NIA Member Product News

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Recent News:


Johns Manville (JM) Releases New Densities of JM CladStone™ Water & Fire Block
Mineral Wool Insulation

JM, a Berkshire Hathaway company and buildingproducts manufacturer, recently announced the launch of JM CladStone 110 and JM CladStone 80. JM now offers a full line of product densities in its exterior commercial mineral wool insulation, JM CladStone Water & Fire Block. The insulation is offered in densities ranging from 4.5 pounds per cubic foot (pcf) to 11.0 pcf for use in a variety of exterior cavity wall, rainscreen, and continuous insulation applications.

JM’s Commercial Mineral Wool Product Manager Eric Dake explained, “Given the array of installation applications, from the exterior cavity wall to continuous insulation, installers need insulation in a variety of densities so that it can meet the unique demands of the application and installation. With JM CladStone, installers can choose from 4 different densities, 4.5 pcf, 6.0 pcf, 8.0 pcf, or 11.0 pcf, that work with a variety of exterior cladding systems.”

As part of a continuous insulation assembly, CladStone helps improve a building’s energy efficiency and temperature control by decreasing or preventing thermal bridging. This can be a key component in meeting many of the newer energy code requirements for building insulation.

JM CladStone is non-combustible, making it an effective solution for fire-resistant applications. Additionally, JM CladStone is water resistant and allows for effective water drainage from an exterior cavity wall assembly.

As codes evolve to incorporate more stringent requirements for insulating materials, insulations like JM CladStone that offer thermal control, acoustical performance, fire resistance, and water resistance will prove to be robust solutions for ever more challenging applications. JM CladStone Water & Fire Block is available to customers in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit www.jm.com/cladstone.


Winona Building Products Announces New Insulation Facings and Vapor Retarders

Winona Building Products is a manufacturer of environmentally friendly, sustainable insulation facings and vapor retarders, based in northern Indiana. In August 2019, Winona Building Products began shipping UL and ULC Classified Red List Free FSK—FOIL-SCRIM-KRAFT insulation facing that meets strict fire codes for flame and smoke resistance. In addition, PSK–POLYPROPYLENE-SCRIM-KRAFT also became available in August 2019.

Winona’s insulation facings are manufactured with a non-toxic flame-resistant adhesive that does not utilize any Red List materials or chemicals, according to the International Living Future Institute, and does not require a Proposition 65 warning label.

Winona Building Products is centrally located in northern Indiana, which enables us to reach over 70% of the United States population within one day’s transit time.

For more information, please visit www.winonabp.com.


Owens Corning Receives R-Value Certification

Owens Corning recently announced it has received third-party R-value certification across all its fiber glass and mineral wool batts and rolls sold in the United States. This validation is from the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA), following testing and independent validation by an accredited third-party lab.

“This certification is the most powerful third-party validation of R-value available to provide our customers with added confidence that what they see on the packaging is what they get in thermal performance,” said Julian Francis, President of the Owens Corning Insulation business, “We believe it’s incumbent on us to continually earn the trust of customers through quality, transparency and accountability. The introduction of this R-value certification is another step forward in our broader commitment to helping our customers build better.”

Under the program, Owens Corning agreed to have a random selection of products regularly tested to verify compliance with the thermal performance requirements of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) “Labeling and Advertising of Home Insulation” 16 C.F.R. Part 460 regulation.

The R-value certification represents the latest in third-party verification Owens Corning has earned across the insulation portfolio and will be visible on packaging later this year.

For more information, visit www.owenscorning.com.


Therm-All Announces New Banded Liner System

Therm-All, a metal building insulation provider, recently announced a new proprietary banded liner system, ProLiner. ProLiner is a high-R fiber glass insulation banded liner system designed for use in metal building roofs and walls, and it is suitable for new construction and retrofit applications.

In addition to maximizing thermal performance and providing fall protection, ProLiner meets energy code requirements throughout all climate zones; improves the acoustical environment and aids in sound abatement; provides a bright, seamless, durable finished appearance; and meets fiber glass standards and certifications using NAIMA 202-96 insulation.

Ryan Bonnizzio, Liner Systems Manager, Therm-All, said, “In addition to meeting commercial energy codes and possessing all the features you’d expect from a well-engineered liner system, ProLiner exceeds OSHA standards for leading-edge fall protection for rooftop workers, which we have confirmed through third-party drop testing. This can increase speed of installation once workers are on the roof while giving contractors and erectors that much more insurance.”  (Other means of fall protection, such as perimeter safety or guide lines, must be used at all times during the installation of the support banding and prior to the completed placement of the liner support fabric. The use of ProLiner is only one part of the overall
site-specific safety plan for the construction site.)

