Quality engineered approach

Synseal’s group sales and marketing director Andy Jones gives an update on the company’s Legend system.

Legend has earned itself a name in the industry for being one of the most specified systems for use in both commercial and residential applications, and is ever popular with fabricators that operate in both of these markets.

It has all of the features that fabricators and installers expect from a quality PVCU system: multi-chambers, a whole range of foiled finishes, cost effective routes to low U-values, and a high gloss finish, plus a co-extruded PCE gasket for improved weather performance and integral screw retention features for unreinforced windows.

One of Legend’s compelling benefits is its flexibility in offering both ovolo and chamfered styles, with both profile options using the same range of interchangeable single leg beads, also available in both ovolo and chamfered finishes.

When we bought the Legend 70 system more than 10 years ago, we invested more than £10 million into expanding our operations to incorporate it into our growing offer – and we haven’t been disappointed. We have built a growing Legend customer base on its longstanding reputation, ensuring we maintain customers’ expectations with developments that keep it at the top of its game.

Now with the introduction of our 30% recycled EnviroCore technology into Legend profiles, it sells itself as a versatile, environmentally friendly system designed for future-proofed homes and buildings.

This time last year, we had just begun to roll out EnviroCore across our PVCU systems, which is part of our ambition to use modern advancements to make our profiles the best they can be.

Recycling PVCU waste isn’t new, but we have adopted a quality, engineered approach that involves re-processing and re-extruding post-manufactured waste. It’s finished with a consistent dark grey dye to give the product a premium finish and clear differentiation between the recycled and virgin content. This is how we and our customers show our pride in using recycled content, and we believe it gives the finished profile greater appeal than the uncontrolled approach some of our competitors take, which produces an unpredictable off-white colour.

Of course, the recycled content is hidden away once installed, but when we present our products to customers they know at first glance that we have developed something that speaks of quality and consistency.

Now just 12 months on, nearly all of our customers have transitioned to EnviroCore products at no extra cost to them, and EnviroCore has been incorporated into our Legend 150mm cill, as well as Global and K2 gutter products. This enabled us to recycle more than 2,300 tonnes last year of typical PVCU waste and off-cuts from start-up and end of cycle runs. An astonishing amount for the roll-out year, with 4,000 tonnes predicted to be recycled this year as operations expand, helping us to sustainably reduce ours and our customers’ carbon footprint.

We have run this programme alongside our One White project, a complete consolidation of our white shades to bring all of our systems together. Now our customers can benefit from a white colour match guarantee across all profiles, ancillaries and conservatory products, giving them more flexibility to dip in and out of the best of our product ranges, rather than feeling restricted to particular systems.

These huge investments are at the heart of our continuous improvement programme. We have become one of the largest multi-product suppliers to the fenestration industry with the addition of our aluminium, roofing and composite door ranges, but we never forget that our roots lie in PVCU manufacturing.

Last year we manufactured 31 million metres of PVCU profile, with 25% of this for our Legend products. I expect Legend will be our fastest-growing PVCU system in 2018, with more exciting product developments ahead.