Plastic pipe systems producer Interplast (Accra / Ghana; www.interplastghana.com), so far specialised in pipes and fittings, is now entering the field of PVC wall and ceiling panels. To this effect, the company, which claims to be West Africa's leading plastic pipe systems producer, recently ordered two new extrusion lines from German machinery maker KraussMaffei (KM, Munich; www.kraussmaffei.com). The new conic "KMD 63 K/P" twin screw extruders are due to start up in September 2012. Interplast had previouly ordered corrugated pipes and fittings lines from KM as well as a pelletising plant.

The Accra-based company was established by the Fakhry family in 1970 and has since grown to a workforce of more than 600 employees. Its output is exported to more than 20 African countries, serving a wide range of different industries ranging from infrastructure to agriculture, oil and gas, telecommunications, electricity as well as civil engineering. The group's widespread business portfolio not only includes the extrusion of PVC and HDPE pipes and fittings with a diameter of up to 1,000 mm, but also the manufacture of PVC window profiles and paneling for the building sector as well as oil refining.