24
AUGUST 2015 PRO INSTALLER
PRO NEWS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE DESIGN IS
THE KEY TO BI-FOLD SUCCESS
Over the last 20 years, the bi-folding door market has grown at an exceptional rate, bringing with it an evolution in
design as suppliers battle to become the market leader by displaying the latest design features and technology.
For Origin, the secret of
great design lies in its simplicity. Neil Ginger, CEO at
the company, discusses its
design process and the R&D
ethos that has led to Origin
creating its award-winning
bi-fold system, window and
blinds.
Opening doors
with design
From the start, Origin’s
roots lay in design. The
company was started
13 years ago when
Neil Ginger and
his cousin Victoria
Brocklesby found
they could not
find a high quality
bi-fold door for their
fathers’ swimming
pool business. Their
ambitious solution was to
establish a company to manufacture the UK’s best quality doors
with uncompromising levels of
service. The result was the Origin
Bi-fold Door, a cleverly designed,
beautifully made folding sliding
door system.
Today, Origin is a £20 million
turnover business, employing
160+ people with operations in
Dubai and North America.
It was Neil Ginger who designed the first Origin Bi-fold
door. Today, the company has a
team of designers with Neil still
at the helm. While the R&D side
has grown significantly, the focus
remains the same – high quality
engineering and design with the
customer in mind.
This means offering the best
solution for both trade customers
and the homeowner. The trade
partner’s priority is to install the
system quickly, easily and to
a high standard. The customer
wants the system to function
excellently for the next 20 to 30
years, with great aesthetics.
Investment in Research
and Development
Origin invests 5% of its turnover
on product design. A 3D printer
and design software, installed in
2014, has made a huge impact
on the speed and accuracy of
operations. It’s also allowed us to
redesign, manufacture and test
components in-house for increased strength and durability.
The design process involves
coming up with the initial
concept, then using the latest
technology to design a 3D model.
The component is then made on
the 3D printer to see how it feels
and works in the hand. Origin
then makes iterations after iterations until the product is 100%
right. The design is made into a
metal prototype with springs and
screws, and then the final component will go to cycle testing
to ensure it meets Origin’s high
standards.
Steering away
from gimmicks
In 2008, only 7,000 sets of bi-fold
doors were installed. This number has risen significantly and is
estimated to be closer to 50,000
this year, according to Palmer Research. As the popularity has risen,
so has the temptation to produce
the ‘next big thing’. From electric
bi-folds to inbuilt blind systems
and zero thresholds, a number
of new design features have
launched in recent years.
While we are open to new
design, Origin steers away from
gimmicks. Origin champions the
true function of the product, a
discipline that has allowed us to
offer a 20 year guarantee – twice
the industry standard.
‘performance
across the board is
vitally important’
Going for Fold – the next
big thing in bi-fold design
The next big thing isn’t a product
being launched. Instead, performance across the board is vitally
important. Improving the thermal
efficiency of existing systems
particularly will be key, especially
with fuel prices on the rise.
For Origin, the objectives for
2015 are to see how our award
winning bi-fold door and window
system can be improved – a job
that’s easier said than done.
For more information visit
www.origin-global.com or call
0808 168 5816