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Opening the door to contemporary colour

A new approach to creating beautiful designer doors with an original colour aesthetic is now possible thanks to the new W-Tec 3D+ hinge by SFS.

This ground-breaking hinge allows designers to rethink the visual impact of the hinge within the doorset, providing the option to colour contrast for bold aesthetics, or harmonise the hinge’s colour to complement the door and frame.

European designed and built, W-Tec 3D+ is a highly engineered premium quality hinge which offers unparalleled levels of stability and three-dimensional mechanical adjustability to enable precise installation and long-term reliability. It can also be used for fire doors with a rating of up to 60 minutes, subject to appropriate doorset testing.

It is the perfect solution for aesthetically-led heavyweight timber doors up to 200kg in weight which are fitted into timber or steel frames and are typically suited to high-end commercial, hospitality and residential applications. The scope of applications for doorsets built with W-Tec 3D+ hinges is expanding all the time, with luxury hotels in Mallorca and Turkey just two of the projects which are already benefiting.

SFS manufactures W-Tec 3D+ hinges in any RAL colour to deliver a visually stunning result in contrast or for colour match. Two versions are available for standard and slim doors, both providing reliable stability and durability through SFS’s unique patented 7-axis kinematic mechanism. This utilises three levers to handle the weight of the door in an innovative way which keeps the door straight and prevents elliptical movement when opening and closing. The result is minimum wear and tear, even when door closers are fitted, over a long service life.

W-Tec 3D+ is part of a range of high performance door hinges by SFS which provide solutions for every kind of door. This includes the Easy 3D hinge, a stainless steel hinge range that is popular amongst timber door manufacturers and installers across Europe because of the high degree of mechanically adjustability it offers in three dimensions whilst fitted in situ.

For PVC-U, aluminium and composite doors, SFS is renowned for its Dynamic hinge ranges which help create high performance rebated doorsets thanks to their profile-specific sash plates.

Find out more about the SFS door hinges range at www.sfsintec.co.uk.
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SFS listens to rainscreen customers and responds with 3 day lead times on coloured AP rivets

Responding to market feedback, SFS has invested in a new assembly facility in Leeds to provide high quality, colour-matched AP rivets for rainscreen cladding. The full range of AP rivets are now available in 3 days’ lead time in more than 100 standard colours.

Andy Stolworthy, Director of Product and Market Development for SFS comments “The company’s new investment brings key manufacturing processes to Yorkshire that were previously handled in France. The move has been driven by UK customer feedback for shorter lead times on high quality coloured rivets, and illustrates how SFS is equipped to listen to the challenges that its customers face and respond in the most effective way.”

The result for customers is the convenience of being able to source AP rivets in a wide range of RAL colours in considerably reduced lead times. AP rivets are now available in 100+ standard colours that can be powder coated ready for despatch in just three days on orders placed before 12.00 noon, up to a maximum of 5,000 pieces. Additional volumes and bespoke colours can be easily accommodated too, with lead times depending on the specific requirements.

SFS’s AP rivet leads the market for securing rainscreen support systems in face-fixed rainscreen applications. The grade 5 aluminium body delivers ease of installation, durability and long term assurance. Three flange sizes – 11mm, 14mm and 16mm – and a range of rivet lengths provide a solution for securing the most widely specified rainscreen panels to a support frame. SFS’s powder coating processes ensure there is no paint on the mandrel.

Darren Gunga, Head of Operations at SFS says “We’re always listening to our customers and continuously looking at what we can do to make their lives easier and businesses more successful. Our new UK production facility for AP rivets is the tangible result of our approach, adding to our existing world-class painting technology for fastener systems.

“The new plant transforms the supply chain for specifiers and installers working on rainscreen projects. It is the first time that the market has been able to access the highest quality rainscreen fixings, complete with a premium colour finish, in such short lead times. Crucially, it means customers no longer need to compromise to suit tight build schedules.

