WHAT’S THE FUTURE FOR FENESTRATION MATERIALS?

from Glass News August 2023

by Christina Shaw

LEKA SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES SALES

Markets are constantly evolving. Most of the time we’re unaware of it because most change happens too slowly to notice.

It's only when you look back at the windows and doors we were installing 40 years ago that you see how much markets and products have changed.

“Twenty years ago PVC-U had the residential market more or less to itself. Then timber reinvented itself. Now aluminium is on a roll.” says Mike Rigby CEO of MRA Research.

He’s been tasked with conducting an allmaterial industry-wide debate on ‘Window materials where next?’ As the official debate partners we’ll be hosting the debate and more over several months and we want you to take part and share your views.

This debate should provide everyone with more than enough new information and views to guide their choices and steer the best course for their business. Don’t stand on the sidelines, take part in our survey. Read, think and debate!

THE DEBATE IS CONTINUED ON PAGE 10.

THE SURVEY WILL BE AVAILABLE SOON SO PLEASE LOOK OUT FOR OUR NEWSLETTER UPDATES

Deceuninck recycling capacity of 45,000 tonnes of recycled material prevents 2.3 million windows from going to landfill every year.

As you will have seen from the front page, Glass News has partnered with MRA Research to bring you the THE MATERIALS DEBATE. This will be a long running survey that covers the whole industry and takes into account the thoughts and ideas from everyone in the industry. The results will be open to everyone and the aim is to help all sectors plan for the future – it’s not a money making scheme: no money changes hands! In fact the whole survey is sponsored by Roger Hartshorn from Garnalex who has wide experience of the fenestration industry encompassing pretty much every material you can think of. The idea is to look at what materials will be used in the future and give everyone a chance to be ahead of the curve. The survey is trying to answer the question “Window materials: where next?”

Over the past 40 years the popularity of materials has varied with PVCu, timber, steel and aluminium all playing a part and enjoying success at varying times. This is your chance to join the debate. Share your thoughts with everyone in the industry: send us an article, an open letter, your comments or thoughts, be heard and have your thoughts noted in this industry wide debate. The results might just help you plan the future for your products and your company.

On another topic altogether, listening to the radio in the car this morning, one of the topics being discussed was that old chestnut about ‘mickey mouse’ degrees. It’s one of the subjects we have discussed before in the context of apprenticeships, degrees or pure work experience being the best way into gainful employment. The discussion brought up a degree in Cyber Security which, on the face of it and bearing in mind the scams that are so prevalent, seemed like a pretty good idea. The point was raised that if you want to tighten up your security the best way is to hire a hacker, after all they’ve found out how to do it so should be well placed to give you advice. The thought then hit me, but obviously passed the interviewer by, that running degrees in Cyber Security is surely training hackers and giving them a degree to boot!

While talking about worthwhile degrees it reminded me of a colleague I worked

with back in the early ‘70s who obtained a PhD having written the definitive thesis on the ‘Effect of the railways on Victorian England’…..not the most useful degree with which to secure a job! On this radio programme they cited a number of degrees offered by universities around the country, many of which were deemed to be pretty useless. One that was mentioned was, I believe, offered by Bath University – a degree in Circus. Pretty useful if you want to swallow swords, swing from a trapeze (steady!) or tame lions!

Whenever I hear of companies in our industry offering apprenticeships or even just work experience, I get a feeling of relief. This is, surely, the way into attaining a good and sustainable job for the long term. Yes, academic work for various professions is a requirement but if I had my time over, and particularly if I was starting now, I would go for a trade every time.

At least this discussion programme I was listening to highlighted the point that I have been advocating for a very long time. A lady was deriding the quality of MPs – nothing wrong with that – saying that no one should be allowed to stand for Parliament unless they have held down a proper job beforehand. I commend it, yet again, to the house!

Funnily enough, harping back to the subject of Cyber Security, no sooner had I written those words earlier than a Linked In notification popped in that was most apropos! Kubu, is the first product of its kind to secure IASME Level 2 IoT Accreditation (the highest level possible) for all devices, sensors and software, which perfectly complements the SBD and PAS24 accreditations already obtained for the Avantis ‘Works with Kubu™’ door and window multipoint lock ranges. The IASME IoT Cyber Scheme has been developed so that companies providing internet connected products and services - such as the Kubu Smart Sensors and App - can demonstrate their products have achieved the appropriate standards and that their products and services have been independently assessed against all 13 provisions of the world leading consumer IoT security standard - ETSI EN 303 645 - far exceeding the mandatory 3 provisions currently being legislated by the UK government.

“Kubu have set the de facto standard for cyber safety in our industry..." said Jody Vincent, Sales Director at Emplas who have partnered with Kubu. It sounds as if our industry is taking Cyber Security seriously and congratulations to Mark Bromley and his team who are very much leading the way.