Downer Designer helps specifiers, designers and specialist contractors design and cost any rainscreen framing solution.
A next-generation, dedicated, free-to-use platform for the real-time development, creation and costing of rainscreen cladding framing systems has been launched by leading UK manufacturer Downer Framing.
Downer Framing, the original Helping Hand framing solution, was one of the first rainscreen cladding framing systems on the UK market. BBA approved, tested to the extreme and officially Made in Britain at its factory in Hastings, it set the benchmark in 1988.
Now the company has launched Downer Designer – a free-to-use online tool which enables specialist contractors, designers and specifiers to outline their project-specific rainscreen requirements to generate optimised framing calculations and configurations. All of which is stored and managed in their own personal online portal.
Users simply enter the information they know, along with any detail-specific needs for new build or refurbishment projects in any sector.
The technical team at Downer Framing will then provide static and thermal calculations, relevant costings, optimised component and fixing configurations, and NBS specification. All of which can be printed off or saved as a pdf. The user process can take as little as 10 minutes, and the Downer technical team aim to have a Project Pack ready within just 24 hours.
The interfacing software which Downer Designer connects with was created by a team of specialist structural engineers. The user-friendly platform enables specialist contractors, designers and specifiers to optimise even the most complex rainscreen framing projects from the very first instance, saving the design team not only money, but time and inconvenience.
Juan Barato, technical manager at Downer Framing (part of Architectural Panel Solutions – a leading UK manufacturer and supplier of rainscreen systems and solutions) reflected: “While we focused on building our framing systems portfolio, we also realised we needed to help our customers design and price those systems, so Downer Designer was developed to do just that in the quickest and easiest way possible. Trials have proved we have got the balance just right.”
Steve Langford, managing director of SJL Solutions, said: “I love the concept and it’s absolute genius to be able to manage projects on the Downer website – a very clever way for the client to keep tabs on what they have (or haven’t) done.”
For a video demo of the Downer Designer system, or for more information, go to downerframing.com/downer-designer