By Wojciech Brożyna - MD of Aluprof UK
As a prominent systems company in Europe, Aluprof have established themselves as a leader in the field of aluminium framed fire rated windows, doors, screens and curtain walls. Today, Aluprof are delighted to announce that they have opened a new glass processing company within the group dedicated to manufacturing class leading, fire resistant glazing. As a building project supplier, this places Aluprof in the enviable position not only of being able to develop and test both framing and glazing together, but to be able to supply complete and fully tested products direct to site.
The new company ‘Glassprof’, whose headquarters is located in Ogrodzona near Cieszyn, specialises in the production of fire-resistant glass and the processing of glazed units that work in harmony with Aluprof’s fire rated aluminium systems. Thanks to the use of the latest and fully automated production technology, the newly formed company offers glazed units that combine various glazing options that include fire protection, thermal insulation, solar control and sound insulation. Aluprof firmly believes that the collaboration with Glassprof will offer comprehensive and hassle-free glazing solutions that will prove advantageous to a wide range of buildings, including libraries, schools, hotels, and student accommodations. Given the paramount importance of fire safety as a critical design consideration, this partnership strives to provide architects and specifiers with a profound sense of assurance and peace of mind.
The new Glassprof brand in the Aluprof family is the next stage of the company's long-term strategy, which aims to increase the competitiveness of the offer by providing products and services that complement each other. A full package that aims to improve the safety and comfort of spaces created for people.
Jacek Cholewa, President of Glassprof sp. z o.o. comments: “Glassprof products are manufactured in accordance with European CE marking standards and are additionally subjected to rigorous quality control. Being part of a strong brand such as Aluprof, we gain access to Aluprof’s modern Research and Innovation Centre, where new products are developed and fire protection systems can be tested in a laboratory test furnace that is able to fit structures measuring 4.5 m x 5 m. The Aluprof laboratory has signed agreements with the Polish ITB and CERTBUD, which offers standards compliance that helps reduces logistics costs whilst ensuring shorter test lead times.”
The new company’s products includes fire resistant glazing in classes EI30, EI60, EI90 and other types of insulating glass, double glazed or single glazed, which combine various options that can be used for the construction of windows, doors, partition walls and facades. Glassprof products are made of tempered glass which significantly reduces the risk of breakage during transport and site installation. Additionally, using tempered glass means that units do not have to be covered with foil or shielded to protect against UV radiation. Thanks to the use of a special radiation resistant gel in Glassprof products that crystallises in the event of a fire, glass remains in place and becomes opaque to help slow the spread of any fire enabling safe routes of escape. Amongst the main features of Glassprof fire-resistant glass is its neutral colour and high level of transparency, which is up to 88% clarity with no perceptible yellowing effect of the glazing over time. The new Glassprof manufactured glazing has also obtained the highest possible safety class 1B1 according to EN 12600 and, in addition, carry a high level of sound attenuation, of up to 93% reduction in some unit combinations.
Together with the new glazing products, Aluprof offer a comprehensive range of aluminium fire resistant systems to cater for all building requirements. The MB-118 EI is designed to offer internal or external fire rated partitions that can offer resistance up to EI120. The system suites with Aluprof's MB-78EI and carries many of the same fire restart components. With a structural depth of just 118mm the system carries a generous 34mm wide thermal break for thermal insulation.
The MB-78EI door with its own 78mm wide framing system can be made up into screens that offer various fire resistance classes up to EI90 when tested to the standard, PN-EN 13501-2+A1:2010. The MP-78EI system offers an excellent thermal insulation coefficient Uf due to the adoption of 34 mm wide thermal break. Depending on the required fire resistance class, GKF (fire protection plasterboard) or CI (polymer–ceramic composite) strips are inserted inside the chambers of profiles and within the thermal insulation space between the aluminium profiles. Fire rated glasses of up to 49mm in width can be accommodated within the system.
Complimenting the windows, doors and screen systems is the MB-SR50N EI, a stick curtain wall system which can offer various fire resistances up to EI60 when tested to the standards PN-EN 1364-3 and PN-EN 1364-1. The curtain wall can also be used in glazed roof coverings and offer a fire resistance class of RE30 as per the standard PN-EN 1365-2. Along with this 50mm wide capped curtain wall system, a further version of the curtain wall system, the MB-SR50N EI EFEKT offers fire resistance of up to EI60 in a cap-less curtain wall system as used at high level on the The Core, a refurbishment project in Manchester which uses the cap-less curtain wall which is unique to Aluprof. These curtain wall systems are enhanced within the profile to cater for an EI60 fire resistance. Specifiers can use the non-enhanced system for the complete building and only use the fire resistant construction in areas where fire resistance is required, this enables consistency in visible sight lines across the build.
Aluprof UK, part of Aluprof based in Poland have been supporting specifiers in the UK for over fifteen years with advanced systems that include, high performance windows doors and facade systems. Many UK based fabricators and installers supply these systems and are on hand to offer surveys and cost analysis as to what improvements can be made with likely paybacks.
Further information about systems and specification support is available through the company’s website at aluprof.co.uk or direct from their UK head office in Altrincham by phoning +44 (0) 161 941 4005.
