Halsall Glass Move Forward

Over the last 12 months, Halsall Glass has been evolving and growing, with a relocation to a larger 20,000 sq ft facility last year and there has also been substantial investment in a laminating oven with 4 beds 3500mm x 1980mm and upgrading its in-house painting facility. The final piece in the jigsaw was the installation of a toughing plant, complete with its own generator.

The investment has seen the company’s customer base grow exponentially in a variety of markets throughout the country. This has also seen the need for an additional Intermac Master 30 CNC, giving the company two CNC machines to handle the extra capacity. To help expand its reach even further and deal with new business, Halsall have added another vehicle to their fleet, a twin wheel base Luton Body Ford Transit, which will help ease the logistics.

“With any growing business you need to look at the full picture”, comments Steve Dakin Sales Director. “Growing our production facility and increasing capacity is only part of the picture, we have to make sure that our customers receive their orders on time. Any delays can cause chaos with a project such as a retail refurbishment where delays with glass display units could result in the outlet opening a few days late and losing revenue in lost sales. We have purposely left the new vehicle unbranded without the Halsall logo, as occasionally we carry out deliveries on behalf of our customers which may be sensitive as some are also involved in glass processing. The added vehicle means that we can continue to offer a first class service to all our customers, no matter where they are”

The new vehicle is suitably fitted out for glass transportation, even though as the name implies toughened and laminated glass is very robust, it needs to be transported correctly. Breakages are uncommon due to the care and attention that Halsall takes when loading and unloading. Elements such as a drop or sudden change in temperature, particularly in the winter months can have a detrimental effect. All these variables have to be taken into account including the weight of the item, even a small free standing shelving system in 10mm glass can weigh a great deal.

With capabilities to work with glass from 4mm through to 19mm in both annealed and toughened glass, Halsall Glass works across a wide range of market sectors, including interior, leisure, retail display, construction and supply of products to other glass companies. The addition of the new vehicle will ensure that Halsall continues to offer a first class service.

www.halsallglass.com

Digitalisation and the ‘Internet of Things’ is rapidly gaining in importance, becoming the touchstone for the future viability of many companies in the window and façade building industry. What radical changes are already happening? That was the subject for several experts’ discussions at SWISSPACER’s fenestra-vision: smart windows, façades and innovative materials.

With the Symposium in its third year, SWISSPACER invited leading industry experts to Salzburg including window and façades builders, window systems companies, planners and scientists to discuss the looming changes to the industry. All agreed that digitalisation is inevitable.

Keynote speaker Dr. Eckhard Keill, Chairman of the Board of Roto Frank AG, discussed the technology behind the latest smart homes, and the potential obstacles and risks. According to a recent study by Gartner, the demand for smart homes and the public perception and understanding of them is approaching its peak – yet the market will not be ready for new developments for another five years.

Particular emphasis was placed on the abilities of the individuals involved along the ‘value chain’, all the way down to the window installer. Experts at the Symposium were all in agreement that new, attractive professions will be created in this new era, such as System Integrators.

Andreas Bittis, Product Manager at Saint-Gobain Building Glass, outlined an exciting scenario in terms of intelligent products and processes during his presentation. The focus is not only on smart solutions, such as switchable glass, but primarily on communication between components, disciplines and users, as well as the availability of more information resulting from this. An intelligent RFID chip, for example, makes seamless documentation of the process possible – from the production of a window, to user behaviour, maintenance cycles, all the way to disposal. Based on this information, Andreas is convinced that new business models can be created.

“The window industry will not be able to enjoy the stability of recent years for much longer,” warned Jochen Wilms, founder of W Ventures. He highlighted just how quickly a market can turn: within five years, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and more have replaced industry heavyweights like Shell or Texaco as the most valuable companies in the world.

The window and façades industry will take on special responsibility here as it could control buildings via the building envelope. Jochen encouraged the construction industry to form a “Star Alliance” to adequately address the pending upheavals.

Maarten Verhezen, Manager at Nest, the smart thermostat, highlighted the shift in perspective his company has experienced. The brand, which belongs to the Google parent company, alphabet, has taken a user-centric point of view as the focus of its business model. People should feel at home – with home automation products that simply work and are visually attractive. Some 1,000 engineers work on smart home solutions at Nest, across sectors such as energy, online or retail. He claimed that “Nest wants to create a construction industry network.”

