drymix.info Newsletter 226/2019

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drymix.info Newsletter 226/2019; ISSN Number 1613-0111; 30. September 2019

1. Commentary: The German Government is Re-Installing the Master Craftsman Degree for Tile Layers and other Construction Trades
2. MEDMA Oman Drymix Mortar Showcase, 7.10.19: Support by GUTech Oman
3. ladmmc six, São Paulo, Brasil, 6. and 7.11.19 with Excursion to Cidades sem Fome
4. The Fourth MEDMA Workshop on Jobsite Automation, 24.11.19, Sharjah: Program
5. The 14th Annual SEADMA Conference, 28.11.19 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Program
6. Calls for Papers issued for Moscow, Manila, Sydney, Toronto and Mexico City (Outlook into 2020)
7. Epasit Sold to Rombold Family
8. MC-Bauchemie Inaugurates New Plant in Ghana
9. Wacker Chemie Commissions New Production Plant for Redispersible Powders in South Korea
10. Sika Opens up Drymix Mortar Plant in Cameroon
11. Putzmeister Intends to Spin off its Mortar and Screed Machine Division

1. Commentary: The German Government is Re-Installing the Master Craftsman Degree for Tile Layers and other Construction Trades

In the past, the German mandatory vocational education and career cycle for certification of tile layers (and many other professions on the jobsite) was highly appraised by education professionals all around the world. The system, consisting of a three-tier approach (apprenticeship 3 years, practice min. 2 years, then master-class) assured top quality craftsmen that permanently received information and training to update them on recent technical developments. Back in 2004, the German government, in attempt to gain Europe-wide compatibility, "liberalized" the regulations by eliminating the requirement for a "Master Craftsman" title in several building and construction trades. At that time, 53 of 94 craftsmen trades were deregulated.

The result was disappointing for developers and end-users (owners): of course the prices came down because untrained construction workers could now enter the markets, but the quality built went down too, the craftsmen saw no more need to train apprentices and the repair works after completion grew considerably. Especially in tiling, where large format and fully vitrified tiles where introduced in the same period, the challenges of laying a tile in a proper way had increased tremendously, causing many mistakes and failures in application.

It was high time the German Government considered going back to a mandatory certification again. The Master Craftsman degree will be re-installed for 12 professions, 5 of them alone for building trades: Tile, Stone and Mosaic Layers, Terrazzo and Concrete Floor Installers, Floor Levelers (thick screeds, "Estrich"), (wood) Parquet Layers and Interior Decorators.

A commentary by Ferdinand Leopolder

2. MEDMA Oman Drymix Mortar Showcase, 7.10.19: Support by GUTech Oman

The Middle East Drymix Mortar Association MEDMA e.V. could gain the German University of Technology in Oman (a spin off of RWTH Aachen) to co-host the event. Ms. Heiderose Moossen has agreed to hold a keynote speech on the topic of the importance of Vocational Education for the evolution of state-of-the-art building technology in Oman. MEDMA and Al Nimr Group are the main hosts of this event. By invitation of Al Nimr Group, delegates to the MEDMA Oman Drymix Mortar showcase can also attend the Infra Oman 2019 Exhibition, which takes place right then and there (actually from 7. to 9. October 2019). Al Nimr Expo, GUTech Oman, Haver&Boecker, JK Cement (Fujairah), MEDMA, m-tec, Thomas Bell Wright Laboratories and Wacker Chemie are contributors to our Program (thanks a lot!). The updated program is available online at www.drymix.info.

As seating is limited, demand is fortunately high, pre-registration is highly recommended. Admission is free of charge. All interested experts can apply for an admission pass by e-mail to info@drymix.info.

3. ladmmc six, São Paulo, Brasil, 6. and 7.11.19 with Excursion to Cidades sem Fome

For the sixth time, drymix.info invites to the Latin American Drymix Mortar Conference ladmmc six (Sexta Conferência Latino Americana de Argamassas ladmmc six). The actual conference takes place on Thursday, 7. November 2019, at Espaço Transatlântico, São Paulo, Brasil, 7.11. 2019 . The Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2019 will be distributed to all delegates. Contributors to our program include Arkema, Cimental, Ciplan, Dow Construction Chemicals, Formitex, Haver & Boecker, Imerys Aluminates, LB Technology, Parex (now Sika), Saint Gobain Weber Quarzolit, TP Chemicals, Votorantim Cimentos and Wacker Chemie.

On 6. November 2019, we plan an excursion for interested delegates to a project of Cidades sem fome, an urban farming initiative led by Eng. Hans Dieter Tremp. He will guide us to an urban farming project in a densely populated neighborhood of Metropolitan São Paulo. Advance registration is mandatory because we need to arrange enough seats for your bus transfer. We hope we can convince you to make a donation to this excellent initiative (drymix.info will donate 1.000 Euro from the proceeds of ladmmc six).

