Passive House Certification for Farrat TBK Structural Thermal Break Plates

Farrat TBK Structural Thermal Break Plates have been granted a ‘Certified Passive House Component’ by the Passive House Institute.

Passive House is the standard for energy efficiency, granting certification to structures, components and professionals who have achieved the very best in quality, efficiency and sustainability.

The criteria to gain the title of ‘Certified Passive House Component’ is based on two categories:

  • Living health and comfort (‘Comfort criteria’) and
  • Energy balance during practical application (‘Energy criteria’)

Components that carry this certification have been tested according to these aforementioned criteria and are of a high standard regarding energy efficiency. This ensures that the specific use of the component meets the essential needs and functions of the professionals that require it (architects, structural engineers, technicians).

Farrat Structural Thermal Break Plates have received multiple certifications in the past. However, this is the first Farrat solution that has received Passive House Certification, cementing Farrat’s committed to developing innovative high-performance building materials with proven performance.

Passive House certification also fits closely into Farrat’s core values of Customer Service Excellence, Responsibility, Ambition and Quality, by ensuring quality assurance, performance and trust in manufacturing excellence.

“Farrat are very proud to have achieved certification to such a highly regarded standard as Passive House. Achieving exemplar level performance with our TBK material confirms our belief in the merits of solid state structural thermal breaks and the benefits of their use throughout general construction detailing.”

Chris Lister, Commercial Manager, Thermal Products

Farrat’s Passive House certificated Structural Thermal Break materials provide building design professionals with a robust solution to minimise energy loss. Suitable to mitigate against planar, linear and point load thermal bridging, Farrat Structural Thermal Breaks can be used anywhere a penetration or transition exists in a building envelope to help achieve building performance standards. Performance characteristics include low thermal conductivity, high compressive strength and very limited creep under load.

Full specifications are available for import from NBS Plus.

To contact us click here or get in touch on +44 (0) 161 924 1600.

60 Years Farrat – Daniella

dANIELLA OUR INTERN POSING WITH HER PHONE STAND THAT SHE DESIGNED

PEOPLE PROFILE:

FARRAT INTERN, DANIELLA EDWARDS-DAVIES

Areas Of Expertise: Engineering, Business, Geography
Education: Secondary School
Time at Farrat: One week work experience during July, 2019

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I come from Ashton on Mersey in Sale and I am in Year Ten at secondary school, studying Geography, Spanish, Business and Engineering. I am interning at Farrat this summer as part of my School Work Experience.

I chose to do my work experience at an engineering firm like Farrat, as engineering is one of the options I chose to study and I wanted to find out what a career in engineering would be like!

 

Tell us about your work experience week interning at Farrat?

On my first day, Ginette, an Account Development Specialist for Thermal Breaks, showed me how to talk with customers and input important information into the CRM system, which was really interesting.

After that on Tuesday, I met Adriana who is an Applications Engineer. Adriana introduced me to the Engineering & Design department of Farrat. I was shown some detailed design drawings and was even given a chance to use the design program, AutoCAD. I ended up spending the whole day with Adriana which really opened my eyes to the type of solutions that can be created when you put your mind to it.

On Wednesday I moved over to the Drafting Office and began working with Yohann and Phil, who are both design engineers. I learnt a lot about technical drawing and was challenged to design my own product, a smartphone holder. This involved picking a suitable design then working with Phil to input the design into the SolidWorks program to prepare it for manufacture.

To prepare the design, I had to note all of the dimensions so that manufacturing would know the exact size and some other important details. I then checked to ensure there were no holes where there should not be and that there was a section to place the device onto, to keep the iPhone or iPad stable.

Once the design was finished, I sent design-sheets to the manufacturing department so that my ‘product’ could be precision-cut on the Waterjet. I then watched it being made down in the factory with the manufacturing team, which was something I have never seen before (and it took only about five minutes!).

During my time in the drafting office, Yohann also showed me the various isolation solutions that Farrat develop. He showed me some of the 2D and 3D designs of solutions that Farrat use to isolate cinemas from external sound and other vibrations or disturbances. It was great!

Yohann also explained the function of each of the machines in the on-site R&D lab and explained how Farrat test various materials and products. As part of this, I was able to ‘squish’ a rubber component and watch how it reacted under the pressure – that was really fun!

To end the week, I spent some time with Charlene in Marketing who explained the role of communications and helped me to produce a piece of editorial that I then published on the Farrat website.

 

You have experienced a variety of interesting roles at Farrat, but which was your favorite?