Schüco, an aluminium window systems manufacturer, has already made one giant leap towards digitalisation by launching Schüco Digital as an independent business unit that bundles all these activities. Prof. Winfrid Heusler, Senior Vice President Global Building Excellence at Schüco stressed in his presentation that “components across various sectors are needed to successfully tackle interdisciplinary challenges. Combining the real and virtual world will have a disruptive impact on the construction industry.”

The benefits of a ‘digital twin’ were highlighted by Prof. Klaus Sedlbauer, Head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP). ‘Digital twins’ can be used as a basis for planning, to simulate aspects of use and coordinate technical construction solutions that can mimic the reaction of external conditions.

Prof. Klaus Peter Sedlbauer introduced the topic of smart building materials. Building envelopes of the future will manage functions like a human body, and it will be the façade that controls the building. Intelligent components, such as textile façades, will also make a contribution here.

The final panel of experts, moderated by Prof. Sieberath, head of the ift Rosenheim Institute, discussed possible developments in relation to PVC as a profile material. There was a strong consensus that this is one material will not be replaced even in the coming decades. Arno Bender, Head of System Support at Aluplast, comments: “The benefits of recyclability are great – ultimately, all PVC frames removed can be recycled in full.”

The experts also came together to cast a first glance towards the Fensterbau Frontale trade show, where there are new developments in adhesive technology and new BIM solutions from Aluplast, as well as 76 and 88mm systems from Profine that provide a better solution with components.

Visit www.swisspacer.com for further information.

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First job: A paper round at 8 or 9, but proper job was with IBM UK in Greenock the very next day after my last exam at university.

When did you join current company? I joined Synseal in November of last year. Previously I was the Supply Chain Director at SIG Plc.

Most useful/favourite gadget: Apart from a bottle opener, the phone is still the best way to communicate.

Favourite/most useful website: Hivemind.com is an interesting new approach to finding experts in a variety of fields on demand.

Business person you admire: My first boss in SIG plc was a guy called John Chivers, who created the Roofing business, a leader and inspirational communicator.

Recommended hotel for business: I prefer the non-chain hotels that have good reputations on Trip Advisor. Clean, friendly, quiet at night and some decent food.

Favourite UK restaurant: Australasia in Manchester has really interesting tasty food and a great atmosphere.

Best business decision: Hire the best to work in your team – just means you get better results and quicker change.

Other interests: I have a young family that I like to spend time with, love my sport particularly rugby. I try to keep reasonably fit with the gym, running and cycling.

Working Day: I set off for work at 6.45 am each day arriving at our headquarters in Huthwaite just after 8am. If my diary allows, I like to walk around the warehouses and yard of our 35-acre site so I can talk to our logistics team and get a sense of how daily operations are progressing. Usually I have a number of meetings scheduled with both my team and senior colleagues at Synseal Group. Our entire focus as a business today is on the improvement of our service to our customers, so my time, energy and projects are all focused on achieving service enhancements.

Working Location: As the Supply Chain Director at Synseal Group I split my time between my office and the warehouses and transport environments. It’s important for me to spend as much time as possible out with the logistics team to see where we can make improvements and implement change to help benefit our customers. Most of the time I’m based at Synseal Group’s main headquarters in Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire, where our extrusion facility is located. This is where we manufacture our Shield, Legend and SynerJy profiles as well as WarmCore, Evolve range, K2 and Global conservatory roofs.

There’s lots of changes taking place across the Synseal Group at the moment and we’re making large investments in continuous improvement projects to help ensure we’re always meeting the needs of our customers. We already know that we have a strong product range of window, door and roof systems which our customers love and continue to return to time after time. The next step for us as a company, as well as continually investing in that product range, is to ensure that we offer customers a consistent and reliable service and delivery across all of our seven sites. We’ve got some customers who have been with us for 20+ and even 30+ years and it’s important that we make sure their positive experience of our products and service is replicated for every single customer.

In order to achieve this, it’s part of our strategic plan to look closely at all aspects of our operations to find areas where we can make the experience even better for our customers. I joined Synseal Group in November 2016 in the new position of Supply Chain Director to focus on an in-depth review of our transport and distribution operations. My aim is to reshape our offer to satisfy our customers’ increasingly sophisticated demands for an agile, cost-effective distribution service. This involves assessing the quality of our supply chain as a whole, as well as our internal supply chain to make sure we’ve got the right products available at the right time for our customers.

