When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, manufacturers found themselves in an uphill battle—dedicating the bulk of their resources to fulfilling demand for products. In the process, many said there simply wasn’t enough time left for innovation and product development. Flash forward to 2023 and—based on the number of submissions for this year’s guide — sufficed it to say those days are behind us.

Hardware

When it comes to door and window hardware, manufacturers have introduced brand new designs to improve capacity, ease of operation and aesthetics.

Amesbury Truth and Industries Radison keyed in on windows, debuting completely new designs that upend the way hardware looks and functions.

Meanwhile, Anthony Innovations, Johnson Hardware and Roto all followed the trend for larger doors and windows, deploying products that up the ante on maximum size and weight capacity for rolling and sliding doors.

A Timeless Look

This summer, Ferco Architectural Hardware is set to introduce a new line of contemporary entry door handles. The Berlin line-up of products will be available in both exterior grip-set and lever handles, featuring sleek and stylish designs to add a sophisticated, yet timeless look to any home or business.

With easy installation, the company’s new handles mark the perfect choice for anyone looking for a modern, eye-catching addition to their entryway, officials suggest.
www.ferco.ca

The Laws of Attraction

The name for Amesbury Truth’s new Attraction Handle and Cover is a bit of a double entendre. The handle’s looks and features are designed to attract customers’ attention; at the same time, an embedded magnet pulls the handle into its natural position for easier operation.

The handle’s slender design includes tapered ends that blend into windows, providing an elegant appearance. A flat cover makes dusting and cleaning a snap. The product’s long, slender design features a solid backside that improves the appearance when open, resists folding and reduces operating force for smooth operation.

According to the company, the design “blends smoothly into your window … with an elegant appearance that could almost be overlooked.”
www.amesburytruth.com

Phantom of the Opera[tor]

Officials for Industries Radisson say its new Phantom Operator “reinvents and revolutionizes the locking system for casement and awning windows.” While standard casement and awning hardware includes a latch for locking, the company’s new operator integrates locking and opening mechanisms into a single piece of hardware. The design not only eliminates the need for traditional locking handles located on a window’s frame, but also benefits aesthetics via a minimalist contemporary look that’s out of the way for operations of blinds and curtains. Phantom Operator also helps to save time and money in manufacturing by eliminating the need for cut outs in installation.
www.industriesradisson.com

Smooth Operator

Anthony Innovations has made its name on smooth, durable and effortless rollers, and each year it seems the company manages to outdo itself in maximum weight capacity. The new 5000 Series roller features a capacity of 275 lbs. per roller, allowing for doors of up to 550 lbs. total—a key improvement as some door manufacturers look to add heavier and higher-performing glass to their products.

The product is available in plated mild steel and stainless steel, and a single-bogie carriage ensures balanced load distribution, for consistent and stable operation. Polymer wheels minimize track wear and reduce noise for excellent and long-lasting performance. Wheels are fully retractable within the assembly, making panel installation easy.

The 5000 Series is AAMA 906 certified for durability and performance, ensuring that it retains its structural integrity during and after installation. The system comes with a choice of stainless steel, steel or polymer wheels, in 1.1- inch, 1.25-inch and 1.4-inch diameters, with a 0.55-inch adjustment range.
www.anthonyinnovations.com

Making Giants Gentle

Johnson Hardware expanded its line-up of soft-open and soft-close sliding door hardware via a new 2066 Soft-Close Kit, which can support doors weighing up to 330 lbs.

The 2066 kit is compatible with Johnson Hardware’s entire line of 200 Series I-beam track sets and its newly re-designed 2020 door hanger. The unique, four-wheel design of the 2020 hanger features quick-connect holes to speed up installation, allowing for easy attachment of the company’s 2066 kit. The kit can also be used for wall-mounted doors and bypass installations, accommodating single-direction, soft-operation doors that are at least 20 inches wide, as well as bi-directional, soft-operation doors with a minimum width of 28 inches.
www.johnsonhardware.com

Cranking Out the Biggest Casements

Roto North America introduced a new X-Drive HD Program—a heavy-duty hardware system that operates casement-style window sashes up to 200 lbs. in weight on up to 40-inch by 90-inch windows. The program includes X-Drive HD operators, the company’s Supreme Hinge, a limiter and 14-½-inch face-mount track.

Operators are available in the company’s OP06 and OP08 platforms in SAE 304 stainless steel. Utilizing its existing X-Drive operator platform, HD operators meet AAMA standards, achieving 8,000 cycles and a C-AW40 rating.

The company’s Supreme Hinge and 14-½-inch track work together with its operator to reduce the required force for operation.
www.rotonorthamerica.com

Machinery and Tools

When it comes to machinery, engineers have worked to simplify matters for door and window companies with setups that eliminate steps and consolidate operations.

