Pipe Cable Railing
How do you appease the needs of a local customer when you don't actually have what they want?From Idea To Installation
THE PROBLEM – “WE DON’T LIKE ANYTHING YOU SHOWED US”
In early 2018, a local manufacturer came to Superior with what seemed to be a typical request; they wanted railing for their newly built outdoor lunch/break area. The railing needed to section off the new area from an adjacent parking lot, while matching the aesthetics of the building
Naturally, their interest revolved around which aluminum railing line would work for their project. While the manufacturer appreciated the offerings shown, none fully triggered the industrial/modern appeal they were looking to create. The closest product they felt that met the requirements was Superior’s innovative square post cable railing. But while this product came out on top initially, it still wasn’t quite the answer. They felt that their ideal solution from a design standpoint would combine the industrial feel of pipe railing with the sleek modern style of the cable railing they were reviewing. The only problem? Nothing in the Superior Aluminum product catalog matched this description.
THE SOLUTION- COMBINING OLD WITH NEW
After multiple brainstorming / concept meetings, a brand-new solution was reached. Superior would combine their popular pipe railing design with their cable design into a new pipe cable system. The Superior R&D team quickly got to work developing a demonstration piece and sent it over to the manufacturer. Instantly, they knew they had found the right product for the design. But now the real work would get started… product specifications, a full size design, and other details needed to be hammered out before a final product could be delivered.
The design that started a line
Questions began to arise as the development phase began. “Will the pipe be able to hold the tension needed for the cables to meet code?” “What’s the right number of cables?” “How long can we make the spans?” These questions and many more had to be answered before installation could begin. The R&D team hit the ground running, relentlessly working to fine tune the product until it was not only applicable for this specific job, but could be standardized into a new product line.
THE RESULT- A SATISFIED CUSTOMER…..AND A NEW PRODUCT LINE
Blending industrial and modern for a unique style
After an extended R&D period of fine-tuning and enhancing the design, pipe cable railing was born. The entire Superior team eagerly awaited the final results for this new innovative design. The excitement continued to build as the first pipe cable railing was placed, then the second, and soon, the entire project was completed. The finished product? Exactly what the local manufacturer and Superior team had envisioned… a perfect combination of industrial and modern design. Additionally, Superior came out of the project with a brand new product line that has grown and flourished since!
Have a tricky railing project that just doesnt seem to be coming out? Simply contact us with whatever your needs may be and we will happily help you out!
FURTHER READING
