Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel, 2 Charoen Krung 30, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
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9th Global Gypsum Conference 2009
11-12 May, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Review by Dr Nino Mancino and Dr Robert McCaffrey, conference co-convenors
Image gallery for the 9th Global Gypsum Conference 2009
The exotic Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro was the setting for the 9th Global Gypsum Conference and Exhibition, held on 11-12 May 2009. Some 170 delegates from 35 countries around the world, including a healthy delegation from the host nation, attended the two days of presentations and networking, as well as a truly memorable gala dinner. The main themes of the event included important advances in manufacturing technology and the state of the industry worldwide. The venue for the 10th Global Gypsum Conference was also announced – Paris, France, in October 2010.
The conference began with a well-attended cocktail reception party on the evening of Sunday 10 May, before the conference proper commenced on schedule at 9am. Conference co-convenor Dr Robert McCaffrey welcomed everyone to the conference, and made special mention of the fact that most delegates had travelled long distances to be in Rio, which in the midst of the global economic crisis was encouraging.
The first speaker was none other than Dr Bob Bruce of Innogyps, who gave a stark, honest, and realistic assessment of the state of the gypsum wallboard industry in North America. As both the credit crunch and the subsequent recession have taken hold, new housing permits and starts have nose-dived, while homeowners have seen the value of their properties plunge. Demand has also been affected by the fact that in times of economic uncertainty, the tendency for people to invest capital into their homes – for example in the form of renovation work – diminishes.
As demand has fallen off the proverbial cliff, gypsum manufacturers have seen prices soften, profits collapse, resulting in them having to cut costs by a variety of methods, e.g. mothballing of capacity, cuts in wages and working hours, redundancies, as well as the permanent closure of facilities in some cases.
This is not the first time that the gypsum industry has gone through a recession – in fact Bob commented that since his entry into the gypsum industry in 1977, this is the fourth cycle he has experienced. However, Bob stated quite bluntly that the current downturn is by far the worst during that time, and probably the worst ever.
Nevertheless, recessions, as Bob reminded the audience, are temporary, and the presence of several long-term demand factors will help the industry in the future. Key among these is immigration into the US, which stands at approximately 1m/y. Such an influx of people into the country will necessitate the creation of more homes. This will have a positive effect on the demand for wallboard and other gypsum products. There are also roughly 11m illegal immigrants currently living in the US; were the US government to create an amnesty for these people and allow them to live and work legally, then there is a good chance that families will settle and buy permanent homes.
On the long-term supply-side, the situation will also be helped by the creation of more modern, cost-effective and profitable plants. Indeed, such plants continue to come online today, and are making profits even in the current crisis. Bob predicted that steady, sustainable profits will return to the North American gypsum industry by 2012, although a return to pre-2007 levels will probably not happen until the peak of the cycle after that.
The second speaker was Dr Joe Harder of OneStone Consulting, Germany, who presented a valuable paper on the latest market trends in the global gypsum industry. Global plasterboard consumption has stagnated in recent years across all major sectors, with 2008 being a particularly bad year. The US, Europe and Japan once dominated the world market with 90% in 1995 and 84% in 2005. This dropped to 77% in 2008, while China has now emerged to become a more significant player – it enjoyed a massive two-digit expansion in capacity between 2005-2008. Nevertheless, capacity utilisation remained lower in China and other developing nations than it did among the more mature sectors on Europe, Australasia, while North American capacity usage fell from 90% to only 65% between 2005-2008.
Joe went on to list some of the major global plasterboard producers, before concluding with a look at how the market will develop in years to come. Echoing the sentiments of the previous speaker, Joe predicted that, all things being equal, growth in the plasterboard market will stagnate in the next 2-3 years. The great ‘unknown’ will be the effect on the plasterboard market of the various stimulus packages that governments around the world have announced in recent months. Dr Harder forecasts that these stimulus packages will serve to return the industry to 2007 levels by 2010, and that until 2020 global capacity will rise to 1.35bnm2/y.
After coffee and networking the splendidly-named Josias Inojosa de Oliveira Filho, president of Sindusgesso – the Pernambuco State Gypsum Association – gave a presentation describing the gypsum industry in Brazil. More than 95% of Brazil’s gypsum reserves are concentrated in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco, specifically in the western Araripe area, which hosts several natural gypsum quarries. Approximately 5.5Mt of high purity gypsum (ca. 95%) was mined from Araripe in 2008; confirmed reserves are placed at 228Mt, while estimated reserves stand at 1.2bnt. Gypsum in this area is used for a variety of applications: in cement production, as an agricultural chemical, dental moulds, wall panels, ceiling tiles, and even classroom chalk, to name but a few.
Josias went on to say that Sindusgesso supports the activities of members in a variety of ways. It recently opened a Technology Centre in Araripe for the use of its affiliates, and has been extremely successful in promoting their products through its export arm, Brazilian Gypsum, to a number of developing countries, most notably to states in Africa and the Middle East.
The fourth and final paper before lunch was given by Gunter Leitner, president of the Brazilian Association of Plasterboard Manufacturers, and president of Knauf do Brasil. Mr Leitner described the evolution of and the challenges faced by the plasterboard industry in Brazil. The first Brazilian plasterboard plant came online in Pernambuco in 1972 under the ownership of Gypsum do Nordeste, but, due to a lack of skilled workers, poor marketing and low capacity, the company struggled until it was purchased by Lafarge in 1995.
The 1980s saw the entry of São Paulo-based building company Método Engenharia into the plasterboard market. This company used imported parts and materials in its production process, largely as a result of the restrictive trade policy of the Brazilian government at that time, as well as due to a general lack of product knowledge among the country’s civil engineers and architects. Metodo’s success was habitually thwarted until the 1990 election of reformist president Fernando Collor de Melho, who sought to open up the Brazilian economy to international trade.
