Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

UK: Doug Robertson will retire as Group Financial Director and from the board of SIG in the first quarter of 2017. He will be succeeded by Nick Maddock, currently Chief Financial Officer at McCarthy & Stone. Precise dates will be announced once determined. Robertson has worked at SIG since 2011.

Brazil: Armacell has purchased PoliPex, a Brazilian manufacturer of extruded polyethylene insulation foams, in a share deal for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition will strengthen Armacell´s product portfolio in Latin America and increases the domestic customer service levels, as well as, the support for regional original equipment manufacturers.

“PoliPex has decades of technology know-how in extruded polyurethane production as well as a strong domestic team. We are looking forward to serving our clients across Latin America with a broader product portfolio and extended customer service levels,” said Patrick Mathieu, President and CEO of Armacell International.

PoliPex produces extruded polyurethane insulation foams in Brazil and has approximately 80 employees. The company was founded by John Johannes van Mullem in 1991 and maintains its headquarters in Santa Catarina in the South of Brazil, as well as distribution centres in the South and the Northeast of the country. In the calendar year 2015 PoliPex generated revenues of approximately US$13m.

US: Kingspan Insulation has launched Kooltherm, its rigid thermoset insulation, in the US. The line offers a range of products for wall, floor, soffit and rainscreen applications. It has a fibre-free rigid thermoset phenolic insulation core that resists both moisture and water vapour ingress.

"Kingspan is committed to bringing its globally-innovative technology to the North American market," said Alswinn Kieboom, managing director, Kingspan Insulation North America. "As part of this continuing effort, we are excited to offer our Kooltherm insulation to the construction marketplace. Our class-leading R-value and fire resistance properties will prove to be beneficial to the construction community."

UK: Knauf Insulation has developed a new robust detail for aircrete blocks, which has been included within the latest edition of the Robust Detail handbook. The new detail E-WM-30 comprises two leaves of 100mm aircrete blocks, with a 100mm cavity that has been fully filled with the blown mineral wool insulation Supafil Party Wall. It is the first Robust Detail for aircrete blocks, with a blown retrofit solution that negates the need for a wet parge coat. Only a plasterboard lining is required. The detail will also achieve three points in the Health and Wellbeing section of Code for Sustainable Homes assessments.

“We are always striving to develop cost-effective solutions for our customers to make their life easier and this new robust detail is no different. We have developed this detail without a parge coat to deliver greater process efficiencies, and it offers high levels of acoustic and thermal performance, which can satisfy the requirements of the building regulations for a zero U-value party wall,” said Stephen Wise, Glass Product Manager at Knauf Insulation.

Aircrete is a lightweight aerated concrete material that provides thermal performance and is primarily used for the inner skin of external walls. The Robust Details scheme is the alternative to pre-completion sound testing for satisfying Part E of the Building Regulations in the UK.

UAE: Michel Francis, chief architect at DEC consultants, has recommended that ‘intensive’ inspections, including checking that insulation is properly installed, could help to prevent the spread of fire in high-rise buildings in Dubai. He pointed out that a fire could propagate rapidly if there were gaps between fire-resistant mineral–based insulation. Francis’ comments at the Windows, Doors and Facades Forum in Dubai were covered by the National newspaper.

"An inspector must look for these holes, see how the mineral wool is installed, the fixtures used, check for any intricate gaps between the intersection of slabs. An expert auditor would look to see if there are any loopholes. These locations and intersections, if well treated, will prevent the jumping of fire from one floor to the other and the whole facade catching fire. Fire containment would be much easier," said Francis.

New provisions in the local Fire and Life Safety code are due to be released later in 2016 requiring owners to renew a no-objection certificate annually after inspections to ensure all modifications are fire-safe. The changes in the regulations follow a string of fires in high-rise buildings in the city in the last few years.