I really enjoyed the design and manufacturing segments of the week.

Designing and then manufacturing my own phone stand was really fun and taught me each of the steps involved in product development. This is something that I want to do in the future and my time at Farrat has helped to reinforce that ambition.

 

What are the next steps for you after Farrat?

Next week I am going to present to my Year Ten Class an assessment of my work experience at Farrat. This will cover what I did, everything that I learnt and how I am going to use that in the future.

After Year Ten, I will see whether my school offers engineering in 6th form. If not, I will look to study this further elsewhere, perhaps at college.

 

Fantastic! Gareth, our Production Manager, has said that you would make a fine Design Engineer. We hope we have given you a great experience and an insight into Engineering.

Thank you for letting me do my work experience at Farrat. You have all made me feel so welcome and I could not have asked for a better group of people to work with.

I really appreciate it and have thoroughly enjoyed it.

I will miss you all!

 

Daniella has been an absolutely brilliant Intern at Farrat this summer – attitude, demeanor and work ethic are all exceptional and we have no doubt that she will excel in whatever career she decides to pursue.

 

If you would like to hear more about the latest news, blogs and more at Farrat, then visit our News page. Alternately, get in touch with us on +44 (0) 161 924 1600 or contact us here.

A Week in the Life of a New Member of the Farrat Team

This month I started working at Farrat as a Marketing Assistant. My role is to act as the primary marketing resource during a period of maternity leave, working with the Commercial Team to deliver the annual marketing plan. Prior to my employment I went through a rigorous recruitment process and was thoroughly overjoyed to be accepted as a new member of the Farrat team. In this blog, I want to share my first week’s experience to give you an insight into the people that make Farrat the remarkable company it is.

Working man and women smiling at a computer screen in an office

Day 1

My first day at Farrat started with a friendly Induction kicked-off by HR Manager Sophie, who introduced me to the Farrat team and ran through my Induction Schedule for the week. I was feeling slightly nervous (as one would feel on their first day) so this helped to settle the butterflies. I was provided with an Induction Pack, which contained an eclectic mix of useful and important documents and was setup at my own workstation with everything I would need. In my inbox, there was an invite to join a welcome lunch with the Marketing Executive, Charlene and Technical Director, Ryan, who kindly wanted to take me out for lunch and get to know me better.

The majority of my first day was spent shadowing colleagues from the Sales & Operations section of the firm, which gave me some great insight into the B2B enquiry process. Faye, the Customer Service Manager, was obliging when offering advice and tips on various aspects of the customer relations part of the company and everyone involved in the Operations part of the office came across as hardworking, dedicated and professional as well as being easy to talk to, which made the first day jitters a lot easier to deal with.

 

Day 2 & 3

The next day was spent observing various meetings throughout the day. From video-calls with the Swiss arm of Farrat, to meetings involving new Pricing tools, to Commercial Committee meetings involving the CEO, Oliver Farrell – the day was long but rewarding. During these meetings I got to see how the communications between various decision makers took place and how these decisions affected the various projects going forward. Meetings were differed depending on the subject being discussed, but they all involved a fantastic mixture of professionalism, tact, honesty and openness which was refreshing to see. The third day involved more shadowing and meetings, however this time the details of each Commercial division were expanded upon. There were meetings held with the Commercial and Project Delivery Managers, presenting the various products and services they were responsible for, establishing a great foundation of knowledge for each section of the firm.

Man with clipboard smiling while standing in a warehouse/factory

Day 4 & 5

Thursday morning was spent with the Project Engineering Manager discussing the current systems in place and how in the future there would be alterations, improvements and even replacements to the various internal and external systems. This would be with the intention to make the processes smother, easier to use and simpler to do what needs to be done in order to meet the needs the customer and the goals of the company.

Moving on, a meeting was held with the current Marketing Executive, Charlene, and the CEO, Oliver, discussing the marketing efforts of the past year and how to improve going forward. This included metrics for success in 2020 (Marketing Communications-wise), what tools would be used to achieve these objectives, and what would be the main areas to focus on to grow and expand Farrat as a company. This meeting was extremely helpful for my role in the company and like other meetings before, there was an environment of honesty, professionalism and solidarity.

A brief period was also spent with the Research and Development team. Here products are tested to see what the parameters are, how the material will react to certain conditions and to figure out how we could improve our current set of products. The latter half of the day was mostly spent with the Application Manager who was helpful with attaining information for enquiries as well as calculations and tracking of key information.

