Deliveries of alkus AG not affected by a shortage of raw materials

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the related reduced working hours in many companies, there is currently a shortage of raw materials in various sectors. A lack of plywood, in particular, has led to delivery delays and massive price increases for conventional formwork panels. Now is the time for providers of solid plastic panels like alkus AG.

On construction sites, plywood formwork panels are viewed as typical short-life products. After roughly 50 uses, the panels are scrapped and replacements are needed. Currently, this is proving to be problematic: Delivery periods and prices are rising due to a lack of plywood supply. In the worst-case scenario, whole construction sites have to be put on hold. “Prices for plywood formwork panels have already risen by over 50 percent in 2021,” explains Michael Tschenett, Managing Director of alkus AG. “We are getting the feedback from many construction companies that they are having to wait up to 6 months for their plywood formwork panels without knowing the sales price before they even arrive. These customers have now turned to the alkus^® panel.”

alkus AG continues to supply its solid plastic panels at a determined price and within four to six weeks as standard. Although the company has also been experiencing some delivery delays related to the polypropylene and aluminium supplies used to produce the alkus^® solid plastic panels. Fortunately, alkus AG has implemented the necessary and essential steps in its supply chain to avoid any delivery issues.

“If necessary, you can use a plywood formwork panel a few times more than you should do, but because of the typical disadvantages associated with plywood – particularly its susceptibility to moisture – the panels quickly become unusable,” Michael Tschenett claims. “Our alkus^® panels last up to 30 times longer and are therefore more economical. This was true long before the sharp price increase of plywood this year, especially our partners and long-term customers are well aware of this fact.”

The shortage of raw materials is thus accelerating the long-standing trend towards plastic formwork panels, which began over 20 years ago with the introduction of the alkus^® panel. “We are experiencing an increase in demand for our products,” Michael Tschenett confirms. Since the alkus^® panel fits into every formwork system, every construction company can be supplied at short notice.

alkus AG not only benefits from the current advantages it offers in terms of availability and price but also from another trend. Sustainability is more important now than ever before. For environmental reasons, plastic is a great alternative, because its service life is much longer compared to plywood panels. alkus^® panels have demonstrably been used over 1,500 times and can be repaired using identical material. This means in the same time 30 plywood formwork panels would have been consumed and disposed of as hazardous waste due to the residual concrete on the pre-treated plywood. In Michael Tschenett’s opinion: “Timber is a fantastic construction material and far too valuable to be used as a disposable product for concrete formwork panels.”

Press release