Promat delivers ‘wheel of assurance’ for fire rated glazing

Leading manufacturer of passive fire protection solutions, Promat UK, is providing architects, clients and contractors with a 360 degree ‘wheel of assurance’ for fire rated interior glazing through its complete glazing system, Promat SYSTEMGLAS®, to offer assured fire protection for up to 120 minutes.

With SYSTEMGLAS, Promat is unique in the market for being able to supply a glazing system of this kind, designed to offer excellent aesthetic potential thanks to the availability of butt-joints, which is checked for quality and inspected by fire safety experts at every stage.

SYSTEMGLAS utilises Promat’s comprehensive fire glass product range, which is suitable for all building applications with fire ratings of between 30 and 120 minutes.

Promat’s technical experts provide guidance on the right approach at the design and specification stage, and the system is manufactured in-house to ensure all cutting and processing is completed to the correct standard.

Concluding the wheel, Promat inspects SYSTEMGLAS on completion to ensure it has been installed in accordance with its recommendations and provides a certificate of conformity for installation.

Promat can provide this assurance because it is in complete control of the design and manufacture process, and it has in-depth knowledge of the installation requirements.

This means supply chain risks, such as product substitution or poor installation, can be eliminated. The resulting installation is assurance for building owners and users that they are protected as planned, should a fire incident occur.

Promat, which is part of the Etex Group and has recently completed the relocation of its main UK operations to a 62,000 sq. ft. HQ and manufacturing plant in Heywood, Lancashire, has been producing passive fire protection solutions for more than 30 years.

The development of SYSTEMGLAS is one of the many significant investments that Promat has made in recent years to develop a product portfolio, backed by market-leading expertise, to give specifiers confidence and total peace of mind.

Ian Cowley, General Manager at Promat UK says: “We have seen many changes in fire, thermal and acoustic insulation legislation and specification over the past three decades, but one of the most significant policy changes was arguably to allow performance specifications which include phrases such as ‘or similar approved’ or equal and approved’.

“Despite being well-intentioned and giving clients greater choice, this has unfortunately given rise to various stakeholders in a project’s supply chain now offering their perspective on what materials are ‘fit for purpose’, and on occasions this could lead to an inappropriate specification. In the case of fire protection, this is putting specifiers in potentially risky situations, as the building may ultimately end up with a misrepresentation of what is actually required.”

“All passive fire protection is only as good as its weakest link, which is why we have invested so much in setting up Promat UK to offer solutions that reduce risk. This applies whether clients seek to purchase our fire-resistant glass products, such as PROMAGLAS® or PYROCET®, to incorporate into their own framing systems, or choose our SYSTEMGLAS package. We have an expert team available to advise specifiers and installers on selecting the right products, and site inspection teams to check completed applications.”

Promat UK provides a range of integrity (E) and integrity and insulation (EI) fire resistant glass products which are rated between 30 and 120 minutes and independently tested for compliance with all fire safety legislation and Building Regulations.

These products are available for partition systems framed by steel or timber, as well as for butt-jointed solutions like SYSTEMGLAS.

The company manufactures and processes the majority of its fire glass products in the UK, with in-house cutting guaranteeing high-quality workmanship and reliable service, aligned with the requirements of the specification.

Once delivered and installed, Promat products can therefore be more easily checked for compliance, and signed off for future reference.