Apr 12 2004
Armacell celebrates the 50th anniversary of its classic insulation product Armaflex. With the invention and launch of the first flexible insulation product half a century ago, the company laid the foundations for the flexible technical insulation industry and has since played a decisive role in shaping this sector. Armaflex has become the generic term in many countries: the name is used as a synonym for all insulation tubes and sheets made of flexible plastic foam.
In 1954, when a chemist presented the first Armaflex tube, he could hardly have imagined that this was the birth of an epoch-making invention. The first flexible material for insulating pipes revolutionized the market for insulation materials and, thanks to constant further development, has continued to shape that market until the present day. The new material was unique in that it had excellent technical properties and could be installed easily and cleanly. It brought an end to the lengthy process of installing heavy, rigid insulation shells and the time-consuming use of bitumen and gypsum compound.
Whereas in the early years the product was primarily used in refrigeration and air-conditioning applications, since the mid sixties it has also been used for impact-sound insulation and energy-saving in heating and plumbing systems. Armaflex has been the subject of constant further development. In 1994, in order to simplify the installation process, Armstrong was the first manufacturer of insulation products to offer self-adhesive insulating tubes. In 1996, these were followed by NH/Armaflex, the first halogen-free flexible technical insulation product worldwide, and HT/Armaflex, the first elastomeric insulation material for use at temperatures of up to 150° C. The covering systems Arma-Chek D and Arma-Chek S, pre-insulated tubes and pipes for solar applications (Armaflex Solar) and refrigeration and air-conditioning applications (Armaflex SPLIT), and the fire prevention products Armaprotect made the product range complete. Now, in 2004, Armacell is opening up the fourth dimension of technical insulation: with Armaflex ActiShield it is launching the first elastomeric insulation material with an anti-microbial coating to reduce the risk of infection and allergies.
Today Armaflex has become the generic term in many countries: the name is used as a synonym for all insulation tubes and sheets made of flexible plastic foam. An innovation which makes the work of craftsmen and all professionals in the trade easier every day. The invention of Armaflex in 1954 was the birth of a new branch of industry: flexible technical insulation. A market segment in which many manufacturers are active today. Armaflex has given both the trade and a whole branch of industry tremendous innovative impetus, which has left distinct, positive marks. 50 years after its invention, Armaflex still plays a decisive role in shaping this sector and will continue to do so in the future.
Source: Armacell