Expoprotection: Wicona demonstrates its expertise in fire protection

The Expoprotection exhibition will take place from November 5 to 7, 2024, at Porte de Versailles. Wicona will present two new fire and flame arrester products, designed as range extensions.

New generations fire

On the occasion of the Expoprotection exhibition which will take place from November 5 to 7, at Porte de Versailles, WICONA will present two new products: the Wicline 75 NG FP fixed partition, which responds to the current trend for fire-rated glass partitions in offices , as well as the new Wicstyle 75 NG FP EW30 door.

After having decompartmentalized to create open spaces, office spaces are now returning to more partitioning to better resist fire, and, combined with glazing, to preserve the passage of light. “The fire-resistant glass partition combines protection of people and large opening onto spaces. Allowing the passage of light and solar heat, it also helps to reduce energy consumption” indicates Aurélien Lesieur, WICONA fire safety representative. To respond to this strong trend, WICONA has just obtained 4 PVs on its Wicline 75 NG FP fixed partition system in 30 and 60 minute fire protection.

The company also has certifications for the Wicstyle 75 NG FP EW30 and EI30 door. This is the first aluminum door to benefit from EI30 (fire-rated) performance but also E30 (flame-rated) from a standard range with thermal break available on the market. The Wicstyle 75 NG FP EW30 and EI30 offers the robustness of a standard aluminum door while featuring advanced technical specifications. It meets acoustic and thermal needs while withstanding heavy loads thanks to its thick canvas, guaranteeing up to 1,000,000 opening and closing cycles (Class 8 according to standard NF EN 12400). Adapted to large dimensions for halls or stores, it is also suitable for all establishments open to the public, both private and public, and is compatible with PMR threshold. It offers many locking options, ranging from single-point locking to motorized multi-point systems for access control. In addition, it complies with safety requirements in terms of emergency exits, compliant with standards EN 179 and EN 1125, with certified and CE marked equipment. Finally, it is available in several finishes: lacquered, anodized or two-tone, thus offering an aesthetic adapted to each project. Like all WICONA systems, these two new products are made from Hydro CIRCAL 75R or 100R recycled aluminum.

Systems designed as extensions of standard ranges

The company, a specialist in recycled and low-carbon aluminum systems for buildings, designed these two products as standard range extensions : THE accessories dedicated to fire protection and common to all ranges are integrated into the standard chassis during manufacturing. Stainless steel clips on the profile to hold the glazing in place in the event of a fire, intumescent strips at the bottom of the rebate or even inserts slipped into the cages of the profiles at the heart of the thermal break, are simply added to become invisible after installation.

Mandatory training for customers

The process makes it possible tooptimize assembly time and generates a real productivity gain for customer-manufacturers. To acculturate them to the challenges of fire and provide the right actions during the implementation and installation of fire protection products on site, two-day preliminary training provided at the WICONA technical center in Courmelles, near Soissons (02) , is mandatory. Only customers who have followed this specific training cycle are authorized to access the software area allowing them to encrypt and generate orders for accessories intended for flame/fire-resistant joinery and facades.

Upcoming developments

Fire resistance pre-tests were also carried out on the new generation of WICLINE 65 NG in EW 30 windows, integrating a new sash and new hardware. Other tests were also carried out on the WICTEC 50 NG FP EI 60 range of facades to respond to the trend for XXL glazing. WICONA aims to obtain certifications for these two systems in the first half of 2025. The company also has new glass partners. It now has contracts with four glazing suppliers: AGC, Pilkington, Polflamet Vetrotech.