Sheerline has announced the addition of a weather testing rig at its facility in Derbyshire.

At 3m by 3m, the rig is said to generate forces far beyond what is typical of the UK’s weather, and tests air and water tightness, and pressure deflection. This means it can be used to assess a range of products including windows, doors and commercial systems for numerous applications and installations.

The Sheerline team has now been fully-trained on the rig and are already utilising it. Whilst it will be of benefit to the in-house research & development team, Sheerline says that it will also positively impact the wider company and its customers.

For example, the R&D team can now test all current products on-site to make enhancements in line with Sheerline’s commitment to continuous improvement. It also provides the option to test more broadly, for instance, different types of hardware on different products.

The benefits of this are two-fold; not only will it speed up the product development process, but it will also speed up the product approval process. Whilst the results will be treated as indicative, it will reduce the reliance on third-party test houses during the development phase.

Many in the industry will be familiar with the limitations of working with third-parties for testing as there is often a lengthy process to go through, a substantial cost involved, and the testing itself can be time-intensive in an unfamiliar (off-site) setting.

Additionally, having the rig in-house will add another layer of transparency, one that is designed to give Sheerline customers confidence in the products they are selling.

Ross Hartshorn, Sheerline’s managing director, commented:

“This is a fantastic piece of equipment for a company that thrives on product development.

“Over the past six years, we’ve been able to launch so many products because we’re an independent systems house. Research and development that ultimately leads to new products and product enhancements is a key priority, and this isn’t going to change. This new rig will enable us to maintain this pace and our competitive advantage,” he added.