Clearview National January 2019 - Issue 206 | Page 68

MACHINERY
‘IMPRESSIVE GROWTH’ FEEDS NEW FACILITY
» » FOLLOWING IMPRESSIVE
growth and as part of a long-term
strategy to increase production
capacity, glass processing
specialist, TuffX, has announced
that it has expanded its Knowsley
manufacturing facility.
The Merseyside-based
company has recently taken on
an additional 20,000ft 2 unit,
that adjoins its existing 55,000ft 2
factory, creating an impressive
75,000ft 2 space dedicated to
quality glass manufacture. This
extra space will house one of the
company’s three laminating lines
alongside a third, additional glass
cutting line, a second digital
printing machine and a new state
of the art Bovone ELB 12 HS
straight line edging machine.
The £200,000 Bovone straight
line edger is the second machine
of its type at TuffX and is
designed to produce flat and arisse
profile. Capable of processing
four metres of glass a minute, it
will allow TuffX to stay ahead of
anticipated future demand by
producing a greater volume of
product, while still retaining a
market leading quality of finish.
As well as the new machinery
and additional laminating and
cutting lines, the expanded
factory will also enable TuffX to
optimise the layout of its existing
facilities, not to mention create
space for more glass cutting
equipment in the near future.
TuffX Operations Director,
John Tierney, commented: “The
addition of almost 50 per cent
more space is fantastic news for
TuffX as not only does it allow us
to house new machinery, but it
gives us the perfect opportunity
to re-organise the current factory
layout so that we can be as
efficient as possible. We’ve been
gearing up for growth and we
now have the infrastructure
in place to be able to deliver
on expected demand going
forward.”
Managing Director, Graham
Price, added: “TuffX has enjoyed
a period of strong growth, and
we’re looking forward to even
more in the long term so the new
and improved factory marks yet
another important development
for us. It’s not just about increased
volume, he concluded. “The
company has built an enviable
reputation for service over the
years and the investments we
are making now will allow us to
continue that tradition with new
and existing customers.”
www.tuffxglass.co.uk
TOUGHENER INVESTMENT QUADRUPLES CAPACITY
Apeer has announced its second major investment
in as many months, unveiling a new £750,000
toughening line to stay ahead of ‘exponential’ growth
of its radical Lumi and Lumi2 windows and doors.
» » DEMAND FOR THE LUMI RANGE
has trebled in the last year alone and the
introduction of the retrofit-friendly Lumi2
system has boosted that growth even further,
says the company. The commissioning of
the bigger second line covers that and more
by quadrupling output but also responds to
architects’ demands for ever larger expanses
of glass.
The new Northglass AG-series Forced
Convection furnace from Lambert GT
Services can not only handle glass up to
5m X 2.8m – almost four times the area of
the existing line – but is also highly energy-
efficient and gives an improved surface finish
to the glass with less ‘roller wave’.
Apeer R&D Manager Robert Foster said:
“The biggest single pane for any Lumi window
68 » JAN 2019 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
we’ve made so far has been 3m X 2m but the
clean, contemporary lines of the system mean
that architects are constantly looking to use it
in bigger and bigger expanses.
“The new line means we can go on meeting
their requirements as well as taking much
more future growth in our stride for a long
time to come. And while we don’t expect
many oversize panes with the retrofit nature
of Lumi2, the improved surface will bring real
benefits here too.”
The latest investment comes less than three
months after the company installed a second
high-tech paint line at its County Antrim
production unit to stay ahead of demand for its
acclaimed composite door ranges. The line also
increases efficiency by enabling different colours
inside and out to be completed in a single pass.
Lumi has continued to grow at a pace since
it burst onto the market at the Grand Designs
exhibition in 2015. Since then, the radical
window system has been joined by a door and
lift/slide patio door systems, then earlier this
year by the retrofit-friendly, 70mm double-
glazed Lumi2.
The Lumi system is the latest range of
products from Apeer, which also includes
its Traditional, Contemporary and the
ultra-contemporary Modo composite door
collections.
www.apeer.co.uk