Tools for success
Thermoseal Group’s sales director, Mark Hickox, explains how partnering with a supplier who embraces transformative technology can save you time – and money.
In the world of IGU manufacturing, knowledge is critical – not just in precision manufacturing but also in understanding production costs; afterall, ‘the perfect IGU’ is not perfect if it doesn’t make you any money.
An in-depth awareness of your costs is critical to remain profitable, but with a plethora of factors to consider, such as a multitude of components, glass prices per product, and labour – as well as quantifying the ways in which all of these factors are measured – how easy is it to calculate your costs and overheads?
At Thermoseal Group, we provide IGU manufacturers with our Sealed Unit Calculator. This intuitive system takes the guesswork out of costing, enabling manufacturers to optimise pricing strategies and streamline production.
It accurately calculates the cost of producing an IGU, using your own purchase price for factors from spacer bars and sealants to labour and glass. The Sealed Unit Calculator simplifies this process by providing a user-friendly, step-by-step platform that accounts for every variable.
It works seamlessly across devices – desktop, tablet, and mobile – making it accessible for manufacturers on the go.
Users begin by inputting key dimensions such as unit size in meters and airspace in millimetres. From there, the calculator guides you through specifying costs for each component, including:
- Spacer Bars:Cost per meter and total length required.
- Sealants:Whether hot melt or two-part, users can input drum or block prices and adjust for volume used.
- Desiccants:Pricing is calculated based on bulk density, ensuring precise cost allocation.
- Additional Materials:Corner keys, cloth tape, and other essential items are also included.
At each step, the tool ensures accuracy, reducing the potential for errors in manual calculations. But what truly sets the Sealed Unit Calculator apart is its ability to provide a complete breakdown of costs.
Once all inputs are entered, manufacturers can view a detailed summary that includes:
- Material costs for each component.
- Labour expenses based on input rates.
- Total production costs for single or multiple units.
For high-volume operations, users can scale up production and project costs for thousands of units, providing unparalleled insight into profitability. It also helps manufacturers spot areas where savings can be made, enabling more competitive pricing strategies.
And we go beyond simply offering the tool. Our sales teams are well-versed in the Sealed Unit Calculator and are available to guide customers through its features. This personalised support ensures that manufacturers can fully leverage the tool to fit their unique production setups.
For instance, IGU producers using hot melt sealants can quickly determine how these materials compare to two-part systems in terms of cost-efficiency. This flexibility allows them to make data-driven decisions without disrupting their workflows – reducing manufacturing downtime, and potentially increasing margins.
The Sealed Unit Calculator is just one of the ways that we demonstrate our continuing commitment to innovation and support. Our EN1279 lab is celebrating its 15th year at our Wigan manufacturing facility and is constantly incorporating new technology to ensure that all our products are tested to the highest standards, guaranteeing their quality and longevity.
And last year, recent investments in the automation of our Thermobar production, saw our annual production capacity more than double, with further investment in tooling and injection moulding culminating in us manufacturing over three-quarters of all products sold in 2024, in-house.
Thermoseal Group is more than just a supplier – we are your partner in achieving manufacturing excellence. Whether you’re producing standard double-glazed units or cutting-edge triple-glazed systems, our innovative Sealed Unit Calculator ensures you remain competitive without compromising quality.