As a result of these reforms, the plasterboard industry began to flourish somewhat, to the extent that between 1995 and 1998, Brazil had acquired three plasterboard plants: Lafarge Gypsum in north-eastern Petrolina, Knauf do Brasil in Queimados and Placo do Brasil in Mogi de Cruzes (both in the south).
Mr Leitner said that at the outset plasterboard manufacturers in Brazil faced several economic, technical and cultural challenges in order to increase market share: Firstly, there were (and still are) the huge logistical problems brought about by the distance between the main reserves in north-eastern Pernambuco and the main urban centres of consumption in the south – some 2500-3000km (and as Gunter showed with some revealing photos, the pretty parlous state of Brazil’s roads and highways does not help in this regard!). A second hurdle was the need to challenge the orthodoxy of non-plasterboard-based products that traditionally dominated the building materials sector in Brazil. Thirdly was the relatively high level of investment that was (and again still is) needed in terms of materials, manpower and marketing, not to mention overcoming the relatively burdensome tax system in Brazil. Another key challenge was the lack of an agreed set of technical standards for the use of plasterboard in Brazil. The necessity to solve these challenges was the biggest reason why the Brazilian Association of Plasterboard Manufacturers was set-up in the 1990s.
Since its inception, the Association has made strides forward in its mission, including the publication of technical manuals and the organisation of training courses and seminars – all important steps in helping to promote the benefits of plasterboard to a largely sceptical industry. Nevertheless, and as Gunter was honest enough to admit, the Association has enjoyed only limited success thus far. It is true to say that plasterboard consumption in Brazil has grown steadily from ca. 1.3Mm2 in 2004 to ca. 2.4Mm2 in 2008. Nevertheless, per capita consumption of plasterboard in Brazil lags well behind that in other industrialised countries. The development of the industry in Brazil thus faces many significant challenges, and its future success will depend on continued heavy investment for some time to come.
After lunch Mark Flumiani of Innogyps Inc gave a ground-breaking paper on the use of computer-aided tomography (CAT) scans of gypsum board, a technique that yields information on bubble size distribution and density sections and on what actually happens during the nail pull test. Further refinements of CAT scans down to the nano-scale may in the future allow the mapping in 3D of air voids due to evaporated water, which are below the resolution of current technology. Mark suggested that CAT scans of gypsum board could help producers improve quality, reduce energy usage and to reduce material usage.
Continuing the session on quality optimisation and control, Stefan Jerrelid of Limab spoke about his company’s range of board-sensing applications, including the GMS1100 thickness width and edge profile system, the newly-upgraded FalconEye surface inspection system and three systems that are to be launched in 2009 – VoidDent, SetTemp and PaperBreak. Together, these five systems allow producers to ensure consistent quality and to control costs very effectively.
Zhang Chengong of BNBM, part of the China National Building Material Group Corporation (CNBM) next spoke about CNBM’s wallboard production line technology, particularly with regards to its capabilities with FGD raw materials. It is plain that BNBM is now one of the largest suppliers of wallboard production line technology, with very many references throughout China. The company has great ambitions to export its increasingly sophisticated plants around the world. BNBM is unique in that it not only supplies production technology, but is also a very large producer of boards in its own right, with 27 operating factories in China. As they say, “Watch this space.”
Henrik Wetegrove of Claudius Peters Projects GmbH was next up, with a presentation on the company’s new homogeniser system. This new mixing chamber, set up after the calcining kettle and before the stucco mill, has the effect of homogenising product quality, improving water demand and decreasing fuel consumption for stucco, as well as improving product stabilisation, extending the setting time and improving product strength for plaster production. The patented homogeniser is simple, requiring only two mixer motors and the use of system off-gas for fluidisation, and has already been proved at pilot scale. The first industrial scale applications are eagerly awaited.
Concluding the day, Eli Shachaf of NESTEK gave an overview of the use of wax emulsions for waterproofing wallboards. Although Mr Shachaf allowed that using silicones allowed reduced water demand during board production, he concluded that the many other benefits of wax emulsions gave them the advantage over other water-proofing systems.
Gala Dinner and Global Gypsum Awards 2009
The Gala Dinner took place at the Manquiera Samba School in Rio de Janeiro – one of the most famous samba schools in all of Brazil. Delegates were welcomed to the occasion by strikingly tall and beautiful girls in stunning carnival dresses, and were treated to an awe-inspiring display of samba dancing and drumming.
During the Gala Dinner, the Global Gypsum Awards 2009 were presented by conference convenor Dr Robert McCaffrey. The awards received more than twice as many nominations in 2009 as in any previous year. Reflecting the fact that it was one of the few wallboard companies in the world which did not have a double-digit collapse in production in 2008-2009, and reflecting its emergence as a world-class board producer, the award for Global Gypsum company of the year went to BNBM, Beijing New Building Materials, part of CNBM.
The supplier of the year award went to America’s Aecometric company, for its increasingly popular low-Nox and high efficiency burners. Both Brazilian paper supplier Klabin and well-known systems-supplier Gyptech were close runners-up for the award. Unusually, and reflecting the number of nominations received, the judges decided to split the plant of the year award.
The gypsum wallboard plant of the year was awarded to Knauf do Brasil’s Queimados plant, while the gypsum plant of the year went to Supergesso’s giant plaster plant in Brazil – to wildly enthusiastic applause from the Brazilian attendees of the event. Amid much competition and many nominations from competing products, the Global Gypsum product of the year was awarded to RapidWall (see below). The principals of the company were at the event to collect their award, having made a 40-hour journey from Australia to be there.
