Kingspan opens new duct panel production line in Dubai

Facility is said to be one of the largest manufacturing facilities of UL 181 listed duct panels in the world

Kingspan Insulation has announced the opening of a new production line at its facility in Dubai Investment Park 2. The line will produce UL 181 listed PalDuct phenolic pre-insulated duct panels.

UL 181 is said to represent a standard for safety, it covers the materials in the fabrication of air duct systems. According to a statement, to get UL listed, the products are required to pass various tests by UL for: Flame Resistance; Burning; Mould Growth and Humidity Test; Impact; and Leakage; to name a few.

The production line was inaugurated by Gene Murtagh, CEO of Kingspan Group, Peter Wilson, MD of Kingspan’s Insulation Division and Sarmad Fakhri, MD of Kingspan Insulation. The company’s senior management and special guests were present during the ceremony.

Speaking at the ceremony, Murtagh said the firm aims to offer a local product with premium quality and faster delivery times, while passing on savings from import costs to its customers in the UAE. “It is one of the largest manufacturing facilities of UL 181 Listed duct panels in the world,” he explained.

Fakhri noted that since the HVAC industry now follows the ASTM E84 and UL 181 standards, there have been products entering the market with questionable credentials and traceability. “Using Kingspan PalDuct phenolic pre-insulated ductwork, there is peace of mind for Clients & Contractors that the product they receive is genuine and safe to install,” Fakhri said.

The firm says its PalDuct phenolic duct panels are faced on both sides with protective special reinforced aluminium faces and offer premium performance and a rigid thermoset phenolic insulation core. The core of the panels has a fibre-free and closed-cell insulation core, which has been manufactured with a CFC/HCFC-free blowing agent that has zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and low Global Warming Potential (GWP), the firm said in its statement.