Glass Age articles from November 2005

Glass Age archives from November 2005

Legal saga nears end.
November 10, 2005... The epic patent infringement claim by conservatory roof manufacturer Ultraframe against Burnden/K2 is drawing to a close. The latest instalment of Ultraframe vs. Burnden Group and K2 Conservatory Roof Systems Limited is a judgment on costs...

NEWS BRIEF: Wacker Silicones price increase.
November 10, 2005... From January 1, 2006, Wacker Silicones will increase sealant product prices worldwide by an average of eight per cent. The company has already commenced negotiations with customers to this effect. www.wacker.com Copyright: CMP Information...

NEWS BRIEF: glassfiles.com gets a redesign.
November 10, 2005... The organising committee of the Glass Processing Days Conference has redesigned its web service www.glassfiles.com for enhanced user friendliness, content and updates. Since 2001, glassfiles has been dedicated to the open sharing of educational...

NEWS BRIEF: Unitec Golf Day raises #5,000.
November 10, 2005... 22 teams took part in the Charity Golf Challenge at Hawkstone Park, Shropshire. Over #5,000 was raised for the Down's Syndrome Children Holiday Charity during the evening auction. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

`Reduce regulation' plea.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... The Government is listening to pleas from the construction industry to reduce the amount of regulation in the industry, door and hardware makers heard at their annual conference. Michael Ankers, Chief Executive of the Construction Products...

COMMENT: End in sight?(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... The end of Ultraframe vs. Burnden is in sight, and when it comes, it will be a bad day only for the legal profession in the North West. The effect of six years of litigation can be compared to trench warfare - the minor points scored along the...

Anglian and Epwin in the Top Track 250.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... In the recently published Sunday Times Top Track 250 Anglian Group was 15th, generating #305.3 million turnover last year, and the Epwin Group, 134th with #182.4m. The Top Track 250 league table ranks Britain's bigggest mid-market private...

GGF licensed for TrustMark.
November 10, 2005... The Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) has announced that it is the first organisation in the glazing industry to be awarded TrustMark Licensed Operator status by the TrustMark Board. TrustMark was developed as a new initiative to help...

Gary Morton is new Duraflex MD.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... The Masco Group has announced the appointment of Gary Morton as Managing Director of Duraflex. Commenting on Morton's appointment, Masco Group Vice President, Wayne Devine said, `We approached Gary on a speculative basis some months ago,...

Global 600, Synseal's new low pitch roof system.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Global 600 is the new low pitch roof system now available from Synseal Extrusions. Unlike other systems, Global 600 has been specifically designed for the UK market. Other systems are based on a metric system for ease of calculation with...

Pilkington wins Zenith award.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Pilkington Building Products _ UK has won the Zenith Staybrite Award for `Glass and Glazing Supplier of the Year'. Pilkington beat off 11 contenders to scoop the award from one of the UK's leading window companies. Glass and sealed unit...

Autumn date for next GP&T.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Following the advice of the Steering Committee that was created to provide input from the glass industry, the dates for the third Glass Processing & Technology (GP&T) exhibition have been revised from May 2007 back to November 2007. This means...

Stoke on Trent company enjoying success.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... The order processing team at Lister Trade Frames with their 10 year guarantees. The Stoke on Trent company say they are enjoying exceptional success this year after the launch of their fully branded `Elitis' window system some 10 months...

Planitherm club tees off at Gleneagles.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Scottish window frame manufacturers were recently invited to attend a promotional event hosted by Saint-Gobain Glass, in association with AC Yule, Andrew Wright Glass, Darby Scotland, Ravensby Glass, Solaglas Motherwell, and Supaseal Glass, at...

NEWS BRIEF: Depressed construction slowdown.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... A slowdown in new house construction, home improvements, and a lack of road and rail investment, has depressed construction activity over the last three months according to the Construction Products Association. The latest Construction Activity...

NEWS BRIEF: Tim Roome is Permadoor GM.
November 10, 2005... The Worcestershire company has appointed a new General Manager - Tim Roome, 34, who has been with the company for 15 years, most recently as Director of Manufacturing. www.permadoor.co.uk Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Conservatory sales in September.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Sales: A net 4% (the difference between 28% who sold more and 24% who sold less) of conservatory fabricators reported an increase in sales in August 2005 compared with July 2005 in the Monthly Index sponsored by Eurocell Profiles Ltd....

Eurocell opens new #8m plant.
November 10, 2005... Eurocell Profiles Ltd has formally opened a new #8 million manufacturing and administration plant adjacent to its Alfreton, Derbyshire headquarters. The major PVC-U profile supplier invited 30 guests to its press open day to celebrate the...

