Custom roll forming facilitates better insulation practices

When LoftZone required high quality bespoke manufacturing of beams for their StoreFloor raised loft flooring system and complementary Shelf-Beam shelving system, they turned to voestalpine Metsec’s Custom Roll Forming (CRF) division.

voestalpine Metsec CRF manufactures a wide range of products and components for a variety of companies, many of which are large multinational operations and household names.

With a wealth of experience, engineering knowhow, design capabilities and manufacturing resources, voestalpine Metsec CRF is able to deliver a tailormade service producing items to a customer’s own designs or providing a complete design, prototyping and manufacturing package to meet specific requirements.

voestalpine Metsec CRF’s successful 12-year relationship with LoftZone is a prime example of long-term customer satisfaction that the division delivers and its ability to take a client’s ideas and design concepts through to a final finished product and commercial production.

StoreFloor provides an easy and effective means of raising loft floors to provide additional storage space or facilitate access for maintenance whilst maintaining the full depth of insulation necessary to achieve today’s thermal performance requirements for homes.

The system’s polypropylene/nylon support legs (Tri-Supports and Uni-Supports) are fixed to the top of existing joists and connected by galvanised steel cross-beams to raise the floor level by 280mm above the joists. This structure provides a strong and stable base onto which flooring grade boards can be fixed, creating sufficient space beneath to accommodate the requisite levels of insulation plus an airgap to prevent interstitial condensation.

Metsec CRF was approached to manufacture the system’s galvanised steel cross beams.

Working with LoftZone’s designers, voestalpine Metsec developed prototypes and samples to enable the client to undertake testing for strength, performance and functionality. The final StoreFloor cross beam is an 80mm x 50mm C-channel custom roll-formed from galvanised steel in lengths of 1150mm, 1750mm and 2350mm. The channel features slots and screw holes along its top and sides at appropriate intervals to allow the channel to be secured onto the supports once it has been slid into position.

Shelf-Beam provides a support bracket between roof trusses onto which timber shelving can be fixed. It is a similarly formed C-channel with a smaller cross section of 80mm x 30mm, as its function dictates. It is supplied in lengths of 375mm and 700mm.

The production of both sizes of C-channel includes pre-piercing of the galvanised steel strip to create the slots and a screwholes which facilitate installation. They also undergo printing for LoftZone branding.

Other processes which can be undertaken by voestalpine Metsec CRF as part of the production line include induction welding and flying cut-off to create the desired profile lengths.

Designed to have a service life of at least 60 years, StoreFloor comes with BBA approval, complies with BS EN 1990:2002, BS EN 1991-1-1:2002 and BS 6399-1:1996 and facilitates compliance with Construction Design and Maintenance (CDM) regulations for safe maintenance access to equipment as well as Part L of the Building Regulations.

Dave Raval, Chief Executive at LoftZone comments, “With the resources and reputation of Metsec, we were confident that they could do the job for us. They have proved to be the ideal manufacturing partner, clearly demonstrated by our long working relationship.

“Their support during product development proved invaluable and the final product is perfectly engineered to the quality we demand.

“With the renewed emphasis on energy costs and insulation, we are experiencing increased interest from architects, building contractors and homeowners.

“StoreFloor and Shelf-Beam are available direct from our website at www.loftzone.co.uk, DIY stores and builders’ merchants or can be supplied and installed by our nationwide network of approved installers.

“Metsec CRF is reliably delivering all products to the schedules required by these outlets and to various locations across the country, which assures availability.”