ABMACO creates program to take composites tiles out of stagnation

Decline in quality led to zero growth over the last ten years, thus creating an opportunity for the development of competing materials

Composites tiles are translucent, light and resistant. However, none of these qualities served to prevent their use from remaining paralyzed over the past ten years in Brazil. According to the Brazilian Composite Materials Association (ABMACO), the demand stagnated at 500 thousand m² per month (or US$ 2 million), indifferent to the widespread growth of civil construction along that period. To make it worse, the number of manufacturers of composites tiles tripled over the last decade. There are 40 companies currently living – badly, it is worth to mention – from the manufacture of the product, under a background marked by the idle installed capacity and the consequent price war.

Paulo Camatta, executive manager of ABMACO, explains that all this was caused by the increased lack of quality. If manufactured according to the standard NBR 14.115, composites tiles last decades. “The standard sets forth that it shall be at least 0.8 mm thick, but we have found tiles in the market that were thinner than half that size”, he said, referring to methods adopted by manufacturers to reduce costs. Result: an open field for the development of tiles made from competing materials, especially polypropylene and PVC, with prices similar to composites’, but with much lower performance – they are not structural materials and quickly degrade when exposed to unfavorable weather conditions and UV rays. "We have failed to increase at least 20% per annum over the last decade due to such attitude”, he estimates.

The situation had reached such an extent that ABMACO had to intervene. After gathering ten manufacturers of tiles – which correspond to over 60% of the Brazilian production – and nine suppliers of raw materials, the association decided to create ABMACO’s Tiles Quality Program (PAQ). As a first step, the entity collected samples of tiles in building material stores that were manufactured by participants and/or non-participants of the program. They were all submitted to Institute for Technological Research (IPT), an independent body hired by ABMACO to perform the compliance analyses in relation to the standard in effect. “Processors will be formally notified of the results from their products, a process that should be concluded by the end of the year. ABMACO does not intend to punish manufacturers but convince them about the benefits of taking part in our movement”.

For those who do not comply with the standard, it is obvious that ABMACO/IPT report will bring no surprises. What happens is that after the diagnostic phase – and after the three months term for a second and final assessment – those approved shall receive ABMACO’s Seal of Quality. Inspired by the strategy adopted by the Brazilian segment of mattresses, the association will invest heavily in publicity for the seal, clearly showing to retailers and consumers that, whoever is out, breaks the rules and, as a consequence, violates laws and the Consumer Protection Code.
        
“Major home centers in the country will receive from ABMACO a kit containing displays, brochures and promotional material about the seal. Manufacturers of tiles that manage to get it will be able to use it as a tool for competitive differentiation”, adds Camatta.
For further information, please visit www.abmaco.org.br