What is Vitreous Enamel Cladding & its Benefits?
A.J Wells & Sons Ltd was founded in 1972 and we specialise in manufacturing market-leading vitreous enamel cladding and signage. Today, we have the largest enamel facility in the UK with a full range of in-house capabilities. Our products conform to all British and European standards, and we are the principal supplier of cladding and signage for TFL’s London Underground.
Read on to discover about our vitreous enamel cladding products and why they are so highly sought after for a range of applications in a wide range of sectors.
VITREOUS ENAMEL CLADDING PROCESS & BENEFITS
The vitreous enamel process starts with small pieces of glass called frit. It is then mechanically mixed with a carefully selected amount of coloured oxide (pigment) compounds and water until it reaches a liquid state. This liquid enamel can then be applied to coat a cladding substrate such as steel or aluminium. To create a smooth finish, it is applied by an enamel spray gun. The coated panel is then fired at temperatures in excess of 800°C resulting in an incredibly hardwearing surface.
Below is a performance comparison table that outlines the outstanding qualities and benefits of using vitreous enamel cladding panels.
Read more about Vitreous Enamel Graffiti Resistance & Removal
TYPES OF VITREOUS ENAMEL PANEL SYSTEMS
CLEATED TRAY PANEL
Cleated tray panels are the most popular cladding panel fixing method due to the balance it provides between good visual appearance, robustness and cost. The panels are secured to the support structure using stainless steel cleats and each panel can be individually removed for maintenance purposes. This is ideal when regular access is required to services behind the cladding system. Panels can be designed as access panels with a suitable hinging method and locking system to suit the environment.
The cleats for fixing the panels are purpose made and can therefore be specifically tailored to suit specific project requirements. The minimum width of the joints in this system is 15mm, in order to allow for sufficient spacing for the tools that are used for fixing the panels. Depending on the support structure being used, there are also a variety of joint fillers that can be used to complement the overall aesthetic.
Three Bridges
AJ Wells designed, manufactured and installed just over 1000m2 of vitreous enamel wall cladding to modernise the public areas of Three Bridges Station and provide easy access to hidden electrical and telecommunication services.
Clapham Junction
Clapham Junction Train Station is one of Europe’s busiest Railway Stations handling up to 50,000 passengers per day. AJ Wells designed, built and installed vitreous enamel cladding for the Grant Road Entrance.
FLAT PANEL
The flat panel system is a simple, low-profile, low-cost cladding panel system, which can be used in a variety of different environments and on a wide range of support structures. These are ideal for locations where panels are required to be curved to suit the environment they are being installed, i.e., subsurface railway stations, road tunnels etc.
Panels can be supplied in either heavy gauge (1.5 mm thick steel) or light gauge steel (less than 1.5 mm) depending on the project requirements. For best results, this system requires trims to cover the edges of the panels. These trims are designed to suit the requirements of the client and can be adapted to suit various shapes.
Kelvin Hall
AJ Wells produced 600m2 of curved white vitreous enamel panels for Kelvinhall Station.
Covering the length of the station’s platform the cladding system incorporated a coloured vitreous enamelled platform finder and was finished with a powder-coated aluminimum extruded cover trim.
In addition to surveying, designing and manufacturing the system, AJ Wells installed the cladding using specially designed access equipment and scaffold tower.
Crossrail
For the Bakerloo Line Link Project, A.J Wells supplied vitreous enamel printed white cladding panels in flat, convex and concave profiles. They were printed with individual patterns in one of two subtle grey colours to the clients’ specifications.
UNISTRUT FRAMING SYSTEM
Our vitreous enamel Cleated Tray and Flat panels all attach to our innovative Unistrut framing system. All Unistrut components are readily available from various suppliers making these types of systems future proof. The sub-structure can be replaced, or a cladding scheme can be modified to future requirements without having to re-design bespoke elements.
UNISTRUT FRAMING SYSTEM GENERAL KEY FEATURES
• Suitable for use in a wide range of environments including railway stations (sub-surface & above ground), industrial facilities, etc.