ProLiner meets increasingly stringent commercial energy codes, and when used in conjunction with Therm-All’s patented MaxTight system, ProLiner provides a fully sealed building envelope that meets International Energy Conservation Code and ASHRAE air barrier requirements.

For more information, please visit www.therm-all.com.


Johns Manville Introduces Black PSK Duct Wrap

Johns Manville (JM), a building products manufacturer and Berkshire Hathaway company, recently introduced a black-coated Polypropylene-Scrim-Kraft (PSK) duct wrap insulation, Microlite® Black PSK Duct Wrap. This new insulation is Formaldehyde-free™ and has a facing with a perm rating of 0.02.

Brennan Hall, JM’s Senior HVAC Product Manager, said, “We’ve found there is a growing trend toward exposed ceilings in building design, and as such, we have reconsidered our insulation offering from an appearance perspective as well as a performance perspective. Our new Microlite Black PSK Duct Wrap is designed to offer excellent thermal control specifically for aesthetic applications, like exposed ceilings.”

This material allows installers to meet aesthetic design requirements calling for black insulation without resorting to painting the insulation facing, a method that can void the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) fire rating required by the 2015 International Mechanical Code (IMC). The new black-coated PSK facing on Microlite Black PSK meets the 25/50 flame spread/smoke developed rating required by the 2015 IMC.

Customers now have the choice of 3 different insulation facing colors: Black PSK, White PSK, or Silver FSK (Foil-Scrim-Kraft). The Black and White PSK were designed for aesthetically targeted applications, while the Silver FSK is intended for more traditional applications, like those behind closed walls or ceilings.

JM also released matching PSK seaming tape for both the Black PSK and White PSK insulations so that installers can utilize tape that matches the material.

For more information, please visit www.jm.com.


Armacell Launches Next Generation Aerogel Blanket

Armacell recently announced the release of ArmaGel HT, a next generation flexible aerogel blanket for high-temperature applications, made in South Korea on the new aerogel blanket production line within Armacell’s existing Cheonan facility. As part of the company’s new ArmaGel range, ArmaGel HT is optimized for high-temperature applications up to 650 degrees Celsius. It has exceptionally low thermal conductivity, offering equal thermal performance at a fraction of the thickness. It will introduce new sizes of aerogel blankets to the market providing the customer with more choice. 10mm thickness is available today, with 5, 15, and 20mm thicknesses available later in 2018.

The product offers a multitude of benefits. It is light-weight for improved handling and easier transportation. For maintenance purposes, product removal is made simple reducing both downtime and the need to purchase replacement insulation during regular maintenance cycles. It cuts easily and conforms to preferred shapes. It is hydrophobic and breathable, thereby keeping mechanical equipment drier for longer and enhancing protection against corrosion under insulation. It also offers best-in-class acoustic performance and designed thicknesses reduced by up to 40%. Effective insulation is a key factor in tackling climate change, as it is one of the simplest, fastest and most cost-effective means of improving energy efficiency. Our new product is environmentally safe, chloride-free and landfill disposable. In addition, it features Armacell’s innovative dust-reducing technology, LoDust.

“We are excited to launch the next generation aerogel technology, enabling us to deliver a complete portfolio of thermal and acoustic insulation solutions. In combination with our core elastomeric flexible foam offering and design capabilities, the enhanced performance parameters of ArmaGel deliver state-of-the-art solutions to our customers around the globe with an excellent quality/cost ratio,” said Patrick Mathieu, President & CEO of the Armacell Group. For more information, please visit www.armacell.com.

Armacell is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and has been a member of NIA since 1956.


Johns Manville Launches the Source

Johns Manville has launched The Source, an online resource designed to help professionals in the mechanical, HVAC, and industrial insulation industries stay up to speed on the latest information. It is a resource built specifically to aid in professional development, and it houses JM’s webinars, product specifications, blogs, and more.

The 3 portals of The Source (mechanical, HVAC, and industrial) house content that is unique to each industry. There are up to 6 content categories available on The Source: webinars, specifications, blog, tools, products, and online training. As Johns Manville is focused on bridging the knowledge gap and contributing to the education of engineers, specifiers, contractors, and facility owners, these resources deliver highly relevant topics, including the latest research results, codes and standards, and product information.

At a glance, here is what The Source contains:

Webinars: Johns Manville’s professional development webinars are designed to help professionals in the commercial and industrial industries stay up to date with the latest information. Each webinar is offered with a Certificate of Completion that may be submitted for credit toward Professional Development Hours (PDH), and they cover topics like industry trends, product updates, and emerging research. The webinars conclude with an open question and answer forum where the hosts field your questions live. All the webinars are recorded and posted on The Source, enabling people to watch them on-demand.

