Buildings must be made more energy-efficient in the fight against climate change. Window, façade and door seals have an important role to play in this development. As the market and innovation leader in Europe, Semperit is right at the forefront.
在应对气候变化的斗争中，建筑物必须更加节能。窗户、外墙和门密封件在这一发展中发挥着重要作用。作为欧洲市场和创新的领导者，森佩理特走在了最前沿。
It is often the small things that have a big impact. This also applies to climate protection. After all, what use is the most efficient heating system or a state-of-the-art air conditioning system if there is a draft through the window or the door doesn’t close properly? Then heat is lost in winter, and in summer homes or offices feel like incubators. Energy costs and carbon footprints skyrocket, while comfort and the environment suffer. According to current studies, around 20 to 25 percent of thermal energy in residential buildings is lost through windows and doors. Seals, as inconspicuous as they may seem at first glance, are therefore of crucial importance in the fight against climate change. After all, buildings are one of the biggest sources of CO2 emissions alongside transport. Manufacturers, users and governments are therefore looking for solutions to make buildings more energy-efficient. According to the EU Buildings Directive, energy consumption in residential buildings, for example, is to be reduced by 20 to 22 percent by 2035.
往往是小事会产生重大影响。这也适用于气候保护。毕竟，如果窗户有气流或门关不上，最高效的供暖系统或最先进的空调系统有什么用？然后热量在冬天会流失，而在夏天，家里或办公室就像孵化器。能源成本和碳足迹飙升，而舒适度和环境受到影响。根据目前的研究，住宅建筑中大约20%到25%的热能通过窗户和门损失。密封胶条乍看起来并不起眼，但是在应对气候变化的斗争中至关重要。毕竟，与交通运输相比，建筑是二氧化碳排放的最大来源之一。因此，制造商、用户和政府都在寻找提高建筑能效的解决方案。例如，根据欧盟建筑指令，到2035年，住宅建筑的能源消耗将减少20%至22%。
And this is exactly where Semperit and its seals come into play. “As the European market and innovation leader, we also want to set standards in sustainability – with long-lasting products of the highest quality and a resource-saving production process. Our production facilities are equipped with modern environmental modules so that energy and water, for example, can be largely reused. In doing so, we want to maximize customer benefits while at the same time minimizing the impact on our environment as much as possible,” explains Andreas Janowitz, Head of Commercial at Semperit Profiles.
这正是森佩理特和它的密封型材发挥作用的地方。“作为欧洲市场和创新的领导者，我们还希望制定可持续发展的标准，以最高质量的持久产品和资源节约型的生产流程。我们的生产设施配备了现代环保模块，例如，能源和水可以大量重复使用。在这样做的过程中，我们希望最大限度地提高客户利益，同时尽可能减少对环境的影响“森佩理特密封型材商业主管Andreas Janowitz先生解释道。
The friendly seal
友好的密封
“We are primarily concerned with three major issues: our seals must be characterized by environmental friendliness, for example in terms of thermal insulation, easy installation and user-friendliness,” Janowitz continues. This is no easy task, as these requirements are sometimes contradictory. After all, a user wants the door to close as softly as possible, which is generally at the expense of service life and insulating properties and thwarts the actual purpose of the seal. However, Semperit, which has been producing profiles since 1945, is a master at resolving such contradictions with a spirit of innovation and engineering skill. Only this way has the company managed to become one of the world’s leading seal suppliers and the number one in Europe over the last 79 years. Semperit now produces around 400 million meters of seals at five locations every year – this means that the distance from the earth to the moon could be sealed with Semperit profiles and there would still be just under 20 million meters left.
Janowitz继续说道：“我们主要关注三个主要问题：我们的密封胶条必须具有环保性，例如隔热、易于安装和用户友好性。”这不是一项容易的任务，因为这些要求有时是矛盾的。毕竟，用户希望门尽可能轻柔地关闭，这通常以牺牲使用寿命和隔热性能为代价，并阻碍密封的实际用途。然而，自1945年以来一直生产密封型材的森佩理特是一位以创新精神和工程技能解决此类矛盾的大师。只有这样，在过去的79年里，该公司才成功成为世界领先的密封件供应商之一和欧洲第一。森佩理特现在每年在五个地点生产约4亿米的密封胶条——这意味着从地球到月球的距离可以用森佩理特型材来密封，而且还剩下不到2000万米。
However, it makes more sense to use them in places for which they are intended – in windows, façades, and doors around the world. Semperit has made enormous progress in recent years in terms of thermal insulation, the use of recyclable materials and longevity. “As the big player in the industry, we set the pace and regularly bring innovations to the market. With our Hybrid Master multifunctional gasket, for example, we were able to improve the thermal conductivity value by a factor of 4. The seal therefore offers exceptionally good insulating properties, saves heating costs and CO2 and does so at temperatures from minus 40 degrees to plus 120 degrees Celsius. This is unique,” Janowitz says, delighted with one of the latest product developments.