• Supplied in either galvanised or stainless-steel, suiting both interior and exterior use.
• A wide range of standard channels, brackets and fixings are available for this system and can be used to create combinations that are suitable for a wide range of design applications.
• Robust with long design life expected.
• Flexible assembly system.
• Channels can be curved to suit tunnels, escalator shafts, etc.
HOOK-ON PANEL (HORIZONTAL HOOK-ON SYSTEM)
The Horizontal Hook-on panel system is used where narrow joints are required, with a minimum joint width of 3mm being achievable. This smaller size tends to reduce instances of unwanted items being pushed into the joints, helping maintain its appearance.
These panels are designed to be installed in “stacks” with the panels being hooked onto horizontal support rails. The bottom panels are installed first, with the rest of the panels in the stack then being fitted on above this to provide a tight fixing. Due to the ease of removing and replacing panels, this system is popular in the retail environment, where the client’s needs change more frequently.
HORIZONTAL HOOK-ON FRAMING SYSTEM GENERAL KEY FEATURES
• Suitable for internal and external applications.
• Supplied in either galvanised mild steel or aluminium.
• Can be powder coated if required.
• Quick and easy to install.
Harrods
A.J Wells manufactured and installed over 600 square metres of vitreous enamel cladding panels for the fourth floor of world-renowned department store Harrods.
VERTICAL HOOK-ON PANEL (VERTICAL HOOK-ON SYSTEM)
The Vertical Hook-on panel is based around a tray panel but is designed to fit onto a vertical hooking rail system. This system is generally used for larger, heavier VE panels and is particularly well suited to instances where a high surface is required to be clad (lift shafts, sub-stations, etc.).
Horizontal and vertical joints as small as 3 mm can be achieved, with no limit to the maximum width. This means that joint infill products can be used where required. These panels are installed in “stacks”, as per the horizontal rail system, with each panel also being mechanically fixed to the vertical rail, locking it securely in place.
VERTICAL HOOK-ON FRAMING SYSTEM GENERAL KEY FEATURES
• Suitable for use in internal and external applications.
• Supplied in either galvanised mild steel or aluminium.
• Can be powder coated if required.
• Quick and easy to install.
London School of Economics
A.J Wells manufactured three hundred square meters of coloured vitreous enamel cladding covering a lift shaft in the new students centre at the London School of Economics and Political Science on its Aldwych campus.
Vitreous enamel was specified for the external cladding of the lift shaft because of its durability, low maintenance and unique, vibrant surface finish.
Canary Wharf
As part of the preparatory works for Crossrail, Canary Wharf, A.J Wells & Sons were commissioned to produce 500m2 of vitreous enamel cladding across four levels of the sub terrain station – including this vibrant yellow lift shaft section.
VERSATILE PANEL / (THIRD PARTY SYSTEMS)
The Versatile panel is a tray panel that can be adapted to incorporate third party fixing systems. This is particularly useful where vitreous enamel panels are being incorporated into an overall façade design that has more than one type of cladding material in use. These can even be adapted to fit into a curtain walling system, for use as spandrel panels, etc.
THIRD-PARTY (VERSATILE) SYSTEM GENERAL KEY FEATURES
• Many different systems to choose from.
• Supplied in various material types.
• Supplied in various finishes (powder coated, anodised, etc.).
• Can be quick and easy to install.
Edgware Road
A.J Wells designed, manufactured and installed around 1500 square metres of vitreous enamel artwork cladding at the New Griffith House building and boundary wall at Chapel Street, London, as part of a London Underground Upgrade Package.
Renowned textile artist Jacqui Poncelet provided the design which was screen-printed onto each panel measuring 1.8 x 1.2 metres.
Vitreous enamel cladding is simply unrivalled in its ability to marry, functionality, durability, safety, and beauty.
Please get in touch with our team to discuss a project or check out our extensive portfolio here.