Plaster Board Production Plant

1. Production Description:- Gypsum plaster boards are a low cost substitute for play wood and fiber board for insulation, light weight partition and false ceiling. Due to their low cost plaster boards can be used in the construction of homes, schools and other buildings.

2. Rationale:- There is extreme housing shortage in the urban centers of the Amhara Region and prices of construction materials are becoming very expensive excluding the majority of urban dwellers from building their own houses. Plaster boards which are relatively cheap can reduce the cost of building houses to some extent. Production of this type of building material should promoted to be established in the Region. The production of plaster boards could substitute wood and wood products thereby contributing to the conservation of the remaining forest resources.

3. Market Potential:- Due to increased construction activities in practically every part of the Region, there pare shortages in most types of construction materials which have translated into high prices for these materials. The production of any construction material with relatively low price will be a welcome development in the construction industry of the Region. In fact this product could enhance the expansion of the industry by removing some bottlenecks in the material supply of the sector.

4. Source of Raw Material:- The main raw material is gypsum and this is found in the Region.

5. Production Process & Technology:- First gypsum is calcined in the furnace and the material is cooled. Then it is ground to fine powder and screened to remove any foreign material. Moulds of desired design and size are made from wooden for casting of boards. Plaster of pairs is mixed with measured quantity of water and made into paste. The paste is then poured in cleaned and well lubricated marble slabs. The boards should not have a thickness of less than half an inch and may be reinforced with coir fiber, sisal fiber, sisal fibre, jute or cane lambor to increase its strength. Any excess plaster is removed by crossing the mould with a wooden stick or iron pipe. The board gets set in 15 to 20 minutes time when it is removed from the mould and air dried for 3 to 4 days after finishing. Main plant and machinery include disintegrator, pulveriser for fine grinding, magnetic separator, wooden tables fitted with highly polished marble slabs, wooden moulds, calcinations kin.

6. Estimated Investment:- 300m2 building Birr 300,000. Plant and machinery Birr 80,000; working capital= birr 30,000= Total Birr 410,000.

7. Benefits:- enhances the development of the construction industry contributes to elimination of bottlenecks in the supply of construction materials, utilizes domestic natural resource, creates new skills, introduces new technology.

8. Location:- in localities near where gypsum is found.