One millionth double glazed unit

Sternfenster has supplied its one millionth double glazed unit manufactured on its Forel IGU line.

The third of three Forel lines purchased by Sternfenster, it’s managing director, Mike Parczuk, said that the capability the line delivered had been integral to its supply strategy, driving increased product quality and service.

“We have always focused on owning and controlling as much of the supply chain as possible. Manufacture of our own IGU’s made a lot of sense both in terms of product quality but also wider service,” he said.

Manufacturing windows and doors in PVC-U systems from Deceuninck Residence 9 and Spectus plus aluminium systems from Smart, running its own IGU line has given Sternfenster additional flexibility something it argues translates directly into the service and support, it offers to its customers.

“We can guarantee IGU quality, something which you can’t always do with third-party supliers but it also means we can be more responsive to customers”, explained Mike. “If there’s a mis-measures or breakage, for example, we can turn around replacement product very quickly. It also means that we’re not waiting on our own supply chain. This is a key driver of our strategy across our product offering.”

Installed in 2009, Sternfenster’s IGU line features a VW Vertical Washer and Water Treatment plant, plus its patented CR coating remover. This delivers a number of advantages over competitor systems, working shaped glass without tool changes, while the cup grinding tool gives the abrasive surface a higher yield.

It also features the highly innovative SQD01 Automatic Quality Control Scanner. This captures an image of the glass at a rate of 2000 times per second. Images are then combined with the onboard software, automatically detecting surface defects on both sides of the sheet.

www.sternfenster.com

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Modplan has just announced it will be adding VEKA’s mechanically jointed vertical slider to its range. Heidi Sachs, Modplan’s Managing Director, said: “The mechanically jointed VS extends our VS range. It has been specifically designed for conservation areas and opens up even more opportunities for our customers.”

VEKA’s mechanically jointed VS was developed in conjunction with local planning departments to ensure its aesthetics met design requirements for conservation areas. The key joints have a mortice and tenon appearance and other features include sculptured sashes, a period Georgian bar, traditional travel stops and run through horn details and heritage hardware design. The period feel of the mechanically jointed VS is complemented by the modern day technical advantages because the window achieves a U value as low as 1.4 W/m2K.

The mechanically jointed VS’s features build on VEKA’s standard VS, which is a popular choice of social and commercial specifiers in Britain and Ireland thanks to features such as traditional front to back profile dimensions that match existing timber box sash window arrangements, a deep bottom rail option, weights and pulleys that are replaced with spring and spiral balances plus sashes that tilt inwards for easy cleaning.

Standard colours on the mechanically jointed VS are White, Rosewood, Rosewood on White, Golden Oak, Golden Oak on White, Anthracite Grey on White and Black on White. Other variation colours are available on request, but have a longer lead time.The new mechanically jointed VS will be manufactured in Modplan’s dedicated factory near Newport, Gwent and will be available to customers from 1 April 2017.

The mechanically jointed VS is the latest in a line of new products being introduced by Modplan over the next few months. Other additions include VEKA’s FlushSash window and the M70 system. Heidi says, “We keep our finger on the pulse when it comes to product design and the mechanically jointed VS is just one example of our ability to do this.”

www.modplan.co.uk

Universal Arches will bring the first ever Motion Capture (MoCap) technology to the FIT Show, which will transform a hidden, live human performance into a pure, interactive and digital experience on stand C63 in Hall 6.

Archie and Sasha will be the two life like digital assistants on the Universal Arches stand, which will dazzle visitors in terms of interactive technology and also product finish in a unique colourway, this year with a distinctly metallic theme. In addition, there will be a set of arched Solidor composite French doors and with every visitor to the show given a lanyard with a unique key, there will be the opportunity to try and open the doorset to claim an Apple iPad.

The virtual characters of Archie and Sasha have full mobility and have all the expressions and features that you would associate with an animated video character in the movies, except this one interacts and talks back to the audience live on stage. It’s very much like bringing interactive technology to life, out of the latest Disney Pixar movies, as can be seen at www.activ8hologramevents.com/motion-capture.

Leon Day, managing director of Universal Arches commented: ‘It will be our staff that will drive our FIT Show exhibition this year with the likes of Caitlin and Kayleigh on hand each day and supported by our virtual assistants of Archie and Sasha. With our sponsorship again of the lanyards, we’re also looking to break the record breaking footfall of 3,217 from last years’ show.

He continues: ‘Come and experience this ground breaking interactive technology for yourself and make sure you share your experience through social media channels. We really hoping to bring some genuinely exciting technology to the FIT Show with a true sense of fun.’

