"coatings and finishing treatments for metals"

St James School is part of Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust, with their mission is to provide students with excellent education and to build their communities. The school provides its students with the tools they need to use their education to become the best versions of themselves, succeed in rewarding occupations, and create wonderful lives.Helmsman manufactured and installed 245 four-compartment Laminate Metal Lockers. The specification of the lockers was 1775mm high, 300mm wide, and 450mm deep. When the lockers were being manufactured, the school requested that they have a sloping top. Sloping tops are a common choice for school lockers because they reduce the accumulation of dust and allow for storage without risking a safety hazard if something falls off.The laminate Metal locker was manufactured with the body to be metal and the doors to be laminate. The body of the lockers was coated in our standard colour of ‘Ice’. Whilst the doors were powder coated in Blue Iris, Blue Tiber, and Paradise Blue, which symbolised the colours of the school. The lockers were finished with oval number plates above the Camlocks, which is a fantastic choice for school lockers as the students will feel assured that their personal items are safe in their laminate metal locker.Laminate Metal lockers are fantastic materials for school lockers as they give the look of freshness and stylish as the material of laminate doors does better withstanding dents, and scratches and can be more long-term for the schools.

Isca Academy is Part of Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust to raise the aspirations and outcomes for their students enabling them to become fulfilled, and confident students. The school prides itself on being a true full school with students having a broad range of skills and ambitions on entry. Helmsman supplied and installed 205 four-compartment Laminate Metal Lockers. The specifications of the lockers were 1775mm high, 300mm wide, and 450mm deep. The school requested a mixture of sloping top and flat top. Sloping tops are a popular option for schools as they can prevent safety hazards as items can’t be stored on the top as well as accumulation of dust and dirt.It was requested to have a Laminate Metal Locker. The metal body of the lockers was coated in our standard shade of ‘Ice’. Whereas the Laminate doors were powder coated in Paradise blue, Yellow Crisp, Orange, and Hot Pepper. The laminate metal lockers were finished with oval laminated number plates above the Camlocks. Camlock is a great lock option for school lockers as it secures students’ personal belongings safe.Laminate metal lockers are a great option for schools since the material gives the look modern and sleek. In addition, the material will hold up better to dents, scratches, and other damage over time, which is an excellent material for schools as it can last long term.It was great working with Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust on this project again! Get in touch today if you have a similar project, give us a call at 01284 530 427.

St Luke’s Church of England School is part of Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust. They are all about their community to treat one another with dignity and respect and follow their Christian ethos. The school prioritises making students under their care to know and feel that they are highly valued as human beings and are worthy of an outstanding education.Here at Helmsman, we have manufactured and installed 179 four-compartment laminate metal lockers. The specification of the lockers was 1775mm high, 300mm wide, and 450mm deep. The school requested for the lockers to have a sloping top when they were fabricated. For school lockers, sloping tops are a popular option as they prevent the increase of dust and prevent the top of the lockers from being used as storage which can create a safety hazard if any items fall off.The school requested for the body of the locker to be Metal, and the door was to be Laminate. The doors were coated in multiple colours between Paradise Blue, Yellow Crisp, Orange, Hot Pepper, and Stone Grey, and the body of the lockers was powder coated in our standard colour ‘Ice’. The lockers were all finished with oval number plates above the Camlocks which is a great choice for school lockers as students can feel secure that their belonging is safe in the laminate metal lockers.Laminate metal lockers are an excellent choice for school lockers as it’s modern and stylish. Additionally, the material will do better at withstanding scratches, and dents.

This case study shows the different affects you can get by using professional timber treatments. Our experts can help you choose your perfect bespoke finish and colour to match your interior décor. This is a specialist area and only professional fitters with finishing experience on site should be used. Some of the treatments require pre-treatment to change the tannins in the wood which will require buffing with a white pad before applying a top coat. Others are the latest lacquers that can be easily applied on site.

