Aluminium innovation
By Sioned Roberts, marketing director at Aluk.
Aluk is proud to say that we believe we are the first aluminium systems house in the UK to introduce pre-inserted gaskets into our new Aluk C70S window system. We will be showcasing the window at the FIT Show, with the full release planned for later in 2019.
Pre-inserted gaskets are inserted into aluminium profiles at the point of rolling and, while it is new to the UK, it is actually an innovation that has existed within the Aluk group for some time.
Our colleagues at Aluk Belgium have already developed the technology into their profiles and adapted their rolling lines to accommodate the process – the B-Quick system. The results there have been really impressive, with customers reporting fabrication times reduced significantly – up to half for some compared with the time taken to insert gaskets in traditional windows.
What Aluk Belgium has successfully proved is that introducing pre-inserted gaskets is not so much a technical as a logistical challenge. It is relatively easy to achieve technically in fact, but requires investment in new system design and changes to production lines.
By introducing pre-inserted gaskets into our new Aluk C70S window, we are demonstrating our commitment to delivering new systems that speed up fabrication times for our customers and help us move towards the holy grail of competing with PVCU in terms of speed. We certainly recognise the positive impact that time saved in fabrication can have on both margins and competitiveness.
In line with that, the new Aluk C70S window also features an improved design for mechanical corner cleating, which further speeds up and simplifies the fabrication process.
For us in the UK, it is our 2017 move to our 350,000ft2 facility in Chepstow that has provided us with the capacity we need to introduce new innovations, like the pre-inserted gaskets into our assembly lines. Significantly, we have also demonstrated that we now have both the operational and logistical strength to make that possible, without compromising our overall efficiency in any way.
The new Aluk C70S window system was designed from the outset with the intention of offering pre-inserted gaskets as an option. Moving forward, this will be the platform on which we build our entire new range of products so customers can be confident that pre-inserted gaskets will, over time, become an integral part of our wider offering.
It’s obviously not just the option of pre-inserted gaskets and new corner cleat design that makes the new Aluk C70S window stand out in the market though. It encompasses everything which fabricators and installers love about our existing Aluk 58BW window system and builds on that with improved performance as well as the faster, simpler fabrication.
It will offer thermal performance of between 1.0W/m2K and 1.3W/m2K, will accommodate 50mm glazing for improved acoustics, and a maximum sash weight of 150kg for tilt before turn windows, while offering class leading wind and water tightness even with large span window openings.
Aesthetically, it takes its design cues from the 58 with the same slim sightlines and shares many of the same parts, meaning that fabricators can add this to their range and open up exciting new sales opportunities without needing to massively increase their stockholding.
The Aluk C70S is targeted primarily at the light commercial sector and is simply a great looking, cost effective window that satisfies all the key thermal, acoustic and performance criteria laid down by specifiers.
Crucially, it will also come with PAS24 accreditation on both inward and outward opening windows making it suitable for all projects requiring Approved Document Q.
We are showcasing the Aluk C70S at FIT and we hope to see a lot of interest in the new window.