“Our closeness to the market means we are in touch with the practical demands that customers face, which is why we’ve invested significant resources in Leeds to streamline the process from ordering to delivery on-site.”

Find out more about the range of SFS AP rivets for rainscreen at www.sfsintec.co.uk.
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SFS provides a single secret fix solution for Cembrit rainscreen range

Installing Cembrit fibre cement rainscreen panels as thin as 8mm using mechanical secret fixings just became quicker, easier and safer thanks to the innovative new range of TUF-S rivets by the world’s leading fastening systems manufacturer SFS.

Extensive testing by SFS demonstrated how TUF-S challenges the convention that installers need to use different fasteners for different panel materials and thicknesses. Until now, no other rivet of this kind has provided a reliable secret fix for panels manufactured in both HPL and fibre cement.

The TUF-S range is designed to eliminate the risk of overtightening which can ruin the aesthetics of a façade and result in very costly damage. It consists of nine variants of A4 stainless steel fixings, with a carbon steel mandrel, that can be used to secure a range of panel thicknesses to the rainscreen support clips using the GESIPA Powerbird Pro tool. The rivet’s design provides a wide range of installation benefits to save time and money, and deliver a safer, better quality overall result.

The performance of TUF-S for 8mm Cembrit panels was proven by SFS through a series of load tests conducted in its laboratory in Switzerland. This allowed for a set of technical values to be calculated to enable façade engineers to easily determine the number of fasteners and clips required to accommodate different locations, wind loadings, etc. This provided Cembrit with total assurance according to Ged Ferris, Cembrit UK Marketing Manager.

Ged says: “We are pleased that SFS have developed an innovative mechanical secret fix system for use with the standard 8mm thick rainscreen cladding boards. Designed and tested by SFS for use with fibre cement cladding, the combination of SFS rear rivets and Cembrit boards creates an attractive façade, uninterrupted by visible fixings, that will appeal to rainscreen cladding specifiers throughout the British Isles.

SFS have proven the rivet’s effectiveness in the clearest terms through their extensive testing and this gives us complete confidence in recommending the fastener’s use in any Cembrit rainscreen applications in the UK.”

Installation of TUF-S requires just a standard hole, with no need for complex undercutting – this provides the installer with the flexibility to drill new holes on site if required to accommodate unforeseen issues. The rivet also eliminates the risk of overtorquing, which can damage the rainscreen panels, and it has high pull-out values with no unwinding and uninstallation possible via a hex head.

Andy Stolworthy, Director of Product & Market Development at SFS says: “We’re delighted to have worked closely with Cembrit to provide them with a highly effective secret fix solution that will work across their different rainscreen panels. This development project is an excellent example of how SFS is able to create products with innovative unique features that provide OEMs with the assurances they need and address the most common issues faced by installers.”

Find out more about TUF-S at www.sfsintec.co.uk.
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SFS fasteners chosen for Curtis Moore’s Glasgow Quay refurb projects

Precision engineered stainless steel fasteners by SFS have enabled leading roofing and cladding contractor Curtis Moore to deliver new roofing in two refurbishment projects at Glasgow’s premier leisure and entertainment destination, Springfield Quay.

Bringing a fresh new look and delivering amongst the best quality entertainment facilities of their kind in Scotland, the renewal projects at the Hollywood Bowl and Odeon Cinema have helped the development maintain Springfield Quay’s position at the forefront of the market. In addition to these two key attractions, the Springfield Quay provides a wide range of restaurants, cafés, a gym, casino, hotel and more, located close to Glasgow City Centre.

Chosen to provide a reliable and secure fixing for Kalzip Standing Seam Roofing panels, SFS fasteners were used for both roof replacement projects at the leisure park’s Hollywood Bowl and Odeon cinema buildings.

Acting as the principal contractor on both projects, Curtis Moore was tasked with removing the existing profiled metal roof, insulation and VCL, before installing new insulation and the aluminium Kalzip panels. Both major refurbishment projects were completed whilst the facilities remained open for business, which required careful planning to keep access open and safe, without impacting on day-to-day operations or the overall customer experience.