A bit of time was also spent with the production team members. This is where the magic happens, so to speak. Here, products are produced from raw materials, checked, packaged and shipped to the customer’s required location for final use. My colleagues in this area were very accommodating in explaining how the production process works, from accepting the order to preparation for logistic purposes.

Farrat's main office bullding

Week 1 in Review

The first week at any corporation can be a daunting experience with all the new terminologies, systems and new faces (with names) to navigate through.

Here at Farrat, the experience has been made far easier with colleagues always willing to lend a helpful hand, an insightful tip and share their experience and expert knowledge. And with a focus on quality of product, as well as service, you can see how Farrat has grown over last few years to be the best in Vibration Control, Acoustic and Shock Isolation, Structural Thermal Break Connections and Support & Levelling of Industrial Machinery.

As the saying goes, ‘You’re only as good as the people you work with’, and the people at Farrat are pretty exceptional.

Production & Operations working together at Farrat to achieve great things!

Over the last few weeks, Farrat Production & Operations Teams have been busy working round the clock to manufacture and deliver a diverse range of high-performance isolation systems to some incredible projects located around the world.

Below we have highlighted just a few examples of the solutions that have been manufactured and dispatched in the last few weeks, by our hardworking and passionate team.

200x Farrat Isoblocs for installation under Presses in Taiwan

200x Farrat Isoblocs for installation under Presses in Taiwan to provide high-load shock isolation.

68x Farrat Laminated Natural Rubber (LNR) Structural Bearings to isolate London Hotel

68x Laminated Natural Rubber (LNR) Bearings for a London Hotel being built next to a music venue.

14x pallets of Anti-Vibration Materials to configure Isolated Foundations for a Canning factory in France

14x pallets of Anti-Vibration Materials to configure Isolated Foundations for a Canning factory in France.

30x CineSTEEL MAX acoustic isolators for steelwork at the new Cineworld 4DX in Cheltenham...

30x CineSTEEL MAX acoustic isolators for the raked seating in the new Cineworld 4DX in Cheltenham.

These particular isolation systems required Farrat resources across Engineering & Design, Rubber Moulding, Waterjet, Assembly and Dispatch to work together to produce a fit-for-purpose solution that met the client brief and could be delivered on time.

As with all Farrat products and solutions, they were manufactured under an ISO 9001:2015 Quality Assurance System and the international ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management Standard.

These latest projects making their way out the door demonstrate a great effort by all involved and are a prime example of how teams at Farrat work together to flow customer value through the organisation and achieve great things.

Reflecting our ongoing, shared commitment to provide our customers – wherever they are in the world – with the best technical solutions to their engineering challenges.

For more information on our Manufacturing capabilities click here.

The largest cinema in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has opened to moviegoers in Jeddah at The Mall of Arabia.

muvi Cinemas is operated by Next Generation Company

Fully acoustically isolated by Farrat, the 15-screen Muvi Cinema accommodates 1,950 guests and is the first of a series of developments in the country by the nationally owned and operated cinema chain.

Farrat’s Building Acoustics team worked with the Chapman Taylor design team to engineer, manufacture and supply a series of high-performance sound insulation systems for each auditorium based on their individual acoustic demands.

Each acoustic isolation system was configured using CineFLOOR PRO for the acoustic floating floors, CineSTEEL PRO for the raked seating isolation and CineWALL PRO (a new system not yet released to the wider market) to isolate auditorium partitions.

The new movie venue offers a number of first-of-its-kind experiences in the Kingdom that impacted the choice of acoustic isolation, including the use of Barco’s high-resolution laser projectors to offer the ultimate visual quality on the largest screen in the Kingdom as well as the use of Dolby Atmos surround system for the best-in-class audio experience for blockbusters.

Muvi Cinema at The Mall of Arabia
Muvi Cinema at The Mall of Arabia_xperience

Farrat has designed and delivered acoustic isolation solutions for many of the world’s largest and most striking multiplex cinema projects and the Building Acoustics team at Farrat has decades of experience creating state-of-the-art acoustic environments within cinemas.

For further information:

60 Years Farrat – Steve’s Story

QC&E Controller - Steve Gardner

PEOPLE PROFILE:

QC&E CONTROLLER, STEVE GARDNER

Areas Of Expertise: Quality, Compliance, Environmental
Education: MBA BSc(Hons) C.Mgr MCMI MIET
Time at Farrat: 1 Year

What’s your role at Farrat?

I am Farrat’s QC&E Controller, which stands for Quality, Compliance and Environmental.

