Brand loyalty drives purchases for all types of consumer products, everything from cars to phones to shoes to foods and much, much more. Product preference is slightly different when it comes to construction, but designers, contractors and building owners do tend to go with what they know. That's why the people at Festo had no problem with panels from Kingspan Insulated Panels being specified for the company's new facility in Maineville, OH.
Rapid North American growth was behind the decision of Festo U.S. to build a 170,000 square foot state-of-the-art product assembly and distribution center northeast of Cincinnati. The site was selected because it shortened the average distance to the customers of Festo, a leading global manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical controls for factory automation.
Significantly larger than Festo’s previous operations in New York, the Festo Regional Service Center is a highly efficient operation and serves as a showplace for the effectiveness of the company’s products. Festo needed a highly efficient building that could handle its anticipated growth in the near and distant future. To reduce energy usage now and into the decades ahead, Festo turned to Kingspan Insulated Panels.
A Familiar Facing
“Festo was already quite familiar with Kingspan insulated metal panels (IMPs) before establishing operations in America,” said Chris Cox, chief estimator for Carros Metal Concepts, which installed the Kingspan products. “We had utilized them in our European plants and office buildings.”
For its new Ohio service center, Festo’s designers chose Kingspan IMPs to create the building’s envelope. “We chose Kingspan KS Micro-Rib panel in RAL White Aluminum for both the horizontal and vertical,” said Cox. “The horizontal was a 40” panel and the vertical was the 42” panel.”
Kingspan's KS Micro-Rib insulated metal panels offer design flexibility and, as Cox noted, can be used for both vertical and horizontal wall applications in multiple styles. KS Micro-Rib IMPs are available in several thicknesses ranging from 2 to 6 inches and in lengths from 8 to 52 feet. They are offered in multiple profiles with trim-less ends, and a wide range of finishes and color options.
Kingspan insulated metal panels also gave Festo’s project designers the ability to include some unique design features on this project. “We used extrusions in lieu of formed trim around the building,” said Cox. “They gave a great look to the windows as they lined up perfectly with the insulated metal panels.”
Festo Finished Faster
Today the critical path of construction seems to be permanently in fast track mode. But that’s because the old saying “Time is money” is still quite relevant. By specifying KS Micro-Rib wall panels, the Festo Regional Service Center project was able to stay on schedule. Kingspan manufactures a single component insulated metal panel product, which can be installed faster on site compared to traditional built-up wall systems. This cuts costs because delays in construction are minimized and there is less need for multiple trades. Kingspan panels are easier to detail and attach and that also reduces man-hours and installation errors. KS Micro-Rib IMPs are easily installed with a double tongue and groove configuration that forms an interlocking joint. IMPs weigh only 3 pounds per square foot, further cutting project costs by reducing transport and installation energy needs.
Furthermore, Kingspan KS Micro-Rib panels are extremely durable and can be installed in almost any weather condition, making them ideal for projects where cold weather enclosure deadlines are essential.
Sustainability For Today And Beyond
Festo U.S. plans to use this service center for many years and wanted it to be built with up-to-date energy efficiency and sustainability features. With insulated metal panels, the insulation is exterior of the building and provides an efficient structural envelope by reducing thermal bridging that is typical of cavity wall systems. Each panel is made with foam insulation enclosed between two sheets of metal, which leads to superior R- AND U-values. This can result in energy savings of up to 30 percent over traditional multi-part built-up systems.
IMPs contribute to LEED certification and other “green” initiatives such as net-positive energy targets. However the sustainable benefits of Kingspan KS Micro-Rib panels contribute to an efficient building envelope beyond the LEED program credits they bring to a project. Their exterior skins contain a substantial amount of recycled content, and the panels themselves are recyclable.
Insulated metal panels also increase a building’s value from a Return On Investment (ROI) perspective. KS Micro-Rib panels can last as long as the service life of a conventional commercial building and offer multiple end-of-life reuse options.
Kingspan panels have been extensively tested for compliance with various industry standards and building safety codes. These include: the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), ASTM International, FM Global, International Building Code (IBC) and the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA).
Looking Ahead
Festo U.S. built this regional service center in anticipation of expanded assembly activities. In fact, this facility has Foreign Trade Zone status, and will support customers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico for many years.
Chris Cox believes Kingspan insulated metal panels will become a standard cladding material on more commercial buildings in the future, for the same reasons they were specified for the Festo U.S. Regional Service Center. “You are able to have an all-in-one system instead of multiple subcontractors to construct the same wall area,” he said. “Sustainability features are now design standards and Kingspan insulated metal panels are a major part of such construction.”
Cox noted one other reason for the popularity of Kingspan IMPs. “They can certainly increase a building's aesthetic appeal,” he said. “That’s an important design feature too.”