New laboratory to accelerate Edgetech innovation

Warm-edge experts Edgetech are gearing up for future innovation with the opening of a newresearch laboratory.Situated at the company’s Coventry headquarters, it’s been built to enable Edgetech todevelop new products, assist customers in meeting accreditation and compliancerequirements, and generally distribute technical expertise more widely throughout thecompany.Thanks to parent company Quanex, Edgetech is already blessed with world-class testingfacilities in Akron, Ohio – but this is the first time the firm has had the capacity to developproducts independently in the UK.“The demands placed on IGU manufacturers are growing all the time,” comments TechnicalDevelopment Manager Gary Shoesmith.“They’re caught in a squeeze between the increasingly stringent standards demanded ofthem by governments and regulators, and their customers and end-users wantingexceptional performance for ever-more competitive prices.“On top of that, we’re seeing more and more volatility in the supply chain. Raw materialprices have risen, sometimes quite substantially, in the wake of Brexit – and, most pressinglyof all at the moment, the silicone shortage is causing headaches throughout the industry.“At Edgetech, we take these issues extremely seriously – and now, thanks to the newlaboratory, I’m spending a significant amount of time and resources on helping ourcustomers respond.“At the time of writing, I’m evaluating no less than five potential new products, capable ofdelivering the same outstanding performance the industry has come to expect from us, usingmaterials that are more readily available.”Managing Director Chris Alderson comments: “This is a major milestone for Edgetech – andwith it, we’ll be able to help our customers face up to the challenges of the modernmarketplace better than ever before.”