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Platform on sun and daylight control, shutters, patio covers and closures
The record number of 37 entries from the year 2015 was again not reached this year, but with 22 entries, we can definitely speak of a successful edition of the Z&R Product of the Year Award. An R+T would actually be held in 2021, but it has been postponed due to corona. Whether a number of - especially German - companies had planned the necessary innovations in their planning toward the 2021 trade fair is hard to say. A number of them were presented at the R+T digital and among the entries for the Z&R Product of the Year Award 2021 there are also some, such as from heroal the clampable solar zipscreen VS Z EM and from weinor the fabric collection Modern Basics Blue®, although it has Italian roots. Coulisse, is also always very prominent at the R+T and perhaps therein lies the explanation why the company submitted no less than 5 products for the Z&R Product of the Year Award 2021, which by the way is a record.
No less than 5 times Coulisse plus entries from Copahome and CORNELS. So 7 times C out of a total of 22 entries. And 7 cloth products out of 22 entries, a record. The year 2021 of the Z&R Product of the Year Award may rightfully be called the year of the C AND of the cloth.
The new awning system is not among them, but just think of it... Last year, we noted that the industry seems to be in a "stage of maturity" in terms of product development. Still, there are plenty of interesting and innovative products among the entries, proving that the industry is certainly not standing still. But first, let's take a look at the 2021 entries, arranged thematically in six categories and within each category in alphabetical order.
Brustor has nominated the B50 S articulated awning. It is the little brother of the B50 XL and an extension and completion of the Brustor range. The screen goes up to 5.5 m wide and 3 m projection. The B50 S can be easily mounted to the wall or ceiling with two supports and combines high technology with design.
Duco's DucoSun Cubic Design architectural exterior sun protection system is a product that does not appear very often in Z&R Appears columns. The system's sleek design fits well with modern, cubic architectural styles. The optional integrated LED lighting was appreciated by the judges. It makes it possible to create effects and/or present for advertising.
Like Brustor, Harol had also nominated an awning for the Product of the Year Award. It is the Lux articulated awning. Harol has divided its articulated awnings into three collections. The Lux is the representative of the Minimal collection. The screen has invisibly wired articulated arms and traditional support tube technology, but stands out above all for its beautiful, modern and cubist design with attention to detail.
With a brand like heroal, you know a few things in advance: high technology, high-quality workmanship. This also applies to the clampable solar zipscreen VS Z EM. The judges also appreciated the ease of installation and the energy supply via a solar cell that makes the system independent of the mains. For a clampable system, this is actually necessary. Heroal also sees application possibilities for monuments, for example. Then, of course, the installation of electrical wiring does not require any breaking work.
What goes for heroal also goes for Renson: high technology, high workmanship. The Renson Fixscreen Minimal zipscreen is a manifestation of this. With the Fixscreen Minimal, fabric sunscreens built into the façade can hardly be seen. This is ensured by the slim window profiles, all components in the same color (and if desired in the color of the window frames) and the absence of visible screws. The mounting pin is a nice solution to increase the ease of mounting.
Although the brand new SunZip Design105 zipscreen is distinguished primarily by its design, it certainly also has a number of technical conveniences. Among these are the convenient mounting and service options that make the life of the awning technician a lot easier. But as mentioned, what is most visible, of course, is the appearance of the SunZip Design105 zipscreen. Praise from the judges therefore for the sleekly designed case, guides and bottom bar of this screen.
For a number of years now, terrace coverings have actually become an indispensable part of the awning specialist's product range, and thus also when it comes to the Z&R Product of the Year Award. The sleekly designed, cubic Pallazzo Sqope patio cover by AluK fits perfectly into this era in terms of design and appearance was the opinion of the jury. The large free span was also seen as a plus.
CORNELS had nominated the Suntech Aerolux slatted canopy. The Aerolux is very universal due to its wide range of applications. The slats can not only tilt but also slide. Furthermore, and roof can be used freestanding, semi-freestanding or built-in.
Deponti popularized the patio cover market by making covers accessible to everyone. But soon the Oss-based company started serving the middle and upper segments as well. Like the Pinela Deluxe that it nominated for the Z&R Product of the Year Award last year, the Verdeca folding roof is another manifestation of that. Because Deponti invariably offers competitive pricing, most judges saw opportunities for this product.
The SF 20 steellook sliding glass wall from Sunflex is of course not a patio cover, but it is a glass wall that can be used for patio covers. By the way, the application possibilities are broader, as indoor applications are also possible. The steellook design fits a trend and was appreciated by the judges. "The Sunflex quality does the rest," commented one of the judges.
BREL HOME has been appearing more frequently in Z&R's columns lately. Time and again, the brand profiles itself with practical solutions in the field of drives and controls. These include groundbreaking solutions such as the BZE45-40 WiFi motor that BREL HOME nominated for the Z&R Product of the Year Award. The jury appreciated it, especially because it is new, offers many possibilities and meets the needs and habits of our time.