Our standard pricing applies for ladmmc six: admission is 390 Euro, reduced to 290 Euro for members of drymix.info, drymix mortar producers pay only 190 Euro. If you are booking your admission online, a 30 Euro bonus gets deducted from the prices above. The entire program is available on www.drymix.info.

4. The Fourth MEDMA Workshop on Jobsite Automation, 24.11.19, Sharjah: Program

After the success of its three workshops (1. on Tiling, at Wacker Academy, Dubai, 2. on Renders and Plasters at Sharjah Research Academy, 3. on External Insulation and Finishing Systems EIFS at Dubai Municipality, Dubai Central Labs), the Middle East Drymix Mortar Association MEDMA e.V. invites to its Fourth MEDMA Workshop on Jobsite Automation, Industrial Mortar Mixing and Pumping.

The workshop takes place on and during The International Concrete Conference & Exhibition, ICCX Middle East 2019 and is being supported by the organizers of ICCX. All delegates obtain a free pass to ICCX exhibition on 24.11.19.

MEDMA thanks for the great industry support and is proud to publish the preliminary program below (subject to change without notice), and. Ferdinand Leopolder, President of MEDMA will moderate the sessions:

Arkan (Abu Dhabi), Melwyn Lobo: Case Study: Large Scale Drymix Mortar Application Using Silos and Pumps
CCC Drymix (Dubai), Sreeni Naidu: Machine Applied Renders and Plasters: Practice and Potentials
Haver&Boecker, (tbd.): Bag to the Future - State-of-the-art Packaging Technology
JK Cement (Fujairah), Mohammed Elassi: White Cement in Drymix Mortar Applications
m-tec, Kutlu Güvenç: Drymix Mortar Plants and Jobsite Machinery
Wacker Chemie, Mohammed Sanaobar: Save the Environment & Business Opportunity by Drymix Technology @ Jobsite

The workshop is free of charge, however advance registration is mandatory. Please send us an e-mail to info@drymix.info. The full program is available on drymix.info,

In the evening, MEDMA will hold its Annual General Member's Assembly, a separate invitation will go out to the members in fall of 2019 (for members only).

5. The 14th Annual SEADMA Conference, 28.11.19 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Program

The 14th Annual SEADMA Conference takes place in Ho Chi Minh City on 28. November 2019. Building on the success and great feedback on the two local Vietnam Drymix Mortar Meetings in 2018 (Ho Chi Minh City) and 2019 (Hanoi), the event is aimed at construction materials experts in all Nations of ASEAN. It is the single most important networking opportunity for our industry in the area.

Attention Delegates: we are planning an Excursion to a construction site in metropolitan HCMC on 27.11.19 (details to be published in our next Newsletter): please tell us if you are interested in joining us!

Here is a glimpse at out preliminary program (subject to change without notice):
Actemium (Sofraden), Nicolas Genevrier: Emerging market - Start, Test and Increase your Drymix Production without Compromising on Availability, Quality and Performance
Haver & Boecker, (tbd.): Bag to the Future
Maltech, Thomas Andergassen: (working title) Mortar Mixers and Pumps to Increase Productivity on Jobsites throughout ASEAN
Fujian South Highway Machinery (NFLG), Hank Chen: (working title) Large Scale Fully Automated Drymix Mortar Plants
Ashland (IMCD SEA), Philippe Russo: Culminal M 6030 PF, an Innovative Solution for Skimcoats in Tropical Climate
Lottechem, Hyun Taek Chang: (working tile) Functional Cellulose Ethers for Drymix Mortar Applications
Flooring.vn, David Tran Viet Dung: Novel and Highly Durable Eco Flooring System for Industrial and Residential Applications
Mapei, Dr. Stefano Carrà: How do ISO and ANSI Norms Look at Tile Adhesives: the Point of View of the Formulator
MC-Bifi Bauchemie, The Tuong Do: Fast Setting Repair Mortars for Tidal Structures
Wacker Chemie, Malik Jamal: Cementitious Tile Adhesive for Porcelain Tiles

Our standard pricing applies for the 14th Annual SEADMA Conference: admission is 390 Euro, reduced to 290 Euro for members of drymix.info, drymix mortar producers pay only 190 Euro. If you are booking your admission online, a 30 Euro bonus gets deducted from the prices above. Extra cost may have to be applied for the excursion on 28.11.19, we will inform you later. The entire program is available online at www.drymix.info.

