
A curtain wall does not carry the building’s floors, but it carries everything the weather and the wind can do to them, and it does so as a repeating system rather than as individual windows. Richocean fabricates unitised and stick curtain wall systems in Foshan from 6063-T6 extrusions with thermally broken mullions, drained and pressure-equalised glazing rebates, and factory-assembled units that are hoisted into place rather than assembled in mid-air.
Three duties define the design. It must keep water out at design pressure, transfer wind load into the structure without over-stressing the glass, and allow a broken pane to be replaced from inside or by a small crane without dismantling the facade. Systems that satisfy the first two and forget the third become expensive buildings to maintain.
In a facade, mullions are beams and transoms are rails, and their sections are sized by span and tributary area rather than by appearance. Richocean specifies 6063-T6 aluminum aged to 170 MPa yield, with mullion wall thickness of 2.5–3.5 mm on typical grids and heavier sections where floor-to-floor height or wind pressure demands it, plus steel inserts or reinforced sections at the worst spans.
Thermal breaking on a facade is a system property: every mullion, transom and anchor bracket that crosses the envelope’s insulation line is broken, because one unbroken bracket reinstates the heat path the rest of the facade removed.
The visual language of a facade is chosen from a small set of glazing systems, each with a different engineering consequence:
Structural silicone is not a weather seal; it is a structural connection whose bite and thickness are engineered and whose adhesion is verified by test, so it is specified as a system rather than applied as a sealant.
Facade water control is a pressure problem before it is a sealing problem:
Where a facade moves, the seal that does not move with it fails; that is why movement allowance is designed into the splice rather than absorbed by gasket compression.
The facade hangs off the structure at designed points, and the whole system’s behaviour depends on how those points are detailed:
A facade mock-up is where the drainage, thermal and structural assumptions of the whole system are verified at once, so for major projects it is treated as a design step rather than a formality.
| Parameter | Standard / Basis | Typical Value |
|---|---|---|
| Alloy | 6063-T6 | 170 MPa yield |
| Mullion wall thickness | Manufacturer spec | 2.5–3.5 mm |
| Thermal break | PA66GF25 | 24 / 34 mm |
| Facade U-value | NFRC 100 / project calc | agreed per system |
| Structural performance | ASTM E330 | tested to design pressure |
| Air Leakage | ASTM E283 | tested per project spec |
| Water Resistance | ASTM E547 | tested per project spec |
| Field water test | AAMA 501.2 | where specified |
| Impact / safety glazing | EN 12600 / project code | assessed per location |
| Hardware | SS304 / SS316 | SS316 for coastal |
| Criterion | Unitised | Stick System | Structural Silicone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly | factory-built units, hoisted and interlocked | mullions and transoms erected on site | glass bonded to frame, flush exterior |
| Quality control | highest, controlled in factory | site dependent | bonding quality controlled in factory |
| Speed on site | fastest per facade area | slower, more site labour | fast, fewer visible components |
| Serviceability | units replaceable, glazing from inside common | glazing accessed at each opening | replacement needs break-out of bond |
| Relative cost | highest unit cost, lowest site cost | lowest unit cost, higher site cost | high, plus test verification |
Q: What is the difference between a unitised and a stick curtain wall?
A: In a unitised system, panels are assembled in the factory and hoisted into place, so quality control and speed favour large or tall buildings. In a stick system, mullions and transoms are erected piece by piece on site and glazed afterwards, which suits smaller or geometrically irregular facades where transport of large units is impractical.
Q: How does a curtain wall keep water out at height?
A: By draining and pressure-equalising the glazing rebate rather than sealing it perfectly. Compartmentalised rebates that are vented to the outside reduce the pressure difference that pushes water inward, and any water that enters is collected and weeps out. Gaskets are the first line, not the only one.
Q: Is structural silicone the same as weatherproofing sealant?
A: No. Structural silicone is a structural connection that transfers wind load from the glass into the frame, and its bite, thickness and adhesion are engineered and verified by test. Weather sealing is a separate function handled by gaskets and seals, and the two are never substituted for one another.
Q: Can a glass panel be replaced without removing the facade?
A: It should be possible by design. Many systems allow glazing from inside the building, which avoids external access equipment, and unitised systems allow a whole unit to be released from its neighbours. Replacement strategy is a design decision made with the client, not a problem solved after handover.
Richocean manufactures curtain wall systems in Foshan with automated extrusion, CNC fabrication, and glazing and unit assembly halls, exporting to Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Factory-direct supply reduces cost versus Western distributors, with EN/ASTM/AAMA documentation and installation guidance supplied per project.
Example A — High-Rise Office Tower (Illustrative)
A unitised thermally broken facade with double glazed Low-E units and insulated spandrel panels, designed for the project’s wind pressure with reinforced mullions at the worst spans and brackets allowing slab deflection and drift. Illustrative configuration; not a quoted project.
Example B — Coastal Hotel Podium (Illustrative)
A stick system facade with structural silicone glazing for a flush exterior, finished in PVDF and fitted with SS316 hardware and C5-M coating for marine exposure. Illustrative configuration; not a quoted project.
Curtain wall is priced per square metre, but the rate depends heavily on system, performance target and geometry. Cost drivers include:
Facade installation is a sequence discipline, and the settings made on site determine whether the tested performance is achieved:
Handover should record the as-built grid, the design pressure the system was tested to, the glazing build by orientation and the maintenance and replacement strategy.
Richocean’s 360 service covers facade surveys and shop drawings, mullion and glazing engineering, drainage and thermal detailing, anchor and movement design coordination, mock-up and testing support, installation video guidance, and warranty terms on profiles, glazing and hardware. The founder’s philosophy — Passion Plus Extreme Requirements Equals Peace of Mind — means every mullion, bracket and seal must satisfy the strictest global standards.
The Curtain Wall Manufacturer China Factory Price Aluminum Unitized Glass Facade Thermal Break advantage is total — 6063-T6 thermally broken mullions and transoms, drained and pressure-equalised glazing, structural silicone options, engineered anchors with movement capability and ASTM/AAMA-referenced testing, delivered directly from Richocean’s Foshan factory. Send your elevations, grid and design wind pressure for a project-specific quotation.