Project: Orchard Wharf

Orchard Wharf consists of two main buildings; a 23-storey tower and stepped blocks of 20, 17, 14, and 11 and an eight-storey element, linked by a two-storey podium at ground level, creating a cascading effect.

The contract saw us provide over 3000m² of insulated panels with a PPC RAL 7021 Matt finish, as well as copings, cills, fascias, soffits, and planters scheduled over a period of 18 months.

A great deal of the contract was completed during the COVID pandemic. This created some challenges as storage on site was very limited, and deliveries scheduled between us and the site contractors’ scheduling team had to be made on a ‘Just in Time’ basis, working closely to ensure dates were met and when needed, call-off orders were developed.

Having delivered goods sitting around for long periods of time during the pandemic, created an increased number of reports regarding the blanching of aluminium products on development sites in the UK.

Blanching is a common issue associated with film wrapping services. It can happen during certain seasons of the year, generally during summer months, when the film wrapped over products sits on powder-coated aluminium for extended periods of time. This results in a process of whitening, folding, or cracking of the film leaving a white residue on the powder-coated aluminium known as blanching, when the colour of the film material begins to lighten and break down from the intense temperatures. When blanching occurs, quality is compromised, and goods will need to either be replaced or repaired.

Tom Kenney, the Managing Director of Kencar Limited, wanted to find a solution to this problem. With the aim to minimise and ideally stop this blanching issue from occurring for future projects. Tom looked into a solution that utilises a thick UV-resistant film that can be left on for longer, although we still recommend it be removed within 3-4 months, and can withstand outdoor exposure, reducing the risk of blanching.

Using this thicker UV-resistant film is now standard practice for us at Kencar, ensuring the issue of blanching is significantly reduced and avoided. Using this film also reduces the risk of scratches on all powder-coated goods. The Orchard Wharf project was the first to benefit from this solution. After finding the answer to rectify the situation, we have also paved the way to reduce the same issue occurring on all future projects ensure high-quality finishes.