不管怎样，在世界各地的窗户、幕墙和门上使用它们更有意义。森佩理特近年来在隔热、可回收材料的使用和寿命方面取得了巨大进展。“作为行业的大公司，我们定下了步伐，并定期将创新推向市场。例如，使用Hybrid Master多功能密封胶条，我们能够将导热系数提升4倍。因此，该密封胶条提供了非常好的绝缘性能，节省了加热成本和降低二氧化碳，并且在零下40摄氏度到120摄氏度的温度下都能做到这一点。这是独一无二的，”Janowitz说，对最新的产品开发感到高兴。
Cradle-to-cradle
从摇篮到摇篮
However, Semperit not only manufactures products with a sustainable effect, but also wants to reintegrate them into the production process at the end of their life. In other words, the company pursues a cradle-to-cradle approach. Janowitz: “Circular economy or cradle-to-cradle is the next important step for us in profile production. Already today, 10 percent of our total production is made from recyclable materials, i.e. waste or recycled material that we reuse. We want to significantly increase this proportion over the next few years, whereby we want to turn window products back into high-quality window products rather than downgrading them, which would ultimately only leave waste again at the end of the day.”
无论如何，森佩理特不仅生产具有可持续效果的产品，而且希望在产品寿命结束时将其重新融入生产过程。换言之，公司奉行从摇篮到摇篮的方法。Janowitz：“循环经济或从摇篮到摇篮是我们密封型材生产的下一个重要步骤。目前，我们总产量的10%是由可回收材料制成的，即我们重复使用废料或可回收材料。我们希望在未来几年内大幅提高这一比例，从而将窗户产品转变为高质量的窗户产品，而不是降级，最终只会在使用结束时再次留下浪费。”
Janowitz is convinced that quality not only pays off for customers, but also for the environment: “Depending on the product and application, our seals last 20 to 30 years – and ideally, we can then recycle them and reprocess them into a new seal. In contrast, we have to replace cheap seals every few years – with all the disadvantages for the consumers’ wallets and the environment.” In this context, he also warns against “false sustainability”, as there are some materials that are easier to recycle during the production process, such as thermoplastic elastomers, but cannot be recycled at the end of their service life and “are therefore eliminated from the cycle. This is at best sustainable in the short term, but not environmentally friendly in the long term”.
Janowitz坚信，质量不仅能为客户带来回报，也能为环境带来回报：“根据产品和应用的不同，我们的密封胶条可以使用20到30年，理想情况下，我们可以回收并重新加工成新的密封件。相比之下，我们必须每隔几年更换一次廉价的密封胶条，这对消费者的钱包和环境都有不利影响。”在这种情况下，他还警告不要“虚假的可持续性”，因为有些材料在生产过程中更容易回收，如热塑性弹性体，但在使用寿命结束时无法回收，“因此从循环中被淘汰。这充其量是短期可持续的，但从长远来看并不环保”。
So, there is a great deal of technology and innovation in these seals. And also more and more sustainability – or as Andreas Janowitz calls it: “innovation, durability and circularity”. This paves the way for low-emission seals, which support the fight against climate change. And as the speed of innovation continues to increase and development cycles are getting shorter, there may soon be more exciting news from Semperit Profiles.
因此，这些密封胶条有大量的技术和创新；还有越来越多的可持续性——或者正如Andreas Janowitz所说：“创新、持久和循环”。这为支持应对气候变化的低排放密封胶条铺平了道路。随着创新速度的不断加快和开发周期的缩短，森佩理特密封型材可能很快会有更多令人兴奋的消息。
Cycles like those found in nature are the model for the “cradle-to-cradle” concept. Products are made from recycled materials and, when they are no longer used, in turn form the raw material for new products. The vision: a world without waste.
像自然界中发现的周期是“从摇篮到摇篮”概念的典范。产品是由可回收材料制成的，当它们不再使用时，反过来又成为新产品的原材料。愿景：一个没有浪费的世界。
Small things, big impact | Semperit AG (semperitgroup.com)