| Industry | Construction materials |
|---|---|
| Area served | India |
| Key people |
Venkat Subramanian (Managing Director) Hemant Khurana (Vice President Sales & Marketing) |
| Products | Gypsum Plaster Boards, Gypsum Plasters, Ceiling Tiles |
| Employees | 500 |
| Website | www.saint-gobaingyproc.in |
Saint-Gobain Gyproc India Ltd. [1] is a part of the Compagnie de Saint-Gobain SA Saint-Gobain of France.
It is the amongst the well known players in the gypsum based construction materials space in India for well over two decades. They have been forthcoming in introducing light weight and environment friendly interior construction practices in the India.
The company offers a wide and most comprehensive range of drywall [2] and ceiling solutions in India. The products are ideal for use within an indoor space in residential premises, educational institutes, offices, hotels, commercial spaces and industrial manufacturing units.
The products are manufactured in India by manufacturing plants based from Jind (Haryana), Wada (Maharashtra) and Bengaluru
The company was started as India Gypsum in 1986 as a part of the C. K. Birla Group (Hyderabad Industries). The set up was under technical collaboration with British Plaster Boards (BPB) Worldwide
The first plaster board manufacturing was started in 1986 at a plant based at Jind (Haryana). The plant introduced a value added plaster board category in 1996 with fire resistant boards- better known as GRG. The company started another plant in Chennai in 2000 followed by a plant in Wada (near Mumbai) in 2005. The Wada plant along with plaster boards also manufactures gypsum plasters.
The company was taken over by the Saint-Gobain Group by virtue of a global acquisition of BPB in 2006. The name has been recently changed to Saint-Gobain Gyproc India Ltd. (SGGIL). The company also has a plant for plaster boards based out of Bengaluru set up in 2008.
Gypsum Plasterboards comprise of a natural gypsum slurry core encased between paper liners on the top and bottom. The paper used is of 160 to 200 gsm thickness. The specifications for gypsum plasterboards is defined by the IS 2095- Part 1, 1996.
The usual shape of a plasterboard is rectangular. The most common sizes of gypsum plasterboards are 4 ft x 6 ft or 4 ft x 8 ft. If the shape of the board is in the form of a square, it is called a gypsum tile. Gypsum tiles are most commonly seen in 2 ft x 2 ft size.
Manufacturing process of Gypsum Plaster Boards A plaster board is made of a paper liner wrapped around an inner core made primarily from gypsum plaster. The raw natural gypsum, CaSO4·2 H2O, is heated in a process called calcined to produce the hemihydrate of calcium sulfate (CaSO4·½ H2O). This is done in kettle or flash calciners. The plaster is mixed with fiberglass), plasticizer, foaming agent, finely ground gypsum crystal as an accelerator, EDTA, starch or other chelate as a retarder, various additives that may increase mildew and/or fire resistance (fiberglass or vermiculite), wax emulsion or silanes for lower water absorption and water.
The board is then formed by sandwiching a core of wet gypsum between two sheets of heavy paper. When the core sets and is dried in a large drying chamber, the sandwich becomes rigid and strong enough for use as a building material.
Applications of Gypsum Plaster Boards
False ceilings The most common use of gypsum plaster boards is in the making of false ceilings in residential, commercial, hospitality and healthcare sectors. A metal framework is suspended from the ceiling slab and plaster boards are then attached with the help of screws to it.
The use of plaster boards for false ceilings is recommended particularly since their size is large. The large size can cover up a larger area of the ceiling and results in lesser joints. This reduces the chances of cracks. The boards can be cut accordingly to insert light fixtures for concealed lighting. Attractive designs like steps, curves can also be easily incorporated.
Drywall Partitions Drywall partitions are made using plaster boards mounted on either side of a vertical metal framework. The partitions created in this way are easy to erect as well as lighter as compared to masonry. The use of high durability, fire rated or moisture resistant boards can enhance the performance of the walls. Drywalls also offer superior acoustic insulation as compared to brick/block walls. Gyproc is amongst the leading companies promoting the use of drywalls in India.
Ceiling tiles are lightweight tiles used in the interior of buildings. They are placed in an aluminium/ galvanized steel grid. They provide thermal insulation which can improve the airconditioning cooling in a room. They are also generally designed to improve the light reflectance and the acoustics of a room.
Ceiling tiles are most commonly used in a 2ft x 2ft, 2ft x 4ft size. There are some variations in shape available for designer tiles which are cable suspended from ceilings.
Types of Ceiling Tiles
Wet Felt These tiles are also known as Mineral fibre tiles. These are fabricated from a range of products like perlite, mineral wool, and fibers from recycled paper. These tiles are light in weight and also can be moulded into various patterns on their surface.
They offer a good degree of acoutics with a sound absorption of up to 45%. The biggest disadvantage how ever is the fact that they are not resistant to moisture.
Gyusum Tiles Gypsum tiles comprise of the soft mineral slurry of gypsum pasters and then finished with vinyl, paper or a decorative face.
Soft Felt These tiles are composed of glasswool fibres which are compressed together. Glasswool is highly recommended in acoutic applications as it can absorb more than 90% of the sound energy incident on it.
Excellent sound absorption and resistance to moisture make glasswool tiles highly effective in ceilings
Metal Tiles Powder coated tiles made from galvanized steel or aluminium are highly popular as they are moisture resistant and can be used in wet cleaning. They also require low maintenance. You will often find these metal tiles in airports or service areas of hotels and hospitals where wet celaning is done.