Expansion – Since our acquisition of Essex-based Village Glass not long after I joined the Group, we now have a delivery fleet of more than 100 vehicles covering the whole of the UK. This expansion gives us an even wider offer and delivery service capability which is an invaluable gain for our customer base. Part of my job is to manage the performance and maintenance of this fleet alongside our transport team so we are delivering on-time, in-full for every order. Synseal Group is known for its innovative product developments and it’s no secret that we’re working on a new product to expand the WarmCore family. As part of the preparations for this we are looking at a reconfiguration of our warehousing space and a review of the overall logistics to ensure we’re able to meet the high demands for our WarmCore products. This is one of the hardest jobs for us at the Synseal Group – predicting which of our many products we need to prioritise for warehouse space, time and financial investment and ensuring that any logistical changes we make do not impact OTIF levels for other products. We are already very good at managing this at Synseal Group, but we always think there’s room for improvement.

None of our seven manufacturing sites could be considered small, but the 35 acres of warehousing and yard space at the Huthwaite site is a particularly large area to manage and I’m working closely with our other directors to find ways in which we can create even more space and be more efficient with our stockholding. Just before I joined Synseal we implemented our Wall of Colour with more than 80% of coloured foil products held in stock. This was a massive undertaking and £400,000 investment for us, but it was well worth the effort to respond to the customer demand for faster turnarounds on these products and we are delighted with the customer feedback we’ve received since making this decision. The market – Turning to look at the wider market, there is of course a lot of global economic uncertainty out there at the moment as well as further concerns about what Brexit will mean for the UK economy. Ultimately, we are performing well at Synseal Group in all our sectors and we see that continuing to grow over the next 12 months, whatever the impact of Brexit. Since I’ve been with Synseal Group I can see at all levels of the business there are aspirations to continue this growth. It’s still early days in my time here but I’ve already seen some very successful service enhancements campaigns which are focused on our customers and address both the processes and practices of our day-to-day operations to find ways we can make them even better.

My goal is to see Synseal Group recognised as offering the best service in the industry by providing support functions and delivery which help our customers to improve their own operations. What lies ahead – It’s very difficult at the moment to predict the way the markets are going to change in light of global economic uncertainties. At Synseal Group we’ve solidified our offer to customers with recent acquisitions to ensure that we can continually offer the most extensive product range available in the industry. We’re doing everything that we can to make the jobs of our fabricators easier – but what lies ahead for their businesses?

My advice to all fabricators from my experience working in supply chain management is to work as closely as possible with your suppliers and look at ways you can support each other, for example through shared data and future plans. The more information we can give each other, the easier it will be to drive efficiencies for mutual advantage. You can only benefit further from a closer working relationship with your suppliers – and it’s our job at Synseal Group to make sure we’re responding to your needs. From a supplier point of view, it’s helpful for us to be able to guarantee quality product to fabricators by delivering orders in pack and stillage quantities. This helps us to prevent unnecessary damage to packs and ensures that our stockholding is accurate, leading to better on-time, in-full performance. In any business, good communication along the supply chain is key to success, and that can be achieved in simple ways like informing us if you have delivery restrictions like narrow lanes en-route to your site.

In the future, it wouldn’t surprise me if businesses start sharing resources such as transport, even with their competitors. This sort of collaboration is already happening across other industries and helps to drive out unnecessary costs for the benefits of everyone in the supply chain – if you can overcome the hurdle of getting two opposition companies on the same wavelength. It’s an interesting time to be in the industry and to see what efficiencies can be achieved when you start investigating new collaborative approaches. Looking further ahead, as a connected supply chain we need to keep a watchful eye on what’s happening abroad in the fenestration and wider construction industry. Not in the next year or five years, but perhaps in a decade’s time the way we manufacture and build is probably going to change. Businesses in China are already investing in facilities in the UK to build fully finished houses in their warehouses and then to deliver the complete product to site. This is a huge advancement which could change the structure and timeline of our supply chains and is something worth considering in our mid-to-long-term strategies. The most important thing though is that we continue to work together. Costs remain the biggest restraint that we all face, particularly in times of economic uncertainty. The more we work together and share our successes along the supply chain, the more cost-saving improvements we can make for everyone’s benefit.

The post Scot Gerry, Supply Chain Director at Synseal Group appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

New findings from Palmer Market Research have revealed that the total installed value of the UK conservatory market jumped by 9% to £1.05bn last year – the highest level since 2009.

The Market for Domestic Conservatories 2017 showed that average installed prices also rose by 12%. The rate of fall in volume also slowed to 1.4% compared to 6% last year.

