Aluminium Day – how Senior became a leading player in the aluminium industry

As we celebrate Aluminium Day, it’s the perfect moment to reflect on the milestones that have shaped Senior Architectural Systems since we first opened our doors back in 1991. More than three decades later, our commitment to UK based manufacturing, product innovation and sustainable design has never been stronger. From receiving the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise to becoming part of ASSA Abloy, our 35 years are full of game-changing moments and we’re proud of the strength, stability and ambition that continue to define our business.

Whether we are pioneering new technologies or investing in our people, processes and facilities, our journey has been built on continuous improvement. To mark this year’s Aluminium Day, we’re taking a look back at some of the key developments that have helped us continue to lead the way in aluminium fenestration.

A decade of PURe^® innovation

Ten years ago, we introduced PURe^® - a groundbreaking aluminium window and door system that redefined what was possible in terms of thermal performance. By incorporating an expanded polyurethane (PUR) thermal barrier, PURe^® delivers ultra low U-values to help architects and contractors meet increasingly demanding energy and carbon targets.

Over the past decade, PURe^® has continued to evolve, supporting low energy design across sectors and proving that aluminium systems can deliver exceptional performance without compromising on aesthetics or durability. Its success has helped shape the industry’s expectations of what a high performance fenestration system should achieve.

Advancing sustainability with low carbon aluminium

Our commitment to innovation extends beyond system design to the materials we use. REAL 2.0, our UK sourced low carbon aluminium extrusion offering, represents a major step forward in reducing embodied carbon. By prioritising recycled content and local supply chains, REAL 2.0 supports whole life carbon assessments and gives specifiers a more sustainable choice without sacrificing strength, quality or design flexibility.

Together, PURe^® and REAL 2.0 demonstrate how innovation can deliver meaningful environmental benefits while maintaining the performance standards our customers expect.

Enhancing quality with in house powder coating

Our continuous investment in our dedicated in house powder coating facility has further enhanced our ability to deliver high quality, consistent and efficient finishes. As we manage this process under one roof, we have greater control over quality assurance, we’ve been able to reduce lead times and over the years have expanded our colour and texture offering, including the introduction of new ultra matt and specialist finishes.

This investment ensures that every system leaving our factory meets the highest standards, every time.

Doubling production with our thermal improvement facility

To meet the growing demand for energy efficient aluminium systems, in 2022 we opened a state of the art Thermal Improvement Facility in Rotherham. This major investment has doubled our production capacity, improved process efficiency and strengthened our ability to support large scale projects across the UK.

The facility also enhances the precision and consistency of our thermal break insertion processes, ensuring our systems continue to deliver reliable, high performance results. By refining our manufacturing processes, we have been able to make significant steps towards circularity and closed-loop recycling. We’ve also recently unveiled a new initiative that enables all the polyurethane foam waste generated during the manufacture of the patented thermal break in our PURe^® aluminium windows and doors be collected and reused.

Supporting biodiversity and responsible manufacturing

Of course, sustainability isn’t limited to carbon reduction and the introduction of our very own bee colony was a particularly sweet moment for us! Our biodiversity initiative, which includes the introduction of our beehives, reflects our commitment to enhancing local ecosystems and promoting responsible manufacturing practices. Alongside this, we actively manage our wider biodiversity programme through responsible sourcing, increasing recycled content to reduce demand for virgin raw materials, and implementing on-site environmental initiatives that support habitats and local wildlife. It’s a small but meaningful step in supporting wider environmental stewardship across our operations.

Raising the bar with transparent, project specific EPDs

As the industry moves toward whole life carbon assessment, clear and accurate environmental data has never been more important and the work we have done around our Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) really highlights our position on this. Not only have our EPDs been designed to give architects, contractors and clients complete confidence in the environmental impact of the systems they specify, but accuracy and transparency have been prioritised.

Unlike generic or averaged datasets, our ‘what you see is what you spec’ approach is noticeably different. Unlike many EPDs that include insulated glass units, which are typically not supplied by system houses, we haves chosen to omit glazing from our calculations on the environmental credentials of our SF52 aluminium system. This is because the heavy weight of glass, combined with its relatively low carbon per kg, can make the overall figures for the aluminium system look lower than they really are after conversion. By omitting the glazing from our EPD, we’re ensuring that the carbon figure per square metre reflects only the aluminium system itself, giving a more accurate and honest assessment.

By investing in robust, independently verified EPDs, we’re helping the industry move towards a more accountable and data driven approach to sustainable construction.

Looking ahead

From launching the first ever Aluminium Day in 2018 to delivering industry leading innovations and investing in the future of UK manufacturing, our story is defined by progress. As we celebrate Aluminium Day this year, we’re proud of the winning moments that have shaped our journey and are even more excited for the opportunities ahead.