Northern Rail has returned to Helmsman multiple times for Lockers and Bench Seating for different railway services up north. For this project, the Helmsman team manufactured and installed 185 two-compartment Metal Z Lockers to accommodate 370 people.Z Lockers are the perfect locker design for maximising internal space as they have a small footprint while offering excellent space minimization. As one of the UK’s leading locker manufacturers, we also provide the project with Bespoke Z Locker designs as they were requested to be 2000mm high, 450mm wide, and 500mm deep with a perforated base. A perforated base is an excellent addition as it allows air to flow throughout the lockers.The body of the metal Z lockers were powder coated in the colour ‘Ice’, while the doors were powder coated in ‘Smoke’. The lockers were numbered with Helmsman laminated number plates and finished with Camlocks, which is our standard lock, however a fantastic choice, as they are reliable and durable ensuring users that personal belongings are safe as well as being affordable.

Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle quarter, south of the city centre, formerly a major industrial and warehousing site servicing the city’s successful dock economy, is now a well-known and popular venue for work, leisure and accommodation. Since 2007 the area has undergone considerable regeneration, creating a vibrant hub for digital and creative businesses, together with a flourishing night-time economy of night clubs, bars and restaurants. Alongside these developments the Baltic Triangle has doubled its residential population since 2010. A new £24m, 200 apartment building, designed by Tim Groom Architects is currently finishing construction on Blundell Street.‘Maintaining the Vibe’The striking red brick facades of many of the original buildings remain, imparting an energetic atmosphere, and the new apartment block was designed with the same objective. As one commentator put it 'We wanted to maintain the vibe'. For the aluminium feature panels on the façade the designers were looking for a finish with a warm appearance that would reflect and update the industrial heritage. These panels would sit alongside the buff brick colour of the new building. In Powdertech’s Evolution™ and Landscape™ ranges there are many shades with the appearance of rust, red brick and terracotta. The client selected Evolution, ‘Sandstorm’, a rust finish, to coat over 500 sq metres of 2mm folded and castellated aluminium panels.Benefits:The Evolution range has up to a 25-year guarantee for gloss, colour and adhesion.Colour, tone and texture are our passion, and we have the expertise to develop bespoke finishes.Evolution and rust finishes do not stain adjacent brickwork and pavementsPowdertech's rigorous non-chrome pre-treatment system offers the best preparation for architectural aluminium.Powdertech’s flexible plant can coat a wide variety of shapes and sizes of architectural metal work and fabrications.

'The finish is a high-quality, durable powder coating with a long life. It was selected with a metallic finish to form a protective layer, creating a lasting, soft sheen. This sheen offers a dynamic play of light on adjacent surfaces that will vary with changing light conditions throughout the day and across the different seasons of the year.'' Joe Morris, founding director, Duggan MorrisFinishes: Interpon D2525 YW107I Etna and Y2200I Pink Metallic

Excellent contrasting setting for a local Public House and Restaurant. Carefully chosen was this Traditional Textures pre-coated Aluminium finished in Zinc Green presenting a zinc grain within the paint surface. No need to wait for any weathering as you do with any natural finish metals as we can provide the look you need from day one which sits very well within its natural surroundings.

Whilst the summer holiday is going on, many schools are thinking about replacing or expanding their current metal lockers. Our team at Helmsman manufactured and installed new lockers at West Coventry Academy. West Coventry Academy is a co-educational secondary school and sixth form.The academy requested metal school lockers, with 4 compartments, with sloping tops. Sloping tops are a beneficial option for schools as it is a way to prevent people from using the top of the lockers as a storage area which could cause a safety hazard.Metal lockers are a popular and essential option for schools, as they can come in a variety of compartments, shapes, colours, and sizes. Furthermore, the door frames of metal lockers are robust, and designed to last long term.Our team manufactured 116 four-compartments with the size of the lockers at 1780mm high, 305mm wide, and 460mm deep. The doors of the lockers were powder coated in the shade ‘Blue Grey’, with the body of the lockers powder coated in ‘Ice’.The project was finished with Cam Locks which is an effective lock option for schools as it keeps personal belongings secure. Additionally, it can come with a master key option too.It was great working with Bowmer and Kirkland Ltd on this project! Get in touch today if you have a similar project, or if you want more information about your school lockers. Give us a call at 01284 530 427.