According to the report, ‘although the market appears to be in long-term decline, the conservatories that are being installed are larger and more sophisticated’ while ‘another important trend is the growth of replacement conservatories.’

Nonetheless, the market still hit a new all-time low in volume of 77,700 units, with a 4% decline in first-time installations.

Robert Palmer, managing director, Palmer Market Research, said: “The conservatory sector remains a pretty mixed bag. ‘White boxes’ have lost their retail appeal and the market has seen a shift to larger, higher value installations and more flexible spaces.”

Figures from Palmer show that PVC-U remains the dominant material type across sectors, with aluminium remaining static and failing to replicate the inroads that it has made in other areas. Wood is again forecast to be static this year, ahead of decline going forward.

The Market for Domestic Conservatories also tracks the rapid growth seen in orangery and orangery-hybrid – up 38% in 2016. ‘There has been a perceptible switch to more versatile structures’, the report continues.

This will also reportedly drive future growth in replacement products, which accounted for 29% of the total home improvement market last year.

The trend towards higher value products reflects a broader shift across the window and door industry as a whole. The Window, Door and Conservatory Markets in Housing in Great Britain, published in September, cited growth of 1% in volume terms and 7% in value terms to £4.5bn, with fortunes very much defined by product and material type.

This is echoed in The Market for Domestic Conservatories, which is available as a stand-alone report offering analysis on the trends that will define the conservatory sector through to 2021.

“Going forward as with the industry as a whole, the conservatory sector represents a mix of opportunity and some areas of potentially quite painful contraction through to 2021,” said Palmer.

“This will be influenced by product type and in many cases, style of installation. There will also be growth opportunities from some perhaps more unexpected areas, so the fortunes of systems companies, fabricators and installers will be very much down to how they position their offers now.”

The post Conservatory installed values up by 9% appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Commercial fabricator and installer Industrial Services Group is one of the many businesses to start manufacturing Distinction Doors’ nxt-gen composite door. And ISG’s General Manager Peter Keeley is impressed so far: “We’re impressed by the quality and aesthetics of nxt-gen. Plus because the fabrication programme is shorter, it is quicker to fabricate.”

Peter’s comments highlight the two clear benefits of Distinction’s nxt-gen range.

The aesthetics take composite doors to the next level thanks to features such as the unique glazing system that sits flush within its frame and has an internal glass retention bead to create a sleek, balanced finish. At the same time, the beautiful oak woodgrain skin that is retained from Distinction’s Signature door marks it out as a Distinction door.

The range also offers benefits to fabricators and installers because simple developments reduce waste, increase tooling yield and contribute to a reduced machining time of an average of two minutes per door.

ISG has been a customer of Distinction Doors for over ten years and manufactures between 40 and 70 composite doors per week for commercial clients up and down the country. Peter comments: “Composite doors are specified in most of the tenders we receive and we’re proud to be able to supply the market leading product.”

High quality market-leading products are a core part of ISG’s compelling offering. The company surveys, manufactures and installs PVC-U windows, doors, composite doors and curtain walling. It offers transparent pricing, a proactive approach and a commitment to customer satisfaction that means it has never lost a client due to poor performance.

But perhaps the most noteworthy part of ISG’s offering is the fact it is a social enterprise set up to give unemployed disabled people a chance to train, develop and go on to achieve sustained employment in the wider world of work. Wholly owned by Bradford Council today, its roots – and its ethos – stretch back to the 1920s when it was set up by the Bradford Royal Institute for the Blind to support incapacitated service people returning from World War I into employment.

Industrial Services Group is known for being a high quality company supplying high quality products. And by becoming one of the first wave of fabricators to start working with Distinction Doors’ nxt-gen range, it’s just cemented that reputation.

www.distinctiondoors.co.uk

The Safety Locking Cable Restrictor, from home security specialist ERA, is the only window restrictor to pass all British Standards, making it an obvious choice for those looking to enhance safety in domestic or commercial settings.

Meeting the strictest safety standards, the Safety Locking Cable Restrictor has been thoroughly tested to satisfy even Grade 3 impact resistance of BS EN 13126-5, and has been proven to far surpass any other UK window restrictor in independent test scenarios.