6. Calls for Papers issued for Moscow, Manila, Sydney, Toronto and Mexico City (Outlook into 2020)

drymix.info has recently issued all Calls for Papers for the events and publications in the first half of the year 2020. Especially for Toronto, Sydney and Moscow, deadlines are very soon, if you want to propose a lecturing topic, please hurry up. Here is a short outlook into 2020 (subject to change without notice):
Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2020 (deadline for submissions): 1. January 2020
30. January 2020: 5th Russian Mortar Days (with MCU and Quintet), Moscow
1. or 9. March 2019: 5th MEDMA Workshop on Concrete Repair, Abu Dhabi
4. or 12. March 2020: 5th Australian Drymix Mortar Meeting, Sydney, NSW
2. or 3. April 2020: 4th Philippine Drymix Mortar Meeting, Manila
May 7, 2020: Seventh American Drymix Mortar Conference, Toronto, ON
16. June 2020: 4th Central American Drymix Mortar Meeting

If you have not received the relevant Calls for Papers for your region last week, please get in touch with us. Sponsoring for all events and publications is of course welcome and necessary.

7. Epasit Sold to Rombold Family

The specialty drymix mortar producer Epasit GmbH, founded 1957 in Ammerbuch-Altingen, Germany is now fully owned by the Rombold Family. Epasit is producing mortars and systems for waterproofing, concrete repair, drinking water installations as well as renovation of historic buildings (preservation of historic heritage). Rombold also owns Steinwerk Westerstetten, where lime sand and other gradations as well as drymix mortars (renders, masonry mortars, flooring screeds) are being produced. The new CEO at Epasit is Franziska Rombold. Rombold intends to keep all employees of Epasit on the payroll, since both portfolios match perfectly. A transaction value was not disclosed by either party.

8. MC-Bauchemie Inaugurates New Plant in Ghana

MC-Bauchemie Müller GmbH & Co. KG of Bottrop, Germany, has recently opened up its new plant in Accra, Ghana. MC-Bauchemie Ghana Ltd. (founded already back in 2016) celebrated the official launch of its business, with 100 representatives from politics, industry and academia as well as customers and partners back in July. Managing Director Noble Bediako said: “We already produce various concrete admixtures such as superplasticizers, retarders and hardening accelerators (in Ghana). In our new facility, we will now also be manufacturing concrete repair products, grouting concretes and mortars, as well as waterproofing systems... ". “The economic situation in Ghana looks promising and the country has one of the best democratic systems on the continent. So it’s important for us to continue to invest in this market,” stressed Nicolaus Müller, Managing Director of MC-Bauchemie. Apart from the manufacturing facility, a concrete laboratory has also been set up to educate and support applicators in the construction industry.

9. Wacker Chemie Commissions New Production Plant for Redispersible Powders in South Korea

Wacker Chemie AG, Munich, Germany by way of its Polymer Division has started up its new production plant for redispersible powders in Ulsan, South Korea this month (we reported earlier). After a construction phase of 20 months, a new spray drier was commissioned at the integrated Ulsan site, where also Vinyl-Acetate/Ethylene copolymer dispersions (VAE) are being produced (tradename Vinnapas). The new spray dryer converts liquid dispersions into redispersible powder by feeding the dispersion through an atomizer into a stream of hot gas, which dries it extremely quickly to yield a fine powder. The new spray drier is said to have a total capacity of 80.000 tons per year. The powder production will create some 50 new jobs in Ulsan. Wacker is also installing a new reactor for VAE dispersions in Ulsan, scheduled for start-up in the first quarter of 2020. The entire investment in Ulsan is said to be around 65 mio Euro.

10. Sika Opens up Drymix Mortar Plant in Cameroon

Sika AG of Baar, Switzerland has recently commissioned a new drymix mortar plant in Douala, Cameroon. After forming Sika Cameroon in 2016, Sika started with a concrete admixtures plant in 2017. Important projects for all Sika construction products include sports arenas, the Douala Grand Mall, Douala Business Park as well as units for drinking water production and distribution all across the nation. According to Sika, the construction industry in Cameroon has grown in 2019 by 8,4% when compared with 2018 and will continue to increase at a average annual growth rate of 7.4% until 2028 (!).

11. Putzmeister Intends to Spin off its Mortar and Screed Machine Division

According to Stuttgarter Nachrichten, Putzmeister GmbH of Aichtal, Germany, since 2012 part of the Sany Heavy Industry, Beijing, China (we reported earlier) is intending to spin off its mortar and screed machine division. Says CEO Martin Knötgen "...(the construction industry) is experiencing the largest structural changes since decades.The digital integration of planning and building is changing market positions". He sees 3D construction as a new trend and wants to prepare the concrete machinery division for this.The mortar division employs about 155 people (117 of which work in Aichtal, Germany), it mainly produces mixing pumps for screeds and mortars, a segment in which Putzmeister was pioneer after the second world war and set benchmarks since the 1960ies. By selling this division, Putzmeister wants to create cash in order to focus on innovation in its core competence: industries here include concrete, mining, tunneling, materials conveying, waste management and handling, mortar injection and shotcrete. Putzmeister employs 3.200 people worldwide (930 in Aichtal) and had a turnover of 770 mio Euro in 2018. A potential investor was not named.

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Editor-in-Chief: Ferdinand Leopolder.