Trade Reference — UK # Aluminium Fabrication Glossary A plain-English reference to the 64 terms a trade buyer meets when specifying and ordering aluminium fabrication — from thermal breaks and sightlines to PAS 24, U-values and swing-door workshop function-checking. Written for the people who order and fit our fabricated aluminium: door and window installers, shopfitters, glaziers, main contractors, maintenance contractors and facilities teams. If a specifier, a building-control note or a fabricator’s quote has used a word you want pinned down before you commit, this is the page to keep bookmarked. Definitions are trade-standard; where it helps, we add a short note on why it matters on site. ## On this page - Systems & profiles — 16 terms - Performance & standards — 15 terms - Glazing & infill — 10 terms - Fabrication & supply — 11 terms - Hardware & operation — 12 terms Kingsland Fabrications supplies and fabricates aluminium for trade and commercial customers. The customer’s team or appointed contractor installs. ## Systems & profiles The aluminium components and the way a fabricator assembles them. Get the vocabulary right here and your enquiry reaches the workshop unambiguous. Aluminium system (suite)A matched family of aluminium profiles, gaskets, beads and hardware designed and tested to work together — for example a door suite or a window suite. A fabricator works within a system; they do not mix profiles from different suites on the same unit. We fabricate on the Jack Aluminium platform and compatible profiles, so the hardware and seals are matched, not improvised. Jack Aluminium compatibility for installers → Profile (extrusion)A length of aluminium pushed through a shaped die to form a constant cross-section — the raw stock a fabricator cuts and machines into frames. Each profile in a suite has a defined cross-section, wall thickness and chamber arrangement. Thermally brokenA profile split into inner and outer aluminium sections joined by a low-conductivity insulating bar, so heat cannot pass straight through the metal. Thermally broken frames are required on virtually any external door or window in a heated building to meet thermal targets. Our communal entrance doors and thermally broken aluminium windows are built for Part L work. Communal entrance doors → Polyamide thermal breakThe specific insulating bar — usually glass-reinforced polyamide (nylon) — crimped between the inner and outer aluminium shells to form the thermal break. Polyamide is the standard material because it is strong, dimensionally stable and a poor conductor of heat. SightlineThe visible width of aluminium framing seen face-on once the unit is glazed — the slimmer the sightline, the more glass and the cleaner the look. Slim-sightline frames are prized on shopfronts and heritage work but are less forgiving of fabrication error. Manual aluminium doors can use slim sightlines to suit listed and conservation frontages. Manual aluminium doors → MullionA vertical structural member dividing a frame, curtain wall or screen into bays. Mullions carry wind load and locate the glazing or infill on either side. TransomA horizontal member spanning between mullions or jambs — for example the bar separating a door leaf from the fanlight above it. Transom and mullion alignment is one of the first things a fabricator verifies on coordinated frontages. OuterframeThe fixed perimeter frame that is mechanically fixed into the building opening; the door leaf or window sash hangs within it. On replacement work the building opening — not the original drawing — is the true datum for the outerframe. Sash / vent / leafThe opening part of the unit. "Sash" or "vent" is the moving part of a window; "leaf" is the moving part of a door. Each is measured and built to operate within its outerframe. Cill (sill)The bottom horizontal member of a frame, often with a weathered or stepped profile to shed water clear of the wall below. The right cill depth depends on the reveal and the wall build-up, which is why it is a survey field worth capturing. RebateThe stepped recess in a frame that receives the door leaf, sash or glazing and houses the weatherseal. A threshold or bead sitting proud of its rebate is a classic source of a leaf that will not close cleanly. Coupling (mullion joint)A profile or sleeve used to join two frames together side-by-side or stacked — for example coupling a window to a door frame to form a screen. Couplings must be specified at quote stage so the combined unit is engineered and labelled as one assembly. Powder coating (PPC)The standard factory finish for architectural aluminium: polyester powder is electrostatically applied and oven-cured to a durable, colour-fast coating. Polyester powder coating (PPC) is specified by colour reference and finish — matt, satin, gloss or textured. RALThe European colour-matching standard used to specify powder-coat finishes — e.g. RAL 7016 Anthracite Grey or RAL 9005 Jet Black. Always quote the RAL number and finish; "grey" alone is not orderable. Dual colourA frame powder-coated one colour externally and a different colour internally — common where a building exterior must match a palette but the interior wants white or a neutral. Dual-colour adds a coating operation, so flag it at quote stage as it affects lead time. QualicoatA