With an industry leading OTIF on PVC-U, Deceuninck has committed to redefine expectations of service in aluminium with a major restructure of Deceuninck Aluminium, bringing new flexibility and expert technical support to its ultra-energy efficient system, Decalu.
The impact and influence aluminium is having on the UK window and door industry is clear cut – but despite its potential reach, entering the aluminium market is not always simple, while service and support levels frequently trail those of PVC-U systems companies.
Having launched its aluminium business in 2020, Deceuninck has taken the bold decision to bring its aluminium and PVC-U operations under the same roof, with a simple and clear ambition – bring the service and support that it’s PVC-U business has built its reputation on, to aluminium and Decalu, Deceuninck’s ultra energy efficient aluminium offering.
An industry leading OTIF
“Aluminium service and supply is less than perfect”, says Darren Woodcock , General Manager Deceuninck.
“Deceuninck Aluminium hasn’t been immune from those challenges. We need to hold our hands up and acknowledge that while Decalu is a fantastic aluminium system, we, like many other aluminium systems companies haven’t hit the mark on service and support.
“The decision to bring Deceuninck Aluminium into the core operation here in Calne, allows us to achieve an instant step change in both.
“It gives Decalu fabricators access to new resource including technical support team with pre-existing expertise in aluminium; a larger customer services team; dedicated business development managers; and new levels of marketing and sales support.
“We have a proven record of delivery in PVC-U with an OTIF consistently above 98%. I am personally committed to bringing the same service levels to Deceuninck Aluminium.”
Modularity means maximum margins
Decalu was launched at the start of 2020 with the Decalu88 bi-folding door. With U-values of 0.68W/m2k triple-glazed or 1.4/m2k double glazed, it is offered with dual colour and a marine grade finish as standard. Accommodating individual sash weights of up to 200kg and 3m in height, it also features two 7mm adjustable jams and 14mm of tolerance for out of square brickwork.
The Decalu88 was joined by the Decalu163 lift-and-slide later in the year. With identical colour and finish options, it can be specified to fill a 4m by 7m opening on a twin track with sash weights of up to 400kg and is now available alongside options for French and residential doors.
Decalu also offers a comprehensive range of aluminium casements including the Decalu88 Flush; tilt-and-turn; fully reversible; and steel-type heritage windows offering levels of thermal efficiency to rival the leading PVC-U systems; plus an internal steel-type heritage internal partitioning system, Encasa.
The system’s USP is, however, its modularity. It features a single outer frame and sash with an identical middle section, which means where most aluminium systems are comprised of eight frame and sash components, Decalu has just three.
This modular approach helps to reduce the amount of stock holding required and contributes to overall manufacturing efficiencies of up to 40%.
“Decalu is the result of decades of R&D into aluminium system supply, it was designed from scratch to appeal to fabricators, installers and consumers in equal measure,” continues Darren.
“From its very inception we’ve focussed on bringing PVC-U thinking to aluminium system manufacture, to make it as simple as possible.
“That’s a direct advantage to fabricators manufacturing other aluminium systems while it provides a strong incentive for PVC-U fabricators who might have previously outsourced aluminium, to bring manufacture in-house,” he continues.
Decalu also features a co-extruded, pre-assembled gasket. Contributing to overall manufacturing efficiencies by eliminating the requirement to insert it during fabrication, also creating another major selling point to fitters.
Common PVC-U/aluminium hardware and colour matching
“Another synergy is that Decalu comes with a 16mm Eurogroove, which means that it accepts standard PVC-U hardware”, explains Darren. “If you’re running a PVC-U line, you won’t have to buy and then stock separate aluminium hardware.
“It also means that homeowners can exactly match the hardware on their PVC-U windows, to a feature aluminium bi-fold or lift-and-slide, when sold as a combined offer.”
Decalu is available in dual colour options and marine grade as standard.
“It’s [colour/finish] another area where we have a lot of synergy between aluminium and PVC-U as well as expertise in selling colour to the end-user”, Darren says.
“Decoroc also generates opportunities or fabricators supplying into the commercial sector to pitch a hybrid PVC-U aluminium offer”, he adds.
Aluminium on the ground in the UK
The other major win for Deceuninck Aluminium’s pre-existing customer base, is that it puts aluminium stock on the ground in the UK, reducing lead times and complexity in delivery.
“Holding ancillary stock here in the UK delivers an immediate step change”, Darren explains. “Profile lead times of a few weeks as part of planed deliveries aren’t a problem but if you can’t ship a product because you haven’t got an ancillary product or component part, can be massively frustrating.
“We’re now holding those ancillaries in the UK and which means if you have missed something off your order or damaged a component part, you’re looking at days rather than weeks in turnaround times.
“With access to new marketing literature and digital ordering on the horizon, it’s part of a new and far more flexible offer that’s more reflective and fitting to wat is an absolutely fantastic aluminium window and door system.”
For more information call 01249 816 969, email info@deceuninck.co.uk or visit www.deceuninckaluminium.co.uk