Crown Aluminium recently played host to 30 architectural students from Nottingham University. The trip was organised by the course convenor of the  Façade Technologies module and the trip was organised to show the students a modern fabrication facility. Roger Phillips, Production Director at Crown Aluminium and Colin Cornwall, Production Manager, hosted the visit.

Crown have had links with Professor Michael Stacey RIBA FRSA, Chair in Architecture and Director of Architecture at the university for a number of years. Professor Michael Stacey has also spoken at several of CAB members meetings recently where he explains how architects should be using aluminium to enhance building structure design whilst ensuring substantial sustainable values. Professor Michael Stacey has recently worked with the International Aluminium Institute to provide ‘Greenbuilding’, a website which explains the benefits of using aluminium in architecture.

Of the 30 students visiting Crown, three were studying their PhD’s and undertaking research in facade development. Crown are supporting these students by fabricating specific facade elements for research and development.

The visit looked at the workshop flow of manufacturing, from profile cutting through to machining and assembly of facades, windows and doors. An emphasis was placed on quality procedures and secure packaging for transport to site.

Visiting the drawing office, students were introduced to the estimating packages which translate the CAD drawings into bills of quantities for order. One of Crown’s leading technologies can be seen in their three Elumatec CNC machine centres all of which are linked back to the drawing office. Machines can be easily programmed from the office to ensure that all machining for fixings, hardware, drainage, etc are completed with accuracy.

Aneel Kilaire, a PhD student sponsored by Buro Happold Consulting Engineers, is designing and fabricating an ‘Integrated Double Skin Facade’ which eliminates the need for central plant and provides both reduced energy emissions and improved comfort for occupants, Aneel comments:

“Crown Aluminium’s involvement has been crucial to the success of the project. In the initial stages Roger Philip’s breadth and depth of knowledge and experience of system providers and bespoke products allowed the project to become a reality, by advising on the use of Schueco’s unitised systems, thus the economic barrier of producing bespoke profiles for the project was overcome. Following product development with Schueco, Crown Aluminium’s involvement was again invaluable in the fabrication stage as Production Manager Colin Cornwall, advised on the detailing and assembly, and managing the fabrication process of the bespoke, system based, unitised double skin facade. This has been facilitated by Crown’s investment in CAD/CAM software which allows the production of ‘one-offs’ and their experience with different curtain walling companies.”

It is hoped that the relationships established here can be developed further between the industrial partners of Crown Aluminium, Schueco UK and the University of Nottingham, to advance facade design technologically, at lower cost and with less inherent risk and thereby enhancing wealth creation and the competitiveness of the UK curtain walling industry.

Crown aluminium use the latest technology and work closely with all systems providers to offer bespoke products to suit any application. For further information on Crown and their services please visit their website at www.crownaluminium.co.uk or contact their offices by phone on 01453 753222.

Crown Aluminium are pleased to announce the promotion of Clive Boulton into the position of Works Manager. Clive has been with Crown since 1993 and has been promoted from Materials Handling Manager to Works Manager which is effective from the 1st of October 2010.

Despite the recession orders are holding up very well for Crown Aluminium, a specialist fabricator of commercial systems. With a healthy order book stretching into 2011 Crown’s services continue to be in demand from installers and envelope contractors.

Clive joins an experienced management team offering quality solutions for customers using a wide range of current systems available in the UK. Clive likes to take on new responsibilities, is ready to rise to this latest challenge and prefers to "just get on with the job".

Clients seeking any estimating requirements contact Carl Berry and for technical issues contact Colin Cornwall - Crown are pleased to offer guidance to new and existing customers.

With over 20 years experience in manufacturing fenestration products in aluminium, steel and timber, Crown Aluminium take an ‘engineering’ approach to everything they fabricate. An engineer by trade, Roger Phillips has successfully built Crown Aluminium based on his experience and continues to develop his staff’s skills to ensure both quality and efficiency in manufacture.

