Method of fabricating an insulation element

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of fabricating an insulation element (2) as an insulation box, cap or cover for a valve, a flange or a fitting insulation within a piping system of a technical building equipment. Said method comprising the steps of forming a block of insulating material to be provided with a cavity having a contour of the valve, the flange or the fitting insulation and an outer contour, whereby the block is divided into at least two parts, preferably two halves (3) of the insulation box, cap or cover, and forming a complementary insulating covering (6) having an inner contour according to the outer contour of the block. To provide a method of fabricating the insulation element (2) having increased properties in view of combustibility and being cost saving because of an easy and less complex method for manufacturing insulation elements (2) which can be used at least for a range of valves, flanges or fitting insulations within a piping system of a technical building equipment having different sizes and/or outer contours the insulation element (2) and the complementary insulating covering (6) are produced separately from each other and joined together, whereby the block is produced from mineral wool, i.e. mineral fibers bound with a binding agent, and the complementary insulating covering (6) is produced from a plastically deformable material being mechanically pressed or molded to be provided with the inner contour corresponding to the outer contour of the block provided with the cavity.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an insulation element as an insulation box, cap or cover for a valve, a flange or a fitting within a piping system of a technical building equipment comprising the steps of forming a block of insulating material to be provided with a cavity having a contour of the valve, the flange or the fitting and an outer contour, whereby the block is divided into at least two parts, preferably two halves of the insulation box, cap or cover, and forming a complementary insulating covering having an inner contour according to the outer contour of the block, whereby the block and the complementary insulating covering are produced separately from each other and joined together, whereby the block is produced from mineral wool and the complementary insulating covering is produced from a plastically deformable material being mechanically pressed or molded to be provided with the inner contour corresponding to the outer contour of the block provided with the cavity, wherein a glass fibre scrim reinforcement embedded between two layers of aluminum each having a thickness of 10 m to 30 m, preferably of 18 m is used as primary material for the plastically deformable material.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cavity is produced by grinding the outer contour of a part of the valve, the flange or the fitting into the block, whereby the block is provided with a predetermined unitary thickness.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the block and the complementary insulating covering are connected to each other by applying a glue or adhesive to the outer contour of the block and/or the inner contour of the complementary insulating covering and pressing the complementary insulating covering onto the block.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the parts of the block being covered with the complementary insulating covering are connected with an adhesive tape.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein an insulation element having a bulk density between 50 kg/m.sup.3 and 200 kg/m.sup.3, preferably between 100 kg/m.sup.3 and 180 kg/m.sup.3 and further preferably of 140 kg/m.sup.3 is used as primary material for the block.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a glue or adhesive is sprayed onto the outer contour of the block and/or the inner contour of the complementary insulating covering.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein all transition sections in the outer contour of the block are chamfered.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a complementary insulating covering fulfilling an s.sub.d value of at least 1.500 m is used.

Description

(1) The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings showing preferred embodiments of the invention. The drawings show in:

(2) FIG. 1 a half of an insulation element with an embedded valve in an open side view;

(3) FIG. 2 two corresponding halves of the insulation element according to FIG. 1 in a side view;

(4) FIG. 3 the insulation element according to FIGS. 1 and 2 in a first side view and

(5) FIG. 4 the insulation element according to FIG. 3 in a second side view.

(6) FIG. 1 shows a valve 1 being embedded in an insulation element 2 which consists of two complementary halves 3, of which only one half 3 is shown in FIG. 1, whereas FIG. 2 shows both complementary halves 3 without the valve 1. As the valve 1 is already well known in the prior art and not part of the invention a detailed description of the valve 1 is not necessary.

(7) The insulation element 2 being formed as an insulation box for the valve 1 consists of a block 4 of insulating material provided with a cavity 5 having a contour substantially of the valve 1, and a complementary insulating covering 6 having an inner contour according to the outer contour of the block 4. The block 4 consists of or comprises mineral fibers bound by a binding agent. The block 4 made of mineral wool has a bulk density of 140 kg/m.sup.3 which allows to manufacture the cavity 5 by grinding.

(8) The complementary insulating covering 6 is produced separately from the block 4 from a plastically deformable material being mechanically pressed to be provided with the inner contour corresponding to the outer contour of the block 4, namely a glass fibre scrim enforcement embedded between two layers of aluminium each having a thickness of 18 m. This material can be pressed into a predetermined contour and is stable because of its plastically deformability. It has a sa value of 1.500 m and is a water vapour barrier having a temperature resistance between 40 C. and 100 C. The glass fibre scrim reinforces both foils of aluminium embedding the glass fibre scrim, whereby the aluminium foils have a thickness of 18 m each. Other thicknesses may be suitable. The aluminium foils can be lacquered, perforated and/or printed. The thicknesses of the foils can differ from each other and/or be larger.

(9) The complementary insulating cover 6 is applied to the block 4 after block 4 is divided into the two halves 3 and the cavity 5 is provided in the halves 3 so that the insulation element 2 can be built together by applying one complementary cover 6 to each half 3 of the block 4.

(10) The block 4 is provided with a predetermined unitary thickness in the area surrounding the valve 1. The complementary insulating covering 6 is arranged on the outer surface of the block 4, whereby a glue (not shown) forming a third layer of the insulation element 2 is applied by spraying to the surface of the complementary insulating covering 6 facing to the block 4.

(11) The block 4 has several transition sections 7 in the outer contour of the block 4 which are all chamfered avoiding any sharp edges which can break the complementary insulating covering 6 during the process of applying the complementary insulating covering 6 onto the block 4.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(12) 1 valve 2 insulation element 3 half 4 block 5 cavity 6 covering 7 transition section