BASF is expanding its business in industrial coatings in the growth market of Africa. Since October 2013, the company has supplied coil coatings to Roofings Rolling Mills (RRM), located in Uganda. BASF and its technical service were also on hand when the new coil coating lines were put into operation.

RRM is part of the Roofings Group, East Africa’s largest steel producer. At its site in Namanve Industrial Park, RRM operates three production lines with an annual capacity of 240,000 metric tons. BASF has supplied a Pevicoat mixing unit, based on site at RRM. The Pevicoat unit is a computer-assisted paint mixing system that can mix any color and gloss level within a very short time.

“With RRM, we have succeeded in gaining an important long-term partner, which will allow us to continue to grow in this key region. Africa is an attractive market for our industrial coatings,” said Phil Green, business development manager BASF´s Coatings division. “For RRM, robust products with high quality and excellent service are crucial. Thanks to our team from Vanderbijlpark, we can guarantee this.” The coatings and the service are provided from BASF’s site in South Africa.

“The African market does play a key role not only in the BASF strategy, but especially in the future growth plans of the Industrial Coatings Solutions unit of BASF”, added Nils Lessmann, BASF business manager Precoatings EMEA. The rise of African markets is a result of increasing population and urbanization rates as well as consumer spending, Therefore BASF aims to further expand the local presence in Africa and tap new long-term business potential.

Coil coatings are used to coat aluminum and steel coils before they are processed further into an array of different products in the construction, household appliance and automotive industries. These products range from refrigerators to building façades. Since the panels are stamped, rolled and joined, the coating has to be extremely flexible and elastic so that it does not flake off. At the same time, however, it has to meet the requirements for scratch resistance.

RRM has invested $125 million in the site in Uganda, including for the coil coating line. The company also acquired technical support from its Japanese partner Yodogawa Steel Works and uses its technologies. Yodogawa Steel Works has produced coated coils for 75 years.