Awning systems update

Blinds by Peter Meyer

Simon Meyer, Managing Director of Blinds by Peter Meyer, tells WFA the company has strengthened its premium awning portfolio with three releases: the Griesser External Venetian Blinds, the Solare Teknica T5550 Motorised Auto Awning, and the Weinor Smaila Folding Arm Awning. Each product addresses a distinct need in the market while offering trade professionals reliable, design-forward solutions that are easy to specify and install.

Exclusive to Blinds by Peter Meyer, Griesser brings 140 years of Swiss engineering to Australia and New Zealand. Capable of reducing solar heat gain by up to 93% and cutting winter heating energy by 16%, these blinds are a proven energy-efficiency tool. Key innovations include BiColor Technology, offering different interior and exterior slat colours, and wind stability up to 120 km/h on models like the Lamisol Vento. With over 150 standard colours – far more than the local norm – they offer unmatched design flexibility for residential and commercial projects.

Meanwhile, an Australian classic reimagined, the Solare Teknica T5550 Motorised Auto Awning is the first motorised Auto Spring Awning on the market. Its award-winning Pivot Glide Technology delivers smooth operation with stable fabric tension, even in windy conditions. With pivot arms as short as 500 mm, marine-grade stainless steel side rails, and compatibility with Somfy and Automate control systems, it’s ideal for narrow side paths, long drops, and modern façades. Available with an Open Headbox or Open Roller, it accepts a wide range of Sunscreen fabrics, including flame-retardant options.

The Weinor Smaila Folding Arm Awning was winner of the 2024 Red Dot Design Award, combining a cubic, compact cassette with robust LongLife arms tested to 100,000 cycles. Its Opti-Flow-System ensures perfect fabric positioning, while optional integrated LED lighting and heating extend outdoor usability. Suited to balconies, patios, and small terraces, the Smaila meets the growing demand for slimline Folding Arm Awning systems that deliver both aesthetics and durability.

“Together, these three releases strengthen the Blinds by Peter Meyer portfolio by covering key performance and design needs across the awning and shading sector,” says Meyer. “Griesser External Venetian Blinds occupy the premium end of the facade shading market, delivering a combination of energy efficiency, wind stability, and design flexibility unmatched in the Australian market.“

“The Solare Teknica T5550 Motorised Auto Awning answers a long-standing need for a compact, motorised alternative in situations where Folding Arm Awnings are impractical, whether due to space constraints, long drop requirements, or wind exposure. Meanwhile, the Weinor Smaila Folding Arm Awning offers a solution for projects where a slimline, design-led folding arm is essential, providing the aesthetics and durability needed for smaller balconies, patios, and terraces without compromising on performance.”

Shaw

“The standout addition to our awning range is the new Mega cassette, designed to support larger awnings up to 6.5 x 4 metres,” says Shaw Head of Hardware Division, Ben Hayek. “Measuring 160 x 165mm, it maintains the same sleek appearance as our current cassette range while offering enhanced strength. The Mega cassette delivers easier installation and premium performance, giving fabricators and retailers the ability to offer customers large-scale shade solutions for both residential and commercial projects.”

“The new Mega cassette can be used across all ShawScreen awnings. Also added to complement Mega, is a 6.5 metre bottom rail for the wider widths, while also offering improved yield on standard-sized jobs. By using the same hardware as our ShawScreen range, it reduces the need for additional stock holding, while still combining ease of installation, making it a versatile, high-quality solution.”

Hayek confirms that the Mega cassette was developed in response to customer feedback identifying a growing number of projects requiring wider awnings. 

“This solution fills a gap in the market for large-width installations. By providing a reliable option for these wider jobs, retailers can now confidently take on more projects, expanding their opportunities and winning work that was previously difficult to accommodate.”

“We differentiate the Mega cassette through a combination of quality, versatility, and practicality. Unlike other wide-awning solutions, it is fully compatible with our existing awning hardware, reducing stock holding and simplifying manufacture. The cassette is made from premium T6 aluminium with increased thickness, providing superior strength and durability. This ensures retailers can offer a high-quality, reliable product that meets the demands of both residential and commercial projects, while maintaining the sleek aesthetics of our standard range.”

“In addition to our ShawScreen product releases, Shaw continues to innovate across all product lines. For the Uplift Flex indoor roller system, we’ve introduced a 43mm tube adapter as well as new 38mm and 50mm roller tubes, providing greater flexibility for a variety of installations. Shaw is committed to ongoing product development, ensuring our range evolves to meet both customer needs and industry trends, while maintaining the quality and reliability that our fabricators trust.”

Ozroll

“If the last few years have taught our industry anything, it’s that rigidity is risky. Sites are more complex, client briefs swing from minimalist to coastal-resilient, and supply conditions can shift overnight,” says Ryan Charvetto – Business Development Manager at Ozroll. “In awnings, “best” isn’t a single spec – it’s the right outcome for a specific opening, orientation, and budget. That’s why we evolved Slidetrack to run both Zip and Spline configurations from the same platform.”

“Zip has undeniable strengths: excellent fabric retention in wind, a neater side profile, improved insect mitigation, and confidence on wider spans. Many retailers and installers now lead with a zip narrative because in certain conditions it’s the right call.

“But Spline isn’t a relic, it’s the stronger option in many installs. Its superior column strength resists deflection on tall drops and tight reveals, and because the fabric glides more freely in the channel, it’s better suited to mortised or rebated installs where binding risk is higher. On real sites that matters: the same project might have five openings that demand Zip for edge retention, and three that are better served by Spline for stiffness and smooth travel. So we built Slidetrack to do both – cleanly, reliably, and with shared components – so installers can fit the solution to the site, not squeeze the site around the solution.”

Charvetto notes that the system is designed for enchanced simplicity.

“From an installer’s view, complexity sits in trucks and warehouses – too many SKUs, too many niche parts, and too many ‘almost-fits’.”

Slidetrack’s dual-path design reduces that friction through:
• Shared architecture: Channels, headboxes, and hardware designed to support Zip or Spline pathways, reducing stock bloat.
• Installer-led ergonomics: Details like our rotary locking handle on the bottom bar and refinements to end caps and clamping aim to cut install time and call-backs.
• Headbox flexibility: Smooth, compact profiles that streamline ceiling mounts and recessed applications, with a clean façade for architect-led projects.
• Motorisation-agnostic: Compatible with leading control ecosystems so you can match the client’s smart-home preference.

“The net effect is shorter learning curves for crews, fewer ‘wrong part’ headaches, and more confidence quoting diverse applications – from breezy coastal decks to tight urban courtyards.

“We’re proud of how far Slidetrack has come, but we’re just as proud of what isn’t visible yet: the pipeline,” Charvetto concludes. “Our R&D runs in tight loops with the field – feedback from service techs, installers, and retailers feeds straight back to engineering. That’s how incremental changes (like wider channel options for out-of-square openings, redesigned bottom-bar end caps that seat cleaner and cut rattle, and a square headbox profile now in testing for crisp architectural lines) stack up to real-world gains.”

“No outdoor blind system is perfect. Wind behaves badly. Walls aren’t plumb. Clients change their minds. Our job is to keep removing friction – install friction, service friction, and the small design frictions that add minutes on site and dollars on a quote.”