Mikron Launches New MikronWood™ Replacement Double Sliding Window

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Mikron Industries, the most innovative solutions provider to window manufacturers, announces the introduction of a new MikronWood^™ Double Sliding window to their 1750 replacement series. MikronWood, a revolutionary new hybrid composite window frame material, performs like no other material on the market. This hybrid blend results in a “moisture proof” window frame that is also rot and insect proof, while being highly energy efficient.

MikronWood delivers significantly better thermal performance than wood, fiberglass or hollow PVC. Unlike other materials like fiberglass, MikronWood does not require pre-drilling or mechanical joinery. It offers the ability to be milled and fabricates just like wood but is also bendable and weldable for watertight corner joinery.

Using a more energy-efficient window frame material, window manufacturers can add high-efficiency glazing units (IGUs) to achieve even lower U-Factors and lead to greater energy savings. Based on recent National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC)-certified lab testing, the MikronWood frame material offers better thermal performance than wood, fiberglass, or hollow PVC.

For example, MikronWood’s “K-Value”, a measure of thermal conductivity, is much lower than most frame materials. Data provided by the NFRC shows pine, hollow PVC and fiberglass have much higher K-values than independent test lab results for MikronWood. Specifically, MikronWood’s K-value of .36, is 63 percent lower than Pine (.97 K-value), 69 percent lower than hollow PVC (1.18 K-value) and 83 percent lower than Fiberglass (2.08 K-value).

Using this more energy-efficient material, MikronWood window frames when combined with high-efficiency insulated glass units, like those using Duralite^™ spacers from Truseal, can help achieve lower U-factors leading to greater energy savings. For example, a MikronWood dual IG with Argon Double Hung window can achieve a .22 U-factor or R-5 thus qualifying for the DOE’s R-5 Volume Purchase program.

The new double sliding replacement window frame will be available this fall and includes the following features:

3 ¼ inch frame depth ideal for replacing old wood windows without requiring the removal of exterior stops
Double sash sliding operation
Hollow pockets on the sash for optional reinforcement
Equal glass site lines
Snap fit grooves for accessories, eliminating the need for the nailing or screwing as a method of attachment
Frame profiles are available with several real wood interior surface veneer options, which include Ponderosa Pine, Cherry, Maple and Oak.

The new MikronWood 1750 Double Sliding window will be available with Mikron’s SuperCapSR™ exterior color technology. SuperCapSR is a patent-pending technology that creates a molecularly fused color layer that becomes an integral part of the profile. The tough acrylic color layer is highly scratch-resistant and more durable during delivery and installation. It is Mikron’s most durable color finish option. Accelerated lab and real world weathering testing results give Mikron confidence to back these profiles with a 20-year warranty for dimensional performance, meeting or exceeding applicable AAMA standards.

To learn more about this offering, Mikron will be exhibiting at GlassBuild America in Las Vegas, Nevada (booth #1229), from September 14-16, 2010. Or visit www.mikronvinyl.com or call 800.456.8020.

About Mikron

Mikron Industries (www.mikronvinyl.com) headquartered in Kent, Washington, and operating facilities in Washington, Illinois and Kentucky, manufactures a wide variety of vinyl and composite systems and profiles used by major window and door producers. Since the 1970s, Mikron has been committed to protecting the environment through improved vinyl material performance, lengthening product lifespan delivering superior energy efficiency, encouraging material recycling from in-house and customer production scrap returns, and through eco-friendly packaging.

Mikron is a part of the Quanex Building Products Corporation, an industry-leading manufacturer of value-added, engineered materials and components serving the building products markets. It is an ROIC-driven company that grows shareholder returns through a combination of organic growth via new products, programs and strategic acquisitions.