Marketing manager, Jemma Booker explains, “When it comes to ensuring safety, opting for substandard products is simply not worth the risk. The ERA Safety Locking Cable Restrictor is the only product on the market that can provide absolute peace of mind, having out-performed even the most popular competitor products on the market. What’s more, the Restrictor has been uniquely designed with discretion in mind and benefits from the same neutral style as our popular Maxim Window Handle. The result is a product which not only provides unrivalled safety standards but also offers aesthetic appeal.”

Suitable for both domestic and commercial use, the Safety Locking Cable Restrictor has been designed for use on all windows and doors including timber, aluminium and PVCu. Ergonomically designed for easy operation, this market-leading device is an essential addition for anyone looking to improve safety around open windows and doors.

For further information about window restrictors and other ERA home security products, visit www.eraeverywhere.com or contact the sales team on 01922 490 000 or by emailing info@eraeverywhere.com

Brian Baker (left) and Brian Waldron receive their awards

Brian Baker, former Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) president and interim chief executive, and Brian Waldron, chairman of the GGF standards committee, have been recognised for outstanding service to the federation.

Brian Baker started in the industry in 1979 with Solaglas and first engaged with the GGF in 1981. He has been at the forefront of the GGF for the last seven years and was chairman on many specialist groups and committees.

Brian Waldron’s service to the industry goes back almost 50 years to 1969, when he started with Pilkington Brothers in the technical sales laboratory, mainly on ‘glass strength’ testing and development of impact test methods.

He was also involved in the ‘Mathews v Kember’ case, which started with testing safety products from all areas of the UK market. The objective being to ensure that the ANZI Z79.1 test methodology could be taken on for the classification of ‘flat safety glass and safety plastics’ in the UK market, which became a British Standard in 1981.

Both Brians were presented with an award at the recent GGF members’ day.

The post The lives of two Brians at the GGF appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Pupils of Crosshouse Primary School join the team involved in the construction of the new ‘Happy Hive’, which will provide a calming sanctuary for young people with communications disorders and Autism.

A new sensory unit in Kilmarnock designed to provide a ‘calming sanctuary’ for young people with communications disorders and autism, has been created by a team of ‘industrious apprentices’ in just 40 hours, with the support of partner contractors and suppliers, including CMS Window Systems.

The new Snow White and the Seven Dwarves themed wooden cabin, garden and sensory facility at Crosshouse Primary School, were created to cater for more than 40 children within the school, which previously did not have a space for their needs. The facility went from the drawing board to being built and ready to use in record time thanks to the ‘heroic’ efforts of a team of 18 apprentices working for Morrison Construction and its supply chain, plus departments across East Ayrshire Council.

The construction of the new Crosshouse Communications Unit, which the deputy head teacher at the school says will have a massive impact on the day to day health and wellbeing of the pupils, was undertaken as part of the annual Ayrshire Chamber Modern Apprenticeship Challenge 2017. It brought together trainees studying for SVQs in horticulture, electrical, administration and joinery under the team name “EAC United”, reflecting their numerous different disciplines. They were joined by other modern apprentices and time served craftsmen from the private sector companies involved, to pull off the amazing feat.

Supporting EAC United was CMS Window Systems, which fabricated and supplied all the PVC-U windows, French doors and entrance doors for the building, which has been nicknamed the “Happy Hive”.

Andy Kerr, managing director at CMS Window Systems, said: “The new Crosshouse Communications Unit project was such an exciting project to get involved with, and we were delighted when we were asked to provide our support. Its creation has benefited so many groups, including the next generation of tradesmen and women, but most of all the young people who will ultimately use the superb new addition to their school.”

www.cmswindows.com

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A new CPD looking at security hardware has been launched for door and window hardware suppliers, architectural ironmongers and locksmiths.

As the evenings grow darker and security comes to the forefront of people’s minds, the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) has released the new RIBA approved seminar for delivery exclusively by GAI members across the country.

Architectural ironmongers are said to play a crucial role in the supply chain, working with architects, interior designers, contractors and others to schedule and specify the hardware for every door and window in a building and to produce a full fixing schedule of hardware items.

The seminar, titled Security and Ironmongery, looks at both mechanical and electrical locking devices as well as security standards for doorsets and windows. It also covers key industry standards as well as Approved Document Q and the Secured by Design initiative.

It is the latest CPD seminar available to members, adding to the GAI’s existing CPD portfolio covering topics such as ironmongery for fire and escape doors and access control.

As the training is RIBA approved, architects will be able to receive double learning points for attending a presentation of this CPD.

For further information, contact Douglas Masterson on technical@gai.org.uk

The post Secure a copy of the new GAI CPD seminar appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).