Working closely with NBDA Architects on both projects, Curtis Moore was initially appointed on the Odeon Cinema scheme. The 5,500m2 roof of this building features curved roof sheets which are 53.5m in length. The sheets had to be site rolled within the active car park – this was undertaken in an area of the car park that would cause least disruption and was clearly cordoned off.

It was a roofing project that presented a number of challenges, not least the need to incorporate additional steelwork to suit the new Kalzip system, which was only apparent once the existing roof was removed. However, such was the success of the solution and service provided by Curtis Moore, that the company was awarded the adjacent project – Hollywood Bowl. This was a similar project, involving the removal of an existing skin, VCL, insulation and supporting grid, and installation of 2,808m2 of Kalzip panels.

Commenting on the project, Curtis Moore’s Ashleigh Thomson, Business Development Director, said: “Springfield Quay is a hugely popular leisure and entertainment destination and we are delighted to have been involved in these latest refurbishment projects which look set to keep it at the top of its game for years to come.

“Market-leading brands like Odeon and Hollywood Bowl set high standards for their customer experience, so our contribution to the building envelope must match these ambitions. That’s why the use of Kalzip systems secured by SFS fasteners was hugely important, providing the assurance of a long service life and giving the buildings excellent and lasting visual appeal.”

Find out more about SFS at www.sfsintec.co.uk.
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SFS hinge technology raises the bar at 2018 Fensterbau Frontale

Leading door hinge manufacturer SFS has reported a successful four days at the Fensterbau 2018 exhibition, with the show providing the ideal platform for door manufacturers to explore why its latest range offers unparalleled adjustability, aesthetics and performance across every type of doorset.

Star of the show was the W-Tec 3D hinge range which SFS offers in any RAL colour to deliver a visually stunning result in contrast or to colour match. This highly engineered concealed hinge, available in two versions for standard and slim doors, provides a perfect solution for aesthetically-led heavyweight timber doors used in high-end residential, commercial and hospitality applications. The quality of W-Tec 3D’s design and manufacture leads the market with its excellent stability and mechanical adjustability enabling precise installation and delivering long term reliability.

Another popular hinge technology option for timber doorsets that attracted strong interest from visitors was the Easy 3D hinge. This well-established, stainless steel hinge range is well-liked by manufacturers and installers across Europe because of that fact it can be mechanically adjusted in three dimensions whilst fitted in situ. This makes it much easier to achieve a textbook timber door installation, every time.

In the UK, SFS is renowned for its Dynamic hinge ranges for PVC-U, aluminium and composite doors, and Fensterbau provided the latest insights into how this range continues to evolve.

Alongside the market-leading Dynamic 2D, which is designed to create high performance rebated doorsets thanks to its profile-specific sash plates, was Dynamic 3D. This offers the same highly engineered quality and aesthetic appeal, but with an additional level of adjustability. SFS also took the opportunity to showcase a concept version of Dynamic 3D which could present a future solution for flush-fit doors, subject to market feedback.

Nigel Wood, Director of Sales – Hinge and Fastening Technology at SFS said “It was fantastic to see such a high level of interest in our hinge technology range across all four days of Fensterbau.

“Our European designed and manufactured products truly have raised the bar in terms of a hinge’s build quality, adjustability and visual appeal and we look forward to expanding our relationships with UK architects, joinery manufacturers and door fabricators to help the market benefit further.”

Architects can learn more about why the hinge choice is crucial to a secure, safe and durable doorset specification in SFS’s new RIBA-approved CPD seminar. This seminar is delivered at architects’ offices in a ‘lunch and learn’ format and can be booked online at www.sfsintec.co.uk in the Architects & Specifiers tab.

More information on the SFS hinge technology range, including brochures and technical data is available at www.sfsintec.co.uk.
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New SFS Flat Roofing Catalogue now available

SFS, the world’s leading manufacturer of fastener solutions for the building envelope, has published a new catalogue for its flat roofing product range which is presented in a user-friendly format.

