Dan Wragg, head of specialist fabricated sales at Kömmerling, talks about the unrivalled performance credentials of the hybrid Warmcore platform. It’s a product genre for today and tomorrow, he highlights.

There has been much debate about the new building regulations, particularly from the PVC-U and aluminium systems houses and at Kömmerling we are certainly no different. But to understand our broader hybrid product proposition you have to go back quite a few years until the early development of our AluClip and AluClip Pro systems.

Since then and more recently we’ve added the Warmcore platform to our product portfolio and the interest at this year’s FIT Show was remarkable. The changes in building regulations affect both doors and windows of all materials and in particular the timber and aluminium sectors have been placed under pressure to achieve the tighter legislative requirements.

From a Kömmerling and Legend perspective, all window systems achieve a U-value of 1.2 W/(m²K) with a standard double glazed unit, apart from the VS, which achieves 1.3 at present though this is under development.

Even our door systems will achieve a U-value of 1.4 W/(m²K), though in the case of our patio door we have to move to a triple glazed unit with a dedicated flush glazing bead. But as we have seen, different companies across the industry have used different means to calculate performance through the use of alternative proprietary sealants, 24mm units, thermal inserts and changes to non-standard glass specifications.

We’ve kept our simulations transparent and honest, as our highly engineered and energy efficient window and door systems have been designed from the outset with the future in mind. It’s also part of our new corporate identity underpinned by the slogan – today for tomorrow.

Our simulations for Warmcore make easy reading too. All windows in this platform will achieve a U-value of 1.3 W/(m²K) and the doors reach 1.4 W/(m²K) both with a standard double-glazed unit, though Warmcore has been developed to accommodate triple glazing from the outset. We have fabricators in the UK that specialise in Warmcore, along with our in-house facility to support the fabricators who would rather buy in these and other specialist systems.

Warmcore is different, it is part of a new genre of hybrid window and door systems that harness the best features of each respective material. The looks, finish and architectural appeal of aluminium, combined with the energy efficiency and sound reduction properties of PVC-U. We also have a range of bespoke, super premium hardware that’s also part of the Warmcore proposition as are powder coated and foiled options.

Initially, Warmcore was just seen as a wonderful bi-folding door, with several sash design detailing options, range of ancillaries and the fact that the door can be manufactured to PAS 24 specifications. But it is in fact part of a complete product platform with casement, flush casement and tilt and turn window variants, along with residential, double/French and patio doors, the latter packed with many technical features including soft close technology.

For installers picking their way through the new building regulations and in some cases having to change product and glass specifications, Warmcore is a very easy sell, given the five chambered, orange coloured PVC-U core at the heart of the design, that’s designed with energy efficiency in mind. With the considerable resources of Kömmerling and profine Group now behind the brand, we’ll be looking to develop this revolutionary product platform further in the years to come.

When the building regulations change again, Warmcore will feature heavily as a product platform for the long-term when it comes to hybrid PVC-U window and door systems. There’s also a strong marketing programme of video, brochures and point of sale materials to help close sales and to ensure that installation companies have a strong point of differentiation with a highly energy efficient, hybrid orange PVC-U core at the very heart of it.