The brand-new Skills and Innovation Centre at South Staffordshire College takes pride of place on the college’s town centre site. The architects envisaged a facade of long vertical fins giving the appearance of timber. Maple supplied the extensive vertical fin façade and Powdertech Wood Finish (PWF ™) was selected as the most appropriate powder coating. Wood Finish is formulated to match the natural variations in colour, grain density and grain pattern of wood. Importantly, Wood Finish meets fire reaction classification A2-s1, d0. We coated 4000 metres of aluminium, comprising mainly rectangular sections of extruded aluminium, of sizes 200mm and 100mm x 50mm. The stunning facade combines the strength and longevity of metal with the warm, natural appeal of a wood finish.Powder coating satisfies green credentials as it contains no solvents, no VOCs and produces no hazardous waste. Maintenance is simple – just a wash down with water every 6-12 months.

The metal roof to this large distribution centre was affected by cut edge corrosion and all of the metal valley and eaves gutters were affected and leaking & corrosion. The gutters were first cleaned and dried, then treated with Liquasil’s corrosion primer. All gutter joints were coated with non-Sag Sealer, a highly elastic silicone polymer, before the whole gutter was coated with Liquasil One to provide a seamless gutter lining to prevent further leaks. Liquasil systems are covered by a unique Latent Defects Guarantee.

To create a Blob... CHALLENGE For the design of a Texaco service station on the highway near Antwerp the architect decided he wanted to create a Blob (Binary large objects) architectural design. The service station consists of three functional lobes that together look like an oil stain. The actual gas stations are covered with 4 lobe-shaped canopies. To accentuate this futuristic design the architect wanted to create liquid formed shapes in a metallic look. As the walls of the main building were planned using a polurea metallic finishing coating the architect sought a suitable compatible material to finish the rest of his Blob roof surfaces. SOLUTION Synthetic roofing membranes are the most flexible materials on the market and are suited to waterproof almost all possible roof shapes. For this particular project the silver coloured RENOLIT ALKORPLAN membrane was the best solution. This silver membrane is produced with a protective coating creating a roofing membrane that is easy to clean. The RENOLIT ALKORPLAN Metallic membranes combine excellent durability with added aesthetical appearance.

This asbestos cement roof in Norwich was soiled with moss and lichen covering the surface and had leaks in several places. Liquasil's BBA Approved Asbestoseal 20 asbestos roof coating was specified to extend the life of the roof and provide an aesthetically pleasing finish. The Contractor, ID Asbestos Ltd, carried out the works safely and efficiently.After being steam cleaned, the metal fixings were treated with our SWT Corrosion Primer and all fixings and cracks were sealer with Non-Sag Sealer. The whole roof was then coated with Asbestoseal 20 to provide a sleek new finish to the old asbestos sheets.Liquasil's Latent Defects Insurance Guarantee was provided upon completion.

A1 Retail Park near Biggleswade has a curved canopy supported by steel columns. Metal columns would not suit the look of the shopping park and wooden posts would require frequent maintenance. 22 aluminium casings up to 8 metres high made from 78 semi-circular sections were coated in wood effect finish were produced to enclose the canopy supports. PWF replicates the appearance of wood with variation in colour, grain density and grain pattern. By using PWF, designers can combine the look of wood with the strength and practicality of metal. Expensive timber need not be used, an environmentally sound decision.

£42m redevelopment of the Vaux Brewery site in Sunderland including an 18,000m2 civic office. Interpon D2525 fine texture metallic was the coating of choice for external mullions, curtain walling and panelwork. Finish: Interpon D2525 Yazd Sable, YW370F

Powdertech Wood Finish (Roughwood R047) is being used for a prestigious sustainable logistics development in Milton Keynes, built by Glencar Construction for client Baytree Logistics, a pan-European company. BREEAM has specified the development scheme as “Excellent”. It is also “WELL” ready – the WELL Building Standard is the world’s first building standard focused exclusively on sustainability, human health and wellbeing. The building, on a 10.4-acre site at Fenny Lock, will feature the latest in technology-enabled sustainable design features providing an environment beneficial to the health and wellbeing of the building users. Wherever possible, “Cradle to Cradle” (circular economy) principles have been adopted meaning that materials used can be repurposed in the future, being returned into the construction cycle for re-manufacture with no detriment to quality.The Benefits of Powdertech Wood FinishWood Finish on aluminium fits this approach perfectly. Aluminium itself is endlessly recyclable and our powder coatings do not affect the process. The finish can be removed, and the metal returned to its original bare state. Powder coatings are also free of VOCs, halogens and heavy metals – all compounds which are damaging to health. We are very pleased that the sustainability of Wood Finish on aluminium, and the ‘clean’ qualities of the product have been recognised as such. It is also the case that the use of Wood Finish on external features is in harmony with the aesthetics of the building design.Wellbeing for people and planetRoof garden terraces, and onsite water attenuation form part of a sustainable drainage system which includes harvesting of rainwater for re-use on site. Wood Finish in Roughwood shade R047 has been used to coat eleven enormous aluminium drainpipes which form part of this scheme; they stand 13m high with a 600mm x 600mm top section tapering to 150mm square at the ground. The scheme also includes outdoor gyms and training areas, edible vegetation and reclaimed timber seating. Internally, sensors constantly monitor air and water quality.Baytree intend that this should be one of the most sustainable logistics developments ever built in the UK and we are very excited to be a part of this ambition.