Now available to download at www.sfsintec.co.uk and to request as a printed catalogue, the new 200+ page Flat Roofing Catalogue is a comprehensive update to the previous issue to reflect the extensive range of products and systems offered by SFS. The catalogue details the innovative solutions available for the three main SFS systems – the isofast® fully metallic system, the isotak® thermal break fastening system and the isoweld® induction welding system.

The easy-to-use format, makes finding the right SFS product quick and simple and encompasses fastener solutions for steel, concrete and timber deck, along with critical decks and a new section for flashings, upstands and termination bars. It also includes details of fasteners for metal deck to steel and timber structures, as well as information on SFS’s tools and accessories. The catalogue is also available on SFS’s interactive e-Literature platform at www.sfsliterature.com along with its Roofing and Cladding Catalogue.

Martyn Holloway, SFS Flat Roofing Business Unit Manager, comments: “The new catalogue provides an easy to follow guide to our market-leading range of fastening systems for flat roofing. This will assist customers to choose a reliable, fully approved and easy to install solution for fixing membrane, insulation and termination bar to every type of substrate.”

The new Flat Roofing Catalogue is part of SFS’s extensive programme of support for roofing contractors, specifiers and membrane suppliers. This includes UK-wide sales and technical teams who provide on-site pull-out testing, wind load calculations and resources including BIM data and project support where required, as well as training facilities to ensure the best possible result in the finished building envelope.

Expert technical support has been at the core of SFS’s success in serving the building envelope market for more than 30 years with a wide range of fasteners for flat roof, pitched roof and façade construction. Operating from its UK HQ in Leeds, the company is part of the Swiss-based SFS Group which has annual sales in excess of £1.1bn and a history dating back to the 1950s serving customers in the construction, automotive, electronics, industrial and medical products markets.

Download the new Flat Roofing Catalogue now at www.sfsintec.co.uk or use the e-Literature site to navigate the catalogue online – www.sfsliterature.com
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SFS reports strong sales growth as it unveils first complete envelope package

(Photo caption: the recently completed new Alchemist bar and restaurant at Salford Quays, which features a striking golden building envelope installed by Longworth, created using fastening systems by SFS. Courtesy of Artez / James Andrews.)

Global group sales growth of 13.7% in 2017 for fastening systems manufacturer SFS, reflects the growing customer demand here in the UK for high performance fixing solutions for the building envelope, which the company is set to support further with its unveiling of the industry’s first complete package for rainscreen systems.

In addition to an expanded range of SFS-branded products and services being readied for launch in 2018, the company now offers Nvelope rainscreen support systems after the manufacturer joined the SFS family in 2016. This enables SFS to provide high performance Nvelope bracket and rail systems for rainscreen cladding and SFS-branded fasteners as one package, offering important warranty benefits and a simplified supply chain.

An extension to this package is also available to customers seeking to incorporate a working at height safety system as part of their envelope project. This is provided by SFS with its industry-leading Soter Safety Systems solutions, giving specifiers and contractors the assurance that key elements of the building envelope’s construction and installation are provided by a market-leader renowned for its technical excellence.

Across the globe, SFS provides fastening solutions in a diverse range of industries, including medical equipment, automotive, electronics and industrial. In the UK, SFS is synonymous with high performance fasteners for roofing and cladding, as well as other structural applications, and its range of precision-engineered door hinges. Over the last 12 months, its organic sales have grown strongly by 7.4%, to achieve overall sales of around £1.24bn (CHF 1.633bn Swiss Francs).

David Wigglesworth, UK Managing Director of SFS, said: “The SFS brand stands for quality and engineering excellence, so our customers can be confident that every solution we provide meets the highest expectations. Nvelope and Soter Safety System are, therefore, perfect additions to the SFS family as architects seek greater certainty on building envelope quality and performance, and installers look to solutions that help them work quicker, more profitably and safer.

