'If you do what you always did, you get what you always got'

"If you do what you always did, you get what you always got," is a quote from Albert Einstein. Does this mean that theoretical physics has entered the sun protection industry? Not at all, but this statement does indicate a line of thought: if you want to innovate, you have to change course. And that is exactly what producer of sun protection, roller shutters and outdoor living products Wilms from Meerhout, Belgium, is constantly trying to do: not consolidate, but innovate.

Wilms has its own R&D department, for which sustainability is an important guiding principle. As the market's focus is increasingly shifting to airtight construction because of all the energy perils, Wilms has concentrated on that in recent times.

Articulated screen.

Airtight construction
Increasingly, architects and contractors, as well as clients, are opting for airtight construction, part of passive construction. The airtight shell must ensure that unwanted and uncontrolled entry or exit of air - in the jargon, infiltration and exfiltration - is prevented. Sealing unwanted gaps and seams is thus an important objective of airtight building. Wilms has a number of products in its assortment that were developed specifically for airtight construction. They are the screen ZipX^®Zero and the shutter ShutterX^®.

(L) Render ZipX®Zero | (R). Render ShutterX®.

ZipX^®Zero and ShutterX^®
With the screen ZipX^®Zero - already launched in 2013 - and the ShutterX introduced in 2018^® shutter system, Wilms is a forerunner in airtight construction. Both systems are built airtight into the cavity wall, without touching and perforating the inner wall. The insulation that disappears from the cavity to build in the screen or roller shutter is replaced by a composite reinforcement profile that is integrated into the interior wall at the level of the box. It takes over the insulation value of the missing cavity wall insulation.

Wide range of products
In these days of climate debate and an ever-increasing call for energy conservation, Wilms' focus seems to be all on ZipX^®Zero and ShutterX^® as being products for airtight construction. But Wilms has a much broader range, which, moreover, receives its full attention unchanged. It is divided by the company into three categories: shutters, screens and products for outdoor living.

Terrace overlay.

In the categories of roller shutters and screens, Wilms can offer a whole range of products. Among them are pre-mounted models that are placed against the facade and in or on the day. Another option are surface-mounted systems that are mounted on the frame. In the Rolvent^® they are provided with insulation as well as ventilation. And then there are the aforementioned models ShutterX^® and ZipX^®Zero for airtight construction.

To close off large areas such as storefronts or entrances, Wilms has the WRS0500 roll-up gate and WRS0600 roll-up grille in its range. They have a relatively small, self-supporting box, making limited installation space sufficient.

Outdoor Living
Among the outdoor living products, Wilms counts first and foremost the two articulated awnings in its range. One is the President, which goes up to 14 m wide and 3.5 m projection with a single-piece fabric. The high-end Solitair can also be made up to 14 m wide with two cloths and an intermediate cloth roll, but with a projection of as much as 4 meters. The Solitair also has a fabric shell in the case that ensures better hanging behaviour and a nicely concealed fabric roll.

Another outdoor living product from Wilms is the WPA0600 aluminum patio canopy, which is characterized by the absence of interfering cross connections, giving users a freer field of vision.

Family business with long-term vision
Wilms is a family business. Not short-term profit maximization, but sustainability - also in operations - and continuity are leading. The company employs 160 people, practically all of whom come from Meerhout and the surrounding area. Partly for this reason, continuity is important to Wilms and there is much attention paid to product innovation. A telling example - besides the airtight products - are the carbon cloth axles introduced a few years ago. They are extremely light and stiff, have a small diameter and special cloth adhesion for streak-free cloths.   

Text: Thijs Pubben  |  Image: Wilms - Marc Scheepers