Clearview 275 - October 2024 | Page 73

Machinery & Manufacturing

Fabricators who are blindly accepting the U-Value could be risking non-compliance

BY RUSSELL YATES , MANAGING DIRECTOR , ALUK
» THE BEST WAY IS TO explain that is by showing the level of thermal enhancement AluK had to add to our new S140 sliding door to achieve U-Values of 1.4 double glazed and 1.1 triple glazed , and compare that with the enhancements that were in our original BSC94 which achieved U-Value performance of 1.8 .
The thermal breaks in the frame of the S140 are more than twice the size of the BSC94 at 55mm compared with 20mm , and in the sash they are at least 50 % larger at 38mm and 48mm rather than 25mm . ( The 140mm system depth means these sizes can easily be accommodated ).
However , many of our competitors fit thermal breaks in their frames and sashes
which are very similar to the BSC94 ( in frame depths which are considerably bigger ) and yet they are claiming U-Value performance for these products which are almost comparable with the S140 .
Thermal performance figures will obviously be misleading if they are being calculated at larger than allowable sizes , and AluK ’ s technical department has done a huge amount of work to try to establish whether other people ’ s thermal figures are being calculated to the EN14351 and BFRC sizes as AluK ’ s figures are . They haven ’ t got any clear indication on that yet .
I can assure our customers though that AluK ’ s thermal figures are all calculated to CEN sizes 2000 x 2180mm and all are third party accredited . I ’ d like to think that all the systems companies supplying sliders and bifolds into the UK market could offer similar assurances .
There is of course the wider issue of how compliance is being policed and what the implications would be for a fabricator or installer who was fitting products which didn ’ t actually comply with the new Regs .
But , beyond that there is also the question of the responsibility that we as an industry have to homeowners , developers and housing providers to deliver products which do what we say they do .
uk . aluk . com

INNOVATIVE SOFTWARE CONTINUES TO ENHANCE OPERATIONS

» MADE FOR TRADE , THE multi-award-winning aluminium manufacturer , has been reaping the benefits of using Production Software Technology ’ s ( PST ) cutting-edge software for over seven years . As the company expanded its operations to include manufacturing its own products , such as the Korniche roof lantern , Made For Trade needed a reliable software solution to meet their evolving needs .
The ongoing partnership between PST and Made For Trade highlights the importance of choosing the right software provider for your company . Given their previous positive experiences and familiarity with PST ’ s software , working on a partnership was an easy decision for the company .
Since 2017 , Made For Trade has been utilising PST ’ s powerful manufacturing software , Virtual Shopfloor ( VS ). This innovative tool allows fabricators to access an extensive library of preset 3D model templates or create custom designs from scratch using a free form tool , enhancing their manufacturing capabilities .
Mike Robinson , Head of Sales Operations at Made For Trade , said : “ The previous
experience we had with PST ’ s software during our partnership with Synseal made it an obvious choice when we began designing our own products and needed to find an appropriate software solution . The familiarity the team already had with PST ’ s software ensured a smooth transition for the company during this important period . Working directly with the PST team has been invaluable , as they promptly address any needs ,
questions or custom requests . Although issues are rare , when we do have specific requirements , such as adding things into the bespoke platform , the PST team handles any requests swiftly and seamlessly .”
Neil Travers , Managing Director at PST , added , “ It has been a privilege to work closely with Made For Trade over the past seven years . Knowing that Virtual Shopfloor ( VS ) has played an important part in enhancing their manufacturing processes is very rewarding for myself and my team . We have built a strong relationship where continuous feedback and collaboration ensures the software is always evolving to meet Made For Trade ’ s needs and supports growth .”
www . pstonline . co . uk
CLEARVIEW-UK . COM OCTOBER 2024
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