NFRC Announces First Spacers Added to CMA Software Tool
July 7, 2010

The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) announced that PPG Industries and ADCO Products are the first spacer manufacturers to submit products into NFRC's Component Modeling Approach Software Tool (CMAST) database.

According to the announcement, PPG placed both its tin-plated steel spacers and its stainless steel Intercept® spacers in the database. Both types of Intercept spacer are available in 21 widths ranging from 5.08 mm (0.200") to 20.96 mm (0.825"). ADCO's thermoplastic spacer is available in 10 sizes, from 6.35 mm (0.250") to 20.65 mm (0.813").

PPG and ADCO products are configured in CMAST as 'Path III' spacers, meaning they provide CMAST users with the ability to fully define the geometry and effective conductivity (Keff) for each of the numerous spacer widths.

"This calculation occurs 'on the fly' with CMAST as THERM 6 is running in the background to complete thermal analysis of the spacers once the CMAST user configures a spacer edge seal assembly," said John Lewis, NFRC's director, new business programs.

In related news, NFRC's board of directors decided to waive CMAST's spacer and frame component fees for the remainder of 2010, in an initiative designed to facilitate implementation of the Component Modeling Approach.

"Ordinarily, submitting these components into CMAST would require a nominal per-component fee," said Jim Benney, NFRC's chief executive officer. "The board, however, views waiving these fees as an effective means to allow the CMA program to continue to gain traction as a viable modeling tool that will ultimately prove invaluable to the fenestration industry."

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