Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) are a formwork system for reinforced concrete. These forms are interlocking modular units that are snapped together and then filled with concrete. Locking together like Lego blocks, they create a new form of construction for structural walls or floors of buildings. The original form of ICF forms dates back to 1907, as evidenced by a patent by inventor L. R. Franklin entitled "building-block". The patent claimed a parallelepiped-shaped brick with a central cylindrical cavity connected to the upper and lower surfaces by countersunk holes. The adoption of ICF construction has been growing steadily since the 1970s. ICF construction is now part of most building codes and accepted by most jurisdictions in developed countries.
Features of Insulated Concrete Forms:
1.
Energy Efficiency
Walls built using insulated concrete forms improve comfort and reduce heat loss compared to ordinary walls. They prevent outdoor heat from entering the interior in the summer and reduce indoor heating losses in the winter.
2.
Sound Absorption
ICF walls have much lower sound transmission rates than regular walls. The Sound Transmission Coefficient (STC) of a standard thickness ICF wall ranges from 46 to 72, while a regular wall of the same thickness has a sound transmission coefficient of 36.
3.
Strength
Insulating concrete forms create structural concrete walls, either monolithic or post-and-beam, that are ten times stronger than wood-frame construction. Structural integrity resists the forces of nature better than framed walls. At the same time, the components of an ICF system will not rot when exposed to moisture.
4.
Environmental Protection
ICF walls can be made from a variety of recycled materials, making waste available and minimizing the environmental impact of buildings.
5.
Ease of Use
ICFs have lower construction requirements due to their modular design. A less skilled workforce can be hired to lay ICF forms. Construction costs using ICFs are very low compared to regular buildings.
ICF structures offer strength, impact resistance, durability, excellent sound insulation, and airtightness. ICF structures are well suited for mild and mixed climates with large daily temperature changes, and for buildings designed to benefit from thermal mass strategies. ICF buildings can reduce up to 60% of heating and cooling equipment to serve the same floor area, which can reduce the final cooling and heating costs of the house by approximately $0.75 per square foot.
Emanpack has extensive experience in the packaging of ICF products. Through continuous research and learning, we actively communicate and discuss with ICF manufacturers. Combining some parameters such as ICF product packaging specifications and material properties, we designed and manufactured this ICF laminating, sealing and cutting machine. The equipment can be connected to automated production lines and palletizers. The equipment is equipped with an automatic feeding conveyor, which automatically starts and delivers the goods to the front-end laminating station when it senses the product.
The
ICF bundling machine uses a cylinder to push the entire stack of ICF blocks to the sealing and cutting station, cooperates with the top lower pressure plate to compress the goods, and welds the two layers of film together through the heat sealing cutter. The packaged product has a good appearance, and the tight packaging film protects the product well from dust and rain. Compared with heat shrink packaging, this film-covering and sealing packaging mode can avoid the damage of high temperature to ICF products and prevent product deformation. At the same time, this packaging mode eliminates the heating and shrinking process of using a heat shrinking oven for packaging, greatly reducing electricity consumption and minimizing packaging costs.
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) are a formwork system for reinforced concrete. These forms are interlocking modular units that are snapped together and then filled with concrete. Locking together like Lego blocks, they create a new form of construction for structural walls or floors of buildings. The original form of ICF forms dates back to 1907, as evidenced by a patent by inventor L. R. Franklin entitled "building-block". The patent claimed a parallelepiped-shaped brick with a central cylindrical cavity connected to the upper and lower surfaces by countersunk holes. The adoption of ICF construction has been growing steadily since the 1970s. ICF construction is now part of most building codes and accepted by most jurisdictions in developed countries.
