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