Share your experiences using #archieandsasha with #fitshow on stand C63 in Hall 6. For further information on Universal Arches visit www.universalarches.com, call the sales office on 01744 612844 or follow them on Twitter @universalarches.

Quick to launch new products for the composite door sector, Endurance® Doors, are now offering the recently announced and perfectly engineered Fab&Fix heritage door handle, as part of their extended hardware range, through their partners ERA.

This new Lever Lever and Lever Pad handle range is offered in antique black, along with hardex chrome, gold and graphite and is designed within a suite of perfectly matching products including letterplate and bull ring knocker. The operation of this new handle has been tested to in excess of 200,000 cycles and the finish across the range meets the requirements of BS EN 1670:2007 Grade 5 Corrosion Resistance (480 hours).

Many consumers like the traditional appearance of some of the period inspired designs within the Endurance® Doors collection and the availability of a new heritage hardware range that’s designed to last is a major plus, at a time when some antique hardware options have high failure rates and a short operational lifespan. These new finishes will also be featured on the Door Designer, that has become so popular with consumers and trade partners alike.

Stephen Nadin, managing director of Endurance® Doors commented: ‘The new heritage handle and hardware range is an important addition to our expanding portfolio and we’re one of the first companies in the UK to make the investment. Product performance, security and aesthetics are some of the key ingredients as to why our solid and secure Endurance® Doors are gaining such popularity and rave reviews.

For further information on Endurance® Doors, including complete door sets or slab only manufacturing, please visit www.endurancedoors.co.uk, e-mail sales@endurancedoors.co.uk or call the sales office on 01652 462042. You can also follow them on Twitter @EnduranceDoors.

It appears that there are pretty big changes afoot when it comes to the energy ratings label, the label system that was adopted unto windows few years ago to help home owners decipher which windows are better than others when it comes to energy efficiency.

But with Brexit set to begin on Wednesday, I’m not quite sure how much of these changes will apply to the UK. In a letter published last week by the Energy Saving Trust, this was what was stated would change:

EU

Energy labels to return to A-G range (the end of A+++)

Following negotiations between the European Parliament, Council and Commission, a deal has now been struck on how to replace the current energy labelling rating system (which ranges from G to A+++ for certain products) with a simpler and clearer A-G scale.

There are two main changes as part of the above:

A rescaling of all labelled products to return to an A-G scale. Different product types have different timeframes: for instance 15 months for white goods (dishwashers, fridges and washing machines), TVs and lighting appliances, a general six years limit for other products and a ‘slow track’ of 9-13 years for heaters and boilers. Once all A+ and above rated products are removed if 30% of a product type are in class A or 50% in class A+B then a further rescaling is also triggered.

Setting up a product database. This will make it easier for consumers to compare the efficiency of products and improve market surveillance. The database is expected to be operational from 2019.

These changes form part of a wider range of changes that are being brought in as part of the Energy Union package.

To be clear, these are new plans that will span across all products that have energy ratings labels. This does include windows here in the UK. So these are changes that would potentially affect us so long as they are done before we actually leave the EU.

I do also like the idea of a new product database with the aim of helping consumers compare the energy efficiency of products. In the vastness that is the world of consumer consumption, something like this is very much required.

No more A+++…eventually

I am happy to see that the powers that be have decided to scrap the use of multiple +’s once products have become more efficient than the original A band represented. It was something that was turning the energy ratings label scheme into a joke. It was difficult to be serious with a home owner about how efficient windows were when you kept having to repeat the word “plus” two or three times after explaining what an A rating was.

It is going, but not quickly. As the statement above reads, there is a timescale on how quickly this rescaling back to the A-G range will happen. White goods get it in 15 months, six years if products are classed as “general”, not sure what that means. If its items like boilers or heating, it’s 9-13 years. And you can bet your last old quid and first new shaped one that windows are going to be put in that last decade long category.

This is where I think these plans might start to lose their traction here in the UK. On Wednesday Theresa May will trigger Article 50, finally, which will see us start the negotiation process to leave the EU. The day after she is also due to lay down the framework for what is called The Great Repeal Act. This will be legislation that basically carbon copies all EU laws into UK law, where the Government will then have the power to strip away what isn’t required or relevant to the UK. So here’s the catch, you can only copy into UK law what’s already there, and I don’t think these plans have yet been ratified by the EU. So, the UK may leave the EU without these plans in place, which means we’re likely to have a Window Energy Ratings scheme for quite a few years where we are stuck with multiple +’s after the A rating.