Interframe deal means Veka benefits.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Devon based trade fabricator Interframe Ltd, a member of the Shepley Windows Systems Group, has signed a deal with VEKA plc to fabricate and supply the Veka Matrix FS (Fully Sculptured) suite. The 70mm Veka Matrix FS suite allows Interframe...

Kite Glass standards.
November 10, 2005... The GGF were at Kite Glass last month to highlight the company's excellent record of maintaining high safety standards. GGF Chief Executive Nigel Rees, Director of Glazing Steve Rice and independent consultant Brian Waldron gave a short...

Glass West Midlands group.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... A new group is being established to fly the flag for the West Midlands' glass industry on a regional, national and international level. Glass West Midlands is supported by Advantage West Midlands and will represent the 130 companies across...

Open House at Avanti Systems.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Avanti Systems invited customers and press to visit its Oxted facility in Surrey for `Open Week' between the 4th, 5th and 6th October. The recently refurbished facility has been expanded to include a showroom displaying the company's...

Trio of artists win Bombay Sapphire Prize.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... A trio of glass artists have won the Bombay Sapphire Prize 2005, the world's biggest annual award for artists, designers and architects working with glass. The #20,000 international award for excellence and innovation in contemporary glass...

GLASS DESIGNS: Glass with stone, glass with metal.
November 10, 2005... `Too good an opportunity to miss' is how architect Shirley Fujikawa describes the decision to use layers of onyx stone and glass laminates for a London retail space. And one of the most talked about new projects in Shanghai uses glass laminated...

NEW PRODUCTS: Supercut `Construction'.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Old Fein favourite the Supercut is now being replaced by a new model. The Supercut Construction is easier to handle and approximately 20% lighter. With more powerful oscillation, it achieves between 30 and 50% higher cutting and sawing speeds,...

NEW PRODUCTS: New VS from Total Glass.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Liverpool-based fabricator, Total Glass has introduced a new vertical sliding sash. Sales and Marketing Manager Stuart Waring observes that their new competitively-priced product is already proving popular, `In the past, people assumed...

NEW PRODUCTS: Somfy launch Animeo IB+.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Somfy's Animeo IB+ manages natural light, indoor temperatures and natural ventilation, improving the visual and thermal comfort of the occupants of a building whilst reducing operating costs. Sensors on the exterior of the building send...

NEW PRODUCTS: Geze thicker glass fittings.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... The Geze SGG - Standard Ganz (toughened) Glass range of rail and patch fittings for frameless doors and panels has been developed for wider, taller and heavier glass. The fittings are available for glass thicknesses of 8, 10 and 12mm as...

NEW PRODUCTS: Eurosiv 3A desiccant.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Eurosiv pure desiccant - available from Thermoseal - has performed extremely well in Delta `T' tests and has very low initial moisture content. It provides optimum moisture capacity and prolongs the working life of the glass unit. Eurosiv...

NEW PRODUCTS: Brown Top Swing profile.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... As a result of close contact with its Top Swing fabricators, WHS Halo has identified a niche market opportunity and is introducing a dark brown version of its Top Swing profile ready for woodgrain lamination. The company will now hold the...

NEW PRODUCTS: Sadev Spider supports.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... A new range of lightweight Sadev spider supports for holding up large panels of glass connected on point fixings, has been launched in the UK by Prefit. Manufactured from cast stainless steel, the range has a new, stylish shape and is...

NEW PRODUCTS: Nico multipoint system.
November 10, 2005... Nico Manufacturing's Supercoat 500 is an alternative to standard yellow passivation, providing a contemporary bright silver finish that complements Nico's range of stainless steel friction hinges. With high corrosion resistance it is ideal for...

THE VERIFIER: EVERYONE'S AN EXPERT!
November 10, 2005... ROD'S ADVICE FOR SEPARATING THE EXPERTS FROM THE BLUFFERS How often have you heard someone say, `Oh, we got an expert in and he said...'? Rod Appleyard hears it all the time, but when it comes to the courtroom, the word `expert' becomes...

NICK'S IN THE CHAIR: THE ESSENCE OF LEAN.
November 10, 2005... NICK EXPLAINS HOW THINKING LEAN CAN BENEFIT CUSTOMERS Nick Dutton, Sales and Marketing Director of Synseal Extrusions, looks at how some companies have reduced overheads and increased customer choice - making themselves market leaders in...

