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.

Commercial window, door and curtain wall systems continue to become more complex as systems companies continue to develop higher performance systems to meet the increasing demands for insulation. Aluminium systems, the specifiers first choice for commercial and high rise residential use, now use wide polyamide insulation strips to achieve high levels of insulation capable of achieve a class ‘A’ for insulation.

With ever increasing demands for higher insulation in frames and structural mullions, aluminium and polyamide has developed as far as it can and new composite materials are now rapidly entering the market.

Aluminium remains the choice for the external face of the emerging composites for its strength and exceptional low maintenance and life expectancy using powder coatings or anodised finishes. Traditionally timber has been used as an internal structural element with high performance thermal breaks between the two materials. But new materials are also emerging, systems using PVC and glass fibre are already entering the market and are set to offer the specifier long life expectancy coupled with higher insulation levels.

Crown Aluminium already supply two aluminium timber composite systems, complimented by polyamide insulated aluminium, steel and stainless steel systems. As all these systems become more complex, installers are looking for specialist fabricators, such as Crown to supplement their current supply of products for specifiers. Dealing with all the major UK systems companies, Crown Aluminium can supply these emerging fabricated aluminium composite products, on time and on budget.

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 arguably the largest commercial supply only window systems manufacturer in the UK. Manufacturing systems from the leading system houses many of the largest envelope specialists in the UK partner with Crown.

At this top end of the market there seems to be planned work well into 2011, what is surprising though, is the increase in the specification of steel products over the more traditional aluminium. Crown currently provide fabrication services in aluminium, aluminium timber composite, steel and stainless steel.

Steel systems have continued to develop from their traditional fire screen background and now with some of the latest thermal breaks and manufacturing technology steel doors and windows seem to be making a steady comeback. Some of the latest technology uses stainless steel as an insulator between two formed steel profiles, stainless steel transmits heat at 1/3 that of carbon steel and with correct design a complete steel composite profile window, or door, can easily achieve a U value of 1.7 w/m2K.

Steel framed fenestration features strongly on some of our prestigious projects today. Maggies Cancer Caring Centre in London, awarded an RIBA London Building of the Year in 2009, uses steel systems fabricated by Crown and installed by Chessington based, Structura UK Limited.

Crown aluminium use the latest technology and work closely with all systems provider, including steel systems, 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 are one of just a handful of companies in the UK who are manufacturing commercial doors, windows and curtain walls in various materials for Secured by Design building projects.

For products to achieve the SBD standard and carry the SBD label, they must first be tested by an independent UKAS registered institute by either the systems company and/or the fabricator clearly identifying sizes and hardware configurations. Tested products then form a library of products which can then be fabricated by a SBD licensed fabricator only. If the product is fabricated by a non-member they will not be approved by SBD and that could jeopardise the whole project not receiving an SBD licence on completion.

Compliance to SBD is often specified by clients in order to minimise crime in an existing or new project, whilst also potentially lowering insurance premiums for the building owners.

The standard has proved to be so popular that there have been recent instances of some companies professing to supply products to meet the standard that are not being sourced from licensed sources. ACPO (The Association of Chief Police Officers) who are behind the SBD initiative are now taking a firm stance on unregistered fabrication and taking steps to prosecute under the Trade Marks Act 1994 and Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

Crown Aluminium have now taken the step of labelling each manufactured product to show its origin and reference to its test pass. For all 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.

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.