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News

ALSPEC shows Screened Aluminium Doors at Designbuild

Centor’s ES2 doorscreen was prominent once again at Designbuild 2007 held in Sydney recently. Twelve months after winning Best New product at Australia’s largest building and design expo the ES2 system was back, this time on display as part of ALSPEC’s Hawkesbury multi-fold door suite in aluminium. With ALSPEC joining the ever-increasing list of Centor-approved manufacturers already producing timber doors, customers soon will be able to choose whichever material they wish and be assured Centor’s world-first insect screening solution for bifolds comes as an option. From the interest apparent at the Designbuild show it’s a development that’s going to prove very popular!

Centor at Designbuild 2007

To see Designbuild 2007 video please click here

Centor Bi-fold System Miami Dade County Approved

In a region legendary for its coastal hurricanes which has the single toughest standard of testing anywhere in the world, the path towards approval was a very challenging one - particularly with an ambitious door set-up featuring panels 120” (3048mm) high by 42” (1067mm) wide. The full test regime requires repeating the test procedure (described below) with 3 complete door assemblies just to make sure that the result is repeatable and to give peace of mind to the consumer that any product with a compliance rating will be utterly reliable.

Each test includes normal wind (structural), water and air infiltration tests to exacting standards as applicable in many areas of the world, on top of this, however, Miami Dade County and Florida State test regulations include a very exciting “large missile impact” test. A length of wood over 7 foot long (2.1 metres) long and weighing over 9 pounds (4 kg) is fired end on into the glass and framing at critical points at a  speed in excess of 34 mph (54km/h), simulating the flying debris likely to be encountered in an extreme storm event. This breaks the glass in the special impact resistant laminated glazing panels, however, a special interlayer is used that ensures that even after the glass is broken, the membrane which is bonded into the panel remains intact so as not to allow an opening in the building envelope that might put the building structure at risk to an even more destructive combination of wind forces. Not quite done yet, the battered unit is then subjected to a very serious structural wind load test regime. A total of 9000 pressure cycles (4500 negative and 4500 positive) including some up to the full design load rating. This part of the test takes roughly 8 hours to complete and is a very thorough examination of door system integrity.

Notice of Acceptance (N.O.A): 05-1220.10

http://www.miamidade.gov/buildingcode/pc-search_app.asp

ES2 Door Screen a TV Star!

The buzz around the release of Centor Architectural’s world-first ES2 insect Door Screen system continues, with the product to be profiled on the Seven Network’s Better Homes and Gardens program Friday 16 February 2007. Tune in to see a full-size version of the Door Screen in operation, neatly incorporated into a soon to be released bi-fold door system from Trend Windows and Doors.

Winning the prestigious Best Product award at Design Build 2006 confirmed that Centor was onto something big with the Door Screen concept. With ES2 now available to view and purchase through a growing number of Centor-approved manufacturers, specifiers and potential end-users can see for themselves. Several major industry players are in the set-up phase for aluminium door production incorporating ES2, while ES3 – the same system adapted to suit doors using medium-heavy Centor E3 bi-fold hardware – will come on line in early 2008.

The first screen system to provide stylish, reliable pest protection for bi-fold scale openings, ES2 richly deserves its TV stardom!

Designbuild 2006 Success!

Designbuild Gallery

Centor’s new insect Door Screen system took centre stage at Design Build 2006, Australia’s largest building and design expo, winning the prestigious Best Product award from a field of 433 exhibitors from 17 countries. Over four days in May more than 15,000 visitors crammed into the Melbourne Exhibition Centre to see the industry’s latest innovations. At times it seemed like nearly all of them were drawn to Centor’s imposing, elegantly minimal display stand which was also amongst the awards. Reaching the finals in the Best Stand 36sqm and over, the stand featured full-size working examples of doors utilising the new grand-scale E4 Sliding system, A6 Open Rail sliding and Weatherslide systems, E3 Bi-folding and E Window, in addition to the show-stopping Centor Door Screen.

Displayed in all its glory, three metres high and four metres wide the Door Screen, a world-first solution for insect screening of large architectural openings like bi-fold doors, enthralled stand visitors with its finger-tip operation and low-impact, near-invisible appearance when not in use. As much as the Door Screen has changed the rules for insect-screening of bi-fold sized openings, the muscular new E4 Sliding system had many visitors reassessing the possibilities for moveable external openings. Centor’s Weatherslide and A6 Open Rail sliding systems got plenty of looks for their extreme weather resistance and rugged industrial aesthetics respectively, while there were plenty of admirers for Centor’s bi-folding systems. Represented by the E3 and E Window systems, Centor bi-folds are still at the forefront of innovation as modern architecture’s favourite means of bringing the outside in.  

