The companies Alfa Solare S.A. and Oemme Spa have developed a project named "TPE Welded Frame" (TPE W.F.), for the replacement of EPDM gaskets with gaskets in ALFAPRENE material. This material, which is part of the TPE family, is specifically designed and produced by Alfa Solare.

The objective of this project is to obtain the optimization of the production times of gasket frames. To achieve this, the welding properties of the material when heated are exploited, thus eliminating the need for moulded angles and consequently improving air permeability and water tightness performance.

Moreover, thanks also to the coefficient of thermal transmission of the ALFAPRENE material, an improvement in the thermal performance of the system is obtained.

The ALFAPRENE material is a thermoplastic polymer with excellent general characteristics, that can be summarized as follows:

• Strong resistance to UV rays and to atmospheric agents
• Easily colourable and customizable
• Good mechanical performance
• It does not interact with other materials ( e.g. PVC-U, PP, PS, ABS, POM, PA, PC, PMMA)
• Resistant to acrylic paint
• Good adhesion to PP
• Wide range of usage temperature: from –40°C to +80°C
• Easily welded
• Without halogens and all the forbidden substances in line with the European Directive 2002/95/CE RoHS
• Recyclable

Therefore, the above characteristics permit the production of high performance gaskets for those who need the best quality guaranteed in time.

The product has good general resistance to chemical agents.

This product has obtained from SKZ the certification of a product in line with the RAL GZ 716/1 standard requirements, Quality and Test specifications for Plastic Windows, Section II – Extruded Seals, Table 2, Product class IV.

The idea is to realize a simple machine, with different dimes for every kind of profile, able to cut at 45° and, at the same time, weld the corners, producing in this way a complete frame in the dimension required.

On the right you can see a diagram of the process.

A complete frame can be produced in a maximum of a couple of minutes.

• Low coefficient of thermal transmission (λ = 0,132 W/m*k), a value verified by a certified laboratory. Moreover, the product could be expanded with a further reduction of this value.
• Easily weldable. The welding temperature is at about 220°C, in a few seconds, whereas the possible fumes are generated only after 300°C, avoiding in this way any possible health risk during welding operations.
• Temperature range: from –40°C to +80°C
• Recyclable
• 40% production time saving compared to a traditional EPDM method

More information about the welding machine