“With our new family of systems, SFS is unique in the market in providing a complete solution that is underpinned by quality and reliability. Customers of SFS fasteners have long benefited from the extended life of our superior A4 stainless steel fasteners, often with powder coated colour finishes for outstanding visual appeal, and our innovative flat roofing systems, but they can now access so much more for projects incorporating rainscreen and where a reliable safety system is required.”

Superior quality products backed by expert technical support has been at the core of SFS’s success in serving the building envelope market for more than 30 years with a wide range of solutions for pitched roof, façade and flat roof construction. The company is part of the SFS Group which has annual sales in excess of £1.1bn and a history dating back to the 1950s serving customers in the construction, automotive, electronics, industrial and medical products markets.

Find out more about SFS at www.sfsintec.co.uk.
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Magical result as SFS Fasteners deliver for MediaCity UK’s iconic new building

SFS has played a key role in enabling Artez, the main contractor, and leading roofing and cladding contractor Longworth to deliver an iconic new building on Manchester’s vibrant MediaCity waterfront for upmarket bar and restaurant chain The Alchemist.

The company’s powder-coated, high performance A4 (grade 316) stainless steel fasteners were key to creating a stunning gold building envelope for ‘The Bund’, a unique structure located on the land bridge crossing Dock 9 at Salford Quays, between The Lowry and the BBC.

Designed by Reid Architects, The Bund is an iconic new bar and restaurant on the waterfront next to the world famous Lowry Centre for Living Ventures and the company’s 11th Alchemist venue. The design brief provided scope for originality and creativity in meeting the key requirements to deliver a building that would be different and special, and draw together the diverse areas of Salford Quays in a single new building.

The Bund provides a revolutionary hybrid landscape in creating what is a unique and futuristic venue. The new building’s gold roof and walls, and stunning terrace that cantilevers out over the canal, are designed to match the aesthetic and style ambitions of Living Ventures and of the high class cocktail bar’s clientele.

Longworth, who are renowned for their expertise in metal roofing, were commissioned to construct the building envelope and to realise Reid Architects’ golden vision. The company’s Business Development Manager, Ben Parker, says, “We are immensely proud of our work on The Alchemist, an incredibly complex building envelope project that only a handful of companies in the UK could have successfully implemented. To hear that the building has been shortlisted for a Building of the Year Award with Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce this October makes it an especially memorable project for us.

“Colour coordinating the gold zinc panels and the fasteners was critical, which is why we worked with SFS to ensure complete colour consistency on the fastener heads. We can rely on the excellent quality of SFS products, with their range of A4 (grade 316) fasteners enabling us to offer an extended life cycle on the building envelope, a requirement which is now generally specified by all the leading architects.”

Graeme McIlroy, Regional Sales Manager at SFS, adds “Fasteners hold the key to maintaining the visual appeal of the building envelope, with our powder coated A4 stainless steel fasteners best for ensuring a façade retains its integrity over a long service life. We are delighted to have been part of The Bund development working with Longworth and we hope to supply fasteners for more exciting projects as this exciting development rivals London at the heart of the media world.”

To find out more about high performance fasteners for the building envelope visit www.sfsintec.co.uk.
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SFS extends specifier support to drive better quality doorsets

Leading door hinge manufacturer SFS has extended its technical support for architects, interior designers and fit-out contractors to help deliver safe, secure and compliant doorsets which take advantage of the latest hinge technology for long term reliable performance and visual appeal.

The company’s new RIBA-Approved CPD seminar is now available for bookings. Its focus on security and access for the disabled provides essential guidance on the design considerations for external and internal doorsets, and why the hinge plays a pivotal role. The 60-minute seminar recaps on the Secured by Design initiative, along with the PAS 024 security standard that underpins this, and provides practical insights into aesthetics, delivering outstanding performance, Part M and disabled access requirements, the demands of Part L and the thermal performance of windows and doors.

In addition to its new CPD seminar, SFS has also made accessing hinge product information easier, with an updated website offering downloads to all hinge technology solutions, along with direct contact information for its skilled technical team.