Now, we have some negotiating to do with the EU. So it might be the case that the UK may get to use EU-wide energy ratings for windows in this country. In the grand scheme of things this is one of the smaller, insignificant details of the mass negotiations that will need to be done. But for us as an industry, this is a big talking point.

I am of the opinion that WERs lost any perceived value the minute +’s were being shoved on the end for when there wasn’t another letter to go to. It turned demonstrations of that part of the sales process stupid, and only served to confuse home owners rather than inform. If we’re going to stick with this system, then it most definitely needs to be brought back to the A-G scale and nothing more. No +’s, no other symbols, just a letter and a number. That’s all that scale needs. Simple.

By the looks of the statement this all needs to be done by 2019. Which just so happens to be the year we’re supposed to leave the EU. Wonder if this will be something else kicked into the long grass for another year?

UPDATE:

I was tweeted this morning by Phil Brown, from Pilkington, to give clarity on the proposed changes to the Energy Ratings Label:

So it would appear that these changes will not apply to the UK Window Energy Ratings. In which case, we will be stuck with A ratings that have numerous +’s tagged on the end of it.

I would call upon BFRC to look at what is being proposed in Europe and amend here too. As there isn’t yet a pan-European Window Energy Ratings label, that appears to be the reason why these changes would not apply to us. There are plans for such a thing, but I think it would be unlikely to affect the UK as Brexit begins tomorrow and anything that isn’t law now isn’t going to be carried over via the Great Repeal Bill.

Nothing to get excited about in the end.

With recent investments in machinery and the expansion of its facilities and product ranges, including a ‘complete composite door solution’, Bootle based ODL Europe is now introducing some of the names behind the brand, all of whom will be present at The FIT Show in May, and on-hand to advise customers on the latest product innovations.

Heading up the business is ODL Europe’s managing director, Mark Towers. Mark is very well known in the industry and has a vast experience covering over 30 years within building products and the home improvement manufacturing sector. Mark is described as a ‘hands-on’ director, keeping a firm eye on quality and ensuring that ODL keeps apace of the changing consumer tastes and trends in the market. With an ‘unsurpassed knowledge’ of the industry, ODL says that Mark can be relied upon to give fabricator and installer customers ‘an exemplary service with keen attention to every detail’.

Mark’s ‘right hand man’ at the office is finance manager, Steve Ellison. A familiar contact to many of the company’s customers and suppliers, Steve is said to fulfil an ‘essential role’ in ensuring that the finances of the business and its trading divisions are all tightly managed. Steve is the first point of contact for any customer matters relating to invoicing, administration and distribution of orders.

On the sales side for internal blind systems, under the Blink Blinds brand, there are two recent additions; Garry Wilson and John Evans who both joined the team in 2016.

With Garry heading up sales in the North of England and Ireland and John looking after blind sales in the southern regions, both are described as ‘highly experienced’ in the home building products manufacturing industry and well placed to assist their growing base of installers and fabricators up and down the country.

Late in 2016, ODL Europe launched its composite door brand, Aperture Solutions. Heading the sales and technical role for this division is Steve Kendal, joining the business from his previous role at Capstone.

Steve has extensive expertise on the design, technical and manufacturing aspects of the composite door product range and is well-known to many in the home improvement building products sector. Steve will be delighted to be demonstrating the full capabilities and benefits of the new door range at FIT in May.

Managing director, Mark Towers, commented: “One of the most important objectives for the business and one we see as essential, is having the right team on board. This has been a part of our longer-term strategy as we have invested heavily to develop our product ranges and technical manufacturing capabilities.

“Now we are in a position of having the best of both worlds, with great facilities and the right people on board to spearhead our business growth. We very much look forward to showcasing our latest innovations at FIT in May.”

ODL Europe will be on stand D35 at the FIT Show.

www.odleurope.com

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Swish Windows and Doors is that rare thing in the UK window and door industry: a brand that is widely recognised by homeowners. And whilst the power of consumer branding is a major factor in the popularity of Swish amongst fabricators and installers, continuous development of products and support services are also driving sales.

In fact Swish is undergoing one of the most comprehensive updates in the brand’s history with new products, new colours and greater choice all round. The new back edge detail broadens the appeal of Swish in addition to fabricators now able to dip into a hugely extended options list, the result of integration with sister products from the Epwin stable. This includes a range of ancillaries that increases sales opportunities and boosts competition by allowing greater choice by homeowners.

And now there’s special attention for Swish installers with the introduction of the Excellence as Standard installer support scheme.

