Award winning partnership

When ODL Europe won Best New Product of The Year at The G21 Awards for its Guardsman composite fire door it was, according to Winkhaus, recognition of a journey that started some years earlier and a partnership that has existed for far longer.

At the centre of the relationship is said to be ‘a passion to develop innovative solutions’. In the case of the Guardsman fire doorset, a solution that is fully compliant with the latest legislations. This includes tested to and above the requirements of building regulations and Q Mark third party audited through design and manufacture of the doorset, survey and installation. The full lifecycle of the door can also be third party audited.

The Winkhaus technical team, led by Winkhaus UK’s technical director, Chris Flaherty, is said to have been heavily involved from the start. This included the development of the technical specifications and drawings to the creation of the Field of Application and training of fabricators as they prepare to manufacture.

The finished doorset includes both the Winkhaus AV2 autolocking system and Winkhaus FireFrame, a specially developed GRP (Glass Reinforced Polymer) frame system with high fire resistance properties.

Ian Glenister, technical sales manager at ODL Europe, said: “Our collaboration with Winkhaus on our Guardsman fire door project has been very successful. Winkhaus shares the same vision as ODL Europe and values the importance of developing solutions that exceed current legislation. Its focus and commitment have been an important part of the journey and one that has resulted in delivering the best in composite fire door safety.

“This is just the start of the journey as we continue to partner with Winkhaus, ensuring our award-winning position is maintained, with constant expansion of test evidence and third-party certification.

“Congratulations again for the deserved recognition and a toast to our next decade of partnership and innovation.”