The uPVC Windows and Doors Manufacturers Association (UWDMA) held its meeting “UWDMA Vision 2020” in Goa. The meeting reviewed the accomplishments of the year 2017-2018 and chalked out a set of activities and missions to be achieved by 2020. All the key players and members of the association attended the meeting. With a warm greeting by Amit Malhotra, Marketing Head and Treasurer of UWDMA, the event proceeded with the highlight of the core agenda of the meeting. This was followed by a keynote address by Mario Schmidt, President of UWDMA. He gave updates on various developments of the association, including the meeting with the government of Jaipur to finalise the MOU for setting up of UWDMA training centre at ITI Bhiwadi, UWDMA to get official status of TPA registered agency soon, which is in the process, formation of working teams for UWDMA certified Window Manufacturer Programme, etc. [caption id="attachment_32660" align="alignnone"...

[caption id="attachment_32604" align="alignright" width="217"] Omkar 1973 designed by Foster+Partners[/caption] WFM: Please tell us about your company and yourself? Navin Keswani (NK): Aluplex has been in the window, door and facade business since 1981. We started off as a window-door fabricating company in Mumbai and progressed to become one of the largest facade and fenestration companies in the country. Aluplex has built its reputation over brand credibility, which does not get built overnight. It is achieved only with excellence in whatever we do – excellence in terms of performance of the end product, customer service and team dedication. These three criteria took the company to super heights and helped us to earn an unparalleled name in the industry parse. To tell you a little about the company and myself, Aluplex was started 36 years back because we realised that there was a need for this product. I realised that I had...

The Central Public Works Department, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has this year installed the new dynamic façade lighting system at Rashtrapati Bhawan (North Block and South Block), monumental heritage building of international importance. Earlier façade lighting was done through conventional lights i.e. GLS/metal halide/sodium vapour whose light efficacy was very poor in comparison to present LED light fixtures. This LED fixture has around 1 lakh burning hours whereas earlier light fixtures had around 10,000 burning hours. The new lighting system has computerized control having unified power and data cable for easy installation and maintenance with automation in the selection of colour combination schemes using opti-bin technology, selection of timing, facility of dimming, switching on/off facility, individual/ combined control of light fittings, etc. through Ethernet-based controller. This lighting system has got features to produce multicolour combinations, enhancing the architectural features of the buildings. This system is energy-efficient as well...

We had a conversation with Pragun Khaitan Managing Director, Jindal Aluminium Limited & he spoke about the company’s major milestones, their products and production facilities, latest prestigious architectural projects, and more. Here are the excerpts from the interview. Please tell us about your company Jindal Aluminium Limited (JAL)? How long have you been in the extrusion business and in the Indian market? Established in 1968 with a humble beginning, and one extrusion press, the company today is a market leader in aluminium extrusions with 11 presses of various sizes with an installed capacity of 1, 20,000 MT per year. Jindal Aluminium Limited is the first extrusion company in the secondary sector. In the year 2012, the company diversified into flat-rolled products with a capacity of 40,000 tonnes per annum. The company is manufacturing aluminium flatrolled products in various alloys. We are also producing circles, roofing sheets, foils, SRC/PP Cap, etc....

Please tell us about your company Greenlam Industries, and yourself? How long you have been in this business and in the Indian market? [caption id="attachment_31976" align="alignnone" width="774"] White and red shades always exude a bold and modern finish,radiating a crisp and classical look[/caption] Greenlam laminates is among the world’s top three, Asia’s largest and India’s number one surfacing solutions brand. With its presence in over 100 countries, Greenlam has focussed on developing quality products with great passion for innovation. We offer end to end surfacing solutions to customers with the varied range of product offerings, which consist of laminates, compacts, interior and exterior cladding solutions, restroom and locker solutions, decorative veneer, engineered wooden floors and engineered wooden doors. Our manufacturing units, based at Behror, Rajasthan and Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh, are best in class, using the latest technologies along with R&D centers to deliver unparalleled products to our customers. Across product...

