EPP for casings in daylight systems used in agri sector
In the agricultural sector, daylight is a very important factor in animal welfare.
Beek Montage, an installation company from Wekerom (NL), is a supplier and accredited installer of the daylight systems used in the sector, which can be fitted in pre-existing sandwich panels. They wanted to save time during assembly. Using EPP in the casings for daylight systems was their preferred solution.
Casings for daylight systems
The casings for daylight systems previously consisted of an aluminium base that was then insulated by manually installing PIR plates. This labour-intensive approach was less than ideal, so Beek Montage started exploring alternatives that would not affect insulation quality or user convenience. Working with Harolds Design, an industrial design firm, Beek Montage contacted HSV to discuss their initial concept.
Superior material properties exceed expectations
Over the course of these initial consultations, it became apparent that EPP (expanded polyproplyene) offered superior material properties that far exceeded expectations. As a result, the design team quickly decided to have the blinds on the daylight systems done in this strong, lightweight foam as well. The original model was based on hand-assembled aluminium parts. EPP offered a cost-efficient alternative without sacrificing standards or insulating properties.
Quick transition
3D drawings went back and forth between Harolds Design and the R&D department at HSV, and then a set of milled models were produced, followed by the production of the first casings for a test set-up to try out the new insulation. After a number of minor adjustments, the transition to matrix-shaped products was fairly quick.
Delivery times and faster assembly are major benefits
Beek Montage considers the new delivery times and faster assembly to be major benefits, compared to doing it all by hand. HSV is also a regional partner, accepting returns of EPP to use as raw materials in other products. It is fairly certain that the products supplied by Beek Montage will be produced using a percentage of recycled material in the near future, making a welcome contribution to increased sustainability.
For more information, see the innovation in actual practice at www.beekmontage.nl