A similar appreciation fell to Coulisse with their series of motors with Apple HomeKit technology. Joining Apple automatically means that you have a world standard to deal with, with all its advantages. Enabling installation and operation with the iPhone makes it easier to use motorized window coverings. Just like the BREL HOME wifi motor, it is truly a product of our time that meets the desire of people to control - among other things - their living environment with their phone.
Usually it is Coulisse that submits Willie Root-like products for the Z&R Product of the Year Award, this time it was Copahome. The product: the Child Safety tassel, a child-safe tassel for indoor blinds. Handy is that the user can assemble the tassel himself and also repair it himself. Service by the sun protection specialist is not necessary. Most judges appreciated this product for its simplicity and practicality.
With the Honeycomb motorized top-down/bottom-up window decoration, Coulisse had also submitted a "regular" window decoration product. The ingenuity is that it is a modular system concept suitable for honeycomb and pleated fabrics in various widths. It is anyway a strong point of Coulisse to think in such concepts. The globally active specialist from Enter has proven this many times before. The jury also found the motor, which can easily be used on the left and right, to be very handy.
The Lamella from KeJe consists of an aluminum frame into which aluminum slats of 30 or 40 mm are integrated. They are connected by means of a patented plastic system and then slid into the frame. With a handle on one of the slats, all slats can be tilted in one movement. Beautifully conceived, the jury thought.
Finally, the seven entries in the canvas category. Coulisse had nominated no less than three cloth products. RE Essential is a screen fabric made of recycled PET for 90% and PES for 10%. An environmentally friendly product therefore, with which Coulisse responds to the growing trend worldwide to use environmentally friendly and sustainable products. A trend that the jury also sees and therefore there was much appreciation for this product.
Coulisse had also sent in an antiviral screen. In this day and age, this is obviously an extremely useful product. It is intended for public areas with strict hygiene requirements. Tests have shown, according to Coulisse, that 99% of coronavirus particles are deactivated within sixteen seconds. It complements the antimicrobials Coulisse already had in its collection.
The third fabric product Coulisse had submitted was the Mila collection, a collection of blackout roller blind fabrics. A patented laminating technique is used for manufacturing. Between two thin layers of fabric there is a layer in the middle that blocks the light. Because that layer is in the middle, the fabric has the look and feel of real textiles on both sides. An innovation in the field of blackout fabrics, the jury thought.
With so many cloth products from Coulisse, the cloth producers are almost dwarfed, yet not quite, as Dickson Constant, Sattler and Serge Ferrari had also submitted products. Dickson had nominated Infinity, a universally usable acrylic fabric. It is available in several widths, and it is made with the particularly resilient Dickson Resilient acrylic thread. That means the fabric retains its dimensional stability for a long time.
Valora from Sattler is an awning fabric woven from the special lightweight, mass dyed yarn SPA (Smart Performance Acrylic). It enabled a denser weave and, according to Sattler, also has excellent properties, such as a 20% higher density and a unique optical effect. The special IPC coating (intelligent polyurethane coating) makes the fabric waterproof, easier to bond and flexible. It is therefore excellent for numerous awning applications, the jury also found.
The fatal Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 opened the eyes of many. Fire-resistant cloth might not be enough, non-combustible would have to be. Serge Ferrari has responded to this with his B28100 cloth, an incombustible cloth for indoor and outdoor use. In addition to being non-combustible, it is also thinner, so it rolls up space-saving. The jury saw opportunities for this cloth particularly in the project market.
Last but not least is weinor's Modern Basics Blue® fabric collection. It consists of Tempotest Starlight® Blue®, an awning fabric made from PARÀ Tempotest® that is certified according to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). The cloths are dimensionally stable and colorfast. Like the RE Essential cloths, the cloths in the Modern Basics Blue® cloth collection are made of recycled PET, in this case 85%. Because of its green character, these cloths also received high appreciation from the judges. "The right direction for the future," said one of the judges. A nice conclusion to end the product presentation round with.
All entries for the 2021 Z&R Product of the Year Award were evaluated by each juror individually on four criteria: is the product in question innovative, is it original, how is the design and what are the market opportunities. If a criterion does not apply to a product (for example, design in the case of a tube motor), a weighting was applied.
As a result of the first round of judging, the jury has identified five nominees for the 2021 Z&R Product of the Year Award, from which a winner will be chosen in a second round of voting. These are (in alphabetical order): BREL HOME with the BZE45-40 WiFi motor, Copahome with the Child Safety tassel, Coulisse with the Honeycomb motorized window coverings, KeJe with the Lamella window coverings and weinor with the Modern Basics Blue® fabric collection. These five companies present the product they nominated for the Z&R Product of the Year Award 2021 once again on the following pages.
But first, a heartfelt thank you to all the companies that submitted one or more products for the 2021 Z&R Product of the Year Award. As always, the particularly enthusiastic input from all these companies was very much appreciated.
Jury Z&R Product of the Year Award.
This year's Z&R Product of the Year award jury consisted of Ton Reijnders and Geert Janssen as outside experts, magazine manager Ronald Klein on behalf of Louwers Media Group and editor Thijs Pubben on behalf of the Z&R editorial team.