EXHIBITION SCENE: GLASSBUILD AMERICA 2005.
November 10, 2005... After an 18-month wait, over 9,000 registrants and almost 500 exhibitors made their way to GlassBuild America in Atlanta's Georgia World Congress Center, writes Nancy Davis - Editor of Glass Magazine (USA) This year saw the biggest turnout...

EXHIBITION SCENE: 100% Detail and 100% design.
November 10, 2005... Now in its third year, 100% Detail continues to grow and attract more visitors. Running alongside 100% Design is clearly an advantage and many glass specialists, designers and artists exhibited at the show, writes Roland Ellison The third...

COMMERCIAL FABRICATION: LEEDS LANDMARK MAKEOVER.
November 10, 2005... #1.7 MILLION FACELIFT TRANSFORMS LEEDS' TALLEST BUILDING If you've visited Leeds city centre since the 1960s, you've probably been past Tower North Central. Don't be surprised if you've never noticed it before as it was a non-descript...

COMMERCIAL FABRICATION: HOT TOPIC OR HOT POTATO?
November 10, 2005... SUSTAINABILITY: ASPIRATIONAL CONCEPT OR WORKABLE PRACTICE? Sustainability is the buzzword of the moment, in glazing and construction in general. But will this hot topic turn out to be just the latest in a long line of hot potatoes? Vince...

COMMERCIAL FABRICATION: Derbyshire replacements.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Horsley Woodhouse Primary School, in Derbyshire, was built in 1913, and the single-glazed timber windows replaced by Great Northern Windows were the original ones. 60 PVC-U windows were installed, manufactured from the Kommerling Gold 58mm...

COMMERCIAL FABRICATION: TITLE.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Sapa Building Systems has been awarded the BS7950 Kitemark for its Dualframe dual-colour window system, which exceeded the security standards. Increasingly, Sapa is seeing the Kitemark being built into the performance specifications for...

COMMERCIAL FABRICATION: Strata proves shipshape.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Architects working on the new Butlins Shoreline Hotel at Bognor Regis required a very specific look for their client's brief. Incorporating round ends and porthole windows, this landlocked ship faces out towards the English Channel. Bob...

COMMERCIAL FABRICATION: ROOM FOR MORE TO SWITCH.
November 10, 2005... `PUTTING ALUMINIUM BESIDE PVC-U IS A POWERFUL SALES TOOL' Nigel Yates, Managing Director of Beaufort Secure Design Ltd, discusses how offering a choice of systems can open up new market opportunities for fabricators Some time ago, we...

FIRE RESISTANT GLASS: THE RIGHT FIRE SOLUTION.
November 10, 2005... UNDERSTANDING DIFFERING NEEDS IS VITAL IN PRODUCT SELECTION Gary Colliver, National Account Manager at Float Glass Industries, offers his view on the latest issues and developments of the continually developing fire market As one of...

GLASS & GLAZING: `Do-it-all' fire glasses.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... A new transparent interlayer made for fire resistant glass is setting new standards for more than just flame resistance, says Dusseldorf based Degussa AG. This is being used by Swiss company Interver Special Glass Ltd, best known for its trade...

GLASS & GLAZING: Pyrodur for viewing panels.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Pilkington Building Products - UK continues to demonstrate the capabilities of its popular clear fire-resistant glass range with the introduction of 10mm Pilkington Pyrodur 60-10 and important additions to the test portfolio for 23mm Pilkington...

GLASS & GLAZING: Don't cut apertures on site.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... The BWF-Certifire Fire Door & Doorset Scheme has made the correct procedure for providing glazed apertures in 30 minute fire doors the focus of its latest Fact Card. Essentially, the BWF-Certifire Fire Door & Doorset Scheme does not permit...

GLASS & GLAZING: PAY ATTENTION TO COSTINGS.
November 10, 2005... GLASSCALC MAN ON COSTING, PROFITABILITY & OVERHEAD RECOVERY No one needs to be told about the recent poor market performance and the state of the industry. The situation has not been helped by the introduction of the Energy Surcharge on...

GLASS & GLAZING: PROVIDING THE GLASS LINK.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... TRADE FABRICATOR'S FORAY INTO SEALED UNIT PRODUCTION HeatGuard, a range of insulated glazed units (IGU) that provide low levels of conductivity and moisture transmission, together with prolonged life expectancy, has been launched by leading...

GLASS & GLAZING: Timber curtain walling.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Laminated timber curtain walling is now available from Stoakes Systems as an alternative to aluminium curtain walling. The company is a long established specialist for the supply and installation of curtain walling systems and Kalwall...

