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By Vertik-al. It’s 10AM, Monday morning and new recruit Kelly McEwan is busy translating a sign for the factory noticeboard. “I can’t always rely on Google Translate,” she said, as she is joined in the office by factory operative, Aneta, “so, I get the guys to check it for me first.” Kelly McEwan is HSE officer at Birmingham-based powder coating...
Colours can preserve our heritage and enhance our future, according to Renolit. The age of a property is often identifiable by its architectural style; so-called ‘heritage’ features have a historical importance that makes them instantly recognisable. The UK renovation market no longer rips out but replaces, restores and reconstructs; helping preserve our traditions and culture. In maintaining these traditions, windows...
John Park-Davies, managing director of Ikon Aluminium Systems explains why customer service is more important than ever, and what steps the manufacturer is taking to support its customers. There’s no doubt that 2019 will be unpredictable but we will be starting the year in a strong position, with a very healthy order book; 2018 has been a tremendous year for...
By Andy Holland, technical and marketing manager at Rapierstar. The outstanding range of profile systems, hardware options and machinery available today should make it easy to create high quality, technically superior windows and doors that customers will love. But what stands in the way of getting the maximum return from these constituent parts? Ultimately it comes down to attention to...
With more than 10,000 homes built on floodplains in the UK each year, combined with more incidents of major flooding, flood protection is a major priority for housebuilders. Glass Times talks to Malcom Snape, managing director of StormMeister. It’s two-years since Storm Desmond rolled in from the Atlantic, flooding more than 16,000 homes across the north of England. Yet, despite...
How has the International market for Thermoseal Group’s products been driven by its ability to be incorporated into increasingly ‘connected’ factories? Thermoseal Group’s sales director Mark Hickox explains. Thermoseal Group has seen continued investment over recent years in setting up bespoke manufacturing facilities and its own technical centre with EN1279 test laboratory to drive highest performance energy efficient insulated glass...
By Andy Holland, technical and marketing manager at Rapierstar. The recent news that some fire doors are being replaced because of uncertainties about their performance capabilities should be a wake-up call for the industry to pay far greater attention to the testing, standards and quality of finished products and the components that go into them. It is a topic that...
Increases of more than 18% in the last year in the price of raw aluminium are a reminder that the UK window and door industry is not immune from global influence, according to Paul James, sales director at Extrudaseal. It’s very easy to forget that we’re all subject to the influence of the global economy. You may be fabricating aluminium...
By Andy Holland, Technical and Marketing Manager at Rapierstar. Choosing poor quality components for fabrication is a risky business and one that is only going to end badly in the long term. This is undoubtedly the case for fasteners. Failure to source and apply the right fasteners will quickly result in a reputation for sub-standard finished windows and doors, which...
As Ikon launched its new louvre, Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell visited managing director John Park-Davies to learn about the company’s 10 years in business, as well as its plans for growth. Birmingham almost has a mythical attachment to aluminium as a building material, so it was no surprise that it is on the outskirts of this city, in Shard...
Sam Yiend, director of Teal Products, explains why the Grenfell Tower disaster last year has rightly put fire safety back at the top of the industry’s agenda. Since these devastating events last June, manufacturers, suppliers, installers and end-users have all been questioning not only the quality of their fire-rated products, but also their performance. While this scrutiny of fire-rated products...
Midlands fabricator Central RPL recently launched its new Central Inspired colour division, promising a new kind of colour service for installers. Central’s Cara Lansley and Gary Morton talk about about the new service, how it works, and what it means for their customers. As any fabricator will tell you, demand for coloured windows is growing rapidly. We’ve already seen it...
The specification market is characterised by the stricter demands of architects and social housing landlords who often seek windows and doors that offer enhanced security, optimum safety and robust warranties for long-term assurance. But in the pursuit of achieving a strong, secure window, remember that it will only be as strong as its weakest component – and that could be...
Andy Holland, technical marketing manager at Rapierstar, explains how product innovation, combined with valuable customer service lessons from the PVCU sector, have been at the heart of aluminium’s transformation from a material that looked unlikely to cope with the demands of the modern world, to one that’s at the pinnacle of the market. Advances such as the use of polyamide...
John Park-Davies, managing director of Ikon Aluminium Systems, believes that aluminium more than deserves its new hero status. Aluminium is one of the most durable and sustainable building materials available. There are many reasons for specifying and installing aluminium, not least the environmental benefits. The Council for Aluminium Building (CAB) states that the recycling rates for architectural aluminium is 92%-98%,...
By Andy Holland, technical and marketing manager at Rapierstar. While we think of aluminium as a material that takes us away from any risk of corrosion or degradation, did you know that it’s ability to react with other metals can be a major cause of early failure of aluminium windows and doors? Aluminium fenestration may be synonymous with engineered quality...
On the back of a year that saw Thermoseal win numerous awards – including Export Champion of the Year in the Amazon Growing Business Awards, the Queen’s Award for Enterprise (International Trade 2017), and the Derek Bonnard Award for Excellence at the G-Awards – head of marketing and communications Samantha Hill discusses the company’s current export business plans. Manufacturing and...
Emma Wells, founder and director at Jackloc talks to Glass Times about the importance of using genuine products in times of instability and uncertainty. This year will present unprecedented challenges with both political and economic instability. This is compounded when you look at our industry, which has become incredibly competitive as firms look to win new business while trying to...
RegaLead’s joint managing director Guy Hubble discusses the trend for colour. Once reserved solely for aluminium, the last two years have seen a dramatic rise in the use of colour across the industry. One PVCU systems company reported that coloured profile now represents more than 50% of their output, while installers across the UK say that an increasing number of...
Investing in the right vehicles can help to ensure the smooth running of a business, but there are lots of things to consider and potential pitfalls. Sarah Cox, head of marketing for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles provides some guidance. Establishing the right size van is a critical decision, and one many businesses get wrong. Give careful consideration to the size, weight...