Sealing the deal with Kingspan's insulated metal panels

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how IMPs played a crucial role in developing a manufacturing site that can beat the Texas heat. 

Back in 2022, AISIN Corporation was looking to open their first plant in the state of Texas. AISIN is an automatic transmission manufacturer, and the plan was to build a $400 million, over 400,000 square foot site in Cibolo, Texas, which is in the San Antonio–New Braunfels metropolitan area. The addition of their site in Texas builds upon a larger trend of vehicle manufacturers moving to the area. They tend to move here because of tax relief packages from local governments and the presence of a reliable workforce.  

But no place is perfect. A big consideration for manufacturers setting up shop in Texas is the natural world’s challenges. Specifically, the Texas heat. In the last few summers, the area has set increasingly high temperature records in the summer. In the summer of 2023, Corpus Christi logged a heat index of 125ºF, with other areas such as San Angelo and Del Rio getting even hotter. In order to ensure that the new AISIN site was well-prepared to face this challenge, KAI Enterprises, the designers on the project, chose to use insulated metal panels (IMPs) for the building.  

Specifically, Kingspan Insulated Panels were chosen for the project and more than 98,000 square feet of their KS Mini Micro-Rib and Optimo Smooth panels were installed. The use of IMPs was very strategic, as they provide an air and watertight barrier around the building envelope. This means they have incredible thermal efficiency that reduces a structure’s energy consumption. In the Texas heat, the thermal efficiency and moisture barrier is key to staying cool and keeping AISIN energy costs low. Today, the AISIN Texas manufacturing plant employs hundreds of workers and produces high quality transmissions for Toyota’s San Antonio site, even in the Texas heat. 

Read more about this site and IMPs on the Metal Construction Alliance’s website!