GLASS & GLAZING: LIGHT AND SPACE AT THE WHARF.(Canary Wharf, D R Services )(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... SHOPFRONTS SPECIALIST WORKS ON CANARY WHARF DEVELOPMENTS Two prestigious developments at London's Canary Wharf have benefited from glazing products and systems from D R Services. DS3 is a 14 storey office building which includes a seven...

GLASS & GLAZING: New glass protection spray.(Signo Glassguard by Signo Ltd.)
November 10, 2005... Safeguarding the appearance and integrity of new glass against the elements, pollution and deliberate or accidental damage is no longer an intractable problem, says Simon Mercer of surface protection specialist Signo Ltd. Signo Glassguard...

COMPOSITE DOORS: DEDICATED SALES SERVICE.(FD60 fire doors)(Homesafe Doors)
November 10, 2005... SUCCESS IN BOTH THE SOCIAL HOUSING AND TRADE SECTORS Success in both the social housing and trade sectors requires different approaches. Homesafe Doors Sales Director, John Adams has found that using a dedicated sales team for each market...

DOORS: ACDM website explains new test requirements.
November 10, 2005... The Association of Composite Door Manufacturers (ACDM) has posted a new presentation on its website covering the current requirements of the PAS23 and PAS24 regimes and the new tests required under the latest Annex D. The PAS23 section...

DOORS: Pegasus gets garage doors.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Pegasus of Lakeside, Essex, established for 20 years, is the latest firm to become an accredited member of the Heritage Garage Door Ltd Approved Scheme. The Essex company is looking to increase its workforce of 38, following successful...

DOORS & ENTRANCE SYSTEMS: DOORS FIT THE BILL.(Poole Housing)(Police Preferred Specification)
November 10, 2005... POLICE RECOMMEND MADE TO MEASURE PRODUCT Poole Housing Partnership has put the needs of its residents at the forefront of a door replacement scheme with the help of Manse Masterdor and Radway Poole Housing Partnership has put the needs...

DOORS & ENTRANCE SYSTEMS: NWD's inverted panels for heavy use.(New World Developments)(inverted moulding design)(panels)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... New World Developments' inverted PVC door panels are being increasingly specified in `high use' cases where doors are subjected to more than average stress. The inverted moulding of the Vintage Collection gives similar aesthetics to a...

DOORS BRIEFING: KAT workforce go for NVQs.(National Vocational Qualifications)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... In line with its Investors in People accreditation, KAT UK a specialist supplier of in-line patio doors and vertical sliding sash windows - has enrolled 12 factory fabricators on the glass supporting industries level two NVQ qualification. ...

DOORS: Fuhr remote controlled lock package fits inside the door.(Fuhr Multitronic 881)(remote control door locks)
November 10, 2005... The German-made Fuhr Multitronic 881, available ex stock in the UK from Groupco, has a three-channel radio remote control `key' which not only unlocks the front door from the outside, but can also operate a gate, garage door and other entrances...

ROOFLINE & ANCILLARIES: Everwhite goes lead-free.(Everwhite Plastics Ltd)(Calcium Zinc)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Everwhite Plastics Ltd announces that it is the first UK manufacturer to change to Calcium Zinc for all its roofline products. Vince Richardson, Technical Director, explains why Everwhite has taken this big step: `The Vinyl 2010 voluntary...

ROOFLINE/ANCILLARIES: GAP goes online to ensure it's on time every time.(GAP)(online stock system)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... GAP, a leading roofline stockist, has 4,379 customers, 3,101 products, 36 trucks and eight branches. All products from all branches are tracked using a fully integrated online stock system. It looks at the individual requirements for each...

ROOFLINE & ANCILLARIES: Drainex picks Deceuninck.(Drainex Ltd signed with Deceuninck)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Swindon building merchants Drainex Ltd has signed with local company Deceuninck to stock the Deeplas range of cellular PVC-U fascias, soffits, claddings and trims. The company, specialises in above and below the ground drainage. The...

ROOFLINE & ANCILLARIES: GAP bucks the trend.(GAP)(bucking the trend)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... With mixed reports in the roofline industry GAP, a leading roofline stockist and door panel manufacturer, says it is not only bucking the trend with sales up 20 per cent - it is also laying the foundations for the future. GAP is in the middle...

FIELD TESTING: Efficiency and comfort.
November 10, 2005... DYNAMIC FACADE CONTROLS FOR HIGHLY GLAZED BUILDINGS These days it can be difficult for architects and manufacturers to reconcile energy efficiency demands with those of occupant comfort. Here Stephen Selkowitz, Head of the Building...