A 1600+ space car park sitting on the famous waterfront serving the Echo Arena, BT Convention Centre and Exhibition Centre Liverpool. The façade takes its inspiration from multi-mast sailing ships.Aluminium diamond shapes representing the iconic vessels, creating an abstract design, and finished in a super durable metallic powder coating to mimic the brickwork Finish: Interpon D2525 Patah YW267I

Iona Abbey on the Hebridean island of Iona has undergone a significant refurbishment including installation of galvanized steel canopies over the entrance to the refectory based on the symbol of wild geese. Mild steel perforated panels were used for the internal mezzanine balcony frontage in the refectory and the lift surround. The finish chosen for all metalwork was Evolution™- Diamond Mine, reflecting the natural rusting of steel. A high-performance duplex corrosion protection system for external metalwork with an authentic aged, weathered look without any staining of external stonework, together with less exposed internal metalwork, it achieved a harmonious finish throughout.

Finish: Interpon D2525 Bespoke Terracotta and Interpon D2525 RAL 1035 Metallic YW276I Parts coated: horizontal fins, louvres Architect: CPMG Fabricator: Levolux

At the heart of Manadon Park, the site of the Royal Navy's former Engineering College, The Quarters is a development of 85 homes by Burrington Estates on the outskirts of Plymouth, in Devon. Although blending harmoniously, subtle differences have been introduced to each of the homes and 40 plots feature elevational treatments in Vandersanden’s Roxton and Corum multi-coloured bricks.Burrington Estates has established a reputation for building high-quality, design-led homes in the West Country. Completed in late 2020, The Quarters enjoys a peaceful ambience with mature trees creating a leafy vista. Energy efficiency is at the forefront of the scheme: the homes benefit from smart central heating, high-performance windows, excellent insulation levels and integrated PV panels to selected plots. Externally, The Quarters has a contemporary feel with classical elements. Stone detailing is incorporated within the red or buff brick elevations of some homes; others have creamy, rendered facades brought alive with features such as brick cills and brick arched window heads. Extended brick plinths further define the aesthetic.The scheme’s design was inherited by Burrington Estates at the planning stage, explains Steve Fowler, the company’s technical director. “The consented scheme included brick treatments to certain plots. In line with our core values as a business, we wanted a brick which was superior in finish to a run of the mill ‘standard’ brick typically used by more mainstream developers”.Vandersanden’s Roxton and Corum bricks are both stock facing bricks with sanded-coated and creased structures that are ideally suited to residential schemes. Roxton offers an attractive, orangey-red, multi-coloured aesthetic for an authentic, timeless look. The yellow buff base colour of Corum is augmented by shades of grey to create a varied, multi-coloured and high-quality textured appearance.“The Vandersanden bricks provided the perfect aesthetic and finish for the homes at The Quarters and were superior to alternatives on offer at the time of specification,” explains Steve Fowler. “The finished product looks good and works well with other elevation treatments used on the development.”To find out more about the bricks used in this project or to see the wide range of high-quality bricks available from Vandersanden, click on the 'View more' link

