Wicona enriches its new generation facade range with the Wictec 50 NG Traverse-Traverse

After the marketing in 2021 of its new generation facade range, marked by the WICTEC 60 NG system intended for long-span curtain walls, this year WICONA completes its offer and launches the WICTEC 50 NG Traverse-Traverse facade. Designed with simplicity in mind, this new facade is suitable for low-rise buildings such as hospitals, schools and office buildings.

New references for facades (WICTEC NG), doors (WICSTYLE NG) and windows (WICLINE NG) will complete the brand's catalog during 2024.

Ideal for glazed panels on the ground floor and for vertical facades of four to five floors with uniform lines and regular dimensions, this Traverse-Traverse system, with a module of 50 mm, offers straight-cut profiles associated with drainage sign.

Available in grid version, horizontal/vertical frame or with a flat hood design, the WICTEC 50 NG Traverse-Traverse facade will accommodate glass volumes, double and triple glazing, up to 6 m². This new facade accepts glazing thicknesses of up to 56 mm and a load capacity of 380 kg.

For Lucilia Kouamé, WICONA France marketing manager: “This facade is designed for projects whose requirements are simple but which require a high-performance solution. It also constitutes an easy-to-implement offer for manufacturing customers who are new to the field of facades or for those who manufacture them occasionally, in addition to their window and door activities. Another advantage is that it is made from Hydro CIRCAL 75R aluminum and contains 95% recyclable materials. »

Standardized components bring multiple benefits

The WICTEC 50 NG Traverse-Traverse facade applies the WICONA Unisys principle: a modular concept deployed for two years to create all WICONA systems. When creating a facade, customers use the same processes, accessories, joints and the same tools. Thus, the clamps and fixing screws, finishing covers, interior and exterior glazing seals, glazing wedge supports, as well as ABS or xPET spacers are all standardized. This process helps to minimize production times, the number of components and costs. It is also a way for WICONA to make buildings safer and faster to install.

Ease of manufacturing and installation

Taking up the manufacturing and assembly philosophy of WICLINE windows or WICSTYLE doors, the WICTEC 50 NG Traverse-Traverse facade uses straight section profiles instead of the edging and assembly by covering the Upright-Transverse facades, more conventional.

Straight cut machining radically simplifies manufacturing. No programming required on the machining benches, nor need to use a stripping tool. The profile is sawn vertically to the appropriate dimension. The crosspiece and the upright are then assembled in the workshop using a sealing accessory. The latter is implemented in front installation, which increases ease of manufacturing.

The WICTEC 50 NG Traverse-Traverse facade also benefits from a new hidden panel drainage system for the flow of water through the horizontal joint, thus eliminating the machining of clamps and finishing covers, a guarantee of simplicity and speed manufacturing and installation.

Innovative face-mounted connector for dry assembly on site

Keen to simplify product design to improve ease of manufacturing and assembly efficiency, WICONA has developed a patented connector that allows dry assembly on site. The face-mounted connector is screwed onto the crosspiece and sealed in the manufacturer's workshop, then the pre-equipped crosspieces are simply assembled to the uprights, on the site or in the workshop, according to customer habits.

Performing this work in the controlled environment of the shop floor helps ensure consistent build quality and eliminates the risk of delays due to on-site weather conditions.

Another new feature proposed by WICONA to improve the comfort of workshop teams and simplify manufacturing: the curtain wall clamping profile is now supplied pre-drilled and pre-equipped with 2 rows of TPE seal. This joint pre-equipment operation was, until now, carried out by the customer, and required mobilizing one or more people for an operation without added value. This ready-to-use solution is now offered in the range, by default. It allows customers to entrust their employees with a more rewarding mission, less physically demanding, to save on production costs and storage space (only 1 reference to order and store, instead of 2 – clamp + seal). The TPE seal also offers the advantage of being easily removable at the end of the building's life, and recyclable.

Facade designed for circularity and Passive House certified

Produced from Hydro CIRCAL 75R aluminum, which has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world: 2,3 kg of CO₂ per kilo of aluminum produced, the WICTEC 50 NG Traverse-Traverse facade is made up of 75% recycled materials and 95% recyclable materials. Likewise, the HI thermal interlayers, made from xPET, a recycled material, contributed to the Passive House certification of the system.

The WICTEC 50 NG Traverse-Traverse facade has been tested and certified in accordance with current European standards. Its simplicity of implementation does not affect its performance in any way since it achieves thermal performances comparable to those of the current WICTEC 50 facade and a watertightness of 1200 Pascal.