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As the industry chases smarter, leaner production, Stuga is finalising a two-part dashboard system that will revolutionise the way fabricators monitor performance. Technical director, Gareth Green, explains why this is a game-changer for operational efficiency. Over the last 12 months, we’ve made some major changes at Stuga – not just in how we support our machines, but in how we...
With product differentiation more critical than ever, manufacturers face growing pressure to meet rising demand without sacrificing quality or profitability. With JadeConsult, they can streamline production, overcome bottlenecks and enhance efficiency for long-term success. After a two-year build-up, the 2025 FIT Show opened its doors to thousands of visitors last month, the ultimate showroom for the industry, packed with new...
By Neil Parton, managing director, Elumatec UK. In today’s competitive market, the most successful fabricators aren’t just investing in great machines – they’re designing entire systems. They think beyond specs and price points. They think in terms of workflow, data flow, serviceability, and scalability. And increasingly, they expect their machinery partners to think that way too. It’s a mindset shift...
Stuga Machinery’s new head of aftersales, Nigel Hampson, explores the true cost of downtime, and why relying on reactive machinery support is a risk no fenestration business can afford. As manufacturers head to FIT Show 2025, Nigel highlights the critical question they should be asking: Why invest in machines alone, when aftersales support can ensure long-term success? With just weeks...
The fenestration supply chain is one that has evolved into a comfortable rut over the last four plus decades as PVC-U and latterly aluminium has responded to the increasing pride and joy in home ownership and home improvement. As taste and technology has led to a flurry of new product designs, incorporating those designs into efficient manufacturing has been a...
By Neil Parton, managing director, Elumatec. There’s no doubt that AI and automation are changing the landscape of industry, but with all the hype surrounding these technologies, it’s important to ask the right questions. Rather than simply adopting AI for the sake of it, we need to focus on where it delivers real, measurable benefits – and where human expertise...
Glass Times visits the ‘new and improved’ Jade Engineering, which is gearing up for growth after a £4million investment in facilities and machinery, the introduction of a new managing director and the launch of a new division with JadeBespoke. Jade’s distinctive and bespoke machinery can be found in PVC and aluminium production lines up and down the country, and without...
With a focus on cutting-edge technology, Industry 4.0, and exceptional aftercare, Stuga Machinery’s managing director, Ed Williams, explains why FIT Show 2025 comes at a fundamental time for fenestration. As we get closer to FIT Show 2025, the Stuga Machinery team is excited to return to the event that’s always been a cornerstone for connecting our industry. But this time,...
Jade, the window and door industry’s de facto tool supplier, has moved to larger premises. The new 30,00ft2 factory headquarters may be only 500m down the road from the previous locations on the same Coventry industrial estate, but it represents one giant leap for the company. “Moving our operations any distance at all was never exactly going to be just...
Stuga Machinery is bringing the new Stürtz HSM 6-KV Turbo corner/transom welder to the UK. Ed Williams, managing director at Stuga Machinery explains how it could add more than 163 frames per week to your production line. As the exclusive UK supplier of Stürtz machines, we are planning to unveil the new Stürtz HSM 6-KV Turbo corner/transom welder at next...
We talk to Jade’s Adam Jones about the benefits of investing in British manufacturing and how window and door companies can take advantage of their new Star SX38 sliding head lathe. The tide is turning on ‘offshoring’, the economic movement that started in the 1990s, fuelled by companies relocating their manufacturing overseas in search of cheap labour and generous incentives...
In a competitive market it’s never been more important to have a clear differentiator that gives consumers something more for their budget. Matt Thomas, managing director of Haffner, considers how Graf Synergy technology gives fabricators this differentiator – and why it’s important to embrace the technology sooner rather than later. Within a market backdrop of uncertainty, it’s encouraging that a...
By Neil Parton, managing director, Elumatec. Is business growth always a good thing? The short answer is that it depends. It’s a key factor in securing economies of scale and critical market share, but growth can be problematic. We could all cite cases of businesses that have grown rapidly and then failed because their infrastructure wasn’t in place. Of course,...
Based in Telford, GS-MR Robotics designs and builds customer driven, bespoke robotic automation solutions for the glass industry. In this article, GS-MR Robotics’ director, Paula Owen, discusses the benefits that robotic automation can bring to glass manufacturers and processors. It is encouraging to note in late 2024 how the global glass industry has begun to openly embrace and discuss the...
By Greg Beachim, sales manager, First Degree Systems – Cyncly. In the window fabrication industry, training often gets put on the back burner, seen as an optional expense rather than a must-have. It's easy to see why. Paying for a trainer's time and expertise can seem costly, and then there's the challenge of pulling employees away from their day-to-day tasks....
Managing director at Stuga Machinery, Ed Williams, shares his learnings in machinery, thoughts on automation and why Lego instructions should never be ignored. When I was appointed to the newly introduced role of managing director at Stuga Machinery in July 2022, I was drawn not just to the opportunity to lead a machinery manufacturing business, but by the rich legacy...
Don’t be frightened into cutting out essential maintenance when the going gets tough, warns industry machine and tooling gurus Jade engineering. It’s a false economy and could end up costing you thousands more in unexpected repair costs. If you neglect the regular maintenance of the engine in your car, the likelihood of it breaking down increases manifold. If you miss...
Ensuring precise hinge and outer-to-sash alignment has traditionally been a time-consuming and labour-intensive process for door fabricators. However, the new KT tables from Haffner have revolutionised the process. Matt Thomas, managing director at Haffner, takes us on a tour of this transformational machinery, and discusses its efficiency and impact on the industry. Getting the alignment right on the outer frame...
By Neil Parton, managing director, Elumatec UK. I’m guessing that kids no longer say they want to be train drivers or astronauts when they grow up. I imagine many dream of playing in the Premier League or being an influencer with millions of followers. Some, no doubt, are ready to work hard, pursuing that footballing dream, learning to code so...
Avantek Machinery has introduced two new products, the Wegoma 6-head inline hybrid welder and the KV-500 vent router, solutions that it says ‘underscores its commitment to innovation and user-friendly design’. A dual-functionality welder According to Avantek, the Wegoma 6-head inline hybrid welder represents a leap forward in fabrication technology. Engineered to maximise production capacity and efficiency while maintaining the highest...