Unigulf Group, a prominent player in the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) industry in the Middle East region, said it played a major role in helping Arabian Fiberglass Insulation Company (Afico) to get certification from Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) for its complete range of fibreglass products.

Afico is a joint venture with US-based Owens Corning and a member of Gulf Insulation Group under Zamil Industrial Company. Established in 1981 with operations in Dammam, the company is now one of the single largest manufacturers of fibreglass insulation in this region.

The DCD certification received by Afico now offers it access to a wider range of contractors involved in applications such as pre-fabrication, ceiling, partitions, raised floorings, said a statement from Unigulf Group.

Dubai regulatory authorities have been making strong efforts to raise the safety standards to protect lives and property. New regulations ensure that there is a greater weightage for superior quality products being used in building constructions that will help in curtailing mishaps, it stated.

The DCD certification process includes a range of quality control tests and inspections of the manufacturing units as well as consistent testing of products to ensure that they are in line with the set expectations of the authorities.

It also includes reputed external third-party laboratories conducting detailed technical product tests. Their own inspection teams also assess factory safety procedures and conduct tests to evaluate the knowledge and skills of the technicians involved in the manufacturing process.

Lauding the achievement, Prakash Chablani, the managing director of Unigulf Group, said: "We worked closely with Afico towards acquiring the DCD certificate for its entire range of insulation and acoustic products."

"At a time when the DCD is tightening the fire safety guidelines in the emirate, the approval reinforces the need to conform with rules and regulations. It also highlights the high priority set by Unigulf to ensure that we partner with like-minded organizations that are focused on consistently delivering superior products," he added.

Sreekumar, sales manager (GCC) for Afico, said: "The DCD certification for our comprehensive range of products is one of the company's greatest achievements in 2016. This would not be possible without the assistance from Unigulf who ensured that we completed the approval process."

"It helps us further the opportunities we envisage in the building insulation market, especially with the run-up to the major projects that are under way working towards Expo 2020 where we expect the market to be at its peak from 2017 to 2019," he added. - TradeArabia News Service