TUF-S, a single secret fix solution for Cembrit rainscreen panels
August 2018

Andy Stolworthy, Director of Product & Market Development at SFS, provides some insight into SFS's secret fix solution for Cembrit's 8mm fibre cement rainscreen panels.

Installing Cembrit fibre cement rainscreen panels as thin as 8mm using mechanical secret fixings just became quicker, easier and safer for installers to use thanks to the innovative new range of TUF-S rivets by SFS.

Extensive testing by SFS has demonstrated how TUF-S challenges the convention that installers need to use different fasteners for different panel materials and thicknesses. Until now, no other rivet of this kind has provided a reliable secret fix for panels manufactured in both HPL and fibre cement.

Fully tested and approved by Cembrit:
The performance of TUF-S for 8mm Cembrit panels was proven by SFS through a series of load tests conducted in our SFS laboratory in Switzerland. This allowed for a set of technical values to be calculated to enable façade engineers to easily determine the number of fasteners and clips required to accommodate different locations, wind loadings, etc. This provided Cembrit with total assurance of our product in the UK market.

Cembrit:
Ged Ferris, UK Marketing Manager, says: “We are pleased that SFS have developed an innovative mechanical secret fix system for use with the standard 8mm thick rainscreen cladding boards. Designed and tested by SFS for use with fibre cement cladding, the combination of SFS's TUF-S and Cembrit boards creates an attractive façade, uninterrupted by visible fixings, that will appeal to rainscreen cladding specifiers throughout the UK.”

Installation:
The TUF-S range is designed to eliminate the risk of overtightening which can ruin the aesthetics of a façade and result in very costly damage. It consists of nine variants of A4 stainless steel fixings, with a carbon steel mandrel, that can be used to secure a range of panel thicknesses to the rainscreen support clips using the GESIPA Powerbird Pro tool. The rivet’s design provides a wide range of installation benefits to save time and money, and deliver a safer, better quality overall result.

Installation of TUF-S requires just a standard hole, with no need for complex undercutting – this provides the installer with the flexibility to drill new holes on site if required to accommodate unforeseen issues. The rivet also eliminates the risk of overtorquing, which can damage the rainscreen panels, and it has high pull-out values with no unwinding and uninstallation possible via a hex head.

Delighted to be working closely with Cembrit:
We’re delighted to have worked closely with Cembrit to provide them with a highly effective secret fix solution that will work across their different rainscreen panels. This development project is an excellent example of how SFS is able to create products with innovative unique features that provide OEMs with the assurances they need and address the most common issues faced by installers.

Find out more about TUF-S and watch our installation video with Cembrit's 8mm fibre cement panel and our TUF-S.

view our video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=lmmZIRo2vz8

For more information on TUF-S or any of our products please visit our website at www.sfsintec.co.uk or alternatively call us on
Tel: 0113 2085 500.