Cladding is an exterior finishing system a skin to a skin or an additional non-load-bearing layer that serves a dual purpose. It not only helps protect the interiors of the building from harsh weather elements but also makes the outside decorative and attractive. The right cladding helps to maintain the buildings weather-tight and cost-effective, at the same time providing thermal insulation, reducing the temperature variation inside the building. It also helps to improve interior acoustics and daylighting. The cladding can influence the value, sale-ability and safety of the building. So cladding your property effectively is a wise investment that pays both short and longer-term dividends. There are now more cladding systems in the market than ever before. Finding the most appropriate choice may take a little time, but cladding – used creatively and intelligently – is a great way to stamp your own personal style on a property. Ready to...

P. Jothi Ramalingam Ponnusamy is the Director of Winwall Technology India Pvt Ltd, an ISO 17025 and an NABL performance testing laboratory. He has been associated with the architectural aluminium industry since 1990 as an anodising and powder coating specialist. He is presently a member of the Doors, Windows, and Shutters Sectional Committee, CED 11, which is responsible for creating the Indian Standards for the design, fabrication, testing and installation of doors, windows, and shutters. Jothi Ramalingam has constantly strived to create more test facilities in India for the benefit of the Indian façade and fenestration industry thereby helping the industry to improve its quality and successfully compete internationally. Under his stewardship, Winwall India has been accredited by NABL as the first laboratory in India for NFPA 285 testing of the fire propagation characteristics of exterior wall assemblies containing combustible components, testing facility for processed glass and conducting cyclic testing...

Please tell us about your practice? I started my architectural  practice in 1989, after graduating from CEPT University, Ahmedabad. The driving force behind the journey of over three decades has always been the openness to continuous learning, the quest for excellence and the sheer joy and pride in our work. As an architectural firm, we have grown exponentially by accepting every challenge that came its way. We not only provide technically sound advice, but cutting edge technology and engineering, trendy, modernistic architecture, interiors and landscape designs. I have poured in my passion, commitment, wholehearted enthusiasm, hope and my energy in all my work, maintaining a high level of integrity and commitment. [caption id="attachment_31711" align="alignnone" width="774"] The entire house is cladded with natural stone[/caption]   At HPA, H stands for happiness, P for positivity and A for accountability. That tells our philosophy. We are a small team of 20 people based...

The office building of the Central Information Commission (CIC) at Munirka, New Delhi is abutting a proposed 30 meter wide road namely Baba Gang Nath Marg. The state-of-the-art building facilitates the effective functioning of CIC, which is a symbol of transparency in the largest democracy of the world. The ambiance of the building is in such a way that the visiting Central Information Commission (CIC) at Munirka, New Delhi - front elevation public shall be at ease and comfort while pursuing their functions at the building. This has resulted in capacity building for the Central Information Commission. [caption id="attachment_31683" align="alignnone" width="774"] The building envelope protects the indoors from external elements and provides optimum daylight[/caption] The architectural façade, an inevitable part of any building, has long been a compelling focus of interest for building physicists and designers, combining attributes of both appearance and performance in a holistic manner. Façades, as building...

Eurobond, one of the leaders in the ACP façade industry has brought new line of products in the market. The Advantages of Eurobond  FR ACPs are: Non-Combustible Low Toxic Smoke Safer Evacuations Innovative Core Superior Strength Everlasting Finish Tested and certified 10 years warrant FR-ACCP Eurobond FR-ACCP (Aluminium Core Composite Panel) Eurobond Aluminium Core Composite Panels (ACCPs) eliminate the combustible core of ACP with non-combustible pure aluminium core. ACCP, along with A2 class fire retardance, offers best strength to weight ratio among the three classes and gives a better edge for application. The ACCP sheets are as formable and construction friendly as regular ACP, and are also completely recyclable and eco-friendly. They are the best choice for high rise constructions as they are incombustible and very light in weight. A2 ACP Sheets Eurobond FR-A2-ACP EUROBOND A2 ACP sheets are composed of 90% mineral core sandwiched between two aluminium skins of alloy...

Curtain wall is a building envelope that intends to support only its own weight and withstand the effects of environmental forces such as wind. It is not intended to assist the structural integrity of the building. There are two main types of curtain walling construction: “stick” and “unitised”. In stick construction, the curtain wall frame is constructed mainly on site with mullions and transoms supporting glass, spandrel panels, metal panels and brise-soleils, connected piece by piece. Each mullion is usually supported by the floor or perimeter beams. In unitised construction, on the other hand, the curtain wall is composed of large units that are assembled in the factory, shipped to the site and erected on the building. Aluminium profiles are used to form the frame, which is normally one storey high. Opening vents, glazing and infill panels are built into units before being transported to the site. As with stick...

