HERITAGE
The quest for perfection
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THE JOURNEY TO develop a truly authentic PVCu vertical slider has been one of constant evolution but, for Quickslide, the biggest step has only just been completed as it becomes the only UK fabricator to offer a Graf welded VS. The investment may be high but the result is worth it, says the company.
DRIVING CHANGE Ten years ago, you could stand a few yards back from a good, authentic-looking PVCu vertical sliding sash window and most people would guess it wasn’ t painted timber. Through continuous development, led by Quickslide and carried out by a handful of the more progressive manufacturers, technological improvements have enabled the development of VS windows produced in PVCu that are virtually indistinguishable from new timber windows.
The reason is not simply because end users and planners have become more demanding or that manufacturers have worked harder at rising to that challenge – though both are undoubtedly true. According to Adrian Barraclough, Chairman of Quickslide, the evolution of new products has driven a complete change in the way consumers perceive windows.
“ In the last few years, windows have transitioned in the minds of the end user from a building component to a key design element and one that is now considered a fundamental part of the overall appearance for a room and the home,” he explained,“ Now, the expectations and demands of the end user are constantly stretching the minds of our development team, not only to come up with an ever-more authentic look but to achieve that without compromising on security and energy efficiency.”
QUEST FOR QUALITY
Quickslide has always led the field in bringing the authentic, high performance sliding sash into the mainstream of the PVCu installer’ s repertoire and the evolution of that product is still continuing. In the last year alone, it has added upgrade options such as a mechanically-jointed deep bottom rail and quick release facility, not to mention the additional choices in heritage hardware. But now, the company has taken the biggest step, and certainly with the biggest investment, in further improving the authenticity of PVCu VS windows with a woodgrain finish by producing almost seamless welds. This has been made possible with the purchase of a Graf Synergy SL4-FF seamless welder from Promac.
The £ 300,000 machine is initially producing five windows an hour, creating a premium window for applications where such a detail is critical but, according to Adrian, the result is worth every penny and more, especially as the quest for quality seems to go against the grain of current industry trends:“ Recently, there seems to have been a‘ race to the bottom’ with manufacturers trying to come up with cheaper and cheaper products,” he said.“ They may think that is what the customer wants but they could not be more wrong.
“ Everyone at Quickslide, from the boardroom to the shop floor, is encouraged to apply the principle of continuous improvement in everything we do and all the feedback from our customers is that they appreciate what we are doing. Anyone can sell cheap, but cheap isn’ t value and our customers know that.
“ Our aim is to offer our trade partners an unrivalled product that will enable them to rise above their local competitors, not undercut them. There are plenty of people out there cutting their own throats to make a sale but they are not doing themselves or the industry any good. They are simply undermining the quality and value propositions that have taken years to establish.
“ We will not get involved with anything that results in the erosion of sensible pricing and margins and the inevitable negative effect on quality. Our investment in the Graf is evidence of that,” emphasised Adrian.
EVOLUTION OF QUALITY The installation of the Graf marks the latest stage in Quickslide’ s ongoing investment for the future, which also includes extensive work with processing systems, research and development and comprehensive internal training programmes for the entire business.
Adrian Barraclough concluded:“ The purchase of the Graf is yet another step in an evolution of quality through Continuous Improvement that has driven us since our beginnings over 20 years ago. It may be the biggest single step on that journey but we know it will not be the last.”
46 » OCT 2016 » CLEARVIEW-UK. COM