2021-06-07

Aluminum joinery for the 21st century. Aluprof and the smart home

In a contemporary home, we can put the latest technological developments to use in order to automate the building and control it on a daily basis. Just as important is ensuring that respect for the natural environment is an integral part of the entire design, construction, and utilization, with the use of energy-saving materials. Innovative solutions for homes looking out towards the future are part of the raison d’être of ALUPROF S.A., a leader of the European joinery sector.

Comfort and safety

‘Smart home’ is the collective name for home automation systems and devices. In other words, a smart home is a building that the householders can communicate with and issue all kinds of orders to.

Alarm systems and control of a gate leading onto a property or a garage door are familiar facilities which have been in use for years. In contemporary homes, the management and operation of devices is being significantly extended. Householders can use their computer or smartphone to operate their roller blinds, venetian blinds, garage doors, windows, doors, heating, and lighting. Moreover, all of those systems can be integrated into one, providing full control over the status of the home. They can also be used to create automated operating scenarios. 

At the beginning of 2021, ALUPROF introduced two new systems, the SkyFlow external venetian blind and the SkyRoll external roller blind. Both additions to the company’s range are an ideal response to this trend. Sabina Gustof, Marketing Project Manager for ALUPROF, provides some details: 

Technological progress and increasingly affordable prices mean that almost every ALUPROF system for roller blinds, venetian blinds and garage doors now comes equipped with a motor. Electric control does more than simply ensure user comfort. The choice of a range of accessories, like an automated timer which allows householders to program their roller blinds to open and close whenever they want, means that they can also increase the security of their home during longer absences.

She goes on to add that:

As another example, fitting blinds used to provide protection from the sun with solar and temperature sensors provides interiors with the appropriate microclimate and, hand in hand with that comes a positive impact on our wallets as far as outgoings on heating and cooling are concerned. It’s also worth adding that smart control systems which permit householders to control their blinds from a tablet or smartphone, no matter where they are and no matter what time it is, are becoming more and more popular.

As summer arrives, the installation of insect screens may well prove to be a necessity. ALUPROF offers aluminum solutions which are not only a practical and extremely functional protection against insects, but simultaneously provide access to daylight and fresh air. The company’s range of systems for single-family homes can be found on its website devoted to the topic, https://home.aluprof.com/en.

21st-century design

Buildings today have their own specific design features. Expansive glazing is appearing more and more frequently on the elevations of single-family homes, serving as a link between living room and garden. They make it possible to provide a panoramic view and blur the division between the interior and the landscape outside, giving a sense of boundless space. The less visible the point where they adjoin, the better the effect.

Advanced technologies mean that ever more aesthetically pleasing solutions can be created. At the same time, aluminum is a modern material which fits in perfectly with current economic and ecological building trends. As Bożena Ryszka, ALUPROF’s Marketing and PR Director explains: 

Spectacular, panoramic glazing is achievable thanks to patio doors produced using the ALUPROF MB-SKYLINE Type Ra state-of-the-art system for large-scale sliding doors which provide an effect of lightness and exceptional aesthetics. The leaf is completely concealed in the top and bottom frames and, when the automatic drive unit option is selected, or the mullion features a locking mechanism, the leaf profiles are also invisible at the sides. The visible width of the mullion is just twenty-five millimeters. So the entire thing is a sweep of glass which is almost all of a piece, with nothing more than the most delicate of dividing lines. Buildings fitted with our MB-SKYLINE Type R doors are buildings with a style all their own. They fit right in with top-end building trends and, at the same time, they’re an enhancement to any development. The MB-SKYLINE Type R can be used to create leaves with a width of up to four meters, which affords designers a wealth of possibilities.

The MB-SKYLINE Type R can be fitted with motors that can be controlled remotely, allowing users to open and close them with a remote control or smartphone. Windows and doors produced using the system feature cutting-edge insulation material and provide high thermal, wind-load, and watertightness parameters. Aluminum joinery designed for modern, energy-efficient homes significantly reduces heat loss and, at the same time, lets as much natural light as possible into the interiors. All that needs to be done in order to keep rooms free of excessive sunshine and overheating is to install blinds, which also have a positive impact on the home’s thermal performance. So the future of building lies in green technology.

Security nowadays

As well as protecting a home from heat loss, aluminum windows provide security against intruders. ALUPROF’s range of aluminum systems offers solutions which improve the security of buildings by increasing their burglar-resistant properties. Some of them feature the highest level of security available on the market for products of this kind. The burglar-resistant structures produced using the company’s solutions include components which increase their resistance to exterior interference.

Bożena Ryszka expands on the topic:

Thanks to the use of tough aluminum structures and burglar-resistant glass, our windows are an obstacle that’s difficult for unwanted guests to overcome. Components designed to prevent jimmying can also be used and so can hardware designed specifically for this type of structure. Our range includes window systems with a burglar resistance rating of RC1 to RC3. There’s also our MB-70RC4. As the name suggests, it meets the requirements for the RC4 rating and it’s the only window in Poland to have been classified as that secure.

Burglar-resistant structures can also be used with ALUPROF’s solutions for lift-and-slide patio doors, mullion and transom curtain walls, and burglar-resistant roller shutters.

Another crucial characteristic of aluminum products is that, should a fire break out, they will not catch alight, give off smoke or spread the blaze. The company’s offer also includes dedicated systems for fire doors, partitions and façades which are intended for rooms where there is a risk of fire and are designed to guarantee safe evacuation conditions in the event of fire.

Solutions with a view of the future

At present, modern building has to meet three main criteria; functionality, economy, and interesting design. The expectations of developers and future residents are focused on obtaining the greatest possible comfort and convenience, which can be provided by choosing the right, environmentally safe materials, and integrated automation. 

ALUPROF is not only one of the leaders of the European aluminum joinery sector, but also an innovator in the field. This is confirmed by the Cradle to Cradle® certificate the company has been awarded for its pioneering introduction onto the market of products with a positive environmental impact. More information can be found on the company’s website, at https://aluprof.com/us.