Punch Tools introduced a new station that tackles a range of needs to eliminate bottlenecks in CNC milling. For companies operating on limited floor space, Oz Machine and Wakefield deployed options for smaller footprints and fewer workers. FlexScreen teamed up with Erdman to allow manufacturers to produce the company’s screens in-house.

Do It Yourself for Less

FlexScreen partnered with Erdman Automation Corp. to create an exclusive, automated manufacturing line, allowing window manufacturers to produce the company’s screens in-house. The new machine produces screens at a rate of four per minute, while requiring less space and fewer workers than other methods. According to company information, the setup allows window manufacturers to produce FlexScreen for “significantly less” than they can make traditional aluminum screens.

By the end of 2023, officials say licensee sales will eclipse the sales generated from its own manufacturing. The company has already presold enough automated lines to have a new licensee starting every month through the end of 2023, they say.
www.flexscreen.com

Dress for Success

EDTM expanded its product offerings to include a Sales Kit Carrying Case, which includes a variety of storage slots to accommodate various meters and accessories, and offers full-color custom printing capabilities for custom branding. The company offers various carry cases, window samples, meters and essential accessories.

Officials say the company’s tools and kits are designed to turn regular sales personnel into “sales technicians.”
www.edtm.com

Single-Step Punch Operations

Punch Tools introduced a new Porta Press punch station that offers die set precision for processing of aluminum extrusions and notching of left and right parts in one setup. Volume parts that clog up CNC mills can now be off-loaded to a Porta Press station, where they’re accurately punched in a one-second cycle time.

Precision die sets easily can notch out sharp inside corners from ends and other features on the same plane, such as holes, can be punched out leaving legs intact. The unit is designed to save significant time and money.

For complex extrusions, multiple layers can be punched, keeping legs intact, and surfaces can be punched mar-free, using plastic guides and by punching from the show side.
www.portapress.com

Have It Your Way

Pro-Line Automation Systems’ Pro-Fab PD-500 Series is a highly configurable family of door panel routers. The series includes three separate models to meet various production requirements, with options for multi-station “pick-and-place” systems, tilt tables, slug conveyors, trim saws and an integrated jamb fabrication station.

Designed and built in North America, PD-500 centers are capable of machining for multi-point and standard hardware, standard or adjustable hinges, and virtually any lite cutout in wood, steel or fiberglass door slabs.
www.prolineautomation.com

When Size Matters

If floor space is holding you back from automating, the new Garnet Mini by Oz Machine could be the answer. The company’s three-axis, servo- and numerical-controlled copy router is designed specifically for small shops that want to grow and automate their processes.

With its compact design, the Garnet Mini features a 10-inch touchscreen with user-friendly interface and all of the templates necessary to perform operations.
www.oz-machine.com

Make It a Solo Act

Though it isn’t brand new, Wakefield’s K-51DV remains a fresh option for companies that want to free up hands in production. The company’s Flipping Table and Conveyor enables one person to handle large doors and windows, with ergonomic features to help ensure safety.

Each table is custom-built to your company’s specific needs.
www.wakefieldequipment.com

Windows

Beefed Up Strength

Rehau’s proprietary RAU-FIPRO glass-fiber reinforced PVC material is now available on two of the company’s door and window lines, including the Geneo 4700 tilt-turn and Aspekt+ 1800 outswing casement.

Products made with the company’s hybrid material feature co-extruded profiles with a proprietary North American uPVC formulation on exposed surfaces and glass-fiber reinforced PVC at their core. The resulting design combines the natural insulating and weathering capabilities of PVC with the strength of fiberglass. A calcium-zinc fortified PVC is specially engineered to withstand demanding climates, requires no coatings or paint and is chemically inert. The material is designed to meet stringent Passive House requirements, while expanding and contracting 60% less than PVC.
www.na.rehau.com

Doors

Door manufacturers have worked to clean up their designs with more discreet hardware and narrower sight lines. Basikwall introduced a concealed hinge to help give homeowners the broadest possible views, while PGT and Weather Shield went big with their products, to allow more of the outside in.

Therma-Tru and Home Guard switched things up for storm doors this year, making them more cohesive and attractive for those simultaneously shopping entry doors. At the same time, Home Guard beefed up its storm doors with welded aluminum designs, tacking on FlexScreen brand screens as an added bonus. Therma-Tru found a way to make storm doors and entry doors a more cohesive unit by pairing up with Larson.

Clearing the Way

Basikwall’s 8510 Series bi-fold door system is all about “timeless in-door-outdoor design,” the company suggests. Officials say its moveable wall system was created to offer “the most desirable features in aesthetics and performance.” A unique concealed hinge design and slim sightlines and rails reduce visible hardware to maximize views. Door hinges are completely hidden for a high-end look.