As a fabrication only service offered by Crown, both the number of systems fabricated and the customer base is very broad. Crown source and populate the latest software systems to ensure accurate data is translated into accurately manufactured product. Running three Elumatec CNC machines being fed by two automatic double headed mitre saws, means there are few projects that Roger would not tackle.

Roger’s willingness to discuss engineering solutions for projects being worked on and long term relationships that the business has forged with systems companies, installers and envelope contractors, reveals his passion for Crown Aluminium.

What’s the secret to success for Crown Aluminium?

“There is no one answer, its a combination of things, but one thing is clear, we are asked to undertake work that is difficult or cant be done elsewhere. We certainly can’t do the ‘impossible’, but if there’s a solution and there is time to undertake the work, both in our production schedule and capability, we’ll quote the work. If it can’t be done, we’ll say so and turn the work away.”

“Working today with the latest software and CNC machines may seem to be a simple solution and make fabrication much easier, in some respects that's true for standard products. As systems have become more complex, with more options and the fact that Crown manufacture a very wide range of products from the main systems companies in the UK, we couldn’t work without the investment in CNC machines and software.”

“I think if we were to to summarise, it’s down to our experienced staff and relationships with our customers, sometimes undertaking what seems ‘impossible’ sometimes helps!”.

Your background in engineering, how do you think that has helped Crown?

“Engineering principles are not new, everything we make we use sound engineering principles that keep us both striving for improved efficiency and continued quality.”

“How many window manufacturers look to the ultimate ‘engineers’ in our society? I recently took some of my managers to the Toyota production plant in Derby to see their production facility. The ‘just-in-time’ principles, ‘value engineering’, ‘KISS’ (keep it simple stupid),‘time and motion’ are all very valid in todays fenestration production shop and we have implemented many of the principles from my experience and visits we have undertaken.”

“Take for example macro’s written for a single prep on a length of material, depending on how it is written can effect efficiency of the whole project. Sometimes the most logical way of programming the macro is not the most efficient, its all about experience. Cutting the macro’s operating time not only ensures greater efficiency but ensures more time for other projects in the production schedule without effecting quality. Macro’s themselves have also now been built into a library of preparations, reducing the need to write typical macro’s and ensuring that only the most efficient continue to be used.”

You mentioned customer relationships - how important do you feel this is in Crown’s success?

“Crown Aluminium sits in a unique position between systems company and installer, rather than being a company experienced in manufacture and contracting, which is typical for the sector, we just have to concentrate on fabrication. We work very closely with the systems companies in the UK and carry accounts with the majority of them, we are also seen by some of the very large envelope contractors in the UK as their fenestration fabrication facility, its almost like we have a foot in both camps. But relationships do win business and good relationships, based on honest discussion, agreement and meeting promises, last a lifetime and I’m proud that we have quite a few long term customers that we work for.”

“These relationships have opened up new customers where systems companies have put us forward to fabricate complex or difficult projects on behalf of some of their existing customers.”

So what about the future for Crown and the industry?

“We’ve diversified now into new products and systems, apart from manufacturing most aluminium systems, we are now manufacturing aluminium timber composite windows and curtain wall, we manufacture steel systems from several systems providers, we are registered as a ‘Secure by Design’ fabrication facility offering certified SBD products and we are equipped to manufacture unitised systems, again from various systems in the UK and Europe. Despite the downturn in the construction sector we remain very busy and have a healthy order book well into 2011.”

“As fabrication becomes more complex and sub-contracting on-site also becomes more complex and onerous, I think more fabrication only services will be set up in the UK. Our challenge is to continue to look at ways of improving manufacturing efficiency whilst keeping quality and of course meeting our customers expectations.”

“We welcome any enquiry for standard or complex projects from the UK and Europe, we will continue to specialise in manufacture and supply but leave the contracting to the specialists in the industry - our customers!”

Crown Aluminium is based in Stroud, Gloucestershire and was formed in 1987. For further information on Crown Aluminium and services offered, please visit their website at www.crownaluminium.co.uk or contact their offices by phone on 01453 753222.

Roger Phillips has been appointed President of the Council for Aluminium in Building.