Eyes on the prize

Made For Trade returned to this year’s FIT Show with a new corporate identity and wowed the crowds with its Korniche bi-fold.

Made For Trade declared prior to this year’s FIT Show that it was going to ‘up the ante’ for the 2022 exhibition and it certainly made good on that promise as crowds flocked to the company’s impressive 170m² stand at the NEC last month.

The Wynyard-based based firm has a tradition of unveiling new and exciting innovations at the FIT Show, previously using the 2016 event to unveil its Korniche lantern, a product that in Made For Trade’s own words has now become a sales ‘phenomenon’.

The 2022 FIT Show presented Made For Trade with the opportunity to unveil a brand new corporate identity, which according to MFT will allow it to further build its brand across a broader range of marketing streams, but the real star of the show this year was the new Korniche bi-fold.

Offering high performance, innovative hardware and contemporary aesthetics, a key element of the Korniche bi-fold is its speed of installation – a feature that was perfectly demonstrated by MFT’s ‘SpeedBead Challenge’ at the FIT Show.

The competition, which offered a £1,000 cash prize, invited installers to experience the benefits of MFT’s patented, clip-in internal glazing bead, a unique innovation that has been designed to dramatically improve the ease and speed of installation.

Quick to install

Using an outer section of aluminium to match the sash, it takes just a matter of seconds to ‘clip’ each glass unit into place. And thanks to a handy de-glazing tool, installers can quickly remove the glass unit as well if further adjustment is needed or if a unit is damaged and needs to be replaced – and without running the risk of damaging the bead or sash.

Clever hardware

Korniche comes with PAS24 as standard on laminated glass options and with a Yale 3 Star barrel and multi-point FUHR locking. It also features a clever, articulated rolling assembly and stainless steel roller bearings, that allows the door loading to be equally distributed along the rails. This ensures an ultra-smooth operation and a quality feel for end users.

MFT has also engineered a unique, shoot-bolt handle with a special anti-back drive that means the door cannot be forced open if the shoot-bolt is left unlocked. The design of the shoot-bolt handle also makes it impossible to leave the key in, which avoids the potential to damage the frame with the key.

Configuration allows either a standard threshold or a rebated integrated cill with a low 52mm stepover height, whilst build options allow sashes up to 1.25m, systems up to 6.5m width and 2.5m height, and between one and seven sashes in total.

All are in multiple configurations of stacking and direction, whilst frame and doors are available in white, grey, black or dual colour for a striking contrast, plus any BS or RAL colours in matt, satin or gloss

Hardware is available to match or to contrast – the traffic door and shoot bolt handles can be specified in black, white, grey, polished chrome or brushed stainless steel.

Part L compliant

Fully compliant with new Part L regs with double glazing, the Korniche delivers exceptional weather performance to BS 6375-1:2009 with wide polyamide thermal breaks and Q-Lon main outer frame seals. Brushed pile draught seals have an intermediate sealing flap and there are hollow sealed corners for consistent sash seal compression.

Trickle vents can also be fitted into the frame head which eliminates the requirement for a costly frame extender