With the core aim of enhancing loyalty and trust between installers and their homeowner customers, Excellence as Standard sets out to provide clear, recognisable and measurable standards for service and product quality. The ultimate goal of the scheme is to measurably improve the performance and earning power of every member.

Swish returns to the FIT Show to provide the perfect opportunity to meet existing and potential Swish dealers and talk about the future face-to-face. Head for stand B34, adjacent to the Master Fitter Challenge Pavilion.

www.swishwindows.co.uk

Long-established family fabricator Dempsey Dyer is welcoming another member of extended Dyer clan to the fold, as Mark Suaznabar becomes uPVC compliance and quality manager.

Mark, husband to Rachel Dyer and brother-in-law to managing director Peter, joins the firm after a distinguished career in the police. For twelve and a half years, he served as an officer in the Metropolitan force, before moving to Nottingham and eventually becoming a Detective Constable specialising in fraud investigations.

At Dempsey Dyer, Mark will be charged with ensuring that all products meet the company’s stringent quality standards, as well as comply with the increasing array of accreditations the fabricator is able to meet.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Dempsey Dyer,” comments Mark. “I’m obviously already extremely familiar with the business, and I’ve always hugely admired the passion and dedication Tom, Peter and the rest of the family have for what they do.

It’s also an exciting time to join the firm. We’ve set ambitious targets for the year ahead, and we want to significantly expand the uPVC side of the business. For forty years now, we’ve boasted one of the industry’s most extensive ranges of Deceuninck doors and windows – and it’s going to be my job to ensure that our customers continue to get the exceptional quality they’ve come to expect from Dempsey Dyer.”

Peter Dyer comments: “It’s fantastic to be welcoming Mark to the team! His hard work, dedication and attention to detail will be an asset to Dempsey Dyer – and as we continue to expand our already extensive range of accreditations, his role will only get more important. We want to be able to offer our customers the greatest possible assurance, and allow them to meet the demands of any property – and that’s why it’s our aim to become the UK’s most accredited fabricator.”

Founded in 1977 by brothers Tom and Robert Dyer, and now run by Tom’s son Peter, Dempsey Dyer has expanded to become one of Yorkshire’s foremost provider of timber and uPVC doors and windows. The company’s relationship with Deceuninck stretches back over 30 years, with the two firms collaborating to produce Dempsey Dyer’s signature Beaumont window range, mechanically-jointed uPVC frames with an authentic woodgrain appearance.

For more information call 01977 649641 or visit www.dempseydyer.co.uk

Goliath Homeworld – a founder member of installer support organisation, Network Veka – is celebrating more than £5m in sales registered directly through the two organisations’ partnership.

Cannock based Goliath, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in May, helped form Network Veka in 1996. At that time, the home improvement industry was reportedly suffering from ‘a stigma of unscrupulousness’; the result of fly-by-night salespeople whose low standards, high prices and nonexistent after-sales support had particularly affected the double glazing trade.

Stephen Hancox, managing director at Goliath explained: “Network Veka was conceived to help installers demonstrate that they uphold the highest standards; not just in using industry leading systems from The Veka UK Group, but also in their levels of service, installation and aftercare. That unbroken chain of quality – from extrusion to certification – is a USP in our industry that homeowners understand and value.

“I’ve sat on the Network Veka steering group since day one, and when I see sales figures like these, not just for Goliath, but any member company achieving such results, I feel immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last two decades.”

Of the more than £5m Goliath has registered in Network Veka sales, an amazing £922k was posted in 2016 alone, with the company averaging customer satisfaction ratings of 99.2% over the course of the year.

“To qualify for the Network’s 10-year insurance-backed guarantee, customers must first complete a satisfaction form,” Stephen continued. “It gives the Network and its members a really clear picture of how they’re performing, alerting both parties to any issues. Only businesses that maintain the high standards required to become members are allowed to continue in the organisation.

“Throughout my years with Network Veka, the organisation’s core values have always remained the same: to uphold professional integrity and credibility and encourage members’ success through the customer confidence this creates. It’s the Network’s developments though, that have served to keep it at the cutting edge – both for current and prospective member companies, and homeowners. Recently the Network has focussed on raising awareness and winning trade directly from consumers, and I’ve no doubt this has contributed to Goliath’s remarkable sales figures.”

Karen Lund, head of partner programmes for The Veka UK Group commented: “Stephen and the Goliath team have been instrumental in the development of Network Veka from the start. These figures further cement them as brilliant ambassadors for the organisation, and we congratulate them on this fantastic achievement, and thank them for their ongoing efforts. Well done!”

www.networkveka.co.uk

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