A number of leading building and building related industry suppliers will be launching the latest new products and technologies at this year’s The Star Interbuild Africa trade exhibition. The Star Interbuild Africa and co-located shows Glass Expo Africa, Woodpro Africa, Plumbdrain Africa and Frigair Workshop and Expo together with two exciting new shows, EcoAfribuild and Current Africa, form the largest building and building services exhibition in Africa.

Hosting the full spectrum of building, building services and related industries in residential, commercial and industrial development, this highly respected trade exhibition will be host to more than 400 exhibitors, all under one roof. Alcobond Manufacturing, the first Dubai based manufacturer of both standard and fire retardant aluminium composite panels, and a licensed franchisee of Alcobond Industries in the US, officially launches in South Africa at The Star Interbuild Africa 2012.

The company’s directors will launch the new SA venture on a fast track to growth, investing an initial US$ 1 million in the company, with plans for further investment and expansion. Alcobond’s Managing Director and CEO, Naseem Ghori, says “The areas of growth by and large will remain in the emerging economies of Africa, the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and the Far East. We believe that Dubai, due to its strategic geographic location, good governance and stringent quality standards for its industries is perfectly poised to serve all these areas, and South Africa, as the largest and most developed economy in Africa, with world-class infrastructure, is the ideal springboard for us to address the region,” states Ghori.

The recently founded Knysna Connection Group will be taking businesses, as representative of the Knysna business community, to participate as exhibitors at The Star Interbuild Africa 2012. The aim of this initiative is to show South African target markets that ‘Made in Knysna’ is far more than a seasonal logo; rather, a twelve months a year offering. The Knysna Connection Group has the support of The Knysna Chamber of Business; ShowMe Knysna, and AV Design and Sit Up and Listen. The Knysna Connection Group was founded in 2010 with the sole purpose to regenerate the Knysna economy as a key economic driver of and contributor to sustainable development of the Garden Route.

EcoAfribuild is an exciting new addition to the 2012 shows. It is a natural extension to The Star Interbuild Africa and will focus on the designs, technologies, materials and solutions relevant in the South African context and the effect each has on the environmental impact of buildings. Isotherm Thermal Insulation will be exhibiting its recycled insulation to help decrease energy usage in SA buildings. Isotherm Thermal Insulation in ceilings and on geysers and water pipes greatly reduces energy consumption and cost, while regulating indoor temperatures for ultimate comfort. Thermal Insulation keeps your home warm in winter and cool in summer and is made from waste PET plastic bottles which are collected, recycled and converted into insulation to be used to insulate buildings throughout Africa. Isotherm complements the architectural and construction practice of green building by increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and reducing the impact buildings have on human health and the environment.

Saint-Gobain Construction Products South Africa will be exhibiting at EcoAfribuild to showcase its increasingly more energy efficient and environmentally-friendly building design and construction. In South Africa the company provides systems solutions, such as plasterboard and gypsum plasters (Gyproc); glasswool and Ultimate for thermal and acoustic insulation, and EPS insulation products (Isover), ductile- and cast iron products (PAM), wall, floor and pool finishes, and tile adhesives and grouts (Weber). System Automation and Management (SAM) has moved forward into the Green Building technology sector focusing on new and existing buildings that require holistic energy solutions, allowing them to reduce their carbon footprint and meet the criteria of SANS204.

SAM will be exhibiting at EcoAfribuild to demonstrate its process which includes an audit of the facility, with accurate measurement made of the energy consumption and recommendations made for active and passive technologies that will improve energy consumption levels. Once approved, these technologies are implemented in a complete building management system. The payback is calculated upfront and the benefits are evident from the start.

Projects already completed by SAM range from the commercial sector to the industrial and large scale housing developments. Glass Expo Africa will put the spotlight on a broad range of glass and aluminium products, embracing all aspects of the glass and aluminium window industries, especially in relation to their use in green buildings. Lisec will be introducing the Fit-Line a new compact line of cost effective insulating glass manufacturing at this year’s Glass Expo Africa. The FiT-Line is a completely redesigned and refined IG manufacturing line and the perfect all-in-one solution for start-up IG manufacturers and SMEs. This compact IG line consists of a glass washing machine, a frame mounting station, an automated gas filling press, and an automatic edge sealing machine – everything you need for efficient IG production. This IG line allows the production of double- and triple-glazed units on high quality machines with high quality output, and an unbeatable cost-performance ratio.

Plumbdrain Africa encompasses all facets of water conveyance and water conservation showcasing civil and domestic plumbing, drainage, sewerage and pipe works, water supply and hot water systems, plus a focus on sanitation and sanitary ware.Rothenberger Pipes will be exhibiting its comprehensive range of plumbing tools, machinery and piping at Plumbdrain Africa 2012. The company will also be running a secret competition called ‘What is your core velocity’ off its stand at the show, with daily prizes and giveaways to be won. Current Africa brings you up to date with requirements of electrical installations for residential, commercial, public, industrial and prefabricated buildings according to SANS 10142.

Endorsed and supported by the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA), the addition of Current Africa fully completes the related sectors represented at this building and building services exhibition. Frigair is Africa’s only dedicated heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, refrigeration and energy exhibition and conference and will be showcasing a broad range of products, services and technologies within the HVAC & R industry.

Baltimore Aircoil Company will exhibit its one off RCF Fluid Cooler and one off FXV B model closed circuit cooling tower at Frigair this year. The new FXV B closed circuit cooling tower has 33% more cooling capacity and more flexibility than before. It provides optimised selections based on footprint, horsepower and pressure drop and uses patented advanced coil technology and combined flow technology providing the most energy efficient closed circuit cooling tower on the market. Evapco will be showcasing its new Smart Shield water treatment system and ATF and LRTF Fiberglass range. Smart Shield consists of three separate components working together to provide convenient and effective water treatment.

It is specifically formulated to provide scale and corrosion protection of the spray water system associated with closed-circuit coolers and evaporative condensers. Its solid inhibitor tablets are encased by a patented polymer coating controlling the release rate of the chemistry over a period of 30 days. This innovative time release eliminates the need for costly chemical feed pumps, and any concerns of losing pump prime, which can leave your system unprotected. Smart Shield is easy to operate; its recirculating water flow releases the inhibitor chemistry.

Interbuild Africa, EcoAfribuild, Glass Expo Africa, Woodpro Africa, Plumbdrain Africa and Current Africa will be held at the Expo Centre, Nasrec, Johannesburg, from 15-18 August 2012. The Frigair Workshop and Expo, also co-located at this event, runs from 15-17 August 2012.