Intek achieves clean sweep with TPEs
01 MARCH 2001
Intek Plastics of the US employs engineered thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), namely Santoprene TPE from US-based Advanced Elastomer Systems (AES), to manufacture its line of high-performance custom door sweeps. The company ventured into co-extruded door sweeps using TPEs more than a decade ago, and has seen its sales increase 100 per cent over the past three years, largely as a result of its high-performance custom door sweep line, according to a company spokesman.
According to Ken Kimmes, vice president and general manager of Intek's Fenestration Division, much of the company's recent sales growth can be attributed to the evolving market pressures OEMs face to produce products that combine performance with aesthetics; and the increasing knowledge OEMs are gaining on how TPE products can help meet market demand.
"Engineered TPEs have been used for years for door sweeps, but only recently have market forces, including a more sophisticated and demanding customer base, dictated that design engineers look seriously at TPEs for enhancing door system performance," says Kimmes. "Homeowners nowadays are savvy when it comes to purchasing home improvement items such as door systems; they look at performance in addition to aesthetics. Engineered TPEs are helping OEMs design premiere door systems that meet strict consumer demands."
Engineered TPEs such as Santoprene TPE are durable and easy to process, and also maintain high levels of resistance to chemicals, extreme temperatures and low compression set. All of these properties contribute to the long life and superior performance of a door sweep system.
Intek Plastics uses Santoprene TPE for the door sweep systems the company manufactures and sells to several OEMs, including Peachtree Doors and Windows, a maker of premium patio doors, entry doors and windows. Peachtree began using Santoprene TPE eight years ago beginning with compression weatherseals in double-hung windows. Since then, the company also has used Intek Plastics' door sweeps made with the TPE for Peachtree's Prado Patio Doors Ña swinging door where seal performance is critical.
According to Dennis Sanford, director of engineering for Peachtree, the Intek Plastics door sweep provides extended system life, fewer problems and increased customer satisfaction for Peachtree.
"Along with elegance and style, it's the door performance, specifically air and water infiltration, that is a major consideration for consumers," says Sanford. "Intek's door sweeps made with Santoprene TPE help protect against air and water leakage, resulting in a well-designed door system that will last for decades."
An adjustable threshold on French and swinger models of the Prado patio doors achieves a weathertight seal, and a sweep system in the sill channels water away from the home, preventing structural damage. Competitive sills without these features may allow air and water to leak beneath the door, causing damage and increased energy bills.
"We're able to leverage the door system's superior performance as a marketing tool as well," adds Sanford.
Intek Plastics, which specialises in custom-building extruded profiles, co-extrudes the TPE door sweep with polypropylene, which is glass-filled to provide rigidity and reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion. The company also applies a patented slip coat onto the Santoprene TPE to enhance sliding performance and reduce friction.
"Well-designed door sweeps and weatherseals are one of the best defences against water and air infiltration," says Meg Noethen, construction industry manager, AES. "Santoprene TPE exhibits outstanding memory, toughness, and exceptionally low water and air-infiltration ratings for the life of door and window systems."
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