Edgetech has opened a new research laboratory.

Situated at the company’s Coventry headquarters, it’s designed to develop new products, assist customers in meeting accreditation and compliance requirements, and generally distribute technical expertise more widely throughout the company.

Through its association with parent company Quanex, Edgetech already has access to testing facilities in Akron, Ohio, but this is the first time the firm has had the capacity to develop products independently in the UK.

“The demands placed on IGU manufacturers are growing all the time,” technical development manager Gary Shoesmith said.

“They’re caught in a squeeze between the increasingly stringent standards demanded of them by governments and regulators, and their customers and end-users wanting exceptional performance for ever-more competitive prices.

“On top of that, we’re seeing more and more volatility in the supply chain. Raw material prices have risen, sometimes quite substantially, in the wake of Brexit and, most pressingly of all at the moment, the silicone shortage is causing headaches throughout the industry.

“At Edgetech, we take these issues extremely seriously – and now, thanks to the new laboratory, I’m spending a significant amount of time and resources on helping our customers respond.

“At the time of writing, I’m evaluating no less than five potential new products, capable of delivering the same outstanding performance the industry has come to expect from us, using materials that are more readily available.”