You can now see our new Innovation and Test Centre in Toulouse at first hand. Take a look at our latest video which shows testing and product development in progress ►
In-house R&D Facility
Following an investment of £1.8m, Technal now has a highly sustainable technical centre for the research, development and testing of its aluminium façade products.
The state-of-the-art facilities were used to carry out full-scale testing for Technal’s revolutionary MODAL low rise glazing system which was developed in the UK and was the first product to be tested in the new centre.
Located in Toulouse, the 1,600m² technical centre provides workshops for prototyping and assembly, testing laboratories, an electronics laboratory, showroom, equipment rooms, offices, and meeting rooms.
The building also showcases Technal’s highly successful and ground-breaking Trame Horizontale curtain walling system, as well as new innovations such as photovoltaics integrated with brise soleil sunshading.
State-of-the-art Test Rigs
The building is equipped with three test rigs to assess air, wind and water resistance in line with the latest European standards, for windows up to 4m by 4m, and curtain walling up to 6m by 8m. There is also a unit to carry out mechanical tests for strength and resistance.
Minimising Environmental Impact
The centre was designed to minimise impact on the environment and carbon emissions. Energy consumption is expected to be as low as 45kWh/m² per year – exceeding Building Regulations requirements by more than 50 per cent.
The building’s sustainable features include:
- A green roof to the workshop area for additional insulation
- Heating and ventilation provided using a roof-top system that consumes just 1 kW of energy for every 3.25 kW of heat it produces
- Roof glazing with automatic opening windows to take advantage of night-time ventilation to cool the building during the day
- High levels of natural light, complemented by low energy lighting on two circuits for efficient use and metering
- Technal’s MX Trame Horizontale curtain walling system to the south façade fitted with automatic brise soleil to allow shading to be oriented according to the position of the sun
- Photovoltaic modules integrated into the brise soleil sunshading, providing a total surface area of 34m² which will generate around 5,000 kW of electricity each year.
Technal remains committed to innovation, reinforcing its position as a market leader in façade technology. The new centre will provide a focus for its Europe-wide R&D activities, and ongoing product development programmes.