“A negative experience is reproduced hundreds of times, while the positive one almost always falls into oblivion,” comments Cyrus Muchalski, director of Planefibra, a company from Santa Catarina that has been manufacturing FRP tiles and domes for almost twenty years.

Muchalski considers it an unfair generalization to associate FRP tiles with low quality. “There are 70,000 applications of this material cataloged around the world, many of them involving very high performance, such as aircraft, F1 cars, satellites, bridges, and submarines. Therefore, it makes no sense to classify it as a low-performance material,” he comments.

To help reposition FRP tiles, Planefibra does its homework and has consistently produced only under ABNT NBR 16753 standard. “We actively participate in the committee responsible for reviewing this standard,” he recalls. With a minimum useful life of ten years, Planefibra tiles have a five-year factory warranty.

In parallel, the company has made a series of moves to make the product even more sophisticated. For example, including a polyester film with ultraviolet (UV) protection on both sides of the tile as a standard finish and at no additional cost – further increases mechanical resistance. “We are the only Brazilian manufacturer to adopt this practice,” highlights Muchalski.

The most recent was the development of a technology based on including thousands of prisms in the FRP that will give rise to the tiles. “Prismatic products can increase the use of natural light by 30%.” All this at a price around 40% lower than that of polycarbonate tiles, also a type of plastic and the main competitor of FRP in translucent coverings.

Another Planefibra activity in favor of the tile image is its active participation in the Civil Construction Committee of the Latin American Composite Materials Association (ALMACO), an entity that represents the entire production chain of FRP.

“Among other actions, we are collaborating with the production of a guide for FRP applications in the construction industry. This publication will help not only to show the versatility of the material but also to demystify some prejudices“, summarizes Muchalski. According to ALMACO, the guide will be launched in August this year.

Author: SLEA Comunicação

“In addition to greater diffusion of sunlight, prismatic GFRP tiles guarantee more visual comfort, as they avoid the hot spot effect, an unwanted phenomenon in which an excessively bright point of light is formed and concentrated in a certain area,” Valério Heuchling, commercial manager at Planefibra, explains.

Called Extralux, Planefibra’s new product is distinctive in its high mechanical and chemical resistance — GFRP is used, for example, in space shuttle components and F1 cockpits. Therefore, even in places where the incidence of sunlight is high, there is no risk of deformation. Another advantage is the production of custom-made tiles, which adapt to the various existing roof models.

Planefibra also includes ultraviolet protection films on both sides of the tile. “Our prismatic tiles are manufactured following NBR 16753 standard, have a minimum useful life of 10 years and can offer adequate resistance to spreading flames,” Heuchling adds.

Moreover, the prismatic GFRP tiles cost around 40% less than polycarbonate tile counterparts. “We understand that our entry into the prismatic segment will be beneficial not only for Planefibra but for the Brazilian GFRP market as a whole, as the material tends to be even more valued in this and other applications in the construction industry,” Heuchling concludes.

Author: SLEA Comunicação

One of them is the dome. Although they have a similar concept to skylights – allowing light to pass through – domes can offer additional benefits. In the case of those manufactured by Planefibra from Santa Catarina, the overlapping of a colorless upper tile and a milky lower tile, both made of composites, create an air pocket. This element contributes to isolating the environment.

“In addition to offering natural daylight diffusion, which allows for more homogeneous dispersion, our domes significantly reduce the absorption of external heat. This results in more comfort and greater savings in electricity with the air conditioning of the space”, details Valério Heuchling, commercial manager at Planefibra.

Called Termoplan, Planefibra’s dome also has a double layer of polyester film, a material that protects against ultraviolet rays. “At the same time, there is a high passage rate of white light, making the environment more illuminated,” emphasizes Heuchling.

The Planefibra product was launched in 2018, and since then, it has been part of the construction of industrial warehouses, universities, and distribution centers, including in other countries, such as Paraguay and Peru.

“The installation of Termoplan domes is quite simple, as the fixing system is in a high wave, without the need for shims. This feature also provides greater security and tightness to the roof”, adds Planefibra’s commercial manager..

Author: SLEA Comunicação