Within the Quality side of my role, I make sure that NCR’s (Non-conformance Reports) are raised, monitored and addressed efficiently to help maintain the highest quality standards across the business. This includes educating and training teams how to spot and raise NCR’s and ensuring that quality remains at the forefront of our operations.

From a Compliance perspective, I ensure that Farrat processes and procedures are fully compliant with the appropriate nationally recognised standards, and that we continue to meet the requirements of regulatory bodies and our clients.

On the environmental side, I monitor and control any hazards and report to the wider business how to address and mitigate any risks. I also look after the management systems, including our ISO 9001: 2015 and ISO14001: 2015 certifications, which are Quality and Environmental standards.

Importantly, I also have a responsibility for Health & Safety at Farrat.

 

That sounds like an all-encompassing role! Can you tell me about your career to date, leading you up to this position at Farrat?

Yes, so after school I went to Rochdale Technical College to obtain an OND, which is an Ordinary National Diploma.

I did 2 years full time OND and then began looking for a full-time position, alongside any potential work placements that were available. I was 18 when I managed to land a position with Wylex Ltd. in Wythenshawe as a Laboratory apprentice, which was exciting for me as an ambitious and eager teenager! During my time there I also studied part-time to achieve my HNC, High National Certificate.

After 2 years I went on to work for MEM Ltd. In Oldham as a Test Engineer and completed my HND, Higher National diploma part-time. I was promoted to Senior Test Engineer and during that time I studied with the Open University to do my BSc(Hons) Engineering Degree part-time.

I then became Laboratory Manager, a position I held for 10 years at the company – in total I stayed there for around 16 years. Towards the end of my time I became a Project Manager responsible for New Product Development, during which time I completed my MBA master’s degree in Business Administration part-time with MMU Business School.

Since then I’ve held various positions in Quality, Environmental and Health & Safety Management within Renewable Energy and Engineering organisations.

 

So, how long have you been a member of the Farrat Team?

I have been a part of the Farrat team officially for just over 12 months, but I also worked with the team as a Consultant beforehand on a separate occasion.

 

What are your Core Achievements so far during your time at Farrat?

I managed the transition from ISO 9001: 2008 QMS and ISO 14001:2004 EMS Certification to the 2015 Standard externally Audited by our Accreditation Body TÜV Nord UK Ltd.

Farrat QMS and EMS Certifications

Farrat QMS and EMS Certifications

 

I’ve also introduced Operational Excellence / LEAN to the organisation starting with 5S as the foundation and introducing Problem Solving tools and techniques as part of “The Farrat Way!”

Upgraded the CAD Software Packages to standardise on AutoDesk Product Design & Manufacturing Package including Inventor 3D.

 

Are you a team leader at Farrat? 

Yes, my role as team leader involves being responsible for the Drafting Design Team, which includes managing workloads of the team, ensuring individuals well-being and monitoring the precision of the documents that they produce – essentially, I make sure that everything runs smoothly!

I am also responsible for resolving any major issues that may arise, looking at root cause analysis using A3 Problem Solving techniques as well as being a LEAN Practitioner within the organisation.

And as a team leader, I also form part of the Farrat Leadership Committees (both Construction and Industrial).

 

With such varied responsibilities, what drives you on a daily basis?

I would say that every day is different at Farrat, which for me, makes it very interesting.

There are always challenges, so I never get bored – I’m always pushing myself to solve problems and drive improvements wherever I can.

 

If you would like to hear more about  opportunities at Farrat, visit our  Careers Page.

Alternately, get in touch with Steve to discuss Quality, Compliance and Environmental on: +44 (0) 161 924 1608.

Farrat visit CineEurope in Barcelona

Farrat visit CineEurope

Produced by The Film Expo Group, CineEurope is the official convention of the International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), an international trade association representing cinema exhibitors and their national associations across 37 European territories whose focus is to better promote the social, cultural and economic value of cinemas in Europe and internationally.

Farrat CEO Oliver Farrell will meet with several of Europe’s leading commercial cinema integrators at the conference this week, to discuss our latest innovations in cinema construction and how Farrat can support local contractors to build high-impact, immersive sound experiences for cinema audiences in emerging regions.

Over the last 12 months the Building Acoustics Team at Farrat have worked to re-calibrate our range of high-performance sound insulation solutions to better suit the demanding acoustic requirements of today’s modern cinema auditoria.

A key driver for this has been Farrat’s desire to respond to (and keep pace with) the latest innovations in cinema technology around the world, including the introduction of 4DX/D-Box motion seating systems, IMAX screens and Dolby Atmos/DTS surround sound systems.

