Preview
62 | MAY 2017
Preview
Nearly 100 New Exhibitors
WINDOW BONDING SET FOR UK TAKE-OFF |
This year’ s FIT Show is proving to be a hit with new exhibiting companies, who see the opportunities that they confidently expect will come from being present at one of the best trade shows in the business.
The show, which takes place at Birmingham’ s NEC from 23rd to 25th May, has attracted no fewer than 99 new exhibiting companies, illustrating the huge interest it can generate within the industry.
Companies exhibiting for the first time include Gwentbased AluK, for whom – as the name suggests – aluminium lies at the heart of everything it does.
Door companies Longden Doors and Mexin Doors
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have both booked their spot for 2017, so too has the newly formed price comparison site for window prices for homeowners, Comparemywindows. com, as has sealants company European Chemical Industries. |
The decision to move the show to the NEC has clearly proved popular with the industry, with its larger exhibition space and the bonus of great facilities nearby, including bars, hotels, restaurants and health clubs. |
Global chemical company Sika is using the FIT Show 2017 to launch its range of specialist adhesives for bonded window designs, aimed at the independent fabricator / installer and the volume window manufacturer.
Relatively new to the UK, bonded windows replace traditional methods of fixing insulated glazed units into sashes with an ultra-strong, quick-to apply adhesive. For domestic windows, the main advantages include speed of application and a dramatic reduction in post-installation problems linked with traditional fixing methods.
Since the glazing is bonded into the sash, the finished window has a significantly increased structural strength and is also completely secure as the glazed unit cannot be levered out of the frame.
For independent fabrication and installation companies the Sikasil AS66 adhesive is supplied in a battery-operated gun that can be used both in production and on site. The one component adhesive cures as rapidly as a 2-component system, regardless of climatic conditions and can be used with all popular frame materials including PVCu, aluminium and wood.
While the gun-operated adhesive provides an excellent option for small to medium-size companies, the wider benefits of window bonding will be realised by manufacturers producing large volumes of windows or glass facades where the glass, bonded into the frame, will function as a structural element.
In this scale of operation, significant improvements in production efficiency will result from the ability to fully automate the
manufacturing process. The Sikasil WT 480 adhesive being launched at FIT is designed for this scenario and promises: cost reduction alongside improved, consistent quality and increased technical performance including increased wind loading, improved air-tightness and thermal efficiency.
Allowing the glass to function as a structural element opens the door for design flexibility and greatly improved aesthetics resulting from much slimmer profiles. As the sash no longer needs to bear the structural load, there is no need for metal reinforcements in PVCu – the profile can be significantly reduced, allowing maximum daylight from the window aperture while thermal performance is improved by the elimination of thermal bridging in the frame. David Fraser, sales manager at Sika Industry in the UK, observed:“ Our adhesives are widely used in Europe and have an impressive track record in markets where window bonding is a commonly used technology. We are now seeing increased interest from UK specifiers and believe that the technology is about to take off in this country. Our technical experts are ready to provide advice and guidance for window manufactures, large or small, who are considering taking the plunge and investing in a genuine step forward in window design.”
Sika will be exhibiting its adhesives and explaining the context of window bonding technology at Stand H15 of FIT 17, NEC Birmingham, 23-25th May.
http:// gbr. sika. com / windowbonding / en / window-bonding. html
New Balustrade Hardware
Barrier Components Ltd is due to launch a raft of new balustrade hardware at the FIT Show this month, following on from the highly successful launch of the BarrierSabco frameless glass balustrade system last year.
Barrier Components, which is celebrating 30 years in business this year, will be exhibiting a selection of components including Standard Spigots in 316 stainless steel, Tilt-
Loc Spigots( 2205 Stainless steel), Pre-Assembled Posts, Mega Grip 3kN balustrade, Glass Rail Capping, Juliet Balcony Kits and 316 stainless swimming pool hinges and locks. The company has exhibited at every FIT show so far since 2013 and this year alongside these new components it will feature a range of frameless glass seals, Vistafold 120 and Patioslide 100 & 200 folding and sliding door kits along with three new straight sliding door hardware sets for framed and frameless glass doors on the stand.
Barrier Components Ltd is a leading architectural hardware supplier based in Purfleet in Essex. The business constantly strives to source new and innovative quality products from around the world to provide a one-stop shop and respected technical support to customers. Visit the stand( G48) at FIT this year.
www. barrier-components. co. uk