrete wall panels. The company is trying to address the high demand for construction in Ireland with time and labour saving solutions.

Ormond Building Products Ltd was founded in 2000, specifically to manufacture and sell concrete wall products, based on the Acotec principle developed in Finland, and other innovative building concepts.

Fintan Molloy, general manager of Ormond Building Products Ltd, explains, "The last five years has seen unprecedented, sustained double-digit volume growth in construction in Ireland." Construction turnover has trebled in the last six years. The inevitable shortages in the labour market caused by this increase in demand coupled with other factors such as demographic changes and land shortages, have encouraged some forward thinkers in the Irish construction industry to challenge the continued use of old building methods.

Timely product
Bernard McNamara, chairman of Ormond Building Products, the man responsible for introducing Acotec Technology to Ireland, is also managing director of Michael McNamara & Company, the fifth largest construction company in Ireland. Bernard believes "The time is right for the introduction of new systems, which are fast and flexible, reduce the site labour requirements and guarantee both the quality and deliverablity of the end product."

The company currently manufactures the panels at its factory outside Dublin and plans are at an advanced stage for a 2,500 sq. m production facility, which will house two Acotec production lines. The panels are produced in an automated, computer controlled production environment to guarantee high quality finished products. When fully operational, the plant will have an annual capacity of production 500,000 sq.m of concrete panels. For internal non-load bearing walls, panels meet BS5234 standards. Panels are 600mm wide and initially 75 mm and 100 mm thick. They can be delivered on site in lengths between 2000mm and 3300mm.

PCE Engineering Oy is the only provider of Acotec continuous, automated production lines and technology for both lightweight and normal density concrete products for wall elements. In addition, Acotec technology can be used for manufacturing landscaping products like fences, retaining walls and sound barriers.

Acotec became part of PCE Engineering Oy in November 2001. PCE, which is said to be the world's leading supplier of expertise, equipment and machinery, production lines and plants for the pre-cast industry, is part of the Addtek group. Most of PCE's technology is under the Elematic brand, alongside trade names such as the Roth slip-forming technology and the Acotec partitioning wall technology.



For more information contact:
PCE Engineering Oy Ab
Päivi Talonen
P.O. Box 33
FIN-37801 Toijala
FINLAND
Tel: +358 3 549511
Fax: +358 3 5495300
E-mail: paivi.talonen@elematic.com

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