Creation through collaboration

It’s all about your project. Everything and everyone in the EDGE ecosystem collaborates to deliver a product and service that is greater than the sum of its part. Our history of collaborative product development resulted in the EDGE DNA, every facet of which yields benefits for your projects. Our history of collaborating with customers on their projects resulted in the development of support people and tools you need. The collaborative development of the EDGE features and benefits leads into our offering of additional services and supports. Partnering with EDGE Architectural means so much more than a beautiful window.

With EDGE, you:

• benefit from the IP housed within the Ai family
• benefit from the IP of our partner suppliers
• benefit from the design and specification support of EDGE Consult
• save time and money with our streamlined ordering and order management software, EdgePoint
• work with fabricators with streamlined internal processes with V6 for EDGE Architectural and EDGE Connect

Development isn’t the end of the story. The EDGE ranges continue to evolve, enriched by working with fabricators, façade engineers and architects, through ongoing collaboration.

Collaboration yields innovation

The greenfield development of U-MAX™, MAX™ and GEN™ began with Managing Director Jim Gallagher’s vision for bringing thermal break to Ai. His goal was to re-engineer our complete architectural product and service market offer to develop a wholly Australian offering of systems. We placed an emphasis on looking for more efficient ways to fabricate, install and glaze products, each of which makes the EDGE systems more cost effective and durable. Ai’s design and development team worked alongside two of the world’s leading experts in thermal barrier technology in Italy and the US. Through this collaboration and consultation with our customers, we designed and developed a system scoped to work “up” through a thermally broken range and “down” to incorporate conventional double and single glazed systems, including window and door elements. As a result, EDGE Architectural incorporates a variety of new and improved features from thermal break to advanced water shedding. The collective IP of the Ai team and the EDGE ecosystem assure the EDGE super suite enjoys a feature set unparalleled by anything else.

Collective IP of Ai

In November 2011, Rod Beel assumed the helm of Ai’s Research & Development team. In particular, Rod was tasked with driving the scoping and realisation of U-MAX™, MAX™ and GEN™. Rod relished the role. With more than 40 years aluminium industry experience, Rod spent his career asking “why” in regard to the design and function of traditional Australian aluminium window and door framing systems and looking for a better way. The legacy-free EDGE ranges were his opportunity to forge that better way.

Rod collaborated with members of Ai’s leadership team, including Jim Gallagher, Mark Hill, Paul Condon, Tim Wilks and Lee Brown to utilise their approximately 135 years of combined aluminium industry experience. The Ai R&D team members and manufacturing & fabrication team leaders brought another approximately 50 years in the field to the brain trust. Everyone contributed constructive feedback and ideas to create an ideal framing system.

Collective IP of the EDGE ecosystem

Despite the impressive collection of talent and experience within our organisation, we wanted more. Enter the ecosystem. We collaborated with peers, strategic partners, architects, engineers, fabricators and customers, seeking their feedback and outside perspectives. Together we analysed and tested every facet of the EDGE Architectural ranges. The result is framing systems with truly innovative performance principles and features.

Liberation of collaboration

The EDGE Architectural Glazing Systems team conceived, designed and developed the ranges in Australia for Australian conditions. Similarly, we brought together Australian organisations to build the Australian team for energy efficient commercial window and door systems. The Research & Development team at EDGE Architectural invested, and continues to invest, significant consideration in every facet of the U-MAX™, MAX™ and GEN™ ranges. This scrutiny was liberally applied when it came to selecting our partner suppliers. Choose EDGE and benefit from an ecosystem of companies and local people that stand behind every architectural window and door frame we deliver. Local extrusions, local hardware, locally supported warranties. Most importantly, you get a team of experts to help you.