United Tobacco Processing

Location:: Katunayake (Sri Lanka)
Year:: 2015
Architect:: Archiform Design Consultants
Photography:: Annick Vernimmen / isomasters

United Tobacco Processing (UTP) located in Katunayake, Sri Lanka, is one of the main actors in the cigar industry around the globe. UTP produces semi-finalised products (end papers and outer wrappers for the cigar production) for the global B2B market, as well as completely finalised cigars for end consumers. Every year the 2,000 UTP employees produce more than 1,8 billion end papers and outer wrappers, as well as about 200 million cigars. Altogether, this makes for a turnover of around 20 million USD and the market leadership in this segment.

Insulated roofs

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In 2015, UTP invested in a massive extension of its production site and had two new industrial buildings constructed: a cold storage of 5,100 m² and 4,000 m² of controlled production rooms. Considering the tropical circumstances in the country and the intense direct sunlight on facades and roofs, they overwhelmingly opted for a box-in-box construction system.

The roofs of both buildings are equipped with isolated roof panels (type KS1000 RW) under a 15% roof slope with ventilated ridges. The roof panels do not only ensure a massive decrease in temperature inside the buildings but also guarantee a perfect sealing and drainage in case of tropical showers, thanks to the trapezoidal system. Due to the efficiency of this construction method and UTP’s great satisfaction with these super insulating roof panels, the isomasters product range was again consulted for the renovation of the roof of the existing warehouse in 2016. Altogether approximately 12,000 m² of panels were installed for UTP.

Cold storage

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Under the insulated roof of the storage zone, a large refrigerated warehouse of 42 x 43 x 11 meters was built with 200 mm thick PIR wall and ceiling panels from Isocab by Kingspan (type IND B-s1, d0). This huge cold storage space was designed and executed to have the option of being used as freezer storage. The IND wall panels were flush-mounted by 400 mm and without cold bridges, connected with 200 mm of pressure resistant floor insulation with a high density (45 kg/m³) and a compressive strength of 0,70 N/mm². In this warehouse, UTP opted to implement the storage volume to the maximum and had automated mobile racks installed.

The raw tobacco is then temporarily stored in these cold storage areas, before being processed further. The second step in this process consists of wetting the raw tobacco and storing it in a second cold storage area. This storage space is finished air-tightly and contains a deep freezer space. From here, the wet tobacco is transferred to the big production spaces to be processed into end papers and outer wrappers. These are then stored in two deep freezer rooms and transported deep-frozen through a refrigerated corridor. The processing of the tobacco happens in an almost continuously chilled process.

Isothermal doors

The cooled storage is equipped with numerous isothermal sliding doors for refrigerated rooms (type ZPE – ZNE). Furthermore, automated sectional gates, dock levellers, shelters and automated high speed roll-up doors at the loading and unloading docks were provided through isomasters, resulting in perfectly sealed and air-tight closed production areas. Altogether about 18,000 m² of panels were shipped to beautiful Sri Lanka, which equals to 67 packed sea freight containers of 40 feet. To the great satisfaction of UTP and their 2,000 employees, who are now working in pleasantly air-conditioned circumstances.

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Contact us

info@isomasters.com

+32 56 71 04 94

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