| Somfy powers up |
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Motorisation is key to winning new business in the blinds market, says Paul Atkinson at Somfy, as he introduces two new products that solve some familiar problems.
For the installer, motorisation of blinds is a great way to add value to an install, as long as the products specified match the client’s aspirations (effective, easy to use and reliable). Designing and manufacturing products fit for purpose is what Somfy is all about, as is demonstrated by our two new products: a power supply/control unit for conservatory roof blinds, and the new powered tube for roller blinds. Power to the conservatory Even today’s modest sized conservatories require the installation of significant numbers of blinds – especially when you consider both roofs and walls. And, as any installer knows, when you are faced with the motorisation of, say, 10 or more blinds, one factor that needs careful thought is the positioning of the PSU (power supply unit) and the number required to power the motors. The construction of the vast majority of conservatories (glass walls, no ceiling void etc) makes concealing them effectively and discreetly more difficult than in the main parts of the house. We’ve given this particular challenge careful thought and developed a practical, cost-effective solution: the Power 4 X 2.5 DC RTS. In a major product development which enhances functionality and simplifies installation, the Power 4 X 2.5 DC RTS is a single unit that can power up to 24 Somfy DC motors. This feature-rich unit is the ideal solution for larger motorisation projects as it negates the need for siting multiple PSUs and offers a great array of functions. The Power 4 X 2.5 DC RTS is a multi-channel 24v power supply with four independent output channels. There is an option to set multiple control functions per channel, including ‘my’ position, motor run time delays, reversing direction, roller or venetian mode. When using a Somfy multi-channel transmitter, each channel can be either separately controlled or a one-touch ‘master command’ can be set to instruct the channels to operate in succession to create a synchronised ‘cascade’ movement of all controlled blinds. The unit is also compatible with Somfy’s range of RTS sun sensors, which ensures that solar gain is kept to a minimum by automating the blinds to close when the sun gets too hot. Powered tube kit Designed as a motorised tube kit in one neat package, the kit contains everything needed to fabricate a radio-controlled, battery-powered roller blind: roll-up wire-free motor, a 2 metre length of Louvolite System 40 tube complete with suitable adapters, plus a Louvolite motor pack. The thinking behind the development of the kit is simple: we’ve recognised that retailers don’t necessarily want to stock long lengths of tube specifically required for motorisation projects. Having to cater for orders of 10 or 20 metres is sensible if you are going to be making up a number of blinds, but if you are just doing one, a short length of tube is much more practical, convenient and of course cost-effective. It also makes a big saving on storage space. For a blind retailer, it’s a simple tube kit to purchase, fabricate and install. With our kit, the 2 metre length of tube supplied can be simply cut to the desired length and the blind made up from there. The unit is battery-powered so offers a number of benefits to installers. The first being that there is no need to worry about a power source – this feature alone will surmount much of the resistance to having a motorised product, as installation is quick, simple and cost-effective. In addition, because there are no cords the product is perfectly safe – a great selling point for anyone. The kit is compatible with Somfy Chronis RTS for timer operation and features two dedicated stop positions for the up and down blind positions, which are set during installation with an RTS control. Additionally, there is an optional intermediate position, which can be set at any point within the up and down positions.
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