quality-assurance standard and licensing scheme for the powder-coating of architectural aluminium, setting requirements for pre-treatment, coating and testing. Specifying a Qualicoat-approved coater is the way to evidence finish durability and support a coating warranty rather than relying on the colour reference alone. ## Performance & standards The certificates and test standards a specifier or building control will ask for. Knowing what each one actually covers stops you ordering a unit that misses the brief. PAS 24The UK security standard for doorsets and windows, demonstrating resistance to opportunist forced entry through a defined set of manual attack tests. PAS 24 is a system test: change the cylinder, hinges or glass build-up and the original certificate may no longer cover what is installed. We fabricate PAS 24 capable doors as standard and send the test references with the quote on request. PAS 24 vs Part L: an installer primer → STS 201 / STS 202Certification-body security standards. STS 201 sets enhanced security requirements for doorsets; STS 202 covers burglary resistance and assigns a Burglary Rating (BR1, BR2, BR3) by test against escalating attack scenarios. They are referenced where a job demands evidenced security beyond baseline PAS 24. Approved Document L (Part L)The England building regulations document covering conservation of fuel and power. It sets the U-value targets external doors, windows and façades must meet, and the targets have tightened with each uplift. Internal screens and doors are generally outside its scope. Our Part L, U-values and thermal-break guide explains the evidence to capture. Part L, U-values and thermal breaks → Approved Document QThe building regulations document covering security in new dwellings. Where Doc Q applies, external doors and accessible windows must meet a recognised security standard such as PAS 24 — which is why new-build residential almost always calls for it. U-valueThe rate at which heat passes through a building element, measured in W/m²K — the lower the figure, the better the insulation. For compliance you need the whole-unit U-value (Uw for a window, the whole-doorset figure for a door), not just the centre-of-glass number. Secured by Design (SBD)The UK police-backed accreditation scheme for products and developments that meet recognised security standards. An SBD certificate incorporates PAS 24 plus additional hardware and installation conditions, so it is a separate document from the bare PAS 24 reference. CWCTThe Centre for Window and Cladding Technology — the UK body whose standards and test sequences (notably the Standard for Systemised Building Envelopes) are the usual benchmark for curtain walling and cladding performance. Specifiers frequently require CWCT-sequence testing on facade scopes. EN 13830The European product standard for curtain walling, setting out the performance characteristics — air permeability, watertightness, wind resistance and more — that a curtain walling system must declare. It is the reference point for façade work alongside CWCT testing. Our curtain walling is supplied as engineered, labelled sections for façade contractors. Curtain walling → BS 6375The British Standard for the performance of windows and doors. Part 1 covers weathertightness (air, water, wind), Part 2 covers operation and strength, and Part 3 covers additional performance such as security and operating forces. WeathertightnessThe combined ability of a unit to resist air leakage, water penetration and wind load when installed — tested as a set under BS 6375 Part 1. It depends on seal design and on the unit being built square and fitting its opening, which is why pre-dispatch checking matters. Air permeabilityA measure of how much air leaks through a closed unit at a given pressure — a contributor both to draughts and to the thermal performance of the building. Tighter air permeability classes mean better-sealing gaskets and a unit built to tolerance. Water tightnessThe pressure up to which a closed unit resists water penetration, expressed as a classification in the test standard. Drainage paths on drained thresholds and glazing pockets must be clear for the unit to perform to its rating. Wind resistanceThe classified ability of a unit to withstand positive and negative wind pressure without excessive deflection or damage. It drives mullion sizing and glazing specification, particularly on tall or exposed façades. UKCA / CE markingThe conformity marks declaring that a construction product meets the relevant standard for sale in Great Britain (UKCA) or the EU/Northern Ireland (CE). For windows and doors the declared performance sits behind the mark in a Declaration of Performance. Free areaThe proportion of a louvre or ventilation panel’s face that is actually open to airflow, quoted as either a geometric free area (the bare open percentage) or an aerodynamic free area (a tested figure that accounts for turbulence losses). It is the number to pin down when specifying ventilation louvres, because two louvres of the same size can pass very different volumes of air. Our louvre and panel doors are fabricated to suit the ventilation and screening duty the job calls for. Louvre and panel doors → ## Glazing & infill What goes into the aperture, and the terms that describe how it is held