The Supreme Industries Ltd., founded in 1942, pioneered many path-breaking products in the country and became trendsetters in plastics products by introducing many advanced solutions for various applications and industries. Atul Khanna, General Manager, Thermal Insulation Division – The Supreme Industries Ltd. shares his views about the Thermal Insulation Products from Supreme.
 
At Supreme, we have been innovating with the sole purpose of providing our customers solutions that are appropriate and cost effective. We follow the philosophy of S.A.V.E. – Supreme Always Value Efficient. Applied intelligence and innovation, enabling cost-effectiveness and precision in delivery are the drivers of this belief. Every requirement is understood meticulously, various solutions are deliberated upon and the most appropriate one is selected and implemented flawlessly. Whatever be the value: whether its superior protection, energy saving insulation or durable and long-lasting solutions in the civil / thermal insulation industry, our customers are assured of a solution from Supreme.
 
Research and development forms an integral element of our solutions. From time to time, we invest resources in developing breakthrough insulation products that help in enhancing energy efficiency. Methodical study of the changing trends, the shifting demands and the new advents in technology facilitate our pursuit of advanced solutions. A team of highly qualified and vastly experienced professionals at the helm of our R&D activities ensures the evolution in products the industry seeks.
 
The world economy witnessed one of the worst recessions that lead to massive financial crisis in established institutions, bankruptcy of major investment banks, a liquidity crunch, company closures and major job cuts. The effect has been more with the developed economies that the developing ones.
The growth in production sectors and the building industry has been adversely affected by the global recession, banks lending and associated factors. The slowdown in the manufacturing sector was due to the combined impact of fall in exports followed by a decline in domestic demand. While these have been extraordinary times for all which lead companies devising more efficient means of operation to overcome these challenges.
 
High crude oil prices have been one of the contributory reasons for the economic meltdown. Oil demand moderation and with sentiments turning negative on commodity exchanges, caused the oil prices to nose dive. This provides us a lesson on the increasing need to curb energy consumption, which happens to be one of the major components of the industry, including commercial building operation.
 
The building sector accounts for approx 30-35% of the total energy consumption in the country. Estimates mention that this sector alone could contribute at least 40% savings by selection of proper Energy Efficient equipment and the use of thermal insulation. Energy cost savings resulting from energy efficient measures directly benefit building owners and occupants over the life cycle of the building. As they say, energy saved is energy generated. Realizing the energy savings potential that exists, the Government of India has provided an impetus in this direction through the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under Ministry of Power. BEE has come up with guidelines in the form of Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) proposed for a voluntary adoption at the present stage.
 
Efforts in this direction have long been taken by The Indian Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) – A society of like-minded engineers for promotion of the art & science of HVAC & R. The cause of energy savings has also been taken up by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) formed in the year 2001, which set up The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) India committee to rate buildings on environmental criteria. The second system that is endorsed by the Government and promoted by The Energy Resource Institute (TERI) is the Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA). All these organizations and the systems endorse the “Energy Savings Abhiyan”, which is essential for the industry and the nation as whole.
 
“Energy is the single largest operating expense and accounts for more than a $100 billion in expenses for commercial buildings each year. With a view to improve efficiency and thereby enable conservation of energy, The Thermal Insulation Division of Supreme provides top-of-the-line insulation solutions with its ‘INSU’ Range of Products. Backed by a deep understanding of the changing trends, new-age requirements as well as intensive research and state-of-the-art technology, The Thermal Insulation Division develops customized solutions for the insulation requirements of various industries.  The Division offers new generation, better alternative products to conventional materials including glass, rubber, metals, and wood, thus being cost effective. All our insulation products are manufactured from virgin raw material. We do not use any CFC/HCFC gases. At every stage of the manufacturing process, a stringent quality check methodology assures the world-class quality of the products.
 
We also offer specialty products that comply with national & international standards such as BIS, ASTM, RöHS, UL94, FMVSS etc. Each of the products that we offer i.e. INSUshield (FR, closed cell, chemically crosslinked polyethylene), INSUboard (Extruded polystyrene) and INSUreflector (Radiant heat reflective insulation material) are for the purpose of saving energy in different segments of the industry and for different market applications. All our insulation products are manufactured from virgin raw material, and under strict quality checks. The products comply with relevant Indian & International Standards and all product data provided to customers is backed by an authentic evaluation report.
 
The manufacturing process adopted is the most environment friendly. We do not use any CFC / HCFC gases. All our products help in reducing consumption of available resources thus helping the environmental cause.
 
