The awards for Door Component of the Year and Digital Marketing Campaign of the Year were awarded to the company’s newest innovation, the AV4 multi-point autoLocking solution.
Since the introduction of the first hooked autoLock almost 20 years ago, Winkhaus has developed its AV range in an innovation timeline of industry firsts.
The autoLock AV4 range consists of the AV4, AV4 Heritage,AV4 EntryGuard, AV4 M4 with blueMatic EAV4, and blueMatic EAV4+ motors controllable with the Winkhaus doorControl application.
The new AV4 product family is available in a range of backsets and faceplate sizes, including U-rail, which is suitable for all door constructions.
AV4 journey and development
Designed to combat the issues with thermal expansion, AV4 is the turning point for fabricators and installers tired of costly callouts to deal with sash-to-frame issues and to make a hinge and keep adjustments.
The AV4 autoLock reduces the force needed to operate by 40% compared to the market-leading AV2 and up to 70% compared to competitors' solutions. Combined with wider installation tolerances, AV4 continues to operate where other solutions fail.
George Smith, Senior Product and Technical Manager for Winkhaus UK, said:
“The design brief for AV4 came directly through customer insight that highlighted the impact of remedial calls due to thermal expansion that increases the force required to retract a locking mechanism.
“Many factors can affect expansion, including installation, alignment of keeps, door maintenance, temperature and building structure.
“As these factors fluctuate, so does the potential deviation of a door, impacting the end user's ability to open and secure their door.
“Through partnership and innovation, we designed the AV4 autoLock to overcome the well-known industry issue of thermal expansion and adapt to changing conditions, offering reliable security and ease of use for end users.”
Testing against real-world conditions
Winkhaus wanted to measure the real-world impact that AV4 can have on a door's ease of use, completing extensive testing, including benchmarking AV4’s performance against the market-leading AV2 and competitor's solutions, plus inviting end-users to test solutions against the simulated impact of thermal expansion compared to other locks on the market.
When it comes to thermal expansion, the industry-standard tolerance for doors is up to 5mm, with a tolerance of +or-2mm being commonplace.
To simulate deviation, packers were inserted in 2mm increments, with initial measurements being taken from zero deviation.
The doors used were from the same fabricator, the same batch of manufacture and all hardware, other than the locks and keeps, were the same.
The invited research group included individuals with arthritis, disabled family members, and elderly individuals, all of whom have struggled to operate locks, suffering from the impact of thermal expansion previously.
The results from all testing were conclusive, with AV4 continuing to operate with ease to double the industry door standard.
AV4 is a revolutionary product that is changing the accepted norm, showing people how easy it can be to operate a locking mechanism – even in the face of thermal expansion.
Mike Rushen, Sales Director for Winkhaus UK, said:
“Designed with extensive insights into problematic door operation and tested rigorously, the AV4 autoLock has been designed to significantly reduce callouts and remedial works.
“We have worked closely with leading door leaf providers and major manufacturers to ensure this lock sets a new standard in reliability.
“We are delighted with the early success of AV4 and proud to receive the recognition of the National Fenestration Awards, especially as this is through the nominations and votes of our customers and the impact AV4 is having in the market.”
Marketing support
At Winkhaus UK, everything we do is centred around guaranteeing the success of our customers, providing added-value products, services, and solutions to ensure they have maximum competitiveness.
The marketing team have worked closely with customers to provide a wide range of assets to promote AV4, which are all available to download from the Winkhaus Portal, so they are able to effectively market, install, and maintain Winkhaus products.
We are proud of the recognition of Digital Marketing Campaign of the Year by the National Fenestration Awards and all who placed a nomination for us in this category.
Integrating targeting digital content with customer and end-user testimonials, our campaign for AV4 allowed the product’s features and benefits to speak for themselves, amplifying its reception in the market.
For further information on autoLock AV4 or the full range of multi-point locking solutions available from Winkhaus, please visit winkhaus.co.uk or contact enquiries@winkhaus.co.uk or marketing@winkhaus.co.uk
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