1. Product Description: Rubberized fabrics are cotton or synthetic fabrics where rubber is coated in one or both sides of the fabrics. These fabrics have a wide range of applications in homes and industries. Rubberized fabrics are water proof and they are used for making tents, raincoats, canvas shoes, school bags handbags, belt, tiers, special bed sheets in hospitals, etc. Coating or rubber in only one side of the fabric is known as single textured cloth and the coating of fabrics on both sides of the rubber in the form of sandwiched between two fabrics is known as double texture cloth.
2. Rationale: All water proof fabrics consumed in the country are imported. This includes fabrics used for tents (used for civilian and military purposes) uppers for canvas shoes, all types of handbags, traveling bags, school bags, fabrics for raincoats. Textile fabrics which are major inputs for rubberized fabrics are produced in the Amhara Region as well as in the country. What we need to produce rubberized fabrics is the plant and machinery for coating rubber on cotton fabrics. If we have this plant, we could save foreign exchange by producing rubberized fabrics; and the Amhara Region should take the initiative to produce this new product.
3. Market Potential: All the hand bags, traveling bags, schools bags, upper of canvas shoes, tents, etc, that one can observe everywhere are products made from rubberized fabrics which are imported. Even the rubberized fabric requirement of local made traveling bags, hand bags, lunch bags, school bags and tents can create enough demand for establishing a plant for producing rubberized fabrics. Of the 2.3 million elementary and secondary school students of the Region, if only 20 percent use school bags made from rubberized fabrics total demand will be 460,000 bags which can translate to 345,000m2 of fabrics.
4. Source of Raw Material: Cotton fabrics here at home and rubber to be imported.
5. Production Process & Technology: formulation and preparation of solvent dispersion or dough (this requires a series of activities), coating of the fabrics by spreading or calendaring technique which again involves a series of sub processes. Main machinery and equipment include two rollers mixing mill, Z- blade mixer, spreading machines, steam heated chamber, boiler, cooling unit, hot air vulcanize, other accessories.
6. Estimated Investment: Building 500 m2 at Birr 1500/m2= Birr 750,000, plant and machinery Birr 230,000; working capital Birr 150,000 = Birr 1,130,000
7. Benefits: saving of foreign exchange, resource flow to the Region, creating demand for the Region product- cotton fabrics and stimulating raw cotton production, introduction of new technology and skills, self sufficiency in rubberized fabrics at regional and national label.
8. Location: Bahir Dar, Combolcha.