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September 25, 2009
Alcoa launches aluminum frames’ line for social housing schemes
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Domus is the most recent alternative for the civil construction sector
Alcoa is launching its Domus line for the civil construction market for the assembly of residential doors and windows. The new line was developed to meet the demand created by major popular housing projects. Domus doors and windows can be installed in both horizontal housing complexes (one or two story dwellings) and vertical residential buildings of up to five floors. “This product is ideal for builders that need frames that combine top quality with affordable cost”, says Anderson Oba, Alcoa’s Civil Construction market manager.
Among the advantages provided for housing development constructors by the Domus line are the flexibility of the construction system it employs (it allows the frame to be installed directly in the opening provided for it or by using casings) and its excellent performance – wind and water-pressure resistance.
Other prominent features of these frames are their lightness and safe-handling qualities. This is made possible thanks to a new range of exclusive accessories (fastening devices, frames, pulleys and other components), manufactured by Alcoa’s partners in the sector. Yet another difference is the agility afforded by the manufacturing process, which is designed to accompany the construction systems used by the building work. “This new equipment allows manufacturers and assemblers to carry out more operations simultaneously, which leads to improvements when it comes to building a development”, says Oba. The Domus line also has other features that differentiate it from similar products, such as the exclusive geometry of the profiles and their reinforcements, which make the product more robust as well as setting it apart from others both ergonomically and esthetically.
Respect for technical norms
Development of the new line took almost one year. During this phase market research was carried out, as were a series of performance tests to evaluate the quality of the product and its compliance with technical norms. According to the executive the main feature identified when developing the Domus line was the absolute conformity of the frame to the rules determined by the competent bodies. “It’s unacceptable that there are still products and manufacturers that do not respect the technical norms, which establish the minimum standards of quality, comfort and safety. Wind and rain – the weather in general - do not choose to blow more strongly or fall more heavily on properties, depending on whether they are simple or luxurious. The same rule applies to all”, he warns.
For the end consumer the advantage lies in the quality of the product. All the manufacturing stages of the aluminum profiles will be developed by Alcoa or by partners that are endorsed by the Company. “The Company will choose only manufacturers that can meet production demand and that have products that come highly recommended. We understand these requirements as being fundamental for us when it comes to establishing viable partnerships”, says Oba. “This model is superior to similar products available in the market because of its differentiated characteristics, such as its air and water penetration resistance, noise and vibration elimination and the ergonomic reinforcements, designed to facilitate handling, by increasing the frame’s resistance and enhancing safety features for the user”, he adds.
Frame protected
Another concern of the Company was to ensure that a frame from this system that does not use a casing would not suffer any type of damage when the work was being carried out. For this reason Alcoa decided to develop a plastic adhesive to protect the casings (surrounding sub-frame profiles) of the frame that is placed directly into the opening in the building under construction. On removing and recycling this adhesive it is possible to guarantee that the windows are suitably installed. “When carrying out the work the frames are hit by rubble from some part of the work, like concrete, plaster, blocks and other material or chemical products and this may compromise the esthetic appearance and the mechanical performance of the product”, he reports.
The Domus line was developed to facilitate as much as possible the work of fabricating and installing doors and windows. The products available in this line are sliding windows and doors that can be complemented by other products from the Alcoa catalogue.
The new line will be produced by Alcoa’s Extruded Products Division at its units in Itapissuma (PE) and Tubarão (SC). The area is responsible for manufacturing aluminum profiles for various sectors, such as transport, machinery and equipment, consumer goods, civil construction, etc. Alcoa produces extruded profiles in Itapissuma (PE); Tubarão (SC) and Sorocaba and Santo André (SP).
Where to find them
Products form the Domus line can be purchased from Alumínio & Cia., a chain of stores located in various capital cities in Brazil that sells Alcoa branded aluminum profiles. Alumínio & Cia stores work to strict standards of quality and service, offering goods for immediate delivery and technical support for consumers. In order to supply technical training and specialization course for the chain’s regional partners Alcoa offers regular training for its professionals at the CTA (Alcoa Technical Center), located in Santo André (SP).. More information about the Alumínio & Cia network and Alcoa frames can be found at www.aluminioecia.com.br .
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world leader in the production and management of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina combined, through its active and growing participation in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components including flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, Alcoa also markets Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems. The Company has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and has been a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for seven consecutive years. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.
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