Clearview National June 2015 - Issue 163 | Page 16

INDUSTRYNEWS

New
Independent
Testing for
Bi-fold Doors
An independent testing and
certification company has
launched its own stringent new
scheme to tackle the reputation
of poor quality bi-folding
doors in the marketplace.
»»Despite other brands,
including aluminium door
sets failing the exacting test
requirements, the PVCu Liniar
ModLok™ bi-fold is the first to
successfully pass.
The Folding Sliding Door
Scheme has been devised by Build
Check to raise the bar and bring
a greater degree of excellence and
reliability to a product that is
still increasing in popularity, in
spite of some negative publicity
from some homeowners who
have been the victims of inferior
installations.
Many aluminium systems,
often perceived as much stronger
and more durable than its PVCu
equivalent, have so far fallen short
of the mark during these tests,
whereas the Liniar ModLok™
bi-fold has passed with flying
colours to disprove a common
misconception.
Established in 2004, Build
Check operates throughout
the UK and Europe and has
gone from strength-to-strength
to become a highly respected
provider within the marketplace,
operating a management and
quality system conforming to
ISO/IEC 17025 (Testing) and BS
EN 17065 (Product Certification)

and accredited by UKAS and the
BFRC.
Richard Bate, Build Check’s
Technical Director, explains why
they started the scheme: “There
are a lot of poor quality bi-folding
doors available out there at the
moment. We decided to launch
this scheme to assist homeowners
in being able to choose a product
that would be robust and fit for
purpose.
“This makes sense for
companies too. If they can
provide a quality product then it
will save them time and money in
the long run on call-outs, repairs
and replacement parts.
“We set the scheme up in
August 2014 but have been
unable to publicise it as we have
been waiting for a product to
successfully pass our stringent
requirements – and we’re very
pleased that the Liniar ModLok™
bi-fold door is the first to achieve
that.”
There are three main sections
to the test. Each product is put
through 5,000 cycles by Build
Check’s articulated robot, weather
tested to 800 pascals (a wind
speed of more than 80mph)
and able to achieve a minimum
U-value of 1.8.

16 » JUN 2015 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M

“We’ve put several other bifolding doors through the test,
including aluminium doors as
well as PVCu – and Liniar was
the first to pass,” says Richard.
“People might be surprised to
hear that some of the doors did
not even achieve 10% of the
required cycles!
“Our whole intention for this
scheme is that it will be difficult
to pass. There would be no point
in launching it unless it was going
to encourage companies to raise
their standards and aim for their
product to be the best.
“Now that Liniar has achieved
the required test levels, it can
cascade the evidence to its
fabricators. The fabricator will
then be able to apply to Build
Check to join the certification
scheme and, subject to successful
auditing of their quality system,
manufacturing, installation
processes and documentation, will
be able to use the Build Check
Folding Sliding Door Scheme
mark.
“It’s taken until now for us to
be able to announce a successful
candidate but we believe that
Liniar’s success will set the
benchmark for other companies
to aspire to.”

Chris Armes, Liniar’s Design
and Development Manager, is
delighted with the news.
“We’re very proud that the
Liniar ModLok™ bi-fold is the
first to successfully meet the
testing requirements of the
scheme. Obviously we have tested
it excessively ourselves and have
every confidence in the product.
We’ve already put the bi-fold
through its paces with our own
in-house robot, which achieved
127,800 full opening cycles – but
it’s good for its durability and
robustness to be confirmed by an
independent party.
“We’ll now be looking
to increase the scope of our
accreditation by expanding
the dimensions of future test
specimens and we look forward to
continue working alongside Build
Check.”

For more information on Build
Check go to: www.buildcheck.
co.uk or call: 01494 452713
To find out more about Liniar
go to: www.liniar.co.uk or call:
01332 883900