The production of window glass started in 1836 in a factory in Belgium. Since then, the product has come a long way. Glass has become an inevitable part of any urban building. One of the first milestones was the invention of tempered glass in 1929 by the French glass company Saint-Gobain. The first double  glazing was produced in 1947 in Belgium, and it became popular due to its insulation capacities, both thermal and acoustic. During the 1950s, the British manufacturer, Pilkington invented a new method of glass production called float process and since then float glass has become the rage. By the end of the 20th century, 90% of the flat glass used throughout the world were float glass. Enameled and tinted glass followed this. [caption id="attachment_31416" align="alignright" width="150"] ANSHU SHUKLA Deputy General Manager – Design, Kalpataru Ltd.[/caption] With the material science constantly pushing its boundaries, we saw the entry...

The world of aluminium window is evolving towards an aesthetically and technologically advanced window, with ultra slim profiles and concealed hardware. SchlegelGiesse decided to embrace this trend in 2016 and launched C.H.I.C. - its first range of concealed hardware featuring a 180° opening, allowing to create a new type of window boasting a frontal section with a slim profile and hinges which are entirely concealed within the profile. [caption id="attachment_40033" align="alignleft" width="500"] C.H.I.C. concealed hardware[/caption] In 2018, Giesse decided to extend its line-up of concealed hardware and added a new version with a maximum load capacity of 130 kg, catering for a broader range of building requirements. C.H.I.C. 130 is perfectly in line with the 100 kg version. There are no extra component parts, but simply a set of newlydefined codes to give priority to one key feature that SchlegelGiesse has always refused to compromise on - simple and quick...

One of the uPVC profile leaders in India, NCL VEKA, has scaled up its m a n u f a c t u r i n g capacities with the inauguration of the newly-built ₹50-crore uPVC profile extrusion facility in Medak district in Telangana on February 13, 2018. The new plant with a fully automated mixing and conveying system and 18 extruders, was inaugurated by Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of the Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT). Congratulating the company, Ranjan said that this occasion is a milestone in the uPVC profiles manufacturing capabilities in the country. The facility is spread over 1,20,000 Sq ft, on 16.8 acres of land. Ashven Datla, Managing Director of NCL VEKA, said that this largest Indian uPVC plant was completed in a record 12 months, enhancing the capacity to produce 24,000 tonnes of profiles, translating to window requirements for 300,000 homes per...

Renson, the industry trendsetter, is equipping its own Fixscreen 100 EVO with solar technology, delivering professional screen quality for a cable-free retrofit, for the very first time. The new Fixscreen Solar by Renson is wind tight and available in many fabric qualities and colours up to a maximum size of 10.8 Sq m. The self-contained system in a modern linear design is fitted with a solar cell and operated by remote control. Professional maintenance is also provided. As well as the drive unit, the battery is easily accessible too and can be replaced when necessary.   [caption id="attachment_35851" align="alignleft" width="217"] Renson's Fixscreen solar for retrofitting[/caption] Robust, convenient and versatile: The vertical sunscreen made of solid extruded aluminium profiles featuring Fixscreen-technology is available in all RAL colours up to a maximum width of four metres and a maximum height of three and a half metres. The square box on which the...

South-Asia’s leading show on fenestration, aluminium extrusion, glass and glazing industry, was held successfully at the MMRDA Exhibition Centre, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai from 6th to 9th December 2018. The 10th edition of Zak Aluminium Extrusions Expo, the 15th edition of Zak Doors & Windows Expo, and the 16th edition of Zak Glass Technology Expo witnessed a huge gathering of industry leaders, architects, builders and consultants. The exhibition impressed the exhibitors as well as the visitors with the riveting display of latest advancements in windows, doors, railings, curtainwall systems, cladding, hardware, fixing systems and much more. The expo saw participation from a huge segment which included glass, doors & windows, and aluminium industry. More than 600 domestic as well as international brands showcased their products and technologies in this four days exhibition. The event also witnessed a remarkable visitor footfall, with over 5000 industry members marking their presence. [caption id="attachment_31097" align="alignnone"...