Specifications: As many engineers need to be able to compare specifications side-by-side, JM has aggregated all their product performance specifications in a single page. Specifiers and contractors can use The Source to compare the product performance of each mechanical and HVAC insulation offered by Johns Manville.

Blog: The JM blog is a single resource that pulls information from numerous sources across the industry, including original content from the technical experts at JM. This is a great tool for anyone looking for specific, detailed information on critical industry topics.

Tools: JM offers a variety of tools designed to make specifying insulation easier than ever. They have a custom app that gives you instant access to all their data pages, they have partnered with NAIMA to create a custom 3E Plus® tool, and they even do on-site technical presentations and demonstrations.

Products: The products tab is a high-level glance at the products Johns Manville offers. These short descriptions are ideal for anyone looking to determine exactly what differentiates similar products.

Online Training: Johns Manville offers free, online training modules based on their HVAC and Mechanical insulation solutions. These modules make up the Johns Manville Academy, and cover topics like the very basics of insulation systems and how to sell and install JM HVAC and Mechanical products.

The Source is a versatile tool that can be instrumental in educating the up-and-comers in the industry. For more information, or to sign up to receive updates about the blog and webinars, please visit  www.jm.com/en/mechanical/the-source/.

Johns Manville is based in Denver, Colorado, and has been a member of NIA since 1958.


Johns Manville Advances EPDM FIT Product Line with Tape-to-Tape Offering

Johns Manville (JM), a manufacturer of commercial roofing products and a Berkshire Hathaway company, announced today the availability of a new reinforced EPDM membrane sheet with tape-to-tape technology (JM EPDM R FIT). This next-generation product, designed to work on the single ply waterproofing membrane, is field tested and proven to speed up installation by as much as 4 times, leading to lower labor costs. The expense and time involved when using other membranes—field-fabricated or one-sided tape—that require primer is also eliminated since no primer is needed, leading to lower installed costs. The initial bond between tape-to-tape membrane sheets has been measured to be up to 20% stronger compared to field-fabricated seams. The water-tight seam is never exposed on the roof-top so the risk of contamination during installation and post installation is minimal.

JM EPDM R FIT enables a longer window of application time since the 10’ x 100’ rolls are completely pre-taped. This means there is no waiting on primer to flash off to get to the next step. “Our field tests demonstrate that this product will go down up to 4 times faster than anything already on the market,” said John Quante, JM EPDM Product Manager, Roofing Systems. “The tape-to-tape creates a stronger initial bond, making the installation more robust from day one. This product evolution will allow roofers to bid more aggressively and no doubt architects and specifiers will see the benefits too.” For more information, please visit www.jm.com/roofing.

Johns Manville is based in Denver, Colorado, and has been a member of NIA since 1958.


Unifrax Launches Next-Generation Insulfrax Ltx Products

Unifrax I LLC recently unveiled its next-generation Insulfrax® LTX Products with enhanced physical properties to improve both thermal performance and product handling. These lightweight needled blankets combine innovative proprietary technology with Insulfrax proven performance to create the best low-biopersistent Insulfrax blanket available from Unifrax today. Insulfrax LTX blankets outperform both Insulfrax LT and S blankets in a variety of thermal management industrial applications.

The new Insulfrax LTX products help customers reduce costs. The enhanced LTX fibre performance helps companies reduce their energy costs and meet increasingly strict carbon emission targets, without increasing the amount of insulation required. Alternatively, customers can save on material costs by using less insulation to achieve the same performance as standard AES blankets. Customers can save money by reducing their lining thickness up to 25%, freeing up valuable space in furnaces and ovens.
Insulfrax LTX Blankets are inorganic and binder-free with less dust and have a noticeable improved surface finish. The blanket is easier to handle and cut resulting in faster installation, with less skin irritation and reduced waste of material. The blankets are also printed for easier identification of material and installation tracking on the job.

“Unifrax is very excited to launch this next level of quality to our customers using Insulfrax blankets. This superior new product has been designed to offer significantly lower thermal conductivity than our current Insulfrax S blanket product, and as much as 20% lower when compared to other “standard” insulation wools,” explained Phillip Armstrong, Product Manager at Unifrax Rainford in the UK. Insulfrax LTX blankets are manufactured and available today throughout Europe, with a limited availability in the USA. The new Insulfrax LTX products will be widely available in the USA beginning in July 2018. For more information, please visit https://tinyurl.com/y79xm737.

Unifrax is based in Tonawanda, New York, and has been a member of NIA since 1990.