8 | NOVEMBER 2018
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
TRAILBLAZING UNGLAZED R9 WINDOW
COMPLETES TEST PROGRAMME
HWL Trade Frames’
trailblazing non-glass bond-
ed Residence 9 Window has
completed final independ-
ent testing, delivered in
partnership with R9.
The specialist trade fab-
ricator has led the devel-
opment of an R9 frame-on-
ly offer, pioneering the
application of Timberweld®
sash-welding technologies
in its manufacturing pro-
cess.
This gives HWL an almost
unique capability in the UK
to butt weld window sashes
inside and out, replicating
the aesthetic delivered in a
90° mechanical joint.
This increases sash corner
strength, which in most
configurations eliminates
the requirement to glass
bond IGUs, which have
historically been used in
R9 fabrication to
give the system
structural
strength.
Tests
on side-
hung
casement
options
were com-
pleted earlier
in the year,
returning a series of
top-rated passes under BS
EN 6375 - 1 weather testing
and PAS24/Part Q. These
have now been followed
up over the summer with a
series of approvals on top-
hung options.
The HWL window was
put through its paces in
a series of initial tests by
independent testing house,
Exova in April.
www.hwlwindows.co.uk
Excel Glazing
becomes a Swish
fabricator
West Midlands based
Excel Glazing has be-
come a Swish fabricator
and will be manufactur-
ing Swish’s popular 24/7
windows, doors, conserv-
atories and bi-folding
doors. Christopher Kailey,
Assistant Director at Ex-
cel Glazing, said: “Joining
Swish was a no brainer.
They have over 40 years’
experience in the indus-
try plus they have the
additional reassurance of
being one of the system
brands that make up the
industry.”
When looking at new
systems, Excel Glazing
had very specific re-
quirements in mind and
found that only Swish
fitted the bill. Christo-
pher explained: “The key
thing for us was that we
wanted to use a stronger
and wider frame for both
our windows and doors.
Swish was the only brand
we came across that had
75mm outer frames.”
The second is the
support of Excellence as
Standard, which Excel
Glazing is in the process
of joining. The programme
gives companies a com-
petitive edge because
it demonstrates their
commitment to quality
and provides continuous
guidance and support
to help members deliver
excellence in every area
of their business opera-
tions.
www.swishwindows.co.uk
NEW LABORATORY
TO ACCELERATE
EDGETECH
INNOVATION
Warm-edge experts Edgetech
are gearing up for future
innovation with the opening of
a new research laboratory.
Situated at the compa-
ny’s Coventry headquarters,
it’s been built to enable
Edgetech to develop new
products, assist customers
in meeting accreditation and
compliance requirements,
and generally distribute tech-
nical expertise more widely
throughout the company.
Thanks to parent com-
pany Quanex, Edgetech
is already blessed with
world-class testing facilities
in Akron, Ohio – but this is
the first time the firm has
had the capacity to develop
products independently in
the UK.
“The demands placed
on IGU manufacturers
are growing all the time,”
comments Technical De-
velopment Manager Gary
Shoesmith.
“They’re caught in a
squeeze between the in-
creasingly stringent stand-
ards demanded of them by
governments and regulators,
and their customers and
end-users wanting excep-
tional performance for ev-
er-more competitive prices.
“On top of that, we’re
seeing more and more
volatility in the supply
chain. Raw material prices
have risen, sometimes quite
substantially, in the wake of
Brexit – and, most pressing-
ly of all at the moment, the
silicone shortage is causing
headaches throughout the
industry.”