When you start looking at security screens on the Sunshine Coast, you’ll notice that some businesses describe themselves as Crimsafe “suppliers” or “installers,” while others — like us — are described as licensed Crimsafe “manufacturers.” It’s easy to assume those terms mean roughly the same thing. They don’t, and the difference has real consequences for the product you end up with.
This post explains exactly what a licensed Crimsafe manufacturer is, how the licensing system works, and why it should matter to you when you’re comparing quotes.
How Crimsafe Actually Works as a System
Before the manufacturer question makes sense, it helps to understand how Crimsafe comes to exist as a finished product on your door or window.
Crimsafe — the company, headquartered in Queensland — designs, engineers and produces the core components of their system: the patented Tensile-Tuff® stainless steel mesh, the Screw-Clamp™ fastening system, the aluminium frames, and associated hardware. These are not generic parts you can buy at a hardware store. They are proprietary components, engineered to work together as an integrated security system, and they are only available through Crimsafe’s licensed network.
Those components are then supplied exclusively to a select group of licensed businesses across Australia — called licensees or licensed manufacturers — who measure each job, cut and fabricate the frames to the exact size of your windows and doors, assemble the complete screen using Crimsafe’s specified process, and install the finished product at your home.
The finished Crimsafe screen or door is therefore not a pre-made product taken off a shelf. It is a custom-fabricated item, built specifically to your window or door opening, using genuine Crimsafe components, by a business that has been trained, licensed and held accountable to Crimsafe’s manufacturing standards.
What Does a Licensed Manufacturer Actually Do?
The word “manufacturer” is doing real work here. A licensed Crimsafe manufacturer doesn’t just fit a screen someone else made — they make it.
That process involves:
Precise measurement of every opening, because Crimsafe products are made to measure for your specific doors and windows. There is no standard size. A door that is even a few millimetres out will not perform to the tested standard.
Frame fabrication — cutting aluminium frames to the exact dimensions required for each opening, mitering corners, and preparing the frame to receive the mesh.
Mesh installation using the Screw-Clamp™ system — the patented process that makes Crimsafe what it is. The Tensile-Tuff® mesh is laid into the frame and the Screw-Clamp bites down on it with a vice-like grip, locked in place with tamper-resistant stainless-steel screws. This is not a skill you develop by watching a video. It requires proper training, the correct proprietary tooling — which is only available to licensed manufacturers — and consistent practice to execute correctly.
Quality checking before the product leaves the workshop, and again at the point of installation.
All of this happens in a licensed manufacturer