PVC Afterlife: New generation of extruders promises greater sustainability, energy efficiency for windows and doors
Who said you can’t work PVC windows and doors into your architectural plan, boost energy efficiency and recycle more, all at the same time?
German firms Profine Group and Battenfeld Extrusionstechnik have teamed up to develop the KBE System_88mm, featuring not only highly efficient thermal insulation, but also using up to 50 percent recycled materials.
The key? A parallel twin-screw extruder with a screw diameter of 110 mm to plasticize the recycling granulate forming the middle layer. Plus a new generation of high-tech two-conical twin-screw extruders in a piggyback configuration . That minimises space requirements and makes six-chamber design possible, allowing a wider range of glass panes. Battenfeld produces recycled profiles with speeds of up to 6 meters per minute!
Attention all you architects out there, says Stefan Schäfer, head of the KBE brand Product Management of Profine:
"Our partner companies that have already adopted the KBE standard 88 mm system into their delivery programme can operate flexibly on the future market of passive houses,"
What’s more, the KBE System is truly in line with the objectives of Vinyl 2010, the European PVC industry sustainability programme. Lead-free stabilizers are used which in turn avoids any problems with heavy metal legacies after recycling. The use of recycled material in the product means waste minimising and conservation of resources.
All types of windows may be produced, ranging from the standard version which complies with the German regulation on energy savings in buildings and building systems (EnEV 2010) up to the highly energy efficient window type for passive houses with heat transmission factors ranging from Uf = 1.1 W/m²K to a very impressive Uf = 0.79 W/m²K.
Combined with the high thermal insulation properties of the finished product, which means a considerable reduction of CO2 emissions, this innovative system is an eco-friendly “package”. And in terms of sustainability, it can be recycled many times without a decline in the quality of the material.
An afterlife with an afterlife! Schaefer is excited about what’s next:
“We’re already planning extensions of the new KBE system,’’ he says. ‘’Starting with a special controllable ventilation device up to composite constructions, such as an individual aluminium cladding concept for the AluFusion solution.”
"The PVC-profile provides high thermal and acoustic insulation properties as well as cost-effectiveness. On the other hand, aluminium gives flexibility to the architectural design as well as superior load-bearing properties to this combination," Schaefer explains.
"AluFusion facilitates the entry to façade design for window manufacturers, offering them the opportunity to capture markets where, until now, traditional plastic windows have had only few chances to be considered,’’ Schaefer adds.
