Aluminum Windows
Windows consist of many parts and the two main components of windows are the glass which is the transparent part of the window and the frame which is the encasement part of it.
As for the frame it is the casement enclosing the glass and fixing the window to the wall and its main purpose is to provide support to the window that it surrounds.
The window frame itself consists of many parts such as the Head which is the upper horizontal part of the frame that usually lies below a lintel, the Sill which is the lower horizontal part which lies over the window ledge, and two vertical jambs that form the sides of the frame, these parts combined together through the corners form the body of the frame.
The window frame most commonly used nowadays is the Aluminium frame as it has proved a great efficiency in this field. The window frame nowadays might be built of one of many materials such as Aluminium, Steel, Fiberglass, Vinyl, wood and many other materials. Each of these materials provides its own characteristic features to the frame and these features might be either aesthetic, efficiency, maintenance, durability, security and any of the other many characteristics.
Wood was one of the first materials to be used in building frames but due to its many disadvantages a replacement was sought so it was then replaced by metals such as Steel, Iron, Bronze and Aluminium as such metals are considered highly malleable making it easier to form them in any shape, and they are also durable, strong and more resistant to climatic effects compared to timber woods.
Metals are chemical elements and compounds that are present usually in nature and they form around 25% of the earth's crust, these metals are extracted from mined ores, these ores undergo multiple chemical reactions in the process. After having extracted the metal, it can be used in the different industries either for its chemical properties as a catalyst or its physical properties as conductors for heat and electricity and durability.
Aluminum as an element
Aluminum is a natural metal ranked the third as the most abundant element on the surface of earth after silicon and oxygen, it is extracted though electrochemical processes from a metal called Bauxite.
Aluminum frames
Being a natural metal makes it completely eco-friendly as it is recyclable which also make it more financially convenient than un-recyclable materials.
Aluminum Built frames are of lightweight which makes it easier to install it Despite so this does not necessarily mean it is weak or fragile, as it is of high Durability, strength and also it is resistant to atmospheric effects as it oxidizes into Aluminum Oxide that forms a protective layer over the surface, this layer is resistant to water and several chemical factors thus it is considered a self-protecting mechanism.
Aluminum is considered one of the most malleable metals in the industrial sector as it is possible to yield it in every possible shape without losing its durability, this made it possible use it in the formation of interior ribs that make the frames resistant to torsion and bending that can be observed specifically in large scale frames.
Being malleable makes it possible to make any kind of decorative and structural shapes and objects out of it, this combined with the possibility of electric plating of Aluminum with various chemical powders and paints which gave it a broad spectrum of colors make Aluminum frames of exquisite aesthetic properties.
Aluminum frames are known for their longevity as they can withstand the effect of time and environment for around 40-50 years that added to its rare maintenance and low costs makes it a highly desirable choice suitable for different settings.
Aluminum windows recently are enhanced with a high-quality mechanism called "multipoint locking" that boosts its safety and security through making it resistant to forced entries and break-ins.
Aluminum is a highly conductive metal whether it is heat or electricity. Unfortunately, this is considered a big disadvantage for Aluminum especially in frames manufacturing, so a few solutions were invented to overcome this obstacle and make Aluminum even closer to be the perfect fit as a window frame.
The multi-glazing system was implemented as a solution for the prior issues, in this system the window consists of more than only one glass pane, usually it is of two panes and an air chamber stands between the glass panes.
This chamber is responsible of limiting the transfer of heat from outside to inside and vice versa, and if a gas like Argon replaces the air in the chamber the heat transfer reduces remarkably especially in cases of cold weather. The usage of more glass panes in this system is not advised as it will possess many disadvantages as a consequence.
Around 80 percent of energy loss in windows is thought to happen around the corners so warm edge spacers were built to disallow the leakage of air from the air chamber into the edges of the window and thus prevents thermal leakage.
Inside the Aluminum frame profile presents few air chambers that allow the transmittance of sound and heat through them, so a technique called "thermal cut" was developed in which an insulating plastic material fills these spaces interrupting the continuity of the Aluminum profiles in order to hinder the conductivity whether it was thermal, acoustic or even electric.
To sum it up
Aluminum frames are a top notch as Aluminum is natural metal that is characterized by being malleable, lightweight, recyclable, long living, and environmentally resistant which is used very widely specifically in Aluminum window and Aluminum door frames due to its many benefits as well as due to the tailored techniques and processes developed for the sole purpose of enhancing its performance as a frame.
