Winds of Change
After a strong performance in 2010, Zamil AC’s chief operating officer tells The Big Project about the research and
development processes behind the company’s growing product line
As a leading producer and supplier of air-conditioning systems in the Middle East and North Africa, Zamil Air Conditioners is well positioned to set the pace for innovation in the industry.
Investing heavily in R&D operations, in 2010 Zamil Air Conditioners launched a new process cooling chiller system “Cooline from Zamil” and won the Barclay’s Data Centre Project award for the low-carbon Geoclima chiller line.
Zamil’s new innovation for 2011, ResisTec, is an anti-corrosion coating specifically for HVAC coils, panels and drain pans, designed to reduce lifecycle costs and depreciation.
Part of the company’s system-care catalogue, the products have been specifically designed for the Middle East region, using technology “well ahead of the demand curve”.
“One of the unique requirements of the Middle East is that the products have to operate up to 55°C,” says chief operating officer Osama Bunyan.
“During the past few years we have introduced quite a few new products that were required by the market, including high-energy efficiency chillers, process cooling and residential chillers, screw and scroll type compressors, and environmentally-friendly refrigerant gases,” he adds.
Described by company vice president Ahmed Zaatari as an “integral part of the total Zamil CoolCare service plan”, the range also includes “high-quality products and responsive maintenance services”.
Designed to address customer concerns about the longevity of AC systems, particularly in climates such as the MENA region, the anticorrosion systems are applied to coils, panels, drain pans and other HVAC system components to protect against system degradation.
The anti-corrosive coatings were developed for Zamil in collaboration with a European consultant, with the process for third party testing, field tests, technician training and sales taking almost a year.
The coating material is manufactured in Europe and applied to products at Zamil’s factories, or on site for retrofits. It is now a standard addition on all Zamil Air Conditioner chillers and applied condensing units with aluminium fin condenser coils.
Worldwide operation
Based in and manufacturing all of its products from Saudi Arabia since 1974, Zamil’s product and service portfolio includes steel, air-conditioning, glass, concrete, insulation and other associated services for the region’s building and construction sector.
[facts]
FACTS
• 1974 Zamil Air Conditioners is established in Saudi Arabia
• 90 countries worldwide currently use Zamil Air Conditioning products
• Seven countries across three continents manufacture Zamil products
• 10,000 people are employed by the wider Zamil Industrial group
• 30% of revenues are derived from outside Saudi Arabia
• Zamil Industries was founded in 1998 and provides products, engineering systems and services to the construction industry
[/facts]
Zamil Air Conditioners is one of five divisions trading under the Zamil name. the division is a subsidiary of Zamil Industrial Investment Company, a Saudi Arabia publicly-listed company.
The company has several international manufacturing facilities in Italy, Egypt, Vietnam, India and the United Arab Emirates.
Now with a string of in-house brands, Zamil operates under four service areas; residential, commercial and industrial, services and contracting and Zamil Controls. The company has supplied to buildings in Dubai’s Business Bay development and Dubai Industrial Park and currently operates in markets across more than 55 countries.
“We started off by simply manufacturing room air-conditioners, and have grown to offer end-to-end HVAC custom solutions, right from application study, engineering, manufacturing, supply, installation, commissioning and long-term maintenance,” Bunyan explains.
The company also designs, manufactures, tests, markets and services a comprehensive range of air-conditioning products, from compact room air conditioners and mini splits to large-scale central air conditioners, chillers and air-handling units for highly specialised, commercial and industrial applications.
Products are marketed under five core brands: Classic, Cooline, CoolCare, ClimaTech and Geoclima.
“We look at expanding into new markets more from a profitable growth perspective. The select export markets we are looking at offer tremendous growth potential and we plan to expand our production facilities and introduce new products and services to our local and international clients,” Bunyan says.
“Zamil’s outstanding expertise means we can offer products and services that have been designed specifically for this region, using technological advances that are well ahead of the demand curve.”
