Forster Profile Systems Ltd

Impressive solutions in steel and stainless steel

At its location in Arbon in Switzerland, Forster develops and produces high-quality profile systems for a variety of applications:

• Thermally insulated doors and windows

• Curtain walls and glazed roofs

• Doors and windows without thermal break

• Fire and smoke protection closures

• Security doors and windows (burglary, bullet resistance)

Besides full support from our technical advisers, we provide architects, planners and metal-construction companies with detailed documentation and practical digital aids to help them complete their design and implement the systems.

Safer – slender – individual

Freedom of design with profile systems made of steel

Profile steel tubes are an optimal construction element for doors, windows and curtain walls for structural reasons. Large-surface elements with extremely narrow face widths can be produced from steel and stainless steel, which is otherwise not possible with other materials. In many respects, steel as a basic material is a reliable partner, in particular for our Forster profile systems:

• Elegant, transparent, lightweight and slim constructions

• Impressive element dimensions − the structural properties of steel make this possible

• Many varied forms, curved in elevation or in plan

• Easy to combine with materials such as concrete, glass, membranes and wood

• Offers many fitting options

• Durable and economic

• Ecological and sustainable, 100% recyclable

• Ideal for renovations

Sustainable

Steel, the recycling champion

Steel is the material with the highest recycling rate in the whole world. Even when adding up all other materials together, such as aluminium, glass and paper i.e. materials that are recycled in larger quantities, the quantity of recycled steel is far greater. 570 million tonnes of steel scrap per year – that is 60 times the quantity of recycled aluminium, for example. Steel is the world’s recycling champion by a long margin!

The ecological footprint of steel is smaller than previously estimated due to its multi-recycling properties. At the same time, material quality is retained in every new product cycle. These are the findings of a study performed by the Technical University of Berlin under the direction of Prof. Dr. Matthias Finkbeiner. For the first time, it presents a holistic and comprehensive life cycle assessment methodology for steel. (Source: Steel Information Centre, www.stahl-online.de)

Together with members of the VFF (Association of Window and Façade Manufacturers, Frankfurt), we commissioned ift Rosenheim to produce EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) in compliance with DIN ISO 14025 and EN 15804 for windows, doors and curtain walls made of steel and stainless steel. You may use these EPDs as the basis to obtain your own manufacturer EPDs which can then be used for building identification.

Services

Besides comprehensive technical information in brochures and application catalogues, Forster offers a wide range of services:

Project consulting

• Highly trained technicians are available to advise you on projects, designs and detailing

• Assistance in drafting specifications

• Project-specific solutions

Tender specifications

Our website also contains numerous tender specifications on our profiles and end products.

CAD profile catalogue

The latest version of the CD-ROM contains the individual system components as well as entire system drawings in DWG format.

U-value calculator

The easy to understand program calculates the U-values (heat transfer coefficient) of complete components, such as doors, windows and façades, to EN ISO 10077- 1:11.2000 using a database as a source. Likewise it is possible to selectively describe and calculate complex building units – a simple and helpful design tool.

Design and processing information

CD-ROMs with all the latest documentation on Forster systems in PDF format are available for designers and manufacturers.

www.forster-profile.ch

The Forster website download section includes all product information as well as an extensive reference database, all specification texts and PDF documents and much more useful information.

CE marking

Our website, www.forster-profile.ch also contains extensive information on CE marking:

• Curtain walls to EN 13830

• Windows and external doors to EN 14351-1