Vital and visible

John Park-Davies, group sales and marketing at Vertik-Al, explains how the company is an integral cog in the aluminium product supply chain.

We receive a delivery every 17 minutes, on average, and process around 160,000m of bar. In addition, we coat thousands of pressings, panels, sills, aluminium rainwater goods, tubes, and posts etc, each week.

We work with some of the industry’s leading names, playing a valuable supporting role – providing a chemical resistant, tough and durable coating for their products.

Powder coating often represents the most visible element of any aluminium product. So, we believe our role is crucial in providing high-quality, fit-for-purpose products for modern fabrication and installation. This is proven by our long-standing certification and accreditations.

For 25 years, we have proven our commitment to quality as the only powder coating specialist in the UK and Ireland to hold a GSB International quality seal for Approved Coated Aluminium. This means that our customers can be confident that all products leaving the factory are of the highest standard – under the GSB licence, the finished coating must be of the correct appearance, thickness and gloss level.

GSB membership represents a very large investment for Vertik-Al; having to maintain the standards required through stringent controls, checks and often random audits. Yet the quality of the end product justifies this.

We were also one of the first commercial architectural powder coaters to obtain BSI approval and the Qualicoat quality label.

As one of the first companies in the country to apply powder to aluminium, we use around 400 colours, although there are over 3,500 to choose from. This extensive palette means that an aluminium product can be coated to complement all manner of items, including building materials and architectural features.

We have a long-standing relationship with global paints and coatings company, AkzoNobel. With its support, we can stay current, aware of changes in product, trends and legislation.

Last year, grey was an incredibly popular choice with developers, local authorities and homeowners. This was underpinned by AkzoNobel naming its Colour of the Year 2018, heart wood, a colour with grey-pink tones.

And that’s the difference: our customers take confidence from our partnership with an internationally respected brand. They benefit from standard 30-year guarantees on all AkzoNobel gloss, satin and matt finishes, and that is extended to 40 years with AkzoNobel’s Interpon D2525.

I’ve been fortunate to work in the fenestration industry for many decades, seeing it expand and contract. I was selling aluminium patio doors in 1994 and it’s been interesting to witness the progress that the aluminium industry has made over the past 25 years, and the direction it has taken.

Almost 10 years ago to the day, work began on one of the UK’s most iconic buildings, The Shard. Representing lightness and transparency, the tallest building in Europe arguably started a trend for expansive glazing. Yet, a decade on, we are seeing a migration towards unitised panels over glazing. Vertik-Al is now processing as much panelling as stick. There’s no denying that aluminium is making its mark.

Aluminum has used its time wisely. Without the scrutiny of PVCU, it has established a robust supply chain. So, regardless of whether aluminium is simply enjoying its moment in the sun, I firmly believe that the benefits of working with this material will leave a lasting impression on a new generation of architects, contractors and homeowners.