Verified by manufacturer 17 days ago
DCS021 - Downer Omega and Zed System
BBA Agrément Certificate
Certificate type
Downer is the original Helping Hand framing system. Downer rainscreen framing systems from Architectural Panel Solutions can be combined with numerous facade solutions and are manufactured in the UK.
Downer aluminium rainscreen framing systems are ideal for multiple sector applications and construction projects. A BBA approved framing system, it is ideal for use as a sub-frame to support cladding on the external or internal walls in structures of new or existing buildings.
Our Downer aluminium rainscreen framing systems are generally used for cladding applications for both internal and external facades, as well as living wall systems where Downer rainscreen framing is used as the sub-state for the application of living wall 'green facade' solutions.
The brackets and rails support the decorative cladding facade and create the cavity between the building substrate and façade panel providing vital insulation and ventilation.
Downer aluminium framing solutions are used for endless rainscreen cladding systems and are appropriate for a multitude of man-made, composite and natural facade panels, which use mechanical fix and structural adhesive techniques.
Downer now offers even more versatility with a system that enables specifiers to support their cladding from all angles, with a boosted offering which features:
DCS033 - Downer framing aluminium hook on system:
Downer aluminium rainscreen DCS033 framing system is designed to provide support to metal hook-on cassette cladding panels using the principle of a ventilated façade.
Downer Helping Hand® brackets combined with extruded aluminium L & T profiles offer an adjustable system allowing for thermal and structural movement and variation in cavity depth to suit your specific project requirements.
Downer DCS034 Soffit framing system is designed to provide support to cladding panels on a soffit application using the principle of a ventilated façade.
Downer DCS034 Soffit brackets and extruded aluminium L & T profiles provide the installer with an adjustable system allowing for thermal and structural movement and variation in cavity depth to suit project specific requirements.
Downer DCS041 floor to floor framing system is designed to provide vertical support to most rainscreen cladding panels using the principle of a ventilated façade with the ability to span over non-load bearing walls and be fixed back to floor slabs.
Wall brackets combined with extruded aluminium box and “T” box profiles provide the installer with an adjustable system allowing for thermal and structural movement and variation in cavity depth to suit project specific requirements.
DCS041 vertical rails offer direct support to the cladding panels by face or adhesive fixing them. It can also be used as a support to other framing systems such us our DCS004 Mechanical Secret Fix or DCS021 Omega and Zeds for horizontal support.
Take a look at Downer Designer and how all of these aluminium framing systems can be used for the most demanding of rainscreen projects. Downer Designer is a free to use tool which enables you to outline your project specific requirements to generate your optimal design/costs.
Downer rainscreen framing systems can be used with a multitude of rainscreen facade panels; whether they are combined with Architectural Panel Solutions own reconstituted stone cladding, Petrarch, or fibre-cement, engineered stone panels, reconstituted stone facade panels, composite cladding panels or natural cladding panels, you can be certain of a robust, dependable and fire resistant rainscreen framing solution.
The Downer rainscreen framing range consists of the following aluminium rainscreen framing systems:
Downer rainscreen framing - DCS021 - Omega and Zed System:
This Downer rainscreen framing system provides a cost-effective alternative to timber battens, especially where there is a requirement for a fire-resistant rainscreen framework.
The Downer DCS021 rainscreen framing system is designed to provide vertical support to most rainscreen cladding panels using the principle of a ventilated façade.
The Omega and Zed extruded rails are designed to be installed onto a continuous structural load bearing substrate to offer direct support to the rainscreen facade by face or adhesive fixing them.
It can also be used as a support to other rainscreen framing systems such us our DCS004 Mechanical Secret Fix or combined with DCS031 & DCS041, or another layer of DCS021 Omega and Zeds to provide horizontally orientated support rails.
Downer rainscreen framing - DCS031 - Helping Hand System:
Offers fast installation and reduced costs. Incorporates helping hand wall brackets. Suitable for low to medium-height buildings with solid masonry or stud frame walls.
Downer DCS031 Helping Hand rainscreen bracket framing system is designed to provide vertical support to a range of rainscreen cladding panels using the principle of a ventilated façade.
Downer Helping Hand® brackets combined with extruded aluminium L & T profiles provide an adjustable system allowing thermal and structural movement and variation in cavity depth to suit project specific requirements.
DCS031 vertical rails offer direct support to the rainscreen facade panels by face or adhesive fixing them.
It can also be used as a support to other rainscreen framing systems such us our DCS004 Mechanical Secret Fix, DCS021 Omega and Zeds for horizontal support or Downer Timber Batten Holders to build an adjustable timber frame.
Downer aluminium cladding framing system - DCS032:
Downer DCS032 aluminium rainscreen framing system is designed to provide horizontal support to vertically installed cladding panels using the principle of a ventilated façade.
Downer DCS032 Horizontal Adaptor combined with DCS031 Helping Hand® brackets and extruded aluminium L & T profiles provide the installer with an adjustable system allowing for thermal and structural movement and variation in cavity depth to suit project specific requirements.
Downer floor spanning rainscreen framing - DCS041 - Floor to Floor System:
High-strength, adjustable and enhanced wind resistance system, capable of spanning storey heights without the need to introduce intermediate fixings. A rainscreen framing system suitable for multi-storey buildings.
Downer rainscreen DCS041 floor to floor framing system is designed to provide vertical support to most rainscreen cladding panels using the principle of a ventilated façade with the ability to span over non-load bearing walls and be fixed back to floor slabs.
Wall brackets combined with extruded aluminium box and “T” box profiles offer an adjustable system which allows for thermal and structural movement and variation in cavity depth to suit project specific requirements.
