Nigel Wood, of SFS says collaboration not only ensures product development and compliance, but it also creates an environment for innovation
Building envelope specialist and high-performance hinge manufacturer, SFS, has been partnering with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), customers and organisations like Secured by Design for many years. It’s an approach that enables product innovation and development to improve performance and to incorporate security and easy installation features and demonstrates how SFS works closely with the supply chain to create the complete solution.
A perfect example of this is the partnership between SFS intec and Safeware, a leading distributor of hardware to the Epwin Group in the window and door industry. The two companies first collaborated a decade ago to bring SFS’s new Dynamic-2D hinge range to the UK market. Since then, the partnership has flourished due to both companies’ commitment to understand and meet customer needs and to constantly innovate their processes and products.
Paul Hinds, National Sales Manager for Safeware, explains, “Ten years ago, the market for doors and hinges began to change rapidly as customers started to demand a wider range of products than ordinary white or chrome hinges. Also, security became a key issue within the industry, and new regulations came into effect. We were approached by SFS to develop a bespoke range of hinges for all our profile systems and together developed a tailor-made range of quality, high-security hinges in a wide range of colours to match our profile foils while enhancing overall performance. We’ve been successful with the Dynamic hinge range and enjoyed a win-win relationship with SFS over the past ten years.”
Nigel Wood, Business Development Manager for hinges at SFS UK, adds, “With the launch of the Dynamic-2D hinge range, Safeware provided a stable and long-lasting door-set as well as a market-leading range of colour options. Not only that, our hinge products were (and still are) European-manufactured, CE certified and compliant with PAS-024 requirements. Our range was a perfect fit for Safeware’s extensive product range for all markets, including their commercial, new build and domestic replacement sectors.”
Innovation
Innovation for both companies has been a big driver in their expansion. The evolution of SFS’ hinge range has continued with the development of slimline, pivotal and invisible hinge ranges. The Dynamic 3D, Easy 3D, CIR and new W-Tec+ ranges are all precision engineered in Europe and CE marked, all offering adjustability, security and durable performance and availability in a wide range of colours.
Nigel Wood remarks, “Excellence drives every product we manufacture, with all products extensively tested before they reach the marketplace for easy compliance with regulations. We value our relationships with customers like Safeware who work closely with us to develop great products. For us, it’s all about the best possible design and engineering to meet the end user requirements for long-lasting performance, while helping installers save time due to the ease of installation. Specifiers and fabricators using SFS hinges can be confident that they are using the best products in the marketplace today.”
Nigel Wood
Fenestration Business
Development Manager
SFS Ltd
Please note: this is a commercial profile
