A closer look at the needs and development that led to the newest member of the Superior Aluminum product family.
Early in the spring of 2018, a local manufacturing business approached the Superior Aluminum sales team with a proposition: railing for their new outdoor lunch/break area. The Superior response of course was a hearty: “No problem! We’ve done that thousands of times, someone will stop over later today and show you some samples.”
As samples were shown, the response was mainly “All of these products are wonderful, unfortunately they don’t really fit the look we had in mind.” Finally, the decision maker was shown Superior’s newest (at the time) railing system: square cable railing. This received some positive reception, including a statement that while this was closer, it still wasn’t quite what they were looking to obtain. Their ideal railing would combine the sleek modern style of square cable railing but fit a more industrial setting that meshed with where the product would be utilized.
With this news, the Superior team got to work in development of a new product that would meet the needs of the customer while becoming a viable part of the Superior Aluminum product line. After some brainstorming, the idea for a modified cable railing was born…. this time utilizing pipe instead of standard square components to create a more industrial feel. After some details were ironed out, a mock-up was built and brought to the local business. Without a moment’s hesitation, the decision-makers immediately stated: “That’s it! That’s exactly what we want!”
From this point, the research and development team took over to answer the many questions associated with the new product. How should the top rail work? How many lines of cable will we need? How tight should the cables be tensioned? How can we modify the pipe so it can hold enough tension? An intensive creation process then took place, with numerous design mockups created until finally a final design was established. With that, the first ever Superior Aluminum Pipe Cable Railing order was ready to be drawn and assembled. Excitement was palpable as the components began to come together at the Superior facility, the whole team learning and perfecting their systems as they went. Thanks to the collective hard work of numerous individuals, the first ever Superior Aluminum Pipe Cable Railing was ready to head into the world, ahead of schedule.
The Superior team worked hand in hand with the contractor on the installation to ensure smooth sailing (and learn a thing or two!). After a couple of days, the railing was installed and the patio was complete. After months of work, everyone took a step back and took in the fruits of their labor. The system that had been created had perfectly fulfilled the customer needs and indeed was ready to become an official member of the Superior product family.
To learn more about pipe cable railing, check out the full product page here. Maybe you are in a situation like our local friends were and you have a vision that nobody has been able to meet. If that’s the case, we would be happy to try and tackle the problem for you! Simply contact us via our fillable form here or email us at info@superioraluminum.com.
