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News Release from: GAP | Subject: Heat Shield
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 19 September 2007
Solution to problems of wood grain
foiled doors
Charles Greensmith Joint MD of GAP and Rockdoor, says Heat Shield, a revolutionary wood grain technology 'is a modern solution to the problems of today's wood grain foiled doors'.
The modern answer to cracking and bubbling in foiled panels and doors The 1990s was the warmest decade in central England since records began
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 21 May 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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GAP and Rockdoor new Heat Shield woodgrain door
GAP and Rockdoor have launched Heat Shield, a heat-protective woodgrain foil which outperforms any other woodgrain foil on the market.
100% success for Heat Shield from GAP
GAP, the leading home improvement stockist and door panel manufacturer, has produced 5,000 door panels using its exclusive Heat Shield technology since its launch earlier this year.
With hotter summers and milder, wetter winters forecast for this century, external home improvements have to look good and stay looking good through years of increased heat and UV exposure.
As our climate changes, the industry has to respond with robust home improvement products.
Door panel and door manufacturers must produce attractive finishes that withstand intense heat and UV radiation, but woodgrain has always been a problem.
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Installers have been put off because woodgrain spells trouble.
It cracks, warps, bubbles and doesn't last.
That means disgruntled customers and costly remedials.
Temperature variations cause deterioration of woodgrain surfaces, especially in darker shades.
When temperatures increase the woodgrain surface becomes hot and expands, and contracts when temperatures fall.
These fluctuations cause tension, resulting in warping, cracking and bubbling.
Standard foils are too thin.
Existing woodgrain foils are usually far too thin, so continual expansion and contraction soon affects their appearance and performance.
For years, foil manufacturers have been shaving pennies off their product and these extremely thin foils aren't fit for purpose.
Now there is a woodgrain foil specifically formulated to help solve these problems.
The new product is Heat Shield, from GAP and Rockdoor.
Heat Shield has been designed for high impact strength and high levels of UV weathering resistance, and it's excellent for shallow or deep draw vacuum forming.
With a higher Vicat softening point of the virgin PVC substrate together with much lower heat absorption, Heat Shield outperforms any other on the market.
Lateral Thinking.
For years the industry has been seeking solutions to deal with the heat once it has been absorbed into the substrate itself.
While we also want to lower surface temperatures, Heat Shield helps prevent the heat from being absorbed into the substrate in the first instance, hence the name.
GAP is first to use this advanced technology in the UK and Heat Shield is the first door product with it.
The GAP Group has signed a deal with Hornschuch, a German company, to use the new technology for manufacturing doors and panels.
It's part of our ongoing commitment to give customers products that put them ahead of the competition.
Car technology is the driver for new woodgrain.
The Hornschuch technology was first used by German car manufacturer BMW in its convertibles.
Woodgrain veneers and leather seats became extremely hot when the roof was down and drivers and passengers burnt themselves on the over-heated surfaces.
The new technology was developed to withstand extreme heat and UV radiation and exhibits a significant reduction in heat absorption compared with current hot stamp foils and conventional PVC based foils.
The secret lies in the radical improvement of radiation reflection in the Near Infra Red (NIR) range.
Spectrometer measurements show that this material is a powerful reflector of the infra red spectrum of sunlight.
Heat Shield can reflect up to 80% of the NIR proportion of sunlight, significantly reducing surface heating.
Tests show how much doors surfaces can heat up.
A comparison between the new woodgrain technology and traditional foils show the surface temperature of the new technology to be demonstrably lower than standard materials after exposure to direct radiation.
The camera never lies.
Looking at two doors through an infrared lens, one door using hot stamp foil and the other using Heat Shield, it is clear why the technology is so effective.
The door using Heat Shield Technology appears white and therefore acts as a white door in reflecting much more of the power of the sun.
Black - the holy grail for door panel manufacturers.
Black doors that don't crack, bend, warp or fail, have been the Holy Grail of door panel manufacturers.
We wouldn't supply black doors for years as we didn't feel comfortable supplying doors with a high risk of failing.
Now with Heat Shield we are confident in supplying Black panels from the Cosmopolitan range.
It's a lot thicker too.
Heat Shield foils are a massive 17 times thicker than hot stamp foils, which hugely reduce the chances of the panels being scratched or damaged when installing them into the outerframe.
The wood embossed effect is better too.
The embossed appearance of current hot stamp foils is built into the print, visible but not evident to the touch.
External doors manufactured using this material can minimise distortion, bubbling, and cracking, so they are extremely durable.
This is what homeowners are looking for - a door that looks good and lasts a lifetime.
Offering Heat Shield gives installers extra selling points and the opportunity for extra profits too.
For more information call 01254 682 888 or visit the website.
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