Aluminium systems for windows, doors and facades are now already being fitted for the first time with thermal insulating bars made of recycled polyamide

WICONA is Europe’s first aluminium systems company to use insulbar RE from Ensinger. The thermal insulation bars are used for the thermal separation of profiles for windows, facades and door constructions, and are made of 100% recycled material. This marks a decisive improvement to the life cycle assessment of the overall systems – without compromising quality and without any added cost for WICONA customers.

The unmixed recycled polyamide used undergoes an upcycling process which places its properties on a par with those of new material. Polymer blends or mixed recyclates are not used. Use of the product, which was developed by plastics specialist Ensinger, means an 89% reduction in the consumption of fossil resources, an 84% reduction of carbon emissions and 32% less water consumption. “insulbar RE” is now set to be put to widespread use at WICONA for the first time.

WICONA CEO Arnd Brinkmann: “Keeping a company at the cutting edge of innovation is first and foremost about the concrete implementation of new developments which represent a tangible improvement and which make a sustainable mark on the industry. With these insulating bars made of recycled polyamide, WICONA and Ensinger are working together to create an established position for this meaningful innovation in the marketplace.”

“Sustainability is playing an ever greater role in construction – the world over”, adds Dr. Roland Reber, CEO at Ensinger.

“Thanks to this partnership we are now making available windows, doors and facade systems which will equip clients, architects, planners and processors to meet current and future requirements. Systems using insulbar RE provide a sustainable way of saving energy and costs. The Environmental Declaration that comes with the products also offers a reliable data basis for improving the overall life cycle assessment of a building.”

Customers gain an immediate and tangible benefit from an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) issued by the ift Rosenheim where certifications are requested in compliance with green building labels such as LEED or DGNB because the EPD forms the basis for an ecological building assessment. This allows comparison of the data from individual EPDs, which can be collated using a modular system to create a building’s eco balance.

For WICONA to agree to the use of this recycled plastic, the material had to match the efficiency of the polyamide 6.6 customarily used for insulating bars without in any way compromising processability. Ensinger was able to comply 100 per cent with this underlying condition: The insulating profiles made of recycled polyamide are suitability tested in accordance with DIN EN 14024 and possess the same mechanical and physical characteristics as conventional insulation bars made of polyamide 6.6.

This new development from Ensinger is making gradual inroads across the whole of the WICONA product range, and currently accounts for over 50%. The profiles do not need to be ordered separately by the customer, nor does their installation require any special precautions when it comes to handling or logistics. The WICONA guarantee is fully applicable also to systems using the new insulating bars made of recycled polyamide. This means that customers can utilize this ground-breaking innovation automatically without any additional effort – while reaping a sustainable benefit.

For more information in the Internet, go to www.wicona.de/en and www.insulbar-re.de/en.

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