DCS041 vertical rails offer direct support to the cladding panels by face or adhesive fixing them.
It can also be used as a support to other framing systems such us our DCS004 Mechanical Secret Fix or DCS021 Omega and Zeds for horizontal support.
DCS033 Downer aluminium cladding framing system - Hook-On System:
Downer Aluminium rainscreen DCS033 framing system is designed to provide support to metal hook-on cassette cladding panels using the principle of a ventilated façade.
Downer Helping Hand® brackets combined with extruded aluminium L & T profiles offer an adjustable system allowing for thermal and structural movement and variation in cavity depth to suit your specific project requirements.
Downer aluminium framing system - DCS034 Soffit framing system:
Downer framing's DCS034 Soffit framing system is designed to provide support to cladding panels on a soffit application using the principle of a ventilated façade.
Downer DCS034 Soffit brackets and extruded aluminium L & T profiles provide the installer with an adjustable system allowing for thermal and structural movement and variation in cavity depth to suit project specific requirements.
Downer rainscreen framing system - DCS004/DCS031 - Mechanical Secret Fix, on Helping Hand System:
For use where a smooth finish is required, unobstructed by visible fixings.
Downer DCS004 rainscreen framing system is designed to provide a mechanical secret fix support to most rainscreen cladding panels using the principle of a ventilated façade.
DCS004 MSF can be installed onto Architectural Panel Solutions DCS031 Helping Hand cladding framing system, DCS041 Floor to Floor or DCS021 Omega & Zed rainscreen framing system offering design freedom to suit project specific thermal and structural demands and variation in cavity depths.
Features and benefits:
Downer Rainscreen Framing Systems have been leading the market since inception in 1988. Today Downer has launched a new tool to help customers even further with their rainscreen framing needs. Downer Designer is a rainscreen framing online portal designed to help contractors and specifiers design and cost rainscreen framing projects.
This is a next-generation, dedicated, free-to-use platform for the real-time development, creation and costing of rainscreen cladding framing designs. Take a look here.
Downer the original Helping Hand framing solution was one of the first rainscreen cladding framing systems on the UK market. BBA approved, tested to the extreme and officially Made in Britain, in its factory near Hastings, it set the benchmark in 1988.
Now the company has launched Downer Designer – a free-to-use online tool which enables contractors, installers and specifiers to outline their project-specific rainscreen requirements to generate optimised framing designs. All of which is stored and managed in their own personal online account.
Users simply enter the information they know, along with any detail-specific needs for new build or refurbishment projects in any construction sector.
The technical team at Downer Framing will then provide: static and thermal calculations (up to 10 static calculations per project element), relevant costs, optimised component and fixing configurations, and NBS specification. All of which can be printed off or saved as a pdf. The user process can take as little as 10 minutes, and the Downer Technical team aim to have a Project Pack ready within just 24 hours.
Color | Grey Silver |
Finish | Mill Anodized Powder-coated |
Material | Aluminium |
Shape | Other |
Length | 3000 mm 6000 mm 4850 mm Bespoke |
Warranty description | 30 year |
Uniclass | |
CAWS | H92/120 Rainscreen cladding |
Standards | To BS EN 755-1 alloy EN AW-6063 and EN AW-6005A and suitable for the specified finish. |
Size | Manufacturer guidanceConsult manufacturer and insert requirements. |
Factory finish | Mill.Powder-coatedAnodized. |
Colour | Silver. |
Thermal break | Manufacturer guidanceConsult manufacturer and insert requirements. |
Length | Manufacturer guidanceA range of options are available, consult manufacturer and insert requirements. |
Bracket | Manufacturer guidanceSystem specific, consult manufacturer and insert requirements. |
Accessories | Manufacturer guidanceConsult manufacturer and insert requirements. |
Fixings | Manufacturer guidanceVaries, dependent on primary structure. Consult manufacturer and insert requirements. |
Primary structure/ substrate | Concrete. Masonry. SFS. Timber. |
Hangers | Manufacturer guidanceSystem specific, consult manufacturer and insert requirements. |
Profile | Manufacturer guidanceA range of options are available, consult manufacturer and insert requirements. |
Section size | Manufacturer guidanceConsult manufacturer and insert requirements. |
Type | Omega and Zed System. |
Contains Red List materials | No |
Country of material origin | United Kingdom |
Country of product manufacture | United Kingdom |
Material | Aluminium |
Recyclability | 100% recyclable and created from approx 79% recycled aluminium Manufacturer guidance100% recyclable aluminium rainscreen framing. |
Recycled contentAs defined in clause 7.8 of BS EN ISO 14021 | 79 % |
Downer Rainscreen Framing Brochure 2023
Downer Rainscreen Framing DCS033 Hook On System
Downer DCS034 Soffit Framing System Technical Guide
DCS031 Downer Framing Helping Hand Technical Guide
Downer Framing DCS041 Floor to Floor System Technical Guide
Downer Framing DCS004 Mechanical Secret Fix System Tech Guide
DCS032 Horizontal Framing System Technical Guide
Downer Framing DCS021 Omega & Zed Tech Guide
DCS004 Downer Framing Mechanical Secret Fix System - Rainscreen framing system
DCS033 Downer Framing Hook On System - Vertical Rail Rainscreen Framing
DCS034 Downer Framing Soffit System - Soffit Rainscreen Framing
Downer - DCS004/DCS031 Mechanical Secret Fix, On Helping Hand System - Rainscreen framing
Downer - DCS031 Helping Hand System - Rainscreen framing
Downer - DCS041 Floor To Floor System - Rainscreen framing
Downer – DCS021 Omega And Zed System - Rainscreen Framing