With the summer holidays approaching, many schools are thinking about repairing, replacing, or expanding on their existing lockers. The holidays are the perfect time to get these jobs done, as it’s much quicker for installers to work and they don’t get in the way of your students. Our team at Helmsman installed some brand new lockers at Leasowes High School in Halesowen during the last holiday break.The school requested metal lockers, with 4 compartments and without stands. Metal Lockers are a great option for schools, as they come in a variety of compartments, sizes and colours. Plus they are a budget friendly option, being the cheapest of our locker ranges.Our team manufactured 181 four compartment metal lockers for the project, with a bespoke sizing of 1925x300x450. Whilst our standard lockers at Helmsman are smaller than this, because we manufacture all of our products in house, to order, we can provide bespoke options tailored to your project.Our metal lockers are powder coated, with a standard body colour of Ice, and a wide range of door colours to choose from. Leasowes High School chose two colours; Royale blue and Pumpkin orange to match their school colour scheme. The lockers look great and really eye catching with the contrasting colours.The lockers were also manufactured with sloping tops. These are a fantastic addition to school lockers as it deters students from piling items on top of the lockers and stops clutter and rubbish collecting. The project was finished with camlocks, a simple yet effective lock option for schools, which can come with a master key option too.Get in touch today if you have a similar project, or if you want to chat with our sales team about your school lockers. Give us a call on 01284 530 427 or fill in our contact form here.

Completed in July 2020, The Sorting Office has been designed and constructed to the highest sustainable standards achieving LEED platinum certification.The development is articulated with design features that add visual interest and assert a clear geometric form. The material palette of the facade consists of perforated aluminium brise-soleil fins applied in a fine texture metallic powder coating that are strategically placed to minimise solar gains.Finish: YW387I Ordos Sable

This asbestos roof is being cleaned using a closed box pressure wash, with all waste water being filtered and recovered for re-use. Once cleaned, the roof is coated with the BBA Approved Asbestoseal system which includes: SWT CORROSION PRIMER - fully rust and wet tolerant, the primer is applied to all metal fixing to stop further corrosion. NON-SAG SEALER - is applied to all fixings and small holes and cracks to permanently seal them. ASBESTOSEAL 20 is brush applied to the roof sheets to provide a new finish.

Metal Technology has contributed to achieving the desired aesthetic for the flagship Leeds College of Building Campus designed by Fuse (Leeds). The scheme utilised Metal Technology’s System 17 High Rise capped curtain walling and incorporated manual and automatic 4-20Hi+ casement opening vents. System 5-20D Hi+ doors completed the range of products used. These systems combined to deliver complete design flexibility, achieving not only a very high level of thermal performance, but also exceptional structural, security and acoustic performance. All Metal Technology systems comply with the latest British Standards and are Secured by Design certified.

Metal pipe boxing from the Pendock Profiles range is being used at a London tower block to conceal and protect fire sprinkler pipework, cabling and other services as part of a fire safety upgrade and refurbishment programme.Bespoke manufactured to the exact dimensions and project requirements, the metal boxing is non-combustible, which makes it suitable for use in public areas, such as lift lobbies, landings and corridors, where no sprinkler heads are present.Finished in white PPC, the metal pipe boxing not only improves the overall aesthetics, but also provides durable protection for pipework and services, while the integrated hinged inspection panels allow easy access for routine checks and maintenance.

This metal roof had already been treated with a well known cut edge corrosion system, which had begun to fail in multiple areas due to water becoming trapped between the overlapping roof sheets, which had been sealed with silicone sealant. Flexlap system is made from a specially hardened silicone, designed to resist environmental dirt pick-up as well as providing a much smoother finish. Liquasil does not recommend that the gap between overlapping roof sheets is sealed. Any moisture that might be present can escape or evaporate naturally, which is how built-up steel profile roofs are designed to work.

This was the first asbestos roof coating project undertaken with Liquasil products, back in 2013. The roof was heavily soiled and was cleaned using a DOFF steam cleaning machine, delivering 150°c steam to completely kill moss and lichen spores. The metal fixings were treated with Liquasil's corrosion primer and sealed with Non-Sag Sealer before the whole roof was coated with Asbestoseal, the only BBA Approved asbestos roof coating.

Rathbone Square is a new London square, lying just north of Oxford Street. Arched walkways lead from the central garden to adjoining streets. The design features curved “shadow gap” channels between ceramic tiles, deep panels at the foot of the walkways and soffit panels. To ensure colour compatibility between extruded, folded, curved and welded aluminium, anodising cannot be used. Anomatch™ achieves a similar appearance as anodising, enhancing the metal with a soft sheen. It provides excellent colour stability and consistency between batches and comes with long-term guarantees for colour stability and corrosion resistance.

