Nova Formworks: Staying Ahead
We introduced plastic formworks in the Indian market in 2011-12 and we will continue to make innovations in this product line. The nature of plastic makes this formwork automatically safe as there are no sharp edges, plus it is a very lightweight system that makes it easy to handle, easy to assemble and to disassemble. The product gives great value for money over its lifecycle as it is reusable for more than 100 times, in fact, some people have used it even 200-250 times. This, however, depends on how the product is handled at site. We give a 25% replacement value on our old formworks as an incentive to our customers.
We have also introduced a combination of plastic and aluminium for monolithic constructions. This system was formulated in 2009 and is awaiting a patent. The aluminium and aluminium-plastic formworks are mainly used for monolithic construction projects as there are a lot of sizes that we need to fabricate for making the monolithic structure. The advantages are that clients save a lot of time on delivery, which is shorter than for aluminium formwork. We have even replaced wood and steel formworks in many sectors.
Applications
The formworks are very sturdy and can be re-used more than 200 times. An embedded stiffener enhances their load taking capacity. A standard product can take concrete vertical loads up to 6 tons/sqm, which can be increased as per the requirement.
Advantages
Nova formworks are being used in all kind of projects such as housing, commercial, high-rise, low cost housing, roads, box culverts, under bridges, retaining walls, railways, stich concrete, smart city drain formwork, and even for precast dust bins and other precast moulds. Made of high resistant plastic, the formwork panels can be used with ease for making reinforced concrete column, walls, lift walls, shear walls etc.
Our wide range of formwork panels can be used with ease, plus they give a very good surface finish; and save a lot of time. These formworks can be used to replace brick walls in construction of buildings, which has become very time-consuming and labour-intensive.
Manufacturing Capabilities
Nova Formworks is the first and only plastic formwork manufacturer in the organized sector producing plastic formwork, aluminium formwork, and a combination of both, in India since 2011. Products are being supplied to contractors like Shapoorji Pallonji, Larsen & Toubro, JMC, Ahluwalia Contracts India, M-far, Modern Constructions, MV Omni, BL Kashyap, Tata Projects, Bharat City, Rapid Constructions, Tata Housing, lnt Power, and many others.
We have a manufacturing unit in Bangalore and one in Delhi. We plan to expand our sales network across Kolkata, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. We are exporting to the Middle East and to African countries like Ghana and Angola, and have set up a distribution office in Africa.
Opportunities & Challenges
We are open to dealers who can buy the formworks from us and give them on rent. This is a good business model as they could earn more by renting out the product than by simply selling it.
Creating awareness of our products is a challenge as we are the only one in India making formworks made of plastic, but major contractors are using them currently in many residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects. The response has been good because of the versatility of the product, which can be used in any kind of projects, unlike aluminium, which has limited usages.
We are anticipating a lot of construction projects in the next 5 years, as many infrastructure projects have come up across the country and many are in the pipeline. These include industrial projects, low cost housing projects, and public utility projects. To meet upcoming demand, we are continuously making changes and improvements as we move ahead. We are developing various other products for the construction companies; these are designed to help in reducing labour, improve efficiencies, ensure quality, and save cost.
NBM&CW July 2020
