February 2022

Updates
For further info on all these updates and more, visit www.total-contractor.co.uk
BTS TAKES BENDING & FOLDING TO THE NEXT LEVEL
BTS Facades and Fabrications has invested in
a class-leading, fully automated TRUMPF
TruBend Center in tandem with a new TruBend
5000 Series with Automated Tool Changer.
This major investment has helped the company to
address the sector’s skills gap and adopt a
‘factory 4.0 mindset’ at its manufacturing facility
in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
Facade solutions from BTS include a selection of
rainscreen systems with various fixing
mechanisms, as well as expanded mesh and
interlocking plank systems. Among the fabrication
products available from the company are
bullnose flashings, coping systems, gutter
systems, louvres, fascias, soakers, soffit
systems, and rainwater pipes and hoppers. In
particular, BTS is said to have an enviable
reputation in fire- and CWCT-tested systems and
solutions.
Like many currently operating in a strong and
growing construction market, BTS says it was
struggling to find the right people due to a lack of
skills in metal-forming operations. In a proactive
move designed to negate this issue, the company
decided to automate and embrace a smart
factory ethos.
The company subsequently made visits to
TRUMPF facilities in Austria and Germany, where
the BTS team could see in-person the benefits
and component improvements available from
investing in a TRUMPF TruBend Center.
After gaining confidence from seeing the
production of its own parts, BTS selected a fully
automated TRUMPF TruBend Center 7030 panel
bender – as well as a TRUMPF TruBend 5170
press brake with the tool changing capabilities –
thus allowing the complete automation of
components over two machines.
The fully automatic TRUMPF TruBend Center 7030
offers unbeatable productivity supported by
technical versatility and part consistency by way
of the offline programming solution TecZone Bend.
Capable of reducing the workload of a fabrication
shop’s entire team, the machine’s rotary part
manipulator handles sheets with consummate
ease, where axis speeds of 3,000 mm/s ensure
panel bending in record time. The TruBend Centre
7030 can process a range of materials such as
aluminium up to 4mm thick, mild steel up to
3mm and stainless steel up to 2.2mm in a
bending length of 3000mm.
The laser-based ACB angle measurement system
enables operators to work with greater precision
and, in conjunction with TRUMPF TecZone Fold,
makes BTS Fabrications more efficient than ever.
www.trumpf.com/en_GB/
NO FALSE STARTS WITH WRAPTITE
The completion of a stunning new Hilton
hotel at Silverstone is another step nearer
and leads the way featuring the superior,
high-performance Wraptite external
airtightness barrier.
The impressive new hotel, located trackside,
overlooks the starting grid for the home of the
iconic British Grand Prix. Facilities include 197
guest rooms, a rooftop terrace and the offer of
race-day hospitality experiences.
KKA Architecture designed the hotel, with
Metclad Contracts appointed as the specialist
envelope contractor for the project.
Wraptite airtightness membrane from the A.
Proctor Group, specialists in supplying highperformance
products to protect buildings, was
selected by Metclad to maximise airtightness and
energy efficiency, perfectly balanced with the
crucial requirements of vapour permeability.
Wraptite self-adhesive breather membrane is
applied externally, quickly and efficiently as part
of the rainscreen system. Incorporating the
Wraptite System helps ensure as-designed
performance. Its inclusion narrows the gap
between as designed and actual energy
performance whilst reducing the likelihood of
possible failures to meet required airtightness
levels. Traditionally air barriers have been fitted
internally. The internal installation of an air
barrier necessitates accommodating building
services such as electrical, lighting, heating and
drainage systems, thereby increasing the gap
between as designed and built. However, the
Wraptite membrane fully bonds externally to
virtually any substrate, requiring no additional
mechanical attachment, seals or tapes to
suppress air leakage around junctions or
penetrations.
The high vapour permeability of Wraptite allows
the substrate beneath to dry quickly and
moisture vapour to escape, and reduces the
likelihood of mould, mildew, condensation, timber
distortion and metal corrosion.
Wraptite is the only self-adhering vapour
permeable air barrier certified by the BBA and
combines the critical properties of vapour
permeability and airtightness in one selfadhering
membrane. www.proctorgroup.com
52 TC FEBRUARY 2022