The Global Gypsum personality of the year was awarded to soon-to-retire Stig Hesse, a valiant attendee of every Global Gypsum Conference since its inception and a life-long gypsum veteran, known and liked by everyone in the industry. Following this special evening, he can retire a happy man. Finally, unveiled by two statuesque mulatto beauties, Paris was named as the venue for the next Global Gypsum Conference, in October 2010 – to indecorous celebrations from the French contingent. The evening gave an insight into the ‘real’ Brazil, and was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Second day
Despite a tiring previous evening, Alfred Brosig of Grenzebach BSH woke everyone up with a fantastically enthusiastic and stimulating presentation on a new method for making calcium sulphate alpha hemihydrate. Grenzebach has patented a new ‘semi-wet’ method to convert dihydrite to alpha-hemihydrate. Fine particulate gypsum is agitated in a horizontal autoclave and a solution of water and crystal habit modifier are sprayed onto it, as well as steam in a closed loop. The process is based on two thermodynamic ‘axioms:’ As long as surface moisture is available, the gypsum particles can’t get overheated, since the surface water acts as a protective shield until all the water is evaporated and secondly, as long as free moisture is available, steam can’t be overheated but will always be in saturated conditions. Using the new process, a new low-cost binder of high quality and strength will now become more widely available.
Rod Macgregor, a serial entrepreneur of stock-exchange-listed companies, gave a thought-provoking presentation on the possibilities of making wallboard with energy derived from the sun, on behalf of his new company, Cleanboard. Thermal energy from the sun is converted in large arrays of solar collectors into heat which can be stored in the form of molten salt. This high-grade heat (in the region of 350-400°C) can be used in the board dryer, via a heat exchanger. Rod countered the impression that it could not work since the sun goes down and sometimes it is cloudy with the sensible suggestions that enough heat can be stored to run overnight, and that if there is an extended period without enough sunshine, that the plant’s normal burners can be turned back on. Solar thermal plants are obviously more attractive when the energy price is high and when there are tax breaks for using ‘green’ energy: with the likely imposition of carbon taxes, Cleanboard starts to look less crackpot and more sensible.
Charlie Blow of CasoFour was next up, to give a presentation entitled ‘New technology that will change the industry forever.’ In essence, CasoFour’s NuGyp LoCal technology produces low water-demand beta plaster at minimal cost and using low capital cost equipment. The patented NuGyp process exposes the freshly calcined plaster to steam at pressures above atmospheric for specified times from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. NuGyp plaster has a ‘tunable’ water demand reduction down to -40%, and Charlie suggested that savings of $2.50-8.00 per msf of plasterboard can be expected. A NuGyp LoCal plant is currently being built with the capacity to supply one plasterboard line.
Jürgen Bäumer of WTW then gave an overview of the fundamentals of hopper and silo design for use with gypsum, including some of the designs his company has put into practice of the years. Particular care has to be used when designing facilities handling sticky FGD gypsum.
Ingo Dietzold then gave a detailed case study on the handling and storage of natural and synthetic gypsum at Saint-Gobain’s British Gypsum plant at Sherburn-in-Elmet, UK. The complete plant upgrade project was managed by British Gypsum engineers and included intake from tipping truck (using the famous Samson surface feeder), transfer to storage, discharge and reclaim from storage, transfer to mill bunkers, electrical control and automation and erection and commissioning. The project started in 2005, and was completed in 2007.
Francisco Cabrejos of Jenike & Johanson, Inc., based in Chile, also gave information on the fundamentals of gypsum hopper and silo design, and detailed some of the material characteristics that have to be taken into account – strength, compressibility, wall friction, permeability, wear – when designing handling systems.
The penultimate paper at the conference was given by Greg Rice, who spoke about how the patented Rapidwall building system is gaining market traction around the world. Rapidwall is a large load-bearing building panel made of gypsum and reinforced glass-fibre rovings. The panels have cellular hollows and are produced to a finished size of 12m x 3m x 124mm thick, and Greg proudly claimed that they have the lowest embodied energy rating for any load-bearing building system presently available in the world. A waterproofing system can be added to the gypsum mix to make it suitable for internal or external use. Greg also spoke about the fluidised-bed Rapidflow calciner developed by his company, which produces relatively high-strength beta plasters at low temperature and high thermal efficiency. Greg Rice suggested that investing in the Rapidwall panel system and the Rapidflow calciner could allow a company to start producing building material at relatively low capital cost – ideal for developing economies – with a potential return on investment of 50%.
The final paper at the conference was given by Mike Fenton of Aecometric Corporation. Mike was fresh from having travelled around the world in the preceding few weeks, meeting customers for the company’s increasingly popular low-Nox, high efficiency burners. Mike gave details of how the company’s burners achieve the seemingly impossible feat of keeping emissions down, while at the same time minimising fuel usage and maximising efficiency.
Farewell party and best presentation awards
Following the end of the technical programme, delegates adjourned for the Farewell Party to a spectacular hillside restaurant which offered fantastic views over Rio. In the farewell speech, conference convenor Robert McCaffrey offered thanks to the Brazilian tourist agents for the event – BITourism – as well as the Brazilian co-sponsors of the conference, Brazilian Gypsum and Sindusgesso (and in particular Rafaella Sartori and Beatriz Vega). The industry sponsors of the event were also thanked – Erisim, Grenzebach, Gyptech, Johns Manville, Owens Corning and Syngenta. For its clean lines and classy design, the best exhibition stand award went to Grenzebach. Alfred Dayem of SICIT 2000 (seen left) was awarded – by popular acclamation – an unofficial award for ‘best dancer’ at the preceding night’s Gala Dinner. The spouses (seen right) attended the evening, and thoroughly enjoyed their visit to Rio.
In the best presentation awards, three papers tied for fourth place: Mark Flumiani for his paper on CAT scans of wallboard, Rod Macgregor for his paper on Cleanboard, and Charlie Blow for his paper on NuGyp. In third place was the ever-popular Bob Bruce for his sobering assessment of the prospects for the global gypsum wallboard industry, and in second place was Greg Rice (seen left) for his beautifully delivered and persuasive paper on Rapidwall. However, in first place, and winner of the Best Presentation Award for his lively and ground-breaking paper on a new method of manufacturing alpha-hemihydrate was Alfred Brosig of Grenzebach.