SFS, which was exclusively invited to share its specification market knowledge, analysis and experience from a manufacturer’s perspective in the 2017 NBS ‘What Specifiers Want’ report, has worked closely with architects and building contractors for three decades. Its strength and depth in the specification market includes a UK-based Specification Team focused on supporting specifiers with writing NBS clauses.

David Wigglesworth, Managing Director of SFS intec’s UK business, who wrote the article in the NBS report, says: “As a designer, manufacturer and supplier of door hinges we’re well positioned to share our technical knowledge with specifiers but we know how important it is to make this information as available and useful as possible. That’s why we’ve invested in our new CPD seminar and refreshed our website.

“We were delighted to be invited to share our insights in the 2017 NBS report which will be enormously beneficial to anyone working in the specification market. The key findings of the NBS survey indicate that access to information is key, which resonates with our ethos and the way our support is structured – designed to help deliver better quality buildings and maximise client satisfaction. This is particularly so given the high proportion of specifiers who value good relationships with manufacturers and having detailed information easily accessible online.”

Expert technical support has been at the core of SFS’s success in serving the door and window market for more than 30 years with a wide range of exterior and interior door hinges, including the market-leading Dynamic 2D range, as well as fasteners for the building envelope. Operating from its UK HQ in Leeds, the company is part of the Swiss-based SFS Group which has annual sales in excess of £1.1bn and a history dating back to the 1950s serving customers in the construction, automotive, electronics, industrial and medical products markets.

Find out more about SFS at www.sfsintec.co.uk and download the NBS ‘What Specifiers Want’ here.
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Zero Waste Goal and CO2 Savings for SFS intec in Latest Sustainability Boost

Leading fastener manufacturer, SFS intec, has strengthened its position as one of the sustainability innovators in the roofing and cladding sector by implementing two new initiatives that significantly reduce the environmental impact of its Leeds HQ and production site.

The company, which is one of the world’s largest producers of fastening systems for the built environment, has just made a major investment to reduce energy consumption within its premises located close to Leeds city centre. Working in conjunction with its OEM customer Kingspan, SFS intec has installed a new ultra-low energy LED lighting system that will save 65 tonnes of CO2 per annum, in addition to providing a much brighter and more comfortable working environment for SFS personnel.

By removing the 349 original light fittings and replacing them with 155 low-energy LED lights, SFS intec is cutting its annual electricity consumption for lighting by nearly three quarters. The new LED lights allow for customised lighting levels which adapt to the amount of natural light entering the building through rooflights and windows.

In a separate programme to reduce its carbon footprint, SFS intec has also appointed a new partner to help it maximise recycling and eliminate landfill waste. Working with waste management specialist ACM Environmental PLC, new processes implemented right across the site will ensure all the company’s cardboard, dry mixed recyclables, wood, scrap metal and general waste is separated and sent to recycling plants, with none sent to landfill.

Luke Wood, QES Manager at SFS intec, who led both sustainability programmes, said “We’re always looking at utilising new technology, services and processes to ensure we’re operating in a sustainable way, guided by the three ‘P’s of sustainability – People, Planet and Profit.

“Cutting our energy consumption and waste help us to minimise our carbon footprint and maintain our position as an environmentally sustainable supply chain partner for all our built environment customers. Our next programme is looking at our consumption of gas for heating and to power our air-handling systems and, when implemented, could deliver even further CO2 savings.

“The fastening systems we manufacture and supply are often used in low and zero carbon buildings, so it is important for our customers to have confidence that each SFS intec product used is manufactured sustainably. That’s where we add value and give the industry a ‘greener’ choice.”

SFS intec manufactures a wide range of fastening systems for all types of roofing and cladding applications. The company is part of the Swiss-based SFS Group which has annual sales in excess of £1.1bn and a history dating back to the 1950s serving customers in the construction, automotive, electronics, industrial and medical products markets.

Full details about SFS intec are available at www.sfsintec.co.uk.
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