Farrat CEO Oliver Farrell at the CineEurope conference in Barcelona
CineEurope Conference - 28 Years of Promoting European Cinema

The recent introduction of our new Farrat Cine Range is a demonstration of our focused commitment to the global cinema construction market and once rolled out in full, it will be the markets first complete range of high-performance sound insulation systems designed specifically for cinemas:

  • CineFLOOR – Acoustic Floating Floors
  • CineSTEEL – Steel Frame Raked Seating Isolation
  • CineTIMBER – Timber Frame Raked Seating Isolation
  • CineWALL – Auditorium Partition Base Track Isolation (JULY 19)
  • CineTIE – Auditorium Acoustic Ceiling Hangers (COMING SOON)

Each system in the range offers four grades of acoustic isolation, ranging from minimum to maximum performance: NEO, LITE, PRO & MAX.

At the top end of the spectrum, our MAX grades are future-proofed to withstand even the most intrusive vibrations and frequencies, such as those generated from 4DX motion seating and Dolby Atmos/DTS surround sound, typically found in larger multiplex cinemas.

At the lower end, LITE and NEO grades take into consideration the requirements of smaller, more lightweight auditoriums often found in independent cinemas and refurbs.

The ultimate intention being to cater to auditoriums of all shapes and sizes, offering full flexibility to cinema operators, designers and contractors.

Oliver will be at the CineEurope Conference from 17-19th June 2019, located at Barcelona International Convention Centre – CCIB. For more information on the event program visit: www.filmexpos.com/cineeurope 

Farrat appointed on the OCC Spuikwartier project in The Hague

Farrat appointed to The OCC in The Hague

OCC SPUIKWARTIER,
THE HAGUE

Client: Boele & Van Eesteren and Visser & Smit Bouw
Architect: NOAHH, NL Architects and Jo Coenen Architects & Urbanists

Farrat’s Special Projects Division has been appointed to deliver a comprehensive vibration control system for the new OCC Spuikwartier development in The Hague –  soon to be the largest educational and cultural complex in the Netherlands. 

Due to the exceptionally high performance criteria and prestige of the project, our team will engineer and manufacture bespoke designed Hybrid Bearings and Acoustic Floating Floors to optimise the acoustic design of auditoriums dedicated to music, theater and dance.

The comprehensive plan includes the development of a new cultural hub that will house the Residentie Orkest, the Nederlands Danstheater, the Dans- en Muziekcentrum Den Haag Foundation and the Royal Conservatory.

The project will include a 1,500-seat symphonic auditorium, a 1,300-seat dance theater with orchestra pit, a chamber music hall and a large orchestra rehearsal room.

The building will also include apartments, a hotel, commercial outlets and a parking area able to accommodate 1,500 bicycles.

Expected completion: 2020.

Salle Concert Hall, The OCC at The Hague
Dance Theatre, The OCC at The Hague

Farrat Thermal Breaks help reduce energy loss across New Bailey Scheme

Two New Bailey Square - Update from Site May 2019

Following our recent supply of Structural Thermal Breaks to Greater Manchester’s newest state-of-the-art office development One New Bailey, Farrat have also been appointed to thermally insulate structural connections at the second office building in the major mixed-use scheme, Two New Bailey Square.

The developments are expected to be complete by the end of 2019 and are being delivered by the English Cities Fund – a joint venture between Muse Developments, Legal & General and Homes England.

Both buildings have been specified to achieve Grade A BREEAM “Excellent” Standard, offering pre-let tenants such as Salford City Council and Eversheds Sutherland, best in class office environments built to the highest sustainability credentials. Integrating Farrat Structural Thermal Breaks between horizontal and vertical connections of both internal and external elements, will prevent thermal bridging in structural connections and significantly reduce heat loss across each building.

There a 5 projects currently underway in the New Bailey master scheme in total, each occupying a prominent position opposite Manchester’s internationally renowned Spinningfields business district.

New Bailey Scheme Masterplan - courtesy of Cushman & Wakefield

Farrat’s BBA certificated Structural Thermal Break materials provide building design professionals with a robust solution to minimise energy loss. Suitable to mitigate against planar, linear and point load thermal bridging, Farrat Structural Thermal Breaks can be used anywhere a penetration or transition exists in a building envelope to help achieve building performance standards. Performance characteristics include low thermal conductivity, high compressive strength and very limited creep under load.

Full specifications are available for import from NBS Plus.