and sealed. Glazing spec errors are a common cause of a unit that is technically right but non-compliant. IGU (insulated glass unit / sealed unit)Two or more panes of glass separated by a spacer and hermetically sealed at the edge to trap an insulating gas cavity. The build-up — pane thicknesses, cavity width, coatings — determines the glazing contribution to the U-value and acoustic performance. Glazing beadThe removable profile that clips in to retain the glass or infill panel in its pocket. Internally beaded units are more secure because the bead cannot be removed from outside; on factory-glazed leaves we check bead security as part of pre-dispatch testing. Structural glazingA glazing method where glass is bonded or retained so the framing is concealed or minimal, giving a flush external glass face. Structural and capped glazing are curtain-wall techniques that demand tight fabrication tolerances. Infill panelA solid panel — insulated, aluminium-faced or decorative — used in place of glass within a frame or curtain wall bay, for example below a transom or at a spandrel zone. Specified by thickness and U-value to coordinate with the glazing pocket. SpandrelThe opaque zone of a façade between the head of one floor’s glazing and the cill of the next, concealing the floor slab and services. Spandrel zones are typically formed with an insulated infill panel or back-painted glass. Toughened glassGlass heat-treated to be far stronger than annealed glass and, when broken, to shatter into small blunt granules — a safety glass under the relevant standard. Specified where impact safety or thermal stress demands it. Laminated glassTwo or more panes bonded with an interlayer so that, when broken, fragments are held in place — giving safety, security and acoustic benefits. Security-rated and many overhead applications call for laminated glass specifically. Acoustic glassLaminated glass made with a specialist acoustic interlayer that damps sound transmission, used where a unit faces a busy road, railway or other noise source. It is specified by its sound-reduction rating in decibels (dB), so capture the target figure rather than asking simply for "acoustic glass". Warm-edge spacerA low-conductivity spacer bar around the perimeter of a sealed unit that reduces heat loss and condensation risk at the glass edge compared with a traditional aluminium spacer. It improves the whole-unit U-value and is widely specified on Part L work. Ug / Uf / UwThe three U-values that make up a window figure: Ug is centre-of-glass, Uf is the frame, and Uw is the whole window combining both with the spacer effect. A quote that states only Ug is incomplete — compliance is judged on Uw or the whole-doorset value. ## Fabrication & supply How a trade order is engineered, made and delivered before the customer’s installer fits it on site. Jig-testing (workshop function-check)A workshop fabrication QC step in which an assembled swing door is function-checked in a fixed jig before dispatch, including its dimensions, geometry, specified hardware operation, glazing and gaskets against the approved fabrication information. It is not standards or certification testing. Kingsland assembles and function-checks swing doors on the workshop jig before dispatch and checks the wider order against the approved information. What we check on the jig table → CNC machiningComputer-controlled cutting, routing and punching of aluminium profiles from approved programmed data. Machining and the applicable assembled-product checks cover different stages of the fabrication process. LogiKalIndustry-standard fabrication and estimating software that turns a project specification into cutting lists, machining data and costings for an aluminium system. It is the engineering bridge between a quote and the CNC machines. EluCADCAD/CAM software that drives Elumatec CNC machinery directly from the fabrication data, so what is drawn and signed off is what gets cut. Together with LogiKal it gives a controlled path from CAD to finished profile. Fabricated orderA made-to-order aluminium item supplied complete: frame, leaf or sashes, hardware, and crucially the beads, gaskets and fixings where specified, ready for the installer to fit. Supply-only trade fabrication is exactly what we do: made in Warrington, never installed by us. How supply-only fabrication works → Opening referenceThe unique label tying each fabricated unit to a specific opening on the elevation or schedule — for example "D04" or "W12". Labelling by opening reference lets a multi-unit job be unloaded and fitted in order rather than re-sorted on the pavement. Supply-onlyA model where the fabricator manufactures and supplies the aluminium but does not install it. Trade installers can buy for their own fitting teams; facilities, property and project teams can also buy direct and appoint their own contractor to install. Kingsland fabricates supply-only for trade and commercial customers. The customer’s team or appointed contractor installs. Trade supply → First-fit (first-time fit)A unit that goes into its opening and operates correctly with no on-site modification beyond standard installation fixings. Survey information, approved details, fabrication checks and site conditions can all affect the result. Every Kingsland swing door is assembled and