Lining Systems

Long-lasting containment liners

Designed specifically for use in chemically aggressive environments, AKS Lining Systems supplies a range of lining solutions, utilised extensively in infrastructure containment projects.

Since its inception in 2002, AKS Lining Systems has grown to become a competitive global producer of thermoplastic lining products. Its products are exported to more than 30 countries worldwide where they are used in diverse applications such as mining, environmental conservation, water treatment and general infrastructure.

Situated in Cape Town, AKS Lining Systems naturally offers strong support to the local South African and SADC regions.

Containment and corrosionresistant solutions

According to Peter Hardie, Manager: Technical & International Sales at AKS Lining Systems, the company’s geomembrane products, the Geoliner range, are manufactured from HDPE or LLDPE resins, which are considered chemically inert. Geoliner is supplied in 7 m wide rolls, with various surface finishes, such as smooth, textured or mega textured.

“Our geoliner products are used extensively in the construction of critical facilities like landfill sites, tailings and ash storage facilities, but also in straightforward applications in aquaculture, water storage, farm dams, etc.,” he explains.

In addition to the Geoliner range, the AKS Lining Systems flagship product is the AKS™ Corrosion Protection Liner (CPL). AKS™ (Anchor Knob Sheet) is a liner extruded with a matrix of anchors. It is used extensively in acid-proofing concrete structures by being cast into the concrete. The mechanical bond into the concrete means the product can be used in a vast range of applications: from mining to sewage treatment, WWTWs, large outfall sewers and storage tanks, to name but a few.

“Our AKS™ product is exported globally and we have a well-established network of distributors and installers who are able to offer a complete solution to their client base. By utilising this global AKS network, we have been able to supply some large projects with our 7 m wide Geoliner product range as well. A 300 000 m2 landfill project in Vietnam, and an 850 000 m2 contaminated soil project in Singapore are just a few of the more recent exports,” says Hardie.

“The resins we use are all imported and are tried and tested to comply with (and in many cases exceed) the requirements of the internationally accepted liner standards, GRI-GM13 and GRI-GM17, along with our own SANS 1526 requirements,” he continues.

AKS Lining Systems, being ISO 9001:2015 certified, ensures that management system and quality procedures are maintained and reviewed at the highest possible levels. These systems and procedures follow through right from resin suppliers, shipping and logistics, to finished product, testing and delivery.

The latest technology and sustainability

AKS Lining Systems uses state-of-the-art European-manufactured extrusion lines. These large extruders are designed to utilise the latest technology and operate continuously and faultlessly. “We can achieve extrusion accuracies close to 5%, where the current market trend is within a 10% range,” says Hardie.

AKS Lining Systems also utilises low-carbon emissions technology to power its plants. The Cape Town-based production plant has installed a 500 kW solar facility with plans to upgrade to 1 MW over the next two years. The company also makes use of equipment cooling facilities that utilise non-potable groundwater.

During 2020, AKS Lining Systems installed three additional large power generators in order to ensure that their production remains unaffected during the challenging and ongoing loadshedding South Africa has had to deal with.

“This massive investment was made to ensure that our clients would not suffer delays in the delivery of their liner materials. We know any delays would ultimately impact their project timeframes,” he explains.

Guaranteed quality

“Our logistical team ensures the expert handling and loading of trucks and containers, along with all the required export documentation. For identification, tracking and traceability, all AKS™ and Geoliner rolls are individually labelled and numbered. Our manufacturing quality control (MQC) system ensures that we can trace each roll and its components right through from incoming resin to in-line production testing, QC testing and final MQC certification,” explains Hardie.

AKS Lining Systems has an open-door policy, allowing customers to inspect and review their product during manufacturing and testing, giving them peace of mind when materials start arriving on their sites.