Aluplast, a German producer of window systems, has replaced steel with plastic in a new design that offers improved heat insulation.
Two flat strips of glass fibre-reinforced PBT from BASF are extruded into the new window profile, replacing the existing metal profile that is usually heavy and difficult to install.
“The high thermal conductivity of the metallic has always resulted in a thermal bridge,” said Manfred Wüst, head of systems engineering at Aluplast.
The heat transfer coefficient, a measure of thermal insulation capacity, is about 20% better in the new design. Replacing metal with plastics also ensures that the window frame profiles are 60% lighter in weight, which makes transport and installation easier.
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