Fabricator-friendly heritage

TruFrame has contributed to the design and development of Mila’s new range of Heritage espag handles, and has since become one of the first customers to start fitting the new handles on its flush sash windows.

TruFrame worked with Mila’s design team to give a fabricator’s perspective on how the perfect ‘heritage’ espag handle would look and function.

Features include a ‘proper’ push-button key locking mechanism, a simple push-fit screw cover cap, with faux clocked screw detail, and a unique rosette key design.

For Patrick Firmager, TruFrame’s project director, it’s the perfect example of what can be achieved when suppliers and fabricators work in close partnership: TruFrame has a new selling point, which can help its customers win more business, while Mila has a product with widespread fabricator appeal.

“During this project, we were able to leverage our own experience in the factory and our customers’ direct feedback to ensure that we could design out all the issues present in our existing range of heritage window handles from a different supplier,” Patrick said. “We knew we could help make this range from Mila more attractive, easier to fit and much less prone to mechanical failure.

“Being able to touch and hold physical prototypes at the various design stages gave that all important sense of how the handles would feel, while seeing and being able to provide feedback on the planned range of finishes was super important.

“We’re particularly pleased with the new ‘pewter patina’ finish which looks great on both the pear drop and monkey tail versions. We’re already fitting the handles on both our standard flush sash windows and our premium range of Refine double-rebated flush sash windows.”

Richard Gyde, Mila’s managing director, said: “We regularly design bespoke products for customers when there are really big volumes involved, but for a fairly niche product like heritage handles, that was never going to be possible.

“However, TruFrame recognised the very real advantages of having design input into a product which would be available to the wider market, on the basis that they would also benefit from the economies of scale.”

The Mila Heritage range is already proving extremely popular with customers fabricating in all of the big name sculptured and flush sash ranges, including the likes of Liniar, Deceuninck, Epwin, Rehau and Residence 9.

The entire range comes in nine classic and modern finishes, including textured black and textured pewter, matt black, white, polished chrome, polished gold, satin chrome, pewter patina and antique bronze.