At the same time, the 8510 Series provides high thermal and structural performance via a thermally broken, 2-mm-thick aluminum profile. The product is suited for exterior applications with large openings, providing a seamless transition between indoor-outdoor environments.

To increase availability, the product is offered nationwide as an in-stock item for fast lead times.
www.basikwall.com

Outdoor Experiences

Weather Shield expanded its all-aluminum VUE Collection this year, to include a new hinged patio door. The new door system joins with the company’s existing multi-slide patio doors to create what it describes as “beautiful glass gateways” for expansive views of the great outdoors.

With clean lines, square interior profiles and modern aesthetics, hinged patio doors can be configured as in-swing or out-swing to match available space and room configuration. Available in customizable heights of up to 12 feet tall, they are constructed with a unique polyamide design to help prevent thermal bowing.
www.weathershield.com

Thin But Mighty

Home Guard Doors and Windows introduced welded-aluminum storm doors, which the company both manufactures and distributes. In addition to great aesthetics, officials say its powder-coated doors offer rigidity not found in storm doors that are mechanically joined. In addition to added strength, the company’s premium storm door frame is also narrower than those made
of other materials, providing more air and light. It can be color matched to HGI Entry doors for a perfect blend. Woodgrain finishes are also available to match hand-stained doors.

All self-storing doors are complete with a FlexScreen brand screen for easy removal.
www.homeguardindustries.com

Protected Views

PGT Custom Windows and Doors’ new WinGuard Preferred View Sliding Glass Door is designed to enhance the functionality of a home with bigger and better views, all without compromising impact strength and protection. The door’s slim interlocks disappear to allow for more natural light, but the product also offers many options designed to boost energy efficiency, such as solar-diffusing tints, Argon gas and high-performance low-E coatings. Meanwhile, the company’s laminated glass technology increases comfort and peace of mind with deterrence for intruders and resistance to extreme weather conditions.

PGT also introduced the WinDoor Envista Seamless Glazed Window System, allowing homeowners to create a wall of glass. With heights up to 10 feet tall or 40 square feet, the seamless window features flexible, triple-laminated impact protection.
www.pgtinnovations.com

An Integrated Approach

Therma-Tru paired up with screen and storm door manufacturer Larson to unveil a new Impressions Integrated Storm & Entry Door System. Impressions is a first-of-its-kind concept, with the storm door integrated flush into the brick mould portion of door frames, creating a purposeful, cohesive unit and a seamless look.

In a multi-step system for specification, customers can select a Therma-Tru entry door, then pair it with a storm door for matching aesthetics. The system comes complete with composite brickmould and an aluminum storm door panel. For added protection from rot, composite frames featuring the company’s Tru-Guard technology are also available, while full-lite storm doors are available with low-E glass and interchangeable screens.
www.thermatru.com

Seals and Sealants

Stop Waiting for Glazing to Cure

After the success of NovaFlex Qwik-Set Glazing Sealant, Novagard developed a portable version that makes hand glazing and field installations faster. The product is especially useful in tight spots or when making repairs, the company suggests.

Qwik-Set Portable is a two-component, neutral-cure silicone that rapidly builds adhesive and elastomeric strength. The product achieves a tensile strength of over 15 psi after just 20 minutes and 55 psi after 30 minutes. With a fixed 2:1 ratio, Qwik-Set Portable comes in a dual cartridge, and is easily applied using a portable pneumatic or battery powered gun. The sealant develops a primer-less bond to most substrates and commonly used accessories, and is AAMA verified for strength and adhesion.
www.novagard.com

Tripling Up Performance

Ultrafab’s new premium performance, multi-finned weather seals are designed for high-end applications that require a more robust seal.

The product’s pliable, solid barriers help support the pile, which improves overall performance and reduces compression set by mitigating air and water infiltration better than single, center fin products. Ultrafab’s patented ultrasonic welding process adds to the overall quality and durability of all its products and the solid polypropylene backing makes it easily insertable, helping to save money on production lines.
www.ultrafab.com

Glass

A Safe 7/8-Inch Option

Officials for Blink Blinds + Glass say the company’s new custom product is the only blinds between glass option that provides light and privacy control in a 7 /8-inch insulating glass (IG) platform for windows and sliding patio doors. The product combines seamlessly with the company’s 7/8-inch RLT-Top and Tilt IG to provide a cohesive look.

Doors and windows can now have matching blinds between glass.
www.blinkblinds.com

Hit the Mark With Double-Pane

Guardian’s ClimaGuard 70 residential glass offers advanced coating solutions, delivering visible light transmission of 69%, a solar heat gain co-efficient (SHGC) of 0.35, and center-of-glass U-factor ratings of as low as 0.24.

For double-pane IG in the North-Central zone, ClimaGuard IS-20 hits the mark with a surface-four low-E coating.
www.guardianglass.com

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