Insulation industry news from Global Insulation
Knauf Insulation launches Knauf Performance+ asthma and allergy-friendly glass wool insulation
02 May 2024North America: Knauf Insulation has launched its new Knauf Performance+ range of glass wool insulation for heating, ventilation and air conditioning applications. The launch of the range, which is asthma and allergy friendly and formaldehyde-free, coincided with the start of Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month on 1 May 2024.
Knauf Insulation said “In a world where indoor air is two-to-five times more polluted than outdoor air, improving indoor air quality is critical.” Senior vice president sales, marketing and innovation Nathan Walker added “By the end of 2024, Knauf commits to eliminating formaldehyde from all its remaining products. This move sets a new standard in the production of high-performing building materials.”
Technostyle to enter Azerbaijani insulation market
20 June 2023Azerbaijan: Russia-based Technostyle has indicated its intention to launch its polyisocyanurate (PIR) sandwich panel insulation on the Azerbaijani market.
The Azerbaijan Industry Review newspaper has reported that Technostyle's PIR panels project manager Aleksey Demyanov said "We are confident in the quality of our sandwich panels and engineering solutions, which can significantly contribute to the construction industry. We strive to become reliable partners for Azerbaijani construction companies, offering them advanced technologies and helping them to implement ambitious projects."
Kingspan launches QuadCore LEC insulation panels
27 January 2023Ireland/UK: Kingspan has launched a range of reduced-CO2 insulation panels called QuadCore LEC. The producer says that a 100mm-thick QuadCore AWP panel has 40% lower embodied CO2 than an EN15804-A2 standard insulation panel of the same thickness.
Kingspan’s head of innovation Mike Stenson said “As a business we are committed to developing high performing, energy efficient building envelope solutions that help minimise the carbon footprint of buildings over the whole life cycle.” He added “QuadCore is already one of the highest performing insulation technologies in terms of thermal efficiency (underpinned by a 25-year thermal warranty), which could enable higher energy and carbon savings through the operational life of the building. This is the first step on our journey to reducing the embodied carbon of our products, and we anticipate some major milestones by 2030 to drive that down even further.”
Dow launches V PLUS Perform Next polyurethane insulation in Europe
08 December 2022Europe: Dow has announced the European launch of V PLUS Perform Next, a polyurethane (PU) insulation product for use in insulated metal panels. V PLUS Perform Next insulation contains alternative raw materials from circular feedstocks, including bio-based feedstocks. Dow allocates the feedstocks based on a mass balance chain of custody, validated by International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC). It produces V PLUS Perform Next using over 25% renewable energy.
Dow PU construction insulation marketing fellow Alberto Mercati said “The new EU Energy Performance of Buildings directive adds urgency for buildings that require energy efficient insulation with decreased embodied carbon. For the last five years, V PLUS Perform has enabled insulated metal panel manufacturers to deliver building envelopes that couple energy efficiency and fire safety. V PLUS Perform Next supports insulated panel manufacturers to select lower carbon and circular construction ingredients from the design phase to the delivery of a novel class of products for more sustainable buildings.”
US: Owens Corning recorded sales of US$7.48bn during the first nine months of 2022, up by 17% year-on-year from US$6.37bn in the first nine months of 2021. Its adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 24% to US$1.8bn from US$1.45bn. The group's insulation sales rose by 19% to US$2.76bn from US$2.32bn. The segment's higher selling prices reportedly offset accelerating energy, material and transport inflation.
During the year, the company transferred or sold all Russian assets, which had previously contributed US$100m in sales in 2021. Elsewhere, Owens Corning launched three new products during the third quarter of 2022 alone.
Tentoma launches XL Power insulation panel packing machine
28 February 2022Denmark: Tentoma has launched its new XL Power insulation panel packing machine. The supplier says that machine can pack up to 19m-long panels. At shorter lengths, it can stretch film for more panels per packaging cycle, increasing the packaging speed for the products by up to 25%. Tentoma built and sold its first XL Power packiaging machine to replace an orbital wrapper.
Knauf Insulation launches new soffit insulation product
20 August 2020UK: Knauf Insulation has launched a new product in its Earthwool Soffit Linerboard range, intended for use in car parks, stadiums and commercial units. Rock mineral wool product manager Luke Davies said, “Specifications for non-combustible soffit insulation are likely to increase as building regulations evolve further and soffit applications become a focus for fire safety. We’ve improved Earthwool Soffit Linerboard to give customers the best possible solution to respond to this demand.”
The product uses tube washers instead of all-steel for ease of installation and each board has greater rigidity than previous products to reduce susceptibility to thermal bridging. Knauf Insulation says that its ECOSE Technology bio-based binder makes Earthwool Soffit Linerboard soft, durable, easy to handle and low in dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Owens Corning prepares to launch new extruded polystyrene foam insulation product line
12 August 2020US: Owens Corning has announced a new line of extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam insulation products called Foamular NGX. It is set to go on sale in the US and Canada in January 2021. It says that the proprietary blowing agent in the products deliver a 90% reduction in global warming potential (GWP) without sacrificing product performance. It is Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listed, Factory Mutual (FM) approved and compliant with regulations set to take effect in Canada and some US states in January 2021. The environmental benefits of the products will be reflected in a new Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). The new product line will retain the signature Owens Corning pink colour.
US: Kingspan has launched its QuadCore insulation panel products in North America at the AIA Conference on Architecture in New York. The insulated metal panel products use a hybrid insulation core with a closed microcell structure. Initially, Kingspan will offer QuadCore in its KS Shadowline, KS Micro-Rib and Optimo panels, and QuadCore will eventually be available in all Kingspan insulated metal panels.
Isover France launches Isover Recycling
26 April 2018France: Isover France has launched Isover Recycling, a closed-loop recycling service for construction and demolition glass wool waste. The new service has been developed in partnership with recycling specialists. It aims to reduce glass wool dumping in landfill and increase the proportion of recycled content in Isover’s glass wool insulation products. The Isover Recycling service is currently being deployed in two pilot areas: South-East France and Ile-de-France. It will then be rolled-out across the rest of the country. Other countries like Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden already offer construction site waste recycling services.