Product Description: these re plastic corrugated sheet which e transparent or semitransparent and used for roofing material and any form of shade where seen light is needed. The sheets are mainly used for covering veranda has, temporary structures, portions of roofs of large stores, roofs of corridors, or nay roof space where there is a need o sunlight. There are different varieties of corrugated plastic sheets; and these include galvanized iron not reinforced corrugated sheet, glass fiber net reinforced corrugated sheet and embossed corrugated sheet. In some countries corrugated plastic sheets are used instead of galvanized iron sheet or asbestos slate corrugated sheets.
Market Potential: It is during the last 20 years that plastic corrugated sheets are introduced in to the Ethiopian market. At present the domestic market of this product is supplied from imports, and the volume of imports has been growing at a rapid rate. However, since the product is relatively new to the Ethiopian market, the demand for it is limited to major urban centers. But in covers of time as the economy develops and as urban housing construction expands, the demand for corrugated plastic sheets will grow. The substitute for corrugated iron sheet is corrugated plastic sheet. If the price of the plastic sheet is lower than that of the iron sheet, there will be more demand for the plastic sheet which can justify the establishment of a corrugated plastic sheet are much lighter in weight and this makes them easier to transport from one place to another. If a factory is established in the Amhara region, the product can be distributed to other regions of the country without incurring higher transport cost.
Source of Raw Material: The main raw material is thermoplastic resin, and this will be imported.
Process and Technology: Extrusion of the raw material is the main process for producing corrugated plastic sheets. Extrusion is carried out either by PVC pellet where essential additives were already compounded. Generally the process involves formulation, blending and mixing, extrusion, inspection and packing. In the formulation blending and mixing stage polyvinyl chloride resin and additives such as stabilizer, pigment, etc, are formulated and blended fixed rational and mixed evenly. The mixture is then heated and cooled, and it is put in storage tanks to be made ready for the subsequent extrusion process. Then the raw material is changed in to the extruder hopper where it is mixed kneaded in the extruder by heating. The material is then extruded by a die in to flat sheets. The sheets are passed through the sizing die to form corrugation. Finally the corrugated sheets are cooled, cut and stacked. Sampling inspection is done at intervals to check the main properties of the product.
Then pieces of machinery required are mixer, cooling blinder, extruder, control panel, die, corrugating taking up cutting machine, edge trimmer, grinder and mill.
Estimated Investment: For a plant which will produce about 1500 tones of corrugated plastic sheets per year, the investment cost will be
Building /shade 200m2/ at Birr 2000/m2 = 400,000
Plant and Machinery = 9,000,000
Working capital = 1,000,000
10,400,000
Benefits: Saves foreign exchange facilities the development of the building sector, brings in financial resources of the region.
Location: Debre Birhan, Combolcha