Sustainability and circularity are the code words here

Presentation of new folding sliding door system

Sustainability and circularity are hallmarks of our society. For building element manufacturers, therefore, the sustainability story is crucial. At Hydro, parent company of WICONA, they are putting their money where their mouth is. From now on, only Hydro CIRCAL post-consumer material with extremely low CO2 footprint will be used for the production of the systems, also for the new folding sliding door system WICSLIDE 75 FD.

"We scrap old windows and doors that are no longer thermally or technically satisfactory and use the material for new profiles. Initially this was considered on a project-by-project basis, but eventually we decided to manufacture all products for the Benelux from Hydro CIRCAL. In this way we commit ourselves to circular production, from frame profile to sash profile. We can do that because we have our own facilities to sort and scrap the 'old' material, as well as our own press houses and extrusion departments to process the scrap back into profiles. We do everything from A to Z," says one at WICONA. 

"We now use about 60,000 tons of aluminum to supply the products and we get enough post-consumer aluminum for that. Only we have to look toward the future how to expand our processing capacity. In addition, we are only in the development stage of this process and it is imperative that we have labels, for example, to further push the market to invest in the story."

Aluminum folding sliding door system up to 12 meters

The Hydro CIRCAL technology is used, among other things, on WICSLIDE 75 FD, the new folding sliding door system with which WICONA responds to current architectural trends toward larger sizes, expanding living spaces and greater modularity. 

"With this folding sliding door system, configurations of up to 10 sashes are possible. The maximum element width is 12 meters, the height 3 meters. The barrier-free doors can be opened both inwards and outwards," explains one at WICONA. 

"We also paid a lot of attention to the finish. When the doors are open, all the elements are black and the screw heads and lower runners are covered with black caps. When closed, the profiles are recessed and discreet. The hinges are integrated into the vertical line of the seal. All hinges and seals are black, the pull handles painted in the same color as the profiles. With flat handles in profile color, specific keys are available, as each sash can be locked individually."

Two view widths

The WICSLIDE 75 FD folding sliding door is available in two versions, each with a different view width, specifically 63 mm for a standard solution and 73 mm for a reinforced version for XXL dimensions. 

The door sill is fitted with brushes or, in case of higher requirements, seals. Each of the sliding mechanisms of the doors moves on four running wheels made of stainless steel. 

"This folding sliding door system is based on our proven WICONA Unisys principle, which offers great advantages for manufacturer-installers. The multiple use of system components promotes economical solutions and ensures process reliability, as the number of profiles and accessories for different applications is reduced. The assembly of the elements is thus routine and runs smoothly," they conclude at WICONA. 

"Naturally, user-friendliness was also considered when developing this product. After all, the new, high-quality hardware is convenient to use and is characterized by a circular seal and actively operable locking points. All elements can be moved easily. Large filling weights are possible with this hardware, i.e. up to 150 kg with sash widths of 600 to 1200 mm and sash heights of 700 to 3000 mm. Our R&D department finally created this WICSLIDE 75 FD with tomorrow's cities in mind, where the connection between inside and outside will be even more important."