It only remained for the organisers of the conference to thank delegates for coming to the conference in beautiful Rio de Janeiro, to wish them a safe journey home, and to look forward to the 10th Global Gypsum Conference, in autumn 2010, in Paris.
6th Global Gypsum Conference and Exhibition 2006
8-10 May, Cancun, Mexico
Reviewed by Robert McCaffrey, conference convenor
Around 210 delegates from 27 countries attended the 6th Global Gypsum Conference and exhibition, held in Cancun, Mexico in May 2006. The inaugural Global Gypsum Awards were presented at the event, and the location of the next conference was announced, for Shanghai in May 2007.
The 6th Global Gypsum Conference and Exhibition took place at the Hilton Hotel, Cancun, on 8-9 May 2006. The location of the event had been in some doubt several months before, since Hurricane Wilma had nearly obliterated Cancun, and had caused huge damage to the conference hotel. However, the hotel’s management had assured the organisers that the hotel would be ready for re-opening in good time for the event, and - after spending US$50m on renovations and repairs - they were true to their word.
Welcome!
As is traditional at the event, the conference proper was preceded by a welcome cocktail reception, held in the exhibition area. This is a first opportunity to make new contacts, and to greet old friends. Many delegates took the opportunity to wear their event polo-shirts for the first time, which included the conference logo, as well as the drywall truck of the shirt’s sponsor, Steeler Drywall Supplies. Grenzebach was a title sponsor of the conference, while Johns Manville kindly sponsored the delegate name badges.
Throughout the conference, the spouse tour programme took place, including snorkeling trips, heritage visits and social events. Spouses agreed that this had been the best ever programme arranged at the conference.
Conference - first day
In a conference ‘first’ delegates had breakfast together in a dedicated ballroom area, allowing for further networking opportunities. The conference itself started at 8am, which was early for come delegates, but which was considered tardy by others, and which allowed delegates the fullest possible use of the whole day.
The first presentation was given by Dave Jones, the hotel’s manager, although he did not speak about gypsum at all. Instead, he reviewed the damage wreaked on the hotel by Hurricane Wilma, and the works that had been undertaken to reopen the hotel in time for the Global Gypsum Conference - the first large group to use the hotel after the hotel’s reopening only a week before. His presentation consisted of a series of before, during and after photos of the hotel and environs, set to Bob Dylan’s ‘A hard rain’s a gonna fall.’ Although there were a couple of dusty spots in the hotel, and some of the main atrium’s hi-tech window panes had yet to be replaced (by specialised American contractors), after Dave’s presentation, all delegates were hugely more understanding of the amount of work that had been done on the hotel. For his part, Dave expressed the appreciation of the hotel and its employees of the fact that the conference had not waivered in its intention to take place at the Hilton, and that over 200 delegates were in attendance: “Due to you folks, we have been able to keep on employing over 400 local staff at the hotel, and we all thank you for that.” It’s nice to make a difference!
The second presentatoin also did not mention gypsum, but instead gave a overview of the global economy, from the standpoint of Rob Carnell, senior economist at ING Bank, London. In fact, Rob gave his presentation via video, which was interrupted by a powercut about 15 minutes into full flow. Delegates took the opportunity to make yet further contacts. In fact, Rob Carnell’s message was not an especially happy one: it opened with a large picture of a mushroom cloud. He made the point that the world has been undergoing a period of unusual economic ‘quiet’ (where 9/11 and the Iraq invasion barely registered in global economic statistics), with sustained moderate economic growth in many markets. He pointed out that there are considerable ‘downside risks,’ including the volatile situation in Iran, the risk from the ‘Twin Deficits’ in the US (huge debt and huge trade imbalances), interest rate and inflation increases and possibily most devastatingly, the potential for global economic meltdown in the face of a new ‘flu pandemic.
On this last point, Rob Carnell was most graphic and most alarming. He flashed up a picture of a chicken, and asked ‘Is this the greatest threat to mankind?’ With global transport links likely to transport any new ‘flu pandemic around the world in a matter of days, and the fear of catching any potentially deadly bug as crippling for the economy as actually catching it, the answer to his own question seems to be ‘Yes.’ Only time will tell.
After a mammoth coffee break of 90 minutes, the first gypsum presentation was given by the conference convenor, Dr Robert McCaffrey, on ‘7 Mega-trends in the global gypsum industry.’ These trends - as defined in the presentation - are energy efficiency, industry consolidation, control of routes to market, environmental impact abatement, product specialisation (and increasing addition of value and decreasing commoditisation of products), maturation of markets and quality control.
In something of a swansong presentation, Peter Hill of Grenzebach gave an overview of long-term developments in the industry, entitled ‘My gypsum world: A place of innovation, change and challenge.’ He reviewed the very many industry takeovers that have led so far to the emergence of four or five major multinational groups which currently dominate the (non-US) industry, and also reviewed some of the changes in technology that he has seen in decades in the industry, particularly working for the Grenzebach group around the world.
Conference stalwart Dr Bob Bruce of Innogyps then gave a hard-hitting presentation surveying the status of the North American gypsum industry (and markets). His conclusions were that not much has changed - in essence - in the industry since the mild downturn of 2001-2002, when supply of wallboard last outpaced demand. In the meantime, the overall market has grown considerably, but the producers are still operating with the asbestos cloud hanging over them, and once again, they are looking at the possibility of supply outstripping supply (in 2007-2009, on the basis of announced wallboard plant expansions and greenfield projects, and demand projections from the Gypsum Association). Bob forecast that the coming crunch will lead to further consolidation in the industry in the 2008-2012 period, and that the industry ought to fight to expand (or at least retain) its influence in the distribution area. Another fly in the ointment will be the increasing trend towards lower-cost synthetic gypsum-based wallboard, which will inevitably upset ‘traditional’ cost structures in the industry.