This asbestos cement roof in Birmingham was soiled and in need of remediation.Nadco Roofing Services ensured that the roof was cleaned with all waste water being filtered to 2 microns prior to the application of Liquasil's BBA Approved Asbestoseal 20 asbestos roof coating system.The full system involved priming the metal fixings with our SWT Primer, before sealing the fixings and any cracks in the roof using our Non-Sag Sealer.Once dry, the roof can then be seamlessly coated using Asbestoseal which comes with a 20-year product guarantee and leaves an old asbestos cement roof looking revitalised and brand new.

High quality wooden gates can make a real statement at the entrance to your home, that is as long as they are protected with a high quality finish and looking great! These Iroko gates are making the right kind of statement with some top quality TLC and a beautiful finish provided by D1 Pro and Owatrol Deco.The Iroko gates in this case study had previously been coated with Danish Oil. It was now not making the right kind of statement and definitely needed to be stripped before a new finish could be applied. Roger at R & A Pressure Washing Services Ltd. set to work stripping the gates using Prepdeck.If your gates are remaining in-situ throughout the project then you’ll need to use Aquanett (for wood oils) or Dilunett (for paints and other finishes) as they are gel formulations which won’t run. In this case, the gates were removed so they could be laid flat for the application of Prepdeck.To use Prepdeck simply apply it to the surface with a brush and leave it to work for an appropriate length of time. When the coatings are lifting scrub the surface and rinse with water to remove the residue. You should then immediately neutralise the surface of the wood with Net-Trol. Roger then left it to dry and then lightly sanded the surface with a 60 grit orbital sander for a super smooth finish – this step is not essential though.Using D1 Pro to protect Iroko GatesWhen Roger had completed the preparation of the gates it was time to apply the D1 Pro. D1 Pro’s place is inside the wood, where it saturates it, feeding the wood with oil to replace those lost. It drives out moisture and air, filling the woods pores with oil, and enriches and stabilises it to provide long lasting protection with high UV resistance. D1 Pro enhances the natural beauty of the wood whilst being easy to maintain, requiring no sanding or stripping.D1 Pro is applied ‘wet-on’wet’ which means that you apply coats one after the other without allowing the oil to dry in between and continue until the wood is saturated and will take no more oil. To apply D1 Pro you start by applying a first generous coat. Work in areas that can be coated in 15 minutes. Allow time for it to be absorbed into the surface (15-30 minutes). Apply a second application as soon as the first has been absorbed. Allow to dry.Continue in this way until the wood will not accept any more oil, i.e. it is saturated. Then wipe off any excess to avoid shiny spots, you should be left with a rich matt finish. Work like this in sections to prevent the surface from becoming touch dry in between coats. Roger needed 3 coats of D1 Pro for his iroko gates.Using Owatrol Deco to protect metal work on wooden gatesRoger then used Owatrol Deco, our rust-inhibiting multi-surface primer and finish. This enabled him to have a high gloss black finish which would also provide long-term protection against corrosion and the effects of the weather. The Owatrol Deco is applied in 2 coats, allowing the first coat 24 hours to dry before applying the second.We think you’ll agree, it’s a pretty big transformation and these gates are now making the right kind of statement!

Four residential blocks on Albert Road, North London, have recently undergone renovation, including removal of wooden screen shutters across the frontage of each apartment. The sliding shutters create an attractive appearance as well as performing shade from direct sunlight, but over recent years the wood has warped and deteriorated. Warping meant that the screens no longer travelled smoothly across the windows, and deterioration was causing the louvres to loosen with the danger that they might fall on people walking below. A refurbishment would also provide the opportunity to refit with materials conforming to current fire safety regulations. Considering the refurbishment, the developers were keen to retain the screens and felt that the appearance of wood was appealing, giving the apartments something of a continental appeal, albeit in north London. The blocks were developed and are managed by L&Q, a housing association that aims to deliver high quality affordable homes, and in their own words ‘better places to live’. The screens could easily be replaced using aluminium for the frame aerofoil blades and the look of wood could just as easily be delivered by using a shade from our Wood Finish (PWF™) range. PWF30, a dark shade, was closest to the original wood. In total Powdertech pre-treated and coated 9500 linear metres of extruded aluminium, each individual foil being 1.22m in length. Using aluminium brings the obvious benefits of strength combined with lightweight. The screens will not warp and need only minimal maintenance. Our Wood Finish conforms to the required reaction to fire specification for residential buildings of this type, A2-s1, d0, and the metal itself is non-combustible thus solving a number of issues in one, Wood Finish on aluminium is a winning combination.

