The timeless appeal of stainless steel
Carl F Groupco, formed by the merger of two of the UK window industry's longest established suppliers, provides an insight into the values, benefits and features of stainless steel for hardware. An established relationship with Trojan is highlighted with details of a new range from the manufacturer that incorporates the metal in its products.
Bruce Bradshaw, Business Development Manager for Carl F Groupco provides the report:
"In the window and door industry, stainless steel was adopted very early with the development of friction stays which needed corrosion resistance to ensure trouble free service. And it is not just coastal areas where corrosion can be a problem for window and door hardware. Other, less obviously 'rugged' environments, can be very demanding on surface finish. Most vulnerable are products mounted externally - door handles, open out door hinges and letter plates for example. Hardware manufacturers have developed coatings that give improved performance - but none can beat stainless steel for long term durability.
Stainless steel's many values make it a powerful candidate in material selection across many industries, not least the glazing market. It is essentially a carbon steel which contains chromium at 10%, or greater, by weight. The chromium content allows the formation of a rough, adherent, invisible corrosion resisting and self-healing chromium oxide film on the surface.
It is no accident that many practical tools plus iconic symbols and structures have been crafted from stainless steel over the last century. The Sheffield cutlery industry was founded on stainless steel; scalpels are frequently made from the metal; the Chrysler building's top 88 metres are clad in the material and a popular option for Rolls-Royce's Spirit of Ecstasy is stainless steel.
Part of the appeal of the steel is the ability to polish the metal to differing degrees to achieve the surface finish required. Importantly, it provides a very sound base on which to apply other finishes - metallic or paint, which is beneficial with products such as letter plates that feature more than one surface.
Green heritage
Additionally, we all should be acutely aware of any product's green heritage. There is a growing need to defend the environmentally friendly status of a product. On this score, stainless steel rates very highly. It is 100% recyclable and the main source of raw material for making stainless steels is recycled scrap metal. The recycling route has been established for many years and the economics of the stainless steel production industry depends on recycling.
Added to all the aforementioned positive features of stainless steel are the facts that it requires virtually no maintenance and no special treatments for cleaning or extending its life in service. As a result, stainless steel becomes the 'green' choice for many industries.
So, it would seem that stainless steel should be the ultimate solution for all hardware solutions. However, there is the down side of cost to point out, which has been a long standing issue with adoption of the material and it is not appropriate for every product or application.
At Carl F Groupco, for example, we have a range of FUHR multi-point locks with stainless steel faceplate and critical components. The additional cost of the material, and of tooling, means that volumes are small. Having said this, it is a niche product that has its market.
Stainless steel is particularly demanding of tooling - being abrasive where sheet steel is needed to be cut or pressed. And, the cost of raw material is higher than other materials - but, when put into the context of the full life cycle of a product, stainless can be the best choice. The design benefits of the material have been embraced by Trojan hardware, which has recognised the growing market for the material - as a result, the hardware innovator has extended its range of door hinges with products such as a new 'T-hinge'. A range of stainless steel door handles has also been introduced offering the aesthetic appeal of a polished surface with the other merits already described. Window locking mechanisms also benefit from the use of stainless steel and Trojan's Stallion 2 shoot bolt was designed to be manufactured from the metal. Its sister, a multiple locking window bolt, the Stallion 3 has also been manufactured from stainless steel.
Certainly, at Carl F Groupco, we recognise the potential of the material in hardware applications and see a growing market. Supporting our conviction of the appeal of the metal, architects have specified stainless steel hardware for many prestigious contracts including Heathrow Terminal 5 and the Welsh Assembly building. We see a growing market in both domestic and commercial properties."
Business Development Manager, Bruce Bradshaw
