Maintenance Technology September 2016 - 11

PLANT PROFILE Opposite page. All of Alpen's fiberglass insulated frames are custom made in various shapes, sizes, and with a variety of operational moving parts. Left. Alpen stocks basic fiberglass raw-material strips that are cut to fit custom orders. EVEN IN AN ULTRAMODERN WORLD where technology is king, a small window and door manufacturer nestled in a valley of the majestic Colorado mountains still relies on proven old-school techniques to keep its machines running. Field-tech specialist David Herman uses all his senses as he walks through the 15,000 sq.-ft. Niwot, CO, facility each day. "I know what's going on in the plant just from what I can hear, what I can see, and what I can smell," said Herman, responsible for maintenance of all the machines at the Alpen High Performance Products window manufacturing and assembly facility. "I know these machines so well, I can tell from across the shop which machine is running and if something is wrong." Herman has been monitoring the performance of Alpen's high-tech fiberglass-cutting saws, hand tools, drilling and glazing machines, ovens, and packaging equipment for nearly four years. "It's a matter of being here and listening to what's going on-it's all about knowing the equipment," he said. "I like to say that I spend quantity time versus quality time. Some people think the other way around is best, but I think quantity time is more important for what I do. I am here and I pay attention all the time, so I know what doesn't look or sound right. Of course, when you spend enough time with the equipment, the end result is quality." Alpen relies on this time-tested approach to manufacture windows and doors that have double, and in some cases, triple the standard U. S. Department of Energy (Washington) efficiency ratings. There is nothing old school about the technology of combining insulated-glass units (which include a blend of suspended coated film, inert gases, and hermetically sealed spacers) with long-lasting durable fiberglass frames to create windows and doors that are proven to be "almost as energy efficient as walls," said Alpen president Brad Begin. "We make a world-class product from a durability standpoint, from a reliability standpoint, and from a price-competitive standpoint," Begin said. "We are almost always more energy efficient than any competitor, and we have the data to prove it." Alpen operates the glass-cutting and film-assembly part of the operation from a 10,000-sq.-ft. facility in Denver. The insulatedglass units (IGUs) are carefully shipped 36 miles north to the SEPTEMBER 2016 Company history Princeton- and Stanford-educated engineer Robert Clark started Alpen High Performance Products in 1981. As a founding member of Southwall Technologies, he was instrumental in the commercialization of suspended coated-film technology, which was originally developed by scientists at MIT. "They were manufacturing just the glass for various projects," Maierhofer said. "It was a unique technology focused on getting more R value. They recognized that it's through the windows and doors where you lose the most energy in a building. He operated the company from 1981 to 2007. There was a short stint where the company tried creating a window division using vinyl frames in the 1990s, but the focus was more on the glass." Brad Begin bought the company in 2007 and immediately began looking at fiberglass frames to enhance efforts to create the most energy-efficient insulated windows and doors. "Our company has been continuously operating through a series of different legal entities for almost three decades now," Begin noted. "The current structure of the company is something we have been operating with for 4 1/2 years. The company developed around a high-performance glass, and has evolved into windows, doors, and ultra-efficient products in commercial and residential applications." Innovation and maintenance costs are critical components of buying decisions, Begin said. Schools have traditionally used aluminum frames because they are available and relatively low maintenance. "Fiberglass has been able to penetrate the market in schools because it has tremendous longevity, low maintenance and cost, and high durability that is very similar to aluminum." Fiberglass frames are designed to last 50-plus years. Most glass has a useful life of 20 to 30 years, according to Begin. "The difference is the energy performance and payback, which gives our products an extraordinary benefit. Our company is growing fast and the integration of the technologies continues to improve. We have a spectacular group of people here. Some have been here for decades and know the customer-centric ideas of what people want." MAINTENANCETECHNOLOGY.COM | 11 http://www.MAINTENANCETECHNOLOGY.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maintenance Technology September 2016