EDITORS CHOICE
A VERTICALLY INTEGRATED SYSTEMS SUPPLIER
EBY LZBIETA KANTOR - ALUPROF OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
What is ‘ vertical integration ?’ and why is it important to the specifier when choosing suppliers ? Vertical integration for any business is gaining control of upstream processes , normally by bringing them in-house to gain more control and consolidate costs . It is important from a specification process viewpoint as it offers many advantages in ease of supply , quality and costs .
An architectural aluminium systems company designs windows , doors , curtain wall systems and other products for use in building construction . These products are supplied in system form to fabricators and installers who manufacture and install under contract . Each system is extensively tested and carries the appropriate standards and performance levels for various applications .
When single systems are shared among several fabricators , the cost of development , testing , and updating is divided among them , with the systems company handling these tasks .
Many systems companies supply warehouse stock to their customers for ‘ off-the-shelf ’ windows , doors and curtain walls . As projects become more complex and expect higher performance levels , a systems company that looks to become more vertically integrated offers many advantages to the specifier . Vertical integration can include the ability to smelt aluminium , the design of dies to extrude profiles , inserting thermal breaks in profiles and offering finished profiles , either powder coating or anodised . profile , inserting the thermal break , often made of polyamide along with additional insulation materials and then rolling the profile to create a single section . Being able to integrate a thermal break also allows the systems company to develop special designs of polyamide profiles that can enhance the performance both in thermal and weathering characteristics . Inhouse finishing of profiles further enhances system allowing for single or bespoke dual colour profiles to be created . All systems companies now offer QUALICOAT powder coated profiles as a standard which is recognised globally . Powder coating all profiles inhouse reduces both time and transport requirements .
Vertical process integration can improve safety in the workplace by removing many of the operations where transport is required between businesses . Fewer loadings and unloading of profiles not only reduce potential health and safety issues , but also reduces the risk of profile damage in transit . A further consideration is the reduction in packaging need when profiles require protection when shipped between companies for processing .
Reduced handling of profiles allows for optimisation of processes and improvement in logistics . For example , batches of profiles of various sizes can more easily be processed economically rather than having to opt for the advantages of scale to save costs . With the reduction of minimum process quantities comes the benefit of speed of production thereby reducing order lead times for customers .
With the advantages of vertical integration mentioned above , a further benefit to the specifier is a reduction in carbon emissions . Reduced handling requirements and carbon miles automatically save energy , but linking the processes can also allow for further reductions to be accommodated when processing
Only a few of the leading systems companies operating across the UK and Europe are vertically integrated . Having control of each process that completes a window door or curtain wall system helps limit risk . Between separate suppliers , such as between an extruder and a systems company , conflict can arise when the extrusion supplied does not meet expectations from the systems company , for various reasons , this poses risk , both on supply time and costs .
Following extrusion , main profiles often require thermal breaks to be inserted by first knurling the
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