Owens Corning Twintex(R) Reinforcement Application in Vinyl Windows Receives JEC Innovation Award
March 24 2009 - 3:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Co-mingled Glass Fiber and Thermoplastic Resin Product Strengthens
Window Lineal, Improves Energy Efficiency PARIS, March 24
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A window lineal application that
eliminates steel inserts and improves energy efficiency will
receive one of the composites industry's highest awards in Paris
tonight during the Innovation Awards presentation at the JEC
Composites Show, the world's largest exhibition for composites
materials. The five companies accepting the award are Owens Corning
(NYSE:OC), a world leader in glass fiber reinforcements and
building materials systems, window companies Bouvet and Lorillard,
design firm IDA and die maker Rossi Stamp. The honor, awarded in
the building and construction category, is for the products and
technology used to make reinforced thermoplastic window lineals.
The breakthrough technology, combining Twintex(R) co-mingled glass
fiber and polymer reinforcements with polyvinylchloride (PVC),
eliminates the need for steel inserts to strengthen the parts,
which allows French manufacturing firms Bouvet and Lorillard to
eliminate a separate insertion step from the process. Removing
steel improved the energy efficiency and comfort of the finished
windows because metal is no longer in the product to act as a
thermal bridge or conduit for the movement of heat. Other benefits
of the new thermoplastic technology include: -- The ability to
localize additional reinforcement only where necessary -- Use of
standard methods for cutting and assembly -- Potential for
post-forming shaping, texturizing and weldability -- Greater
profile design freedom -- Thinner profiles providing a larger
window opening and the benefits of natural light -- Ability to mill
and re-use waste in non-decorative profiles "This award is the
result of three years of true co-development, starting from scratch
and involving four companies," said Nicolas Bedouin, sales and
marketing leader, Specialties Europe, OCV(TM) Reinforcements. "When
first proposed, the application seemed like a good opportunity for
Twintex reinforcements except that the product's standard
polypropylene matrix is not a good match for PVC. The solution -
develop a new Twintex product with a PVC-compatible matrix," he
added. "There was close interaction among the people working with
the product (Twintex reinforcement), the process (reinforced
extrusion) and the application (window lineals). After overcoming
several technical challenges and running many tests at OCV
Reinforcements, Bouvet and Lorillard, a suitable thermoplastic
reinforcement was developed," said Bedouin, adding that this kind
of tailored solution is key to Owens Corning's focus on delivering
differentiated value to customers. The new Twintex product has a
PET (polyethylene terephthalate) matrix that works well in the
forming equipment at Bouvet and Lorillard. "We are thrilled to have
this technology recognized by JEC," says Jean-Marc Sivry,
production and R&D Leader, Lorillard. "Our Twinea(R)(1)
technology required a lot of teamwork to achieve this breakthrough
but the result is an improved product for the homeowner. We are now
adapting the process for new products and technologies to reinforce
thermoplastic lineals, especially for large dimensions and colored
profiles." Sivry says the new production process is somewhere
between pultrusion and extrusion. It simplifies assembly work
without affecting the plant and equipment for production, and the
windows are stiffer. The technology can be applied to all types of
thermoplastic profiles. Twinea profiles are marked to help identify
them for a specialized thermoplastic recycling process after their
useful life. Pre-development work was done by OCV Reinforcements at
the company's Science and Technology Center in Chambery, France.
Twinea profiles were designed by the IDA agency and Rossi Stamp
produced the tooling. To learn more about Twinea technology, visit
http://www.twinea.fr/. About Owens Corning Owens Corning (NYSE:OC)
is a leading global producer of residential and commercial building
materials, glass fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for
composite systems. A Fortune 500 company for 54 consecutive years,
Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability through
delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives.
Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of
glass fiber technology with sales of $6 billion in 2008 and 17,000
employees in 26 countries on five continents. Additional
information is available at http://www.owenscorning.com/. (1)Twinea
is a registered trademark of Etablissements Lorillard, France
DATASOURCE: Owens Corning CONTACT: Kerry Desberg of Owens Corning,
+1-419-248-5939, Web Site: http://www.owenscorning.com/
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