Foam Laminates of Vermont -- SIPs Manufacturer : Components Of A SIP

SIPs (Structural Insulated Panel) Manufacturer

In the 1960s, Alside Home Program (AHP) decided to make its own entry into the SIPs marketplace. The Alside Home Program SIP had a large advantage over its predecessors in that it could reduce production time of SIPs from several hours to 20 minutes. However, after years of production and less than 100 SIP homes built, the company went out of business due to a lack of demand. It wasn't until the 1980s that SIP manufacturers returned who could produce SIPs with the capacity and demand that consumers expected.

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After the success of Dow's SIP, it wasn't long before entrepreneurs and manufacturers teamed up to offer their own SIPs as a new building material alternative. The most significant manufacturer to offer SIPs to the masses was Koppers Company. In 1959 they converted a Detroit auto production plant into a SIP production facility.

The Koppers Company SIP consisted of blowing preexpanded styrofoam beads between two sheets of plywood. The components were then bonded using steam and glued to a solid framework. This process resulted in a strong insulated panel.

However, there were some serious drawbacks to these new SIPs that prevented them from achieving widespread use. First, the Koppers' manufacturing process was slow, resulting in longer then desirable construction delays. Second, Koppers met fierce and unexpected resistance from carpenters' unions in the northern states who feared that SIPs could be built so quickly, they would result in lost wages.

From fear of loosing their jobs, these unions deliberately slowed the erection process from the typical two days to four. This sabotage and coupled with the fact that this was a period of inexpensive energy and labor, the panels couldn't remain competitive. Koppers left the residential construction business and turned to building refrigerators.

Part 3
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