EXTERNAL ENVELOPE


Adding value to fenestration design


Ian Osborne of Kestrel Aluminium Systems explains how the aluminium industry has evolved to reduce waste and optimise production, enabling the material to compete with PVCu in a range of sectors


he increasing preference for aluminium in window and doorframe construction owes much to its versatility and design life value. Widespread specification is resulting in increasingly diverse projects across the client spectrum, from prominent commercial clients in the public and private sectors to ‘high end’ self-builds. Despite the competitive nature of the


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sector, a few manufacturers are achieving clear differentiation through their technical and service capabilities. This has been prompted by increasing demand for a high level of flexibility in product performance and assistance required by specifiers throughout the design process.


Widespread specification is resulting in increasingly diverse projects across the client spectrum


Tight building schedules have also put added pressure on lead times, making the ‘just in time’ approach to manufacturing impractical. Maintaining stock of the extensive range of standard profiles used in window and door fabrication has, therefore, become essential. Typically, this requires ongoing availability of profile lengths from 1.1 to 6.1 metres. It enables fabricators to keep wastage levels to a minimum and provides lasting assurance that costs can be kept at a consistently competitive level. The knock-on effect has been a clear trend in the proportion of commercial and residential work accounted for by aluminium rather than PVCu. For orders in which bespoke features such as RAL colours are involved, production methods and equipment need to guarantee a quick turnaround. Where once the norm for site delivery was several


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weeks, the demand now is for just a few days. This requires use of the very latest fully automated production techniques and the necessary confidence to invest in them. The need for sustainable manufacturing in addition has led to the highest levels of powder recovery ever achieved. In terms of aesthetics, window and door design has not only kept pace with requirements of contemporary architecture, but is positively influencing it. Use of sleek profiles which maximise the glazing area while remaining secure, strong and energy-efficient has become commonplace. However, there is cause for concern that


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