EPD® for Ensinger´s insulbar RE

First thermal insulation profile made of 100% unmixed recycled polyamide improves the eco balance of buildings

Insulbar RE has now been on the market for a number of weeks. What makes it special: The insulation profile, which is used to create a thermal barrier between the inner and outer shell of the metal frames of windows, doors and facades, is made of 100% unmixed recycled PA66, making this a truly resource-saving option. Plastic specialist Ensinger processes this high-quality material using an upcycling process which renders its properties directly comparable to those of new material.

This means that insulbar RE – just like the classical insulbar product line from Ensinger - provides excellent thermal insulation and helps to save energy and costs for room heating and cooling. During the manufacturing phase, it generates 85 % fewer greenhouse gases, as well as using 89 % fewer fossil-based resources. This claim has now been backed by the Institute for Window Technology (ift) in Rosenheim, which has issued an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) additionally endorsed by

an independent expert.

"The excellent values documented in the Environmental Product Declaration are testimony to the outstanding suitability of insulbar RE for system manufacturers and processing firms in the field of window and facade construction to address current and future demands, particularly given that sustainability is set to play an ever

more vital role", explains Dr. Michael Möller of the Research and Material Development Department at Ensinger. "The EPD also offers planners, architects and property developers a reliable data basis for improving the eco balance of their building project."

The EPD forms the basis for ecological building assessment. In accordance with the international standards EN ISO 14025:2011 and EN 15804:2012, it encompasses all the relevant information about the environmental impact of a product over the entire life cycle - from extraction of the raw materials through to recycling. This provides a basis for comparison of the data from individual EPDs, which can be collated using a modular system to create a building´s eco balance.

ISO Type III declarations are a requirement in many building tender specifications, in particular for public buildings or largescale corporate investment projects, as according to the LEED, BREEAM, BNB and DGNB standards or similar certification systems, the entire building process and the construction materials used are classified in ecological, economical and functional terms on the basis of EPDs.

When manufacturing insulbar RE, Ensinger ensures that the customary high standard of insulbar quality in compliance with DIN ISO 9001:2008 is seamlessly adhered to. Impressive features of the recycled profiles alongside their energy efficiency include their good mechanical properties, the customary parameters for subsequent coating, their long service life and the same longlasting functional reliability users have come to expect from the material PA66. This makes a simple changeover from insulbar to insulbar RE possible at any time.