Rheinzink

Rheinzink GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of titanium zinc sheet and coil and of roofing, facade and roof-drainage products made from it. The company was founded in 1966 at the instigation of Herbert Grillo, with Stolberger Zink and Vereinigte Deutsche Metallwerke as early shareholders. It is headquartered in Datteln, in North Rhine-Westphalia, and is a member of the Grillo Group. About 500 people work for the company worldwide.

History

In the 1960s Herbert Grillo concluded that the rolled zinc then available was not good enough for high-quality roofing and roof drainage, and that a new production technology was needed. He found a combined smelting, casting and rolling system in the United States and assembled shareholders to build a plant. Rheinzink became the first European building-zinc maker to replace traditional pack rolling with a continuous casting-and-rolling line. From 1978 the company concentrated exclusively on building zinc and began industrial production of finished products and systematic brand building. In 1988 it introduced pre-weathered surfaces, followed by a second generation of pre-weathering technology in 2007. A reception building at its headquarters designed by Daniel Libeskind opened in 2009.

Material

Titanium zinc is zinc alloyed with small amounts of copper and titanium, which improve strength and reduce thermal creep. Exposed to air, zinc develops a protective patina of zinc carbonate. Pre-weathered finishes such as Rheinzink's prePATINA give a uniform grey appearance from installation rather than waiting for natural patination.

Products

• Standing seam and other roofing systems, plus a roof-integrated solar system.
• Facade systems: seamed cladding, panels and cassettes.
• Roof drainage: half-round and box gutters, internal gutters and downpipes.
• Coils and sheets for fabricators, in finishes including prePATINA, CLASSIC (bright rolled), GRANUM and PRISMO coloured surfaces.

The company has expanded into markets including India.