The new AluK C70S window system, which was previewed at the FIT Show in May, will be available to order from this Autumn. It’s no surprise then that AluK has already started talking to customers about how the new 70mm big brother of its iconic 58BW window system could potentially transform their work in the low to mid-rise commercial sectors.
With plenty of growth still happening in new build apartments, office conversions, student accommodation and school refurbishments, the AluK C70S has been specifically designed to tick all the boxes for specifiers in these markets.
Primarily, it is a stylish and cost-effective 70mm window system with the same 89mm sightlines which have made the 58BW such a favourite in the marketplace.
Beyond that though, it achieves thermal performance of between 1.0W/m2K and 1.3W/m2K and can accommodate up to 50mm glazing to meet the increasingly demanding acoustic targets. When it comes to weather performance, it has been successfully tested to BS 6375 1:3: 2015 and has achieved class leading wind and water tightness scores. And, for security, it will also be PAS24: 2016 accredited to meet the requirements of Approved Document Q.
Initially available as an open-in or open-out window and in top hung, side hung and TBT configurations, the AluK C70S can be used to fabricate windows up to 1790mm wide x 2500mm high and with maximum sash weights of 180kg for a top hung and 150kg for a TBT.
According to Managing Director Russell Yates, AluK has made sure then that the new AluK C70S system will be easy to sell but, equally importantly, it has also made sure that it will also be quicker and easier to fabricate than rival systems.
Crucially, the new system comes with the option of pre-inserted gaskets, a move which will significantly reduce the time it takes to manufacture a window. Russell says: “This is technology which is new to the UK, but which has existed within the AluK group for some time. We have adapted our rolling lines to accommodate the same B-Quick system for inserting the gaskets which has already been proven by our colleagues at AluK Belgium and feedback from their customers on the system there is that it can reduce fabrication times by as much as 30%. Clearly, that can make a very real impact on both margins and competitiveness.”
As well as the pre-inserted gaskets, the new AluK C70S comes with the option of crimped or a new design of mechanical cleating to suit any fabrication set up and incorporates plenty of distinctive design innovations such as a ‘snap-in’ PVC profile to make it quick and easy to fit the EPDM weather proofing membrane.
When the new window system was shown to AluK customers at the FIT Show, the response was universally positive with many saying that what they really liked about it is that it shares not only the sightlines of the 58BW but many of the parts required to manufacture it as well. That means they will be able to add it to their ranges quickly and easily without having to significantly increase their stockholding.
The AluK C70S is a hugely important launch for AluK because it is the platform on which it plans to build an entire new range of integrated products – including both windows and doors.
Russell adds: “This incorporates everything which we know fabricators and installers love about the 58 but with even faster, simpler fabrication and much improved performance. As the market for aluminium windows continues to expand in a commercial market which still has plenty of potential for growth, we think the new AluK C70S is the right product at the right time – not just for AluK but for our customers as well.”
