Clearview National April 2020 - Issue 221 | Page 43

AL UMINIUM
Do you ever come shows/expos and if so,
what do you like/dislike about them?
We visited the FIT show last year, I like
going to see new products on the market and
it’s good to catch up with suppliers plus meet
potential new suppliers. We don’t exhibit but I
know that those that do have a very busy week
on their feet talking all day, having spoken to
some that do this I don’t think it’s something I
would enjoy too much!
Leigh, tell us about the recent venture
into aluminium.
We made the decision to invest in
aluminium production because we could see
from the business we were already doing
buying in the product that demand was
increasing rapidly, due to our experience in
producing upvc windows it made sense to
do the same with aluminium to enable us to
control the lead times and quality in house.
Will this take over from your previous
systems or sit alongside?
We have been offering the Smart system to
our customers but when it came to making
the decision on which system to fabricate we
decided to go with the Aluk system, they have
a great reputation in the industry and having
had several meetings with them and a factory
tour of there facility in Chepstow we decided
that they were the ideal supplier for us as they
share many of our values.
What type of machinery did you invest
in/why did you choose this?
We made the decision to invest in a
Haffner Murat TT 425 double mitre saw and
a Fom Adir C CNC machine. We have dealt
with Haffner Murat in the past through our
upvc operation, the quality of the machinery
is second to none and the level of service
has always been very good so we had no
hesitation in taking their advice for machinery
in our aluminium factory. The machinery was
commissioned last month with Haffner Murat
providing an engineer for the full week to
ensure there were no teething problems, since
then we have been straight out of the blocks
producing our first aluminium bifold soon
after.
What do you think are the benefits of
aluminium and upvc, and vice versa?
The benefits of aluminium are its strength
and durability, this is particularly beneficial with
doors such as bifolds; there is no expansion
and contraction with aluminium which you do
get with upvc therefore they perform well in
any weather for many years to come.
The benefits of upvc are u-values and cost
in comparison to aluminium, also the new flush
casement windows are a fantastic imitation of
a traditional timber window but without any
of the maintenance issues you get with timber.
This is another product we have launched in
the last year.
Have you had to implement new staff
training, and if so, how was this received?
Yes we have, manufacturing aluminium is a
totally different process to upvc, we have been
fortunate to have the backing of Aluk whose
engineers have given us intensive training on
their products.
How will this new endeavour change the
way Titan operates (if it will)?
Everything is planned to work the same,
upvc is still our core business at the minute
but we expect aluminium to challenge this in
the next few years. We already have invested in
a 4300sq ft factory and the plan is to take on
new staff as production increases.
What else is in store for 2020?
To continue to increase turnover, as I
type this we are entering an uncertain time
with Covid 19 however I feel our industry is
probably one of the few industries that will
be affected to a lesser extent compared to
the restaurant sector, for example. We have a
plan and we will continue to execute that to
minimise the disruption to our business.
Visit the new-look website
www.titantradewindows.co.uk for even
more information on products and/or to
view/download brochures.
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