By Kelvin Kasiwulaya
For decades, Zimbabwean Architects, Builders, and Carpenters had no choice but to use standardized roofing sheets which in most cases did not match their construction design. With this in mind, Gweru-based roof sheet manufacturing company “Dultrut Roofing” is now making customized roofing sheets, Q-tiles, and ridges that can be tailor-made to fit any architectural design.
Using, six high-tech roll-forming machines, Dultrut Roofing manufactures roofing sheets that have no standard length or measurement but can be adjusted and cut to any length to suit the constructional preferences and requirements.
In an interview, the company’s, Chief Executive Officer, Mr Upenyu Kudzai Dube said it was now time to move away from the ‘old 12 feet roofing sheets tradition’ and embrace new and innovative inventions.
“As Dultrut Roofing, we believe in innovation and our duty is to proffer solutions to modern problems, especially in the roofing industry. currently there are individuals who are wasting money and resourses using the standardised “12 feet sheets,” which are costly as one would require more roofing sheets, timber and nails. unlike the old roofing tradition here at Dultrut ,we work hand in hand with the customer specifying what they want in terms of quantity, lengths, effective widths, designs and colors.
In a nutshell, we offer our clients nothing but the best custom-made roofing sheets designed to fit any unique specific demand” he said.
Dultrut Industrial and Manufacturing Engineer Petunia Musimhi said it was time for the construction industry to embrace technological innovations for the smart transformation of the industry.
“We take pride in solving all your roofing problems, it is time to forget the ordinary and embrace the uniqueness and innovation that we offer. Not only do we manufacture roofing sheets from scratch with the highest quality of 0.4mm thickness of plain coil steel sheets, but we also offer toll-manufacturing opportunities whereby customers can bring in their steel coils (0.25mm to 0.8mm) for processing at a nominal fee/charge.
Engineer Musimhi explained how their high-tech roll-forming machines manufacture different products ranging from IBR sheets, Q-tile sheets, bull noses, and curved ridges.
“For Q-tile sheets, the roll-forming machine bends metal at room temperature using a number of stations where fixed rollers both guide the metal and make the necessary bends. As the strip of metal travels through the roll-forming machine, each set of rollers bends the metal a little more than the previous station of rollers. This progressive method of bending metal ensures that the correct cross-sectional configuration is achieved, while maintaining the cross-sectional area of the work piece. Typically operating at speeds between 30 to 600 feet per minute, roll forming machines are a good choice for manufacturing large quantities, For all other products the process is basically the same,” she said.
Since its establishment in 2019, Dultrut Roofing has won various accolades including the 2021 Zimbabwe Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) innovation award, the roof sheet manufacturer is also a regular participant of the Zimbabwe Iinternational Trade Fair (ZITF)
As a competant manufacturer, Dultrut’s manufacturing processes are guided by ISO 9000:2015.
Dultrut Roofing works in tandem with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s vision of an upper middle-income economy for Zimbabwe by 2030, meaning all the conditions that lead to industrialization and modernization have to be fulfilled through innovation.#The Sun
