Gulf Construction Online - CRL’s system at the cutting edge

Partitions

CRL solutions ... Taper-Loc was used for the glass balustrade at the iconic museum.

CRL’s system at the cutting edge

CRL Europe offers a comprehensive range of architectural hardware for all-glass partitions, which come with a host of innovative features to suit various styles and application needs.

01 September 2011

CR LAURENCE (CRL) Europe, part of the leading supplier to the glazing, railing, architectural, and construction CRL, has boosted its glass partition system with the introduction of innovative features that ease installation while ensuring the robustness of the system.

The company offers a comprehensive range of architectural hardware for all-glass partition applications. Its glass partition system consists of a wide range of products to suit numerous application needs and design styles, including U-channels, dry and wet glaze rails, locks, handles, sliding door systems, gaskets, end caps and setting blocks. It is also offered with new slender profile door rails that create a sleek minimalist look and provide the ideal all-glass partition, perfect for office environments.

“Door rails are an important aspect of any partitioning system as a perfect installation is essential, which is why CRL puts so much emphasis on delivering products that make installation as easy as possible,” says Chris Pepper, business development manager for CRL Europe.

The Wedge-Lock offers ease of installation and holding power.

The door rails feature the patented Wedge-Lock glass securing system for rapid installation and holding power and CRL’s new and improved Kwik-Adjust pivot alignment system.

“We are proud to introduce our Wedge-Lock system, now with the Kwik-Adjust pivot that allows the installer to quickly and easily adjust the lateral alignment of the pivot centres by simply turning a single screw in either the top or bottom rail of the door,” he says. “All of our 102, 152 and 254-mm-tall door rails, as well as our patch rails, utilise both Wedge-Lock and Kwik-Adjust technologies, providing the most versatile rail system on the market today.”

The Wedge-Lock system works by applying pressure evenly along both sides of the glass. This is done by simply tightening the jaw screws, which are accessed from the hardware pocket of the rail. The screws then draw down a flat stainless steel bar, which in turn pulls down the gripping jaws. This action then forces the jaws towards one another, creating a tremendous amount of force against the glass, holding it securely in place.

Another innovative product offered by CRL is the Taper-Loc system, which simplifies and speeds up balustrade installation. The product was recently used at the Imperial War Museum in London, one of the UK’s most iconic museums, which attracted more than one million visitors through its doors in 2010.

Redevelopment of the gallery was project managed by contractor Jerrum Falkus Group, which carried out high level refurbishment and fitting out works.

Taper-Loc was used to ease installation of a glass balustrade system within the gallery which was supplied and installed by entrance and security specialist System2000 Group.

CRL’s frameless, dry glaze balustrade system enabled System2000 to install 19 mm of toughened glass with accuracy, speed and efficiency, giving clean lines and a seamless finish to the final installation, says Pepper.

Robert Rowley, the works director at System2000 Group comments: “This was our first installation with the new system and the finished product looked superb. The architect and the client were very pleased with the outcome and CRL was very supportive. We found the installation to be of quality, simple and straight-forward.”

The Taper-Loc system conforms to BS6180:1999 and BS6399-1:1996 and is more than 50 per cent faster than alternative methods and is also completely unique, in that it uses a horizontal Taper-Loc design, which allows the system to be adjusted, dismantled and re-set, Pepper explains. This gave the installers the flexibility and control they needed on site for accurate installation and will make replacing scratched or broken panels effortless in the future, he adds.

“Using Taper-Loc and CRL’s exclusive TLK9 installation/removal tool, the installers mechanically slid the tapers horizontally into the base shoe, compressing them together. Once compressed, it is then expanded in thickness and locked into place. When the correct tension was applied, the torque wrench then clicked and brook for a few degrees of rotation. The same tool can also be used to loosen the Tapers for glass alignment or replacement,” Pepper says.

He continues: “A carefully-controlled environment such as a museum gallery needs sensitive thought to reduce disruption and the effects of construction on its exhibits and external environment. As the Taper-Loc system requires no cement, this significantly reduced unnecessary mess and untidiness so the installation had limited effect on its surroundings.”

Offering more than 50,000 products, CRL serves the industry from locations throughout Europe, North America and Australia. It also designs, engineers, and manufactures a wide variety of architectural hardware, including commercial and residential architectural railings, hardware for “all-glass” commercial entrances, transaction hardware, and frameless shower door hardware.

CRL’s European headquarters are in Manchester, England.