Granite® Ultramat is the latest addition to ArcelorMittal’s Granite® range of pre-painted steels for outdoor building applications. It has an ultra-modern organic coating and allows for the formation of the most difficult shapes of roofing products, even at low temperatures. Manufactured in the Polish ArcelorMittal steelworks of Swietochlowice as well as in Eisehüttenstadt, Germany, it has recently been awarded an MTP Gold Medal, one of the most recognisable awards on the Polish market.

Convincing the jury

Granite® Ultramat is designed specifically for roofing, and its many advantages over competing products convinced the competition jury:

• Flexible at low temperature: Granite® Ultramat withstands cold storage during winter while keeping its flexibility. Profiling in cold conditions has been drastically improved.

• Surface robustness: the scratch and fretting performance of Granite® Ultramat has been drastically improved compared with previous generations.

• Sustainable: as part of ArcelorMittal’s Nature range, Granite® Ultramat does not contain any harmful substances and is fully compliant with Europe’s REACH regulations. Furthermore, at the end of its lifecycle, Granite® Ultramat is 100% recyclable, just like all other steel products.

Tomasz Plaskura, Chief Marketing Officer for Eastern Europe at ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products, comments: "The high quality and flexible paint system of Granite® Ultramat outperforms classic roofing products in corrosion and UV resistance. Offered guarantees are of up to 20 years on non-perforation, and up to 15 years for non-delamination. This makes Granite® Ultramat not only an aesthetic, but also cost-effective and sustainable steel solution for roofs".

About the MTP Gold Medal

The MTP Gold Medal is one of the most recognisable awards on the Polish market. It is granted after a thorough assessment by experts in innovative products of the highest quality applying a number of criteria based on state-of-the art technologies.

This year, from among many submitted applications, the competition jury, chaired by Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Józef Jasiczak - director of the Institute of Building Structures, the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering at Poznan University of Technology - honoured 37 products submitted for the BUDMA Gold Medal competition. All awarded MTP Gold Medals are equivalent prizes.

Text: ArcelorMittal Europe, Constructalia

Photos: Piotr Szafarczyk (ArcelorMittal),
Marcin Przeor (Communication ArcelorMittal Poland)

Blachdom Plus, a producer of steel roofing solutions in Poland, has tested Granite® Ultramat from ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products. This is not the first time the company has run real-life production tests on new products from ArcelorMittal. For Blachdom Plus, trials such as this give them early access to solutions that will be attractive to their customers and a competitive advantage when it comes to understanding the technical performance of the material.

A natural fit

Matt coatings are very popular with Blachdom Plus customers making Granite® Ultramat a natural fit for their product portfolio. But it is the variety of solutions that makes the Granite® range so interesting for the company as Dariusz Ceglarz, Commercial Director for Blachdom Plus, explains: “Each of the products that ArcelorMittal provides for us is characterised by a different surface appearance: glossy, matt, mineral… And each has different technical parameters such as coating thickness or type. That gives us solutions for specific parts of the building’s exterior.”

Visual and production tests carried out

The first tests on Granite® Ultramat were carried out by Blachdom Plus in October 2018 though preparations had begun months before. The test coil was produced at ArcelorMittal Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany and shipped to Poland. Piotr Szafarczyk, the ArcelorMittal client technical support manager for Blachdom Plus, travelled to the customer to observe the trial.

“After unpacking, the first step was visual and comparative assessment against a sample of Granite® Deep Mat we had in stock,” says Dariusz Ceglarz. “The Granite® Ultramat coils were then processed into four of our roofing tile products: Amalfi, Beskid, Bona, and Perła. These particular sheet tiles have two of the most demanding processing steps: profiling on rolls and drawing.”

Blachdom Plus also carried out bending tests on equipment used to produce flashings and on production lines for trapezoidal sheets and ridge tiles for roofing applications.

Results prove promising

The first results were promising says Dariusz Ceglarz: “The visual test showed that Granite® Ultramat is characterised by a large grain. The coating is rough and expressive to the touch, which translates into a good, homogenous, visual aspect. The production line tests also passed without problems. Granite® Ultramat maintained its continuity and adhesion throughout.”

R&D tests to check performance

Samples of the material Blachdom Plus processed were sent to the ArcelorMittal Global R&D team so several scientific tests could be performed.

Granite® Ultramat’s resistance to corrosion is RC4, while its resistance to UV light is RUV4.

Will Blachdom Plus take part in future trials of ArcelorMittal solutions? “These are not the first tests we have done with ArcelorMittal,” says Dariusz Ceglarz. “A few years ago we tested Granite® Quartz which is now part of our regular offer. We can see effects of these trials and the benefits they bring for both sides – it is worth the effort. And of course, we are open to new testing challenges.”

About Blachdom Plus

Blachdom Plus is a producer of coated sheet products for roofing and facades. Formed in 2001, the company is based in the province of Silesia in southern Poland and employs around 120 people. Blachdom Plus has two production plants in Poland in Rybarzowice and Wrocław. The two plants include seven lines for roof tile profiling, six lines which profile trapezoidal sheets, and two lines to produce standing seam roofs. While Poland is the main market for Blachdom Plus, the company also exports to the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and other countries. Blachdom Plus also operates 22 sales branches and has an extensive network of independent distributors in Poland and abroad.

The company now offers five Granite® finishes including Deep Mat, HDX, Quartz, Standard, and Storm.

More info on Blachdom Plus: www.blachdomplus.pl

Granite® Ultramat: safe for 20 years and more

Granite® Ultramat is the latest addition to ArcelorMittal’s Granite® range of organic coated steels for outdoor building applications.
•    Designed specifically for roofing.
•    Advantages over standard Granite® Deep Mat and competing products thanks to the high quality and flexibility of the paint system used.
•    Wrinkled finish, available in 11 colours.
•    Good formability at low temperature and after cold storage.
•    Improved scratch resistance.
•    ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products is expected to offer guarantees of up to 20 years on non-perforation and up to 15 years for non-delamination. Granite® Ultramat’s aesthetic properties are expected to be guaranteed for up to 10 years.

Text: ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products
Photos: Piotr Szafarczyk (ArcelorMittal) and Blachdom Plus

Nowadays we personalise everything… Our cars, our furniture, so why not the roof over our head? Steel roofing solutions are growing in popularity as architects, designers, and homeowners seek out modern alternatives to traditional materials.

A new video

ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products has a new video on our latest innovation for roofing applications: Granite® Ultramat. It is a robust and long-lasting pre-painted steel which is flexible at low temperatures and offers a much wider range of aesthetics than traditional ceramic or zinc roofs. Moreover, it was just awarded a Golden Medal at the Budma fair in Poland.

Low maintenace, lower costs

Roofs made with Granite® Ultramat require low maintenance, which reduces the cost - an important asset for young families building a new home.

This is just a glimpse of the advantages... Check out this video showing the possibilities of a steel roof.

Text: ArcelorMittal Europe - Commercial communications, Constructalia
Photos: Nicolas Fussler, Marcin Przeor / Communication ArcelorMittal Poland
Video: ArcelorMittal