In our endeavor to provide world-class materials and continuously upgrade these to comply with the latest market requirements, we now offer Class ‘O‘ fire rated material in FR, closed cell, chemically crosslinked polyethylene.
 
We are the first company to successfully commission India’s first Extruded Polystyrene Plant at our Nagothane Polystyrene Complex. Our plant uses state-of-the-art technology to produce 1,50,000 m3 of Extruded Polystyrene Thermal Insulation Board using environment friendly CO2 as blowing agent. The plant is capable of producing boards with various thicknesses from 25 mm to 100 mm & density ranging from 30 kg to 50 kg/m3. This would help the nation to save the much-needed foreign exchange and service the home industry to meet Energy Efficiency requirements for the commercial building sector.
 
This shall go a long way in promoting the “Green” concept and the Energy Conservation and Commercialization Program promoted by the Government of India, through agencies like the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and USAID.
 
Supreme’s Thermal Insulation Division offers solutions in the following areas:
•      Ducting Insulation in Hospitals, Shopping Malls, Airports, PEBs, IT/ BPO etc.
•      Pipe Insulation for Split AC Tubings, Chiller Piping, Drain Pipes, Chilled Water Lines etc.
•      Floor Insulation in Server Rooms, Data Centres, Medical & Diagnostic Centres, and Control Rooms for Petrochemicals.
•      Underdeck Insulation in PEBs, textile Units, Malls, Airports etc.
•      Overdeck and Wall Insulation in Commercial Buildings, Residential Buildings, Cold Storages etc.
 
‘INSUshield’ is a non-fibrous, fire retardant (‘Class O’ in Fire Propagation and ‘Class 1’ in Surface Spread of Flame), closed cell, tri dimensional chemically cross-linked polyethylene foam. An ideal environment friendly insulation material, with a perfect solution for all your insulation needs for ducts, roofs, pipes, vessels etc. The divergent advantages of ‘INSUshield’ are ease of installation, low thermal conductivity and good moisture & vapour resistance preventing microbial growth and optimum condensation protection. INSUshield provides as supplied thickness even after application unlike fibrous insulating materials wherein thickness of the material depresses drastically, thereby affecting their thermal performance. The tough and resilient surface of INSUshield offers a higher degree of “mechanical abuse” resistance in comparison to fibrous products which require a special barrier and careful handling to prevent erosion of the fibres, which are a health hazard.
 
‘INSUreflector’ is a radiant heat reflective insulation material made of polyethylene air bubble film (ABF) laminated with aluminum foil on one or both sides. It is a low e-reflective insulation material with a low mass to air ratio, which effectively blocks the radiant heat transfer. The bright surface of the aluminium foil, which encases the FR polyethylene air bubble material, reflects 96% to 99% infra-red radiation received by the surface of the heated slated roof.
 
The placement of the radiant barrier shall be in a manner to provide an air space below the roofing sheets or between vertical cladding for its effective utilization.
 
‘INSUboard’ – Extruded Polystyrene is an ultimate solution for building insulation. It enhances the durability of the building structure and resists extreme ambient conditions, absorbs thermal shocks, mechanical loading and stresses without any deterioration in insulation properties of the product. ‘INSUboard’ enhances thermal comfort and offers ‘energy savings’ thereby ensuring shorter payback period. The closed cell structure of the rigid foam leads to negligible water absorption, excellent thermal resistance combined with high compressive strength in comparison to similar other insulating materials.
 
Amongst others, there are 4 primary reasons why Supreme’s Thermal Insulation Division is a choice of discerning customers seeking superior insulation solutions:
•      Quality: A methodical, systematic and stringent approach to quality ensures all our products are not only world class but also durable. We adhere to international quality standards while manufacturing our products. ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 certifications and NABL Accreditation for our various plants is a testimony to our serious approach to quality.
•      Expertise: With intensive R&D and a team of highly qualified, vastly experienced and extremely committed team of professionals, you are assured of high level of expertise at works.
•      Network: Our convenient accessibility promise is backed by an extensive pan India network. The assurance of timely deliveries and serious service ethos is imbibed in our culture.
•      Environment consciousness: Our responsibility towards the environments extends beyond words and mere promises. Great and strict emphasis is placed on ensuring all our processes, systems and products are eco-friendly.          
 
(For further information contact Mr. Atul Khanna – +91-9810529116 or mail on insulation@supreme.co.in)