PROFI L E S & SYS T EMS
PROFINE UK RESPONDS TO PVC FOIL DEMAND STOCK FOILS ON
KINGFISHER WINDOWS ADDS STELLAR TO PORTFOLIO
Kingfisher Windows has added Stellar,
the double-award winning aluminium
window and door system from Epwin
Window Systems, to its portfolio in June.
Since then, the company has reported a
‘phenomenal’ uptake of the new system.
Mark Barker, production manager
at Kingfisher Windows, says feedback
about the system has been positive
across the board.
He said: “Stellar is an easy and
September www.ggpmag.com
A RAPID
TURNAROUND
Aluplast has said it continues
to be able to supply stock foils
on a rapid turnaround,
despite disruption reported to
the PVC-U foils supply chain
by some systems companies.
With foil-lead times
extended by a number of
leading systems companies,
the German-owned systems
house says its supplies of
stock foils have remained
unaffected. It added lead
times on non-standard and
dual colour foils – normally ‰Š
working days or less – also for
the most part remained
intact.
Ian Cocken, sales and
marketing director, Aluplast,
said: “The exponential
growth in demand that the
UK has seen since the easing
of lockdown has put immense
pressure on the supply chain –
but particularly on foils.
“The investment we have
made in our foiling capability
means that we have been able
to increase capacity in line
with demand and maintain
service levels. This means our
stock colours remain ‘in stock’
here on the ground in the UK,
including anthracite grey on
white; and anthracite grey
both sides on a grey substrate;
and smooth options.”
Aluplast’s foil range
includes more than ”•
finishes, plus Woodec, the
next generation foil designed
to replicate both the
aesthetics and feel of timber.
Aluplast adds that
significant investment in new
foiling lines and in CNC
foiling technology, means that
it can also offer a high degree
of flexibility on non-standard
finishes.
Profine UK has begun the foiling of
Kömmerling
profiles at its new facility
in Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire, along
with the newly acquired PVC-U systems,
which include the Legend platform and
the Evolve vertical sliding sash window.
With demand notably up on pre-
Covid-‚ƒ levels, Profine says that having
an integrated on-site foiling operation
has been a necessity. From an extrusion
perspective, Profine UK adds that it will
be looking to bring the Kömmerling
tools over from the Pirmasens and Berlin
facilities in Germany in the next couple of
months, with ‰Š tools in total transferred
by the end of Š Š
Robert Long, production director
of Profine UK, commented: “We’ve
had to respond quickly to the foil
lamination requirements of the Legend
and Evolve systems and more recently
the Kömmerling
platform. With an
extrusion facility that includes a mixing
plant and the post-extrusion process of
foil lamination, we’re looking to respond
to immediate demand and also to
reduce the lead-times on special orders
in the coming months. In time we will
also look to introduce new colours and
woodgrains as market demand dictates
and with the resources of the Profine
Group behind us, we can also look
forward to a new investment programme
for the facility. But in the short-term, the
requirement is to satisfy orders and to
build a strong pipeline of stock.”
Mark Barker and Deborah Beeley
straightforward system to fabricate and
looks superb. It really is a game changer
in aluminium system design and looks
different from anything else currently on
the market which is a big advantage for
our customers.”
Feedback from Kingfisher’s
customers is said to have been equally
impressive. Deborah Beeley, sales
and marketing manager, added: “Our
installer customers tell us they like
fitting Stellar because it’s quick and easy
to install thanks to its pre-gasketed,
knock in beads. Coupled with the fact
that consumers like the slimline, flush
aesthetics of the windows and doors, it’s
fast becoming the go-to aluminium and
door system.”
One of Kingfisher’s installers, Darren
Capitano from Abbey Windows in
Leeds, recently fitted œœ Stellar flush
casement windows and a French door
in a high-end consumer home. He
commented: “I love fitting Stellar – it’s a
pre-gasketed system that uses knock-in
beads, so it’s really easy to fit. There’s
nothing else like it on the market and I
think it’s a game changer. Consumers
love it too – the low-level gaskets mean
the frames look even slimmer, which taps
into the trend for big expanses of glass
which are so popular at the moment,
so it’s a straightforward sell. It really is a
stand-out aluminium product.”
Yorkshire based Kingfisher Windows
works in the retail, commercial and trade
sectors manufacturing and supplying
windows, doors and conservatories.
According to Epwin, Stellar has the
slimmest sightlines on the market and is
also the only aluminium system to offer
a genuinely fully flush casement window.
It’s reportedly Š % faster to fabricate
and it uses approximately ‰ % less
aluminium.
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