From nearly 100 competitors for the INOVYN Awards 2019, getting to the shortlist of 20 nominees was already a major win. Here’s a look at the other finalists in the gala event in Duesseldorf in October who didn’t take home the trophy but received well-deserved recognition in the final heat.
In the Sustainability category, the other nominees for Sustainability included Deceuninck for PVCircular. By investing in two years of research and a new recycling company – Diksmuide – they found a way to reuse scrap from reinforced glass fibre in its original application with the aim to go “cradle to cradle.” The process includes crushing, shredding filtering and regranulating the fibre-reinforced profiles. Deceuninck also devised new extrusion tools to co-extrude in the core of the recycled material, adding improved mechanical characteristics. It was a team effort, with the companies Copaco screenweavers and Moax, as well as the research institutes VKC and Centexbel, funded by the Flemish government. www.deceuninck.com
Also for Sustainability, Protan was a finalist for its BlueProof single-ply thermoplastic roofing material that can temporarily store water to avoid flooding, making use of unused space atop tall buildings in an urban landscape. Protan calculates the drainage using its BlueKalk tool, computing water depth, volume and weight per area. Blue Proof Green combines water attenuation with other solutions, like green roofs, solar roofs and rooftop terraces. The knitted roof membrane – much stronger than woven – is designed to withstand heavy pressure and is 100% recyclable. www.protan.no
In Design, nominees also included Vulcaflex with its Fiberlast breathable and durable synthetic leather that allows different kinds of perforations. Abrasion and fire-resistant, it’s multilayer plasticised PVC (pPVC) that can replace leather as a seat cover due to its perforation that allows it to breathe. Despite the tiny holes, it has very high tear strength. It’s made with traditional coating techniques using coagulated fabric – half PA and half PU (polyether). www.vulcaflex.com
On the shortlist of nominees for New Products was Renolit Ondex for its Perf02, an anti-bacterial ventilating ceiling regulating air flow for healthy farm animals. Working with leading barn builders, Renolit developed a PVC ceiling that resists fire, condensation and phytosanitary products and is 100% resistant to corrosion and ammonia. Another selling point: compared to other aluminium, it does not conduct heat, keeping barns cooler in the summer. Bacteriostatic, it’s easy to clean and it’s 100% recyclable. Perf02 is approved by insurance companies due to its fire-resistance. www.renolit.com