JUNE 2019 | 21
INSTALLER ZONE
EPWIN WINDOW SYSTEMS
LAUNCH IS OUT OF THIS WORLD
Epwin Window Systems un-
veiled its first aluminium system at
FIT on 21st May 2019.
Stellar is aimed at the retail and
light commercial sector and was
designed from the ground up by
Epwin Window Systems’ expert
dedicated in-house aluminium team
in response to customer demand.
Stellar offers two casement
window options and both offer
market-first selling points. The
first option is stepped on the
inside and flush on the outside.
It has 30% slimmer sightlines and
12% more glass area so lets in
more light than rival systems. The
second option is unique in the
market: a true flush sash casement
window, with no stepped frame
and a flush finish inside and out
taking the window’s aesthetics to
the next level.
Alongside the casement win-
dows there are flush door and
bifolding door options available
now. They will be joined by a
lift and slide patio door in the
summer.
Stellar has been designed to offer
superior fabrication benefits. In
fact, the system is 15-20% quicker
to fabricate than rival systems and
uses approximately 30% less alu-
minium, reduces labour costs and
minimises waste. These fabrication
advantages are achieved with fea-
tures such as a fully pre-gasketed
bead, sash and outerframe, some-
thing that is unique in the market.
There is also a patent-pending
reverse butt joint, which is fabricat-
ed with no need for dummy sashes
or reverse adaptor profiles.
Stellar offers superior installa-
tion advantages too and is up to
20% quicker to install than other
systems. This is thanks to fea-
tures such as the patent-pending
knock in bead, which means no
wedge gaskets are needed making
it far quicker to glaze, as well as
offering superb internal aesthetics.
And it’s internally glazed, which
makes installation quicker and
easier too.
In terms of thermal efficiency,
Stellar offers a rating as low as
1.1W/m2K with triple glazing.
Security is outstanding too. Apart
from a host of intelligent security
features, Stellar uses Yale door
and window hardware, so bene-
fits from outstanding protection
against forced entry, as well as the
Yale Lifetime Security Guarantee
for an extra line of support and
sell into the consumer.
Industry buzz has been building
in recent months and we have
known Epwin Window Systems
was going to launch something
big. In Stellar, it has more than de-
livered. It is everything you would
expect from a market leading
business and more.
www.epwinwindowsystems.co.uk
FIT SHOW PRODUCTS CONFIRM PANORAMIC
GROUP’S STATUS AS A LEADING INNOVATOR
The company’s first FIT
Show under the guise of
Panoramic Group (although
3rd with Panoramic Doors)
confirmed its almost obses-
sive commitment to launch-
ing new products that must
bring something innovative
to the market. Best known
for its increasingly popular
Panoramic slide and swing
alternative to the conven-
tional bi-fold, the firm con-
firmed its development of a
portfolio of additional prod-
ucts with the introduction of
new windows in PVC-U and
aluminium; a PVC-U version
of the Panoramic door; and
what the company has now
dubbed ‘the ultimate patio
door upsell item’ with its
Ascena Flyscreen.
Although difficult to
single out any one product,
Panoramic’s new PVC-U
Flush ‘Hidden Sash’ win-
dow in anthracite attracted
a great deal of attention.
Equal sightlines and a sash
that emerges only when
opened, complemented by
polished, invisible welds
and recessed, pop up hard-
ware, combine to promote a
window that has exception-
al, minimalist aesthetics.
The company’s glass
processing division Pano-
glass with an adjacent
stand, also demonstrated its
Panoramic DNA with the
launch of in-unit floating
blinds. Floating? In one of
those ‘why didn’t anyone
else think of this’ moments
Panoglass asked why in-unit
blinds needed to be fixed,
typically, to the top of the
unit. Panoglass blinds float
freely within the unit to
allow shade exactly where
it is needed, whilst also
allowing maximum light in
if required. And apparently
they are excellent value for
money too, offering greater
potential as add on sales.
Panoglass also made a
considerable impact with
the announcement of the
company’s switchable,
electrochromic glass. Whilst
this product breaks Pano-
ramic Group’s commitment
to product innovation per
se, Panoglass Switchable
glass nonetheless does so in
terms of price: the pub-
lished price of £250 per m2
including electronics, is up
to 65% cheaper than other
available brands. The effect
of this, as with the compa-
ny’s in-unit blinds, will be
to significantly broaden the
market, thus bringing the
technology within the reach
of thousands more custom-
ers.
That Panoramic knows
how to produce and move
products with exception-
al homeowner appeal is
evidenced by the huge sales
of the company’s original
product, the slide and swing
door. With more than 10,000
sales in just five years in
the UK, more than 260,000
Panoramic doors have
been sold world-wide; in
the United States, Pano-
ramic is the #3 best selling
bi-folding door brand. On
the evidence of this year’s
FIT Show, that success will
spread to its other prod-
ucts.
[email protected]
PiGs Bring the Party
Tuesday night’s late-
night opening at FIT Show
gave both visitors and ex-
hibitors the perfect excuse
to let their hair down and
the PiGs event on the Balls2
Marketing, Certass & BNP
Paribas stand really showed
how the glazing industry
could party.
PiGs Organiser Sarah Ball
says: “It was the busiest
stand in the halls and was
made extra-special by the
lovely team at Avantis bring-
ing ‘The Jetters’ to provide
some great tunes and start
some fab singalongs. We
borrowed sponsor QANW’s
stand for the band so there
was more room on ours
for our guests. As usual, a
special thanks goes out to
our sponsors, who bought
beer, wine, cider and spirits
packages to keep the party
going.”
There are three more
PiGs events happening this
year. The next one is at
The Warwick in London on
Thursday 20 June. PiGs goes
to St Judes in Glasgow on
5 September and the year
finishes off at The Pitcher
& Piano in Birmingham on
Thursday 7 November.