function-checked on the workshop jig before dispatch as workshop fabrication QC. What the swing-door workshop function-check covers → Lead timeThe elapsed working time between the order milestone stated on the quotation and dispatch. It is distinct from quotation preparation and customer approval time. Allow approximately 21 working days for general planning. The quotation confirms the current lead time, its start point, the exact date and any product- or specification-specific exceptions. Replacement orders → CAD drawingA fabrication drawing issued where required for the customer to check and sign off before manufacture. It records the approved dimensions and details against which the supplied product is fabricated and checked. We issue CAD with every quote where the job needs it. Palletised deliveryA delivery arrangement in which fabricated orders are protected and shipped on pallets. Opening-reference labelling is applied where needed or agreed, and the quotation confirms the supplied contents and delivery details. ## Hardware & operation The moving parts and the terms that describe how a door performs. Substituting hardware can break a security certificate, so it pays to get the schedule right at quote stage. Multipoint lockA locking mechanism that engages at several points up the leaf edge from a single key or handle throw, spreading the holding force and improving security and weather seal. Standard on residential and light-commercial entrance doors and part of the PAS 24 tested assembly. Floor springA closing device set into the floor beneath a pivoting door, controlling both the closing speed and the hold-open of heavy commercial leaves. Specified by leaf weight and width, and verified through full operating cycles before dispatch. We cycle floor-spring and pivot operation on the jig before our commercial doors ship. Commercial entrance doors → Pivot (pivot door)A door hung on a top and bottom pivot point rather than side hinges, allowing heavier leaves and wider openings — typical of high-traffic commercial entrances. Pivot capacity is rated by weight, so the glass build-up has to be checked against it. BreakoutA door arrangement, usually on sliding or pivoting entrances, that allows the leaves to swing out to a full clear opening for emergency egress. A life-safety feature on automatic and public-entrance doors that must be specified, not assumed. EgressThe provision for getting out of a building in an emergency — for example breakout leaves on an automatic or sliding entrance that open to a clear escape route. Egress is a distinct requirement from everyday operation, so a door’s escape arrangement has to be specified in its own right and not assumed from the way it normally opens. Finger guard (anti-finger-trap)A hinge-side detail — a flexible cover or shaped profile — that closes the gap where fingers could be trapped between leaf and frame. Routinely required on doors in schools, nurseries, healthcare and other public buildings. Door closer (overhead closer)A device, surface-mounted or concealed in the transom, that controls the closing of a door and ensures it latches. Closer power size must suit the leaf and the draught conditions, or the door will either slam or fail to close. ThresholdThe bottom member of a doorway the leaf closes onto — ranging from a low or level-access threshold for accessibility to a weathered or drained threshold for exposed external doors. Threshold type is a key survey and schedule field because it affects both weather performance and access compliance. Level-access threshold (Document M)A low or flush threshold that gives step-free entry to meet the accessibility requirements of Approved Document M. Because a flatter threshold has less upstand to hold back wind-driven water, it is a trade-off against weather performance — so the threshold type, drainage and exposure all need confirming on the schedule. Euro cylinderThe standardised replaceable lock cylinder used in most multipoint locks, available in security grades and anti-snap specifications. Because the cylinder is part of a security-tested doorset, swapping it for a lower grade can invalidate the PAS 24 evidence. RestrictorA device limiting how far a window or door can open, for safety (fall prevention) or controlled ventilation. Restricted openings must be set and checked as part of hardware function before the unit leaves the workshop. OperatorThe motor and control unit that drives an automatic sliding or swing door. Frame fabricators commonly supply the aluminium entrance frame ready for integration with a third-party operator rather than the drive itself. We supply automatic-ready entrance frames for integration with third-party operators — frame only. Automatic sliding doors → ## Got the spec straight? Send it over If you can put a name to what the specifier is asking for, we can quote it. Send sizes, a schedule or a drawing and we will prepare a trade quotation, with CAD where the job needs it. Every swing door is assembled and function-checked on the workshop jig before dispatch as workshop fabrication QC, not standards or certification testing. Request a Trade Quotation Call 01925 500 295Trade and commercial customers — Mon–Fri, Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm. Use the quotation form for product type, sizes and specs.