A DOFF steam cleaner was used to thoroughly clean the moss and lichen from this asbestos roof in Bridgwater. The metal fixings were treated with Liquasil's rust tolerant primer and then sealed, along with cracked sheets, using Non-Sag Sealer, before the whole roof was coated using Asbestoseal 20. The end result was a leak-free asbestos roof that will last for many more years. Asbestoseal is the only BBA Approved coating system for asbestos roofs.

GreenCoat PLX Pural BT from steel manufacturer SSAB. Highly durable GreenCoat products feature a bio-based coating whereby a substantial portion of Swedish rapeseed oil replaces the dependency on fossil fuel oils. A patented solution reducing the environmental footprint making GreenCoat the market’s greenest steel for roofs and façades. This formable steel can be worked at temperatures below -15°C and is backed up by a 50-year technical guarantee. GreenLine® colour matched rainwater goods are made from GreenCoat RWS and offer the perfect finish to any project large or small. Easy to install using rubber sealed connection joints. GreenLine® rainwater goods are offered with a 30-year guarantee.

Specified because of it's unique BBA Approval and Latent Defects Insurance Guarantee, Asbestoseal was applied to this asbestos cement roof in Warwickshire. The roof was first steam cleaned using 150°c steam, removing all moss and lichen. Metal fixings were treated with Liquasil's corrosion primer and then sealed using Non-Sag Sealer. The entire roof surface was then coated with Asbestoseal 20 to provide long term protection and add considerably to the life of the roof. The metal gutters were lined with Liquasil's seamless silicone gutter lining system

FlexEJ has completed the design and fabrication of a batch of metal expansion joints for a UK pharmaceuticals manufacturer.Specifying an expansion joint in a pharmaceutical production line can be problematic. For this project, the piping design required expansion joints but a fundamental requirement was ease of cleaning and a complete avoidance of product retention.A possible solution could have been a pharmaceutical rubber expansion joint which is crevice free but its inherent design limits its flexibility and – as with any rubber expansion joint – it has a relatively low operating temperature limit.This formed the basis of the specification brought to FlexEJ’s engineering team. The design case was to meet 270 Deg. C and 10 Bar G with a high degree of flexibility so a metal bellow would be best suited to this application. But in a conventional bellow or expansion joint the convolutions are prone to retain product or contaminants. A liner can sometimes be used but again product can get behind the liner so the problem is not entirely eliminated.So how to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness inside the bellow once installed and in operation? The solution lay in designing a specific ‘open’ convolution profile which prevents contaminants getting lodged within the joint. The team’s clever design of profile, combining with the unit being used in vertical alignment leads to the bellow being self-draining – and at all movement positions. To achieve the high levels of purity and cleanliness required for this application’s flowing media, the bellow had to be fabricated in 316 stainless steel with a very high surface finish.The expansion joint also includes threaded mounting bars – these enable the bellows to be contracted slightly to enable easy removal from the pharmaceutical line when required. The smooth, polished rods seen in the image here are limit bars to prevent accidental over-extension. Each joint is also fitted with pharmaceutical grade aseptic flanges – smooth on the inside and sealed with an ‘o’ ring. On completion, the complete units were electro-polished for additional surface improvement and cleaning – and that gives them their photogenic qualities seen here.If you are interested in finding out more about FlexEJ's range of pharmaceutical & aseptic metal bellows, please contact our Technical Sales Team on +44 (0) 1384 881188 or send an email to sales@flexej.co.uk.

Moonraker is a luxury residential property drawing on the exploits of James Bond for inspiration. Bournemouth-based Seven Developments’ four-bedroom property, which includes a sunken garden with decked footbridge, is a cocktail of curves based on the shape of a crescent moon.