Following a convivial lunch, delegates were invited to tour the exhibition area, which stayed open for an hour after lunch, and attendees were then free to spend the afternoon as they wished (with many electing to catch up on emails from the office).
Gala Dinner and Global Gypsum Awards
The Global Gypsum Gala Dinner was preceded by cocktails in the exhibition area, and delegates were then led down to the beach by a strolling Mariachi band. The dinner had been set up on the beach, with a Mayan theme (although it was perhaps a little difficult to tell, since it was rather dark). The turnout for the Gala Dinner, once again generously sponsored by GEO Specialty Chemicals, was easily the highest for any Global Gypsum conference - nearly 100% of attendees were present.
The inaugural Global Gypsum Awards were presented at the Gala Dinner, following the in camera meeting of the awards committees that afternoon. The gypsum producer committee quickly decided to make Johns Manville, Grenzebach and Vision Engineering the runners-up, and awarded the Best Supplier Award to Wacker Silicones, for its ‘technical assistance, quality, cost effectiveness and on-time delivery:’ “They bring quality with their products,” commented one judge.
A committee of suppliers and industry independents took much longer to deliberate over the Gypsum Producer of the Year and Gypsum Plant of the Year categories. After a good deal of heated debate, BPB was declared the winner of the Gypsum Producer of the Year Award, while the USG plant at Rainier, Washington, was named as the Gypsum Plant of the Year.
After carefully reviewing the new and mature gypsum services, products, equipment and systems available to the market, the Editor’s Award for the Gypsum Product of the Year was awarded to Georgia Pacific Gypsum’s DensGlas system, for its innovation, market penetration and branding success.
Following the interest in and success of the inaugural Global Gypsum Awards, they will be presented again at the Global Gypsum Conference 2007. In fact, the location of the next conference was announced in spectacular style at the apex of a spectacular fireworks display, set off from a yacht being pitched on the stormy seas just off the beach: as the stirring strains of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana thundered around the delegates, a single word was left burning in the night, lit by fire: SHANGHAI.
Conference second day
The second day of the conference ‘got down to work,’ and started with a popular, topical and well-presented paper by Nick Wigen of Grenzebach, on energy conservation in the wallboard production process. The development of efficiency in the process has essentially been the story of changes to the dryer, particularly with the addition of exhaust optimisation systems, heat recovery and the development of two-stage dryers utilising a condensing heat exchanger. Nick pointed out that energy costs are likely to go in one direction only in the long term - up - and that what was not cost-effective in the past may become cost-effective in the future.
York Reichardt of Gebr. Pfeiffer then gave a presentation on the calcination of gypsum in MPS vertical roller mills and in Gebr. Pfeiffer gypsum kettles, while Cheri Miller of the Tennessee Valley Authority proceeded to give an eye-opening presentation on scrubber technologies for flue gas desulphurisation. Although this might seem to be an esoteric subject, it is of vital importance to the possibilities for synthetic gypsum supply: if technology becomes cost effective that does not involve the by-production of gypsum then, in the long-term, gypsum prices may go up and the economics of the industry may eventually start to revert to a model based on the cost of winning natural gypsum. As it was, Cheri outlined a number of scrubbing technologies that do not have gypsum as a by-product, but none look likely to supersede the ‘once through’ (non-regenerable) wet scrubbers favoured by the electricity utilities in the US at the moment.
Dennis Todd of Wear-Con Inc then gave - for the first time at the Global Gypsum Conference - a paper on wear and wear solutions for the gypsum industry. This was certainly one of the slickest presentations at the conference. Following another coffee break/networking session, delegates reconvened for a panel discussion. Among the topics discussed, most heat was generated on the subject of recruitment into the gypsum industry, with panelists and audience alike keen to attract more skilled workers into the industry (in competition with ‘sexy’ industries like telecommunications and the media), but at a loss on how to accomplish the task.
After lunch and another ‘Exhibition Hour,’ delegates were free once again to spend the afternoon as they wished. In fact, a dozen or so elected to take part in the Global Gypsum Golf Cup, played on the adjacent course. Although Wilma-induced saltwater contamination of the groundwater had killed sections of the grass on the course, reducing it to nine holes, it was still a spectacular and challenging course. New West Gypsum Recycling, Evans Adhesive and St. Regis Paper kindly sponsored the match, which was eventually won by ace golfer Rick Ervin of Arizona Instruments.
Third and last day
Delegates gathered for their communal breakfast again at 7am, and the conference started promptly, as ever, at 8am. The focus of the final day was on synthetic gypsum, and this was one reason why attendance was still high: it’s a subject of great commercial importance to the industry. Henrik Wetegrove of Claudius Peters first gave a presentation on the horizontal impact calciner, ‘A new way of synthetic gypsum processing.’ The design of the mill reflects the fact that syn-gyp is often supplied to the wallboard plant at a grain size less than that of the ground stucco derived from natural gypsum. The mill in fact features an internal disagglomerator and classifier, which allows recirculation and ensures the required retention time and full calcination of the gypsum. Designs for up to 80t/hour have been finalised.
Lane Roberts of Dome Technology then gave an eloquent presentation on dome storage of DSG/FGD, covering the advantages and disadvantages of domes versus concrete silos and warehouses. Lane also laid out the options for the effective reclaim of hard-to-handle synthetic gypsum, as well as detailing a number of major dome projects undertaken for gypsum companies, mostly in the US.
Richard Ellis of Clyde Materials Handling was next, covering the rules and guidelines for the feeding, pneumatic conveying and storage of dry DSG. He emphasised the basic common sense of designing hoppers with inclined cone angles reflecting the high angle of repose of DSG, the benefits of silo aeration and the importance of wear to the systems. He also detailed a new development for pneumatic conveying of difficult materials, called autoflow. This comprises an internal bypass arrangement of a small inner pipe mounted within the main conveying pipeline: this allows conveying air to escape just before a blockage forms, and has the effect of keeping the entire material stream moving.
