Vertical glazing
Lexan Thermoclick, from Sabic is a member of the Lexan family and is widely used in vertical glazing applications; it is a translucent, profile free facade system.
It is supplied in 500mm wide multiwall polycarbonate glazing panels, with tongue and groove connections, which means there is no need for intermediate glazing bars.
Lexan Thermoclick is distributed in the UK by Twinfix which has worked with Sapa Profiles to design a framing system that could be used with Lexan Thermoclick in vertical glazing applications. The Twinfix design incorporates a thermal break.
The initial design was by Twinfix’s own technical team but when help was needed it was decided that a UK-based aluminium extruder was required to finalise the design and produce samples prior to signing off the design and making the die.
Sapa was the extruder chosen by Twinfix to assist with the development of the new profile. Twinfix has worked with Sapa on many other similar projects over the past 20 years and today Sapa produce over 50 of the Twinfix glazing extrusions.
The two profiles Sapa extrudes for Twinfix for Lexan Thermoclick are a profile which runs along the bottom of the glazing panel (the Base Bar) and a profile which runs down the sides and across the top of the glazing panel, (the Top and Side bar).
Following extrusion, Sapa delivers the bars to Twinfix which arranges for the thermal break to be installed prior to painting.
Martin Fleet, a director of Twinfix said: “The Thermoclick Glazing Bar project is an excellent example of cooperation between us, the system manufacturer and Sapa, our chosen profile supplier.
“We pride ourselves on having an enviable reputation for the supply and installation of innovative glazing solutions and this reputation has been earned, in part, by the working relationship we have with Sapa and the technical competence that they bring to the equation.”
Picture: Argyll Arcade is a Victorian shopping centre in the heart of Glasgow, which has a number of small skylights beneath the main roof where the glass and its frame needed to be replaced. The ‘windows’ were very small so each one had to be designed and made individually and painted to the specified colour.
