Clearview National March 2020 - Issue 220 | Page 20

INDUSTRYNEWS
The benefits of alignment washers
A quick, cost-effective, positive fixing solution for curtain wall applications
» THE HUBBLE TELESCOPE IS
best known for the beautiful images it
collects of space. But did you know that
the first images it took were fuzzy? A
2.2-micron misalignment in the telescope’s
main mirror was all it took to wreck the
image quality. While a slightly larger figure, a
15 mm misalignment in a curtain wall bracket
can also jeopardise the success of project
continuity, increasing the risk of construction
downtime. Here Steve Parkes, key account
manager at leading fastening and fixing
supplier TFC, explains how to overcome
alignment challenges when installing a curtain
wall.
Curtain walls took their name from
medieval castle infrastructure. While the
phrase initially referred to a defensive wall
between two towers, it has now come to
mean a non-structural covering for a building,
such as glass panels. Today, the market is
booming ― growing at a compound annual
growth rate (CAGR) of 9.3 per cent and
is expected to reach £42 billion by 2025,
according to Grand View Research.
ALIGNMENT CHALLENGES
During the installation of a curtain wall,
it’s vitally important that your fixing brackets
are correctly aligned when fixing to the
building structure. If not, it will result in time
delays possible penalties associated with the
contract. If, unfortunately, you find yourself in
the position of having alignment issues then
options are limited, you can modify your fixing
bracket and/or re-drill the anchor positions
to compensate. Both of these solutions are
very time consuming and therefore by default,
expensive. Thankfully there is another way:
the alignment washer, a fast, simple low-cost
alternative offering a flexible on site fixing
solution.
The alignment washer, with its oversized
or slotted holes, gives the installer that extra
leeway to line up the bracket and anchor
location and tighten down before locking off.
When the contractor is happy all the elements
have been checked for position, the washer
is injected with a high-strength, rapid setting
construction resin. We have found in all our
tests that Fischer FISV360S resin performs
perfectly in these conditions.
20 » M AR 2020 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
The alignment washer offers several clever
design features to allow the resin to completely
fill any voids remaining after alignment, in fact it
works so well the product can be used upside
down and even under water! The joints are now
permanently locked in their correct position.
So efficient is the locking off process we have
a number of customers who use this method
to lock off their brackets regardless of any
alignment issues.
About TFC: TFC is one of the leading
fastening suppliers in Europe, offering
technical fasteners to the aerospace,
industrial, manufacturing and military
industries. A multi-location company
and leading global supplier of technical
components, TFC offers expert
solutions to all fastening applications.
With 1,000s of threaded, panel and
moulded fasteners, wave springs
and Spirolox retaining rings in stock,
TFC’s dedicated product specialists
and Supply Chain Assist service offer
complete tailored fastening solutions,
from design to procurement.
TYPES OF ALIGNMENT WASHER
There are two fundamental types of
this technology, circular and rectangular.
Rectangular washers are designed for use with
cast in channels and with their slotted hole
give ± 25mm adjustment in one direction.
Circular washers can be used in a variety
of applications such as Stick curtain walling,
balustrades and balconies. Circular washers
offer a ± 15mm adjustment in either direction.
Both circular and rectangular washers are
available to suit M10, 12 ,16 and M20 bolts or
anchors and are hot dip galvanised for long-
term corrosion protection.
Alignment washers have been specified
on numerous prestigious sites across
the UK, including hospitals, convention
centres, apartments, offices, universities and
Government buildings. If a designer, project
manager, architect or structural engineer
specifies the alignment washer from an early
stage, they can be confident that there will be
no alignment problems and downtime later
down the line.
A 2.2-micron misalignment was all it took
for the Hubble telescope’s images to be blurry
and a small misalignment can lead to big losses
in your construction project. To find out more
information about alignment washers and
how they could benefit your construction
project, visit https://www.tfc.eu.com/product/
alignment-washers/.
www.tfc.eu.com