A great chance to introduce new products to the industry, stay abreast of developments, forge new relationships and gauge first-hand reactions to the new lines, Centor Architectural looks forward with excitement to Design Build 2007.   

Centor featured on Nine’s Your Business Success 

Centor Architectural’s efficient supply-chain management processes were profiled on a recent episode of the Nine Network’s Your Business Success. The program examined the impact of Microsoft’s Dynamics™ software on Centor’s business and advice that Centor could pass onto to Australian-based international marine hardware outfit Ronstan in getting the most out of the software. 

Highlighting the disciplined approach Centor has taken to maintaining control of expanding product lines, new external branches and diversifying markets, the program concluded that without flexible, integrated software the task would have been far more difficult.  

“We were dealing with multiple tax systems and multiple currencies, at the same time introducing a stream of new products,” commented Centor Managing Director Nigel Spork.

“There’s a lot to absorb and if you don’t have the right tools you won’t get much sleep.”

Acknowledged by Microsoft, Centor has been using the software to bring the sort of clarity as to inventory levels, costs and demand which is crucial for an expanding business.  Taking data right through the production system from a single entry, the program’s compatibility with the Lean Manufacturing principles applied by Centor Architectural is producing great results.
“It’s improved delivery time, reduced stock-outs and given us a platform to build on,” said Spork.

“It’s meant staff can concentrate on sales, manufacturing and customer service, not administration.”

The episode can be viewed online on the Microsoft website: http://www.microsoft.com/australia/dynamics/tv/your_business_success/default.mspx

About Centor
Centor Architectural began in Brisbane in 1951 with the mission to create the finest sliding-door tracking available. Half a century later the array of superior sliding and folding window and door hardware systems available from Centor is without parallel in terms of quality, functionality and reliability. From Europe to the United States, via Asia and the Middle East, Centor’s growth into new territories is creating a world-wide revolution in the way architects, designers and end-users think about important architectural openings.

Microsoft Dynamics™ is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Centor Architectural wins Best Door Component Award

Centor Architectural’s reputation for innovation has received another boost with three prestigious awards in the growing North American market. Window and Door magazine’s annual Crystal Achievement awards not only honoured Centor’s Exterior Folding Door Hardware with the Most Innovative Door Component prize, but named major industry player JELD-WEN’s IWP Exterior Folding Door – powered by Centor’s E3X system - as the Most Innovative Door. JELD-WEN and Centor scored again with the JELD-WEN IWP Door taking out the MVP Award from the authoritative Building Products Magazine.

Based in Klamath Falls, Oregon, JELD-WEN Inc is the world’s leading manufacturer of reliable windows and doors. Beginning as a small millwork plant in 1960 and growing into a company with more than 150 divisions and 20,000 employees worldwide, JELD-WEN is no stranger to industry awards of this type. Product marketing manager Shane Meisel said the new folding door system was introduced to meet the growing demand for bringing the outdoors in.

“Homeowners want to have more of a visual connection with the outdoors and make their homes more functional for outdoor entertaining,” he said.

“It’s a great combination of bold style that makes a dramatic statement, yet it is also highly functional. It’s perfect for traditional as well as contemporary homes – anywhere you want free-flowing access from inside to out.”

Window and Door magazine highlighted the impressive scale of openings allowed for by bi-fold doors and described the JELD-WEN doors as combining the “style, customization opportunities and elegance of a classic French door with the updated benefits and features of a sliding door.

In describing the Centor systems Window and Door noted the ability for manufacturers to use either standard or custom sized doors to create folding door systems. The impressive weight capacities across the system range and the multiple door configurations possible also rated a mention but the main focus remained on the systems’ renowned space-transforming benefits.

“When the weather is good these systems allow homeowners to enjoy seamless transitions between indoors and outdoors as panels fold away to the side,” they said.

“This is tremendous news for Centor,” said Centor North America president Paul Cornish.
“We’ve put a lot of work into the products, and into pairing those products with the right manufacturers. Now people in North America are finally beginning to see just what these systems can do!”