A second paper from Cheri Miller of the TVA detailed possible future trends in the production and markets of FGD, and pointed out that the doubling in production of FGD in the US over the next few years will require the expansion of existing markets and the creation of new ones for the material. Cheri pointed out that there is an expanding niche for companies to beneficiate FGD, adding value before sale to a final user.
The eagerly-awaited final paper was by Jessica Sanderson, of USG, who spoke on the fate of mercury in synthetic gypsum. This issue is really critical for the continued usability of FGD by the wallboard industry, since mercury emissions from the wallboard industry will be dimly viewed by environmental permitters - amongst others. Jessica pointed out that the answer to the question ‘Where does the mercury go’ depends on many factors. Mercury enters the process in coal burned at the utility, and may or may not be scrubbed from the process before being incorporated into FGD. Subsequent processing of the gypsum may or may not influence the concentration of mercury in the FGD, while the processes involved during wallboard production - and on the design and operation of the calciner and dryer - control the final fate of any mercury that remains in the wallboard. The situation is complex. Jessica was sure of one thing though, and that was that the tiny concentrations of mercury in wallboard had no potentially damaging effects on human health.
Farewell!
After the final presentation, delegates filled out their questionnaires and voting forms for the best presentation award and at the final lunch, a number of awards and prizes were presented. International Gypsum Recycling was awarded the prize for the best exhibition stand, while Peter Hill of Grenzebach was awarded the Convenor’s Prize for being the first presenter to correctly send in all required conference materials.
Following a quick count of votes and normalisation of the results to the number of delegates attending each presentation, the best presentation results were announced. All papers received votes, and of particular note were those papers by Cheri Mill on scrubber technology and by Dave Smith on the renovation of the Hilton Hotel. However, in third place was Henrik Wetegrove of Claudius Peters for his paper on the horizontal impact calciner, in second place was Bob Bruce of Innogyps for his paper on North American gypsum markets, and in first place - winner of the Global Gypsum Best Presentation Award 2006 - was Nick Wigen of Grenzebach for his paper on energy conservation in the wallboard production process.
As previously announced at the Gala Dinner, the 7th Global Gypsum Conference will take place in Shanghai. In fact, on their registration forms delegates voted among three different locations, with Tokyo polling 9%, Hong Kong 36% and Shanghai polling 55%. Delegates were also asked to vote for their preferred timing of the next event on their registration forms. 35% of votes cast suggested October 2007, while 65% suggested May 2007. Although some delegates have commented upon the reduced time between events, the majority view will prevail, and the 7th Global Gypsum Conference will take place 14-15 May 2007. The organiers are confident that the 2007 event in China will be the largest ever, with well over 250 delegates in attendance. In turn, the 8th Global Gypsum Conference is likely to take place in the Middle East, in 2008.
Changes and improvements
The 6th Global Gypsum Conference and Exhibition departed in a number of ways from previous ‘editions’ of the event. Firstly, the event took place over three half days, in contrast to the usual two ‘solid’ days in the past. This allowed delegates to take full opportunity of the networking opportunities in the programme, while also allowing participants to relax in the pleasant surroundings of the conference hotel. The move was popular with delegates, and the number of attendees staying to the end of the event was actually higher than with a more traditional two-day format. Cancun, however, was a special location, and the conference will now revert to its usual two-day format.
Secondly, the conference featured a significantly lower number of papers compared to previous years. This was largely because delegates had previously told the organisers that too many papers were being presented, and that they wished to have more networking opportunities. In fact, the event achieved the highest satisfaction figures (according to analysis of the conference delegate questionnaires) for networking of any Global Gypsum Conference. Delegates also suggested, however, that they would like to see some more technical papers at the conference, and the organisers aim to include a number of technical and pertinent academic papers at subsequent events.
Conclusion
Despite the fear in some quarters that a trip to Cancun would be an excuse for lazing on the beach, the 6th Global Gypsum Conference provided an excellent opportunity for catching up on the latest developments in the industry, and for making large numbers of quality contacts in the industry, from around the world. Roll on Shanghai!
8th Global Gypsum Conference 2008
12-13 May, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Review by Dr Nino Mancino, conference co-convenor
Image gallery for the 8th Global Gypsum Conference 2008
The 8th Global Gypsum Conference in Dubai was held on 12-13 May 2008, with over 270 delegates from 38 nations attending, making it the most international event in the conference’s distinguished history. The combination of a vibrant exhibition area, a first-class selection of papers, enhanced networking as well as wonderful Middle Eastern hospitality all helped to make Dubai 2008 a massive success, and one of the best Global Gypsum Conferences to date.
Registration and cocktail party
On the afternoon of Sunday 11 May registration began, and continued well into the evening as a steady stream of delegates arrived to meet old friends and make new acquaintances over drinks and food. From an organiser’s point of view, it was good to finally put faces to new names, and share in everyone’s enthusiasm for the start of the conference.
Exhibitors included Aecometric Inc., Alstom Power Inc., Arizona Instrument, Aumund Group, Claudius Peters Technologies, CNBM Int. Corp., Domino , Eclipse, Inc., Erisim Makina Ltd, Fenner Drives, Gebr. Pfeiffer AG, M2G Grelbex, Grenzebach, Gupsos, Gypsum Panels Machinery S.r.l., Gypsum Recycling International A/S, Haver & Boecker, Johns Manville, Limab, MADA Gypsum Co., Mepco Middle East Paper Company, MHC Engineering Fšrdertechnik GmbH, Schenck Process, Seelen A/S, Sensortech Systems Inc., Shandong Sanjin Glass Machinery Co. Ltd, Wacker Chemie, and WTW Americas Inc.
Day one, Monday 12 May
Session 1 – Current status of the global gypsum industry
Dr Robert McCaffrey, conference co-convenor, got the programme of presentations underway with a brief introduction to trends in the gypsum industry, after which he handed over to the first presenter, conference stalwart Dr Bob Bruce. Dr Bruce’s paper, entitled ‘Global Gypsum evolution to 2025’, was in many ways the ideal way to start the conference. Dr Bruce spoke about the gypsum market as it stands today, with mention made of the faltering US market as a result of the sub-prime mortgage crisis that has sparked a general depression in construction. But according to Dr Bruce, the future is not all doom and gloom. Indeed, Dr Bruce believes that there is excellent potential for growth into developing and emerging markets (not least the Middle East). In addition, Dr Bruce believes that gypsum products have the potential to compete with other building materials, meaning that wallboard products can be utilised in a wider array of applications, such as building exteriors, floors and load-bearing walls. This mix of technical and geographical parameters, should, in the opinion of Dr Bruce, allow the sun to shine on the gypsum industry for many years to come.
Paper number two was a brilliant talk by Nicolas Godet of Exane BNP Paribas. Mr Godet examined short- and long-term strategies of international gypsum companies. Mr Godet began by speaking about short-term market evolution, and then discussed the effect of new building regulations on the gypsum industry, as well as highlighting examples where gypsum companies integrate with insulation firms. Mr Godet commented that this strategy was an excellent way for gypsum companies to increase their market penetration.
The next item on the agenda was a ‘meet the delegates’ session, which was swiftly followed by a coffee and networking break. ‘Meet the delegates’ allows each delegate to introduce themselves, their company and state who they would most like to meet during the conference. A total of four ‘meet the delegates’ took place over the two days and these proved to be very popular.
The third presentation will undoubtedly go down as one of the more dramatic and talked-about in the history of the Global Gypsum Conference. Mrs Isabel Knauf, granddaughter of the original founder of the Knauf group of companies, gave a ‘high-impact’ presentation which she began by stating: “I might not tell you everything I know, but I’m not going to lie. This is not bullshit, so listen carefully.” You could have heard a pin drop. In her presentation she reviewed the market and capacity of gypsum board in the Middle East, stating that in the near-to-medium term the region will have an overcapacity of wallboard. She went on to say that those in the audience that might be thinking of investing in yet more capacity in the region should ‘do their homework’ or be at risk of losing a lot of money. She also pointed out that Knauf is already present in many of the markets in the Middle East, and that it has both experience enough to produce high-quality product and resources enough to remain a player in tough markets. The inferences were plain for all to see.
Session 2: Processing and handling solutions for gypsum
No conference is complete without a session dedicated to the nitty gritty of gypsum production. In this respect the industry was well represented with speakers from Gebr. Pfeiffer, Schenck Process, Claudius Peters and Aumund showcasing their conveying and processing technology.
Dr Carl York Reichardt from Gebr. Pfeiffer spoke about the German company’s range of MPS vertical roller mills and the GK kettle calciner, highlighting positive operating results from case studies around the world.
Schenck Process UK was represented by Kevin Storey who explained the difference between gravimetric and volumetric feeding. Mr Storey argued that gravimetric feeding is the best solution for wallboard manufacturers as it provides better consistency and higher quality material, ultimately meaning better return on investment despite higher initial capital outlay.
Claus-Jürgen Wetzlar of Claudius Peters discussed the benefits of Fluidcon – a pneumatic conveying methodology for gypsum transport. According to Mr Wetzlar, Fluidcon offers energy savings, reduced de-dusting equipment and costs, in addition to improved wear behaviour over conventional pneumatic pipe systems.
Last to speak in this session was Bruce Field of Aumund. Mr Field spoke about Aumund’s range of handling equipment for gypsum, including the Samson Surface Feeder (ideal for transporting sticky gypsum), as well as its belt-bucket elevators, chain conveyors and stacking/reclaiming systems, all of which are available via the various subsidiaries of the Aumund family of companies.
Gala Dinner
Over 200 people attended the Gala Dinner, an enjoyable event held at the impressive Al Hadheerah Desert Restaurant. Delegates were treated to a lavish meal consisting of traditional Middle Eastern fair and a sumptuous all-you-can-eat barbeque! The entertainment was provided by a highly talented (and popular) belly dancer, a whirling dervish, singers and a light and sound show featuring camel and horse riders on the surrounding dunes. Delegates could also sample the delights of shisha pipes, ride a camel, as well as having a go at handling a live falcon!
As well as food, drink and festivities, the award for Best Exhibition Stand 2008 was awarded to Erisim Makina of Turkey. A highlight of the evening was the announcement of the venue for the 9th Global Gypsum Conference in 2009…Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rio was the overwhelming winner out of all the votes cast in the run up to the Dubai conference, and should be a perfect venue for 2009.
Day two, Tuesday 13 May
Session 3: Other gypsum issues – water reduction, mineralogy, new deposits
Day two was kicked-off with an excellent and highly interesting presentation by Charlie Blow of CasoFour Ltd. Mr Blow spoke about water demand during plasterboard production, including what is meant by water demand, how it is measured, the factors that affect it, the economic consequences of water demand and what can be done to reduce it. Put simply, the water that is added to gypsum plaster in order for it flow freely must be removed, a process that adds to the cost of plasterboard. Mr Blow assessed all of these issues in a clear and concise way, and his presentation was extremely well received.
Sampling the atmosphere
Due to last minute (and unavoidable) changes to the programme the delegates were treated to an extra long coffee break. Going around the auditorium and the exhibition area it was clear that these networking sessions were very valuable indeed, with lots of interesting discussions, and sometimes deals, taking place.
Session 4: Environmental best practice in the gypsum industry
Another veteran of Global Gypsum Conference, Henrik Lund Nielsen, then delivered a barnstorming presentation on the subject of gypsum recycling. Mr Nielsen’s company, Gypsum Recycling International, is one of the leading companies involved in this endeavour, supplying recycled material to the world’s largest plasterboard companies. The issue of recycling is becoming increasingly important as landfill and waste regulations, particularly in North America and Europe, become ever more stringent. As Mr Nielsen said in a typically forthright way, plasterboard recycling is no longer ‘nice to have;’ but has become a necessity!
The 13th paper was given Dr Geoffrey Oldroyd who spoke about the importance of best practice in the mining of natural gypsum. There are many aspects to achieving best practice in this field, including optimisation of mineral resource management, skills and culture, health and safety and risk management. Proper planning in all these areas are vital in order to operate a safe, lucrative and efficient mining operation, which benefits all the major and minor stakeholders involved.
Session 5: Improving the product: Adding value
The first paper on the final session of presentations was given by Per Nissen of Danish firm Seelen. Seelen showcased its VIDIS (Visual Diagnostics System). The VIDIS is a automated, camera-based surveillance system that operates on a 24/7 basis. The VIDIS allows plant managers to identify the causes of downtime, either resulting from mechanical wear and tear or from critical process errors. A series of cameras positioned along a production line record its operation on a continual basis, allowing for any errors or malfunctions to be identified remotely. The users of the VIDIS in the insulation industry have already benefited in terms of cost savings, and Seelen hopes to replicate this success in the gypsum industry.
Paper 15 was delivered with some style by Donald J Love of Dow Biocides, part of the Dow Chemical Company. Mr Love’s presentation introduced the concepts of mould, fungicides and mould-resistance testing methods, issues that are certainly relevant to gypsum and plasterboard. Mr Love explained the concept of mould at a fundamental biological level, before discussing the negative aesthetic and health effects of mould, mould resistance in the form of fungicides and their mode of action (typically single- and multi-site fungicides), and the common testing methods used in industry to determine the efficacy of fungicides. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, but taken together they can provide a useful and detailed picture of the ability of a fungicide to act on mould. As Mr Love made clear, wallboard manufacturers must consider a ‘three tier’ approach to treating mould: a) know your fungus; b) know which fungicide you can or should use; and c) understand the value of the different test methods available.
Geoff Wyatt was the next to take the stage, and he proceeded to give a clear and interesting presentation on the subject of GulfWall. Gulfwall is a pre-cast, pre-finished hollow construction panel made from gypsum and glass additives. It can be used for load-bearing walls, ceiling systems, partitions and flooring. Mr Wyatt said that GulfWall has excellent acoustic, structural and fire performance properties, and has the advantage of a relatively low level of embodied energy and is fully recyclable. GulfWall is a popular construction material in hot countries: it has been used successfully in Australia and is gaining in popularity in the Middle East.
The penultimate presentation was delivered with typical Gallic charm by Sylvain Vieujot of Platre.com. Mr Vieujot’s talk was definitely a little different to the ones that came before it: the theme was the restoration of ancient European and Middle East archaeological sites using gypsum mortars designed to replicate those mortars used in the original construction. Mr Vieujot’s team used a combination of electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction techniques to examine the chemical composition of ancient gypsum mortars, and was then able to recreate them synthetically in the laboratory. These reconstituted mortars have been used to restore several historical sites to beautiful effect.
The honour of giving the final presentation of a packed schedule fell to Fadi Moussa of GE Environmental Services. Mr Moussa described the range of pleated filter elements supplied by GE that have been designed to increase productivity and lower outlet dust emissions during wallboard production. These pleated filter elements are endowed with increased filter strength, can be retrofitted, and in terms of operation go well beyond the normal operational lifetimes of conventional filters.
Left: A minaret in the world's third largest mosque, in Abu Dhabi. This was one of the locations on the itinerary of the post-conference tour of the UAE.
Farewell party
The farewell party took place at the magnificent Burj Al-Arab, the sail-shaped mega-hotel that has fast become the icon of modern Dubai. The farewell party took place on the 27th floor of the hotel, which afforded stunning views of the city and the sea. Delegates were able to mix, mingle and relax before the winners of the Global Gypsum Awards 2008 were announced.
The winner of Best Presentation Award went to Donald Love of Dow Biocides for his extremely interesting and useful paper on the science of mould and fungicides. This is a topic that is becoming more and more relevant to the wallboard industry. In second place in the same category was Charlie Blow for his paper on water demand, followed by Henrik Lund Nielsen on the subject of gypsum recycling in third place.
Winner of the Best Gypsum Company of the Year went to Saint-Gobain Gypsum, and the award was collected by Mark Vince Fenson on behalf of Saint-Gobain. In the category of Best Wallboard Plant of the Year, the award went to PABCO Gypsum Las Vegas, with Emil Kopilovich picking up the award. The title of Best Supplier of the Year was bestowed upon Grenzebach, which had namesake Stefan Grenzebach present to collect the award to hearty cheers from his colleagues! The Product of the Year was collected by Meredith Ware on behalf of Serious Materials for its innovative and eco-friendly QuietRock product.
Last but not least, the proud and humble winner of Global Gypsum Personality of the Year went to the well-deserving Alfred Brosig of Grenzebach. Mr Brosig has a long and distinguished association with the gypsum industry, and his knowledge and experience are highly regarded. He is seen left receiving his award from Robert McCaffrey, conference co-convenor, at the Knauf-sponsored Farewell Party at the Burj al Arab.
And with that the conference officially ended. Dubai 2008 was an undeniable success story, with the delegates’ choice of this city well justified. It had its moments of drama and tension to be sure, but these only added to the exciting and inspirational nature of the event. Dubai now takes its place among a venerable list of host cities, which include Bangkok, San Francisco, Miami, Prague, Barcelona, Cancun and Shanghai.
The next city to take up the Global Gypsum Conference flame is Rio de Janeiro in May 2009. We hope (and expect) to see all of this year’s delegates present in Rio, in addition to a new generation of conference first-timers from South America and beyond.
As they say in Brazil, 'Adeus e boa saúde…veja-o em Rio!'
