Polyurethane Pultrusion Process – Coming on Strong,
Thanks to Innovative Efforts of Inline Fiberglass
Superior Strength And Low Conductivity Make This Technology Ideal For Window Frames.
TORONTO, Ontario – Inline Fiberglass Ltd. of Toronto, Canada is bringing a breath of fresh air to the window frame manufacturing industry – and opening the door to a variety of new applications in other industries as well. Now, with an exciting new application using polyurethane pultrusion (PU) technology, Inline manufactures window lineals that are vastly superior to their aluminum, wood, and vinyl counterparts.
According to Stanley Rokicki, founder and chief engineer of Inline Fiberglass, conventional pultrusion technology has been around for decades. Inline began to develop fiberglass pultrusion capabilities in 1989, and started manufacturing with polyester resin in 1992. Now, Inline is pioneering the production of window frames using an innovative polyurethane pultrusion process. By pultruding polyurethane resin, Inline can now produce larger, stronger parts, with thinner walls.
To accommodate the new process, Bayer MaterialScience, Inline’s polyurethane supplier, developed Baydur PUL 2500 – the ideal resin for use in pultruded polyurethane applications. "From my perspective, Bayer was the only company with the knowledge, experience, and resources to bring this about," explained Stanley Rokicki.
The polyurethane pultrusion process offers a wide range of benefits, compared with other materials. Unlike extrusion, the PU process allows for a higher concentration of fiberglass, making the end product substantially stronger. When window frame components are made from fiberglass-reinforced pultruded polyurethane, they become eight times stronger than PVC frames. Moreover, they are less brittle, so they won’t crack or splinter, resulting in superior fastening. Another advantage is pultruded polyurethane frames are 40 times less conductive than aluminum, making them much better insulators.
Frames made from pultruded polyurethane have excellent expansion and contraction properties, and can withstand even the most severe weather conditions, from arctic blasts to desert heat and seaside moisture, without corroding. They are esthetically pleasing, giving the end user the choice of either a painted or attractive wood-grain finish. Furthermore, the PU process is environmentally friendly, since it consumes less energy during production and contains no styrene.
"The fact that we now have the capability to produce lighter profiles that are strong enough to be used in large frames, even curtainwall, is extremely exciting for us," notes Inline’s Rokicki. "And they’re cost-effective and environmentally friendly, making this a technology we will continue to rely on."
Pultruded polyurethane lineals offer a unique combination of light weight and exceptional strength, opening up opportunities for use in a variety of applications, from window frames with favorable fire ratings, curtainwall’s pressure plate, and other construction materials to structural I-Beams.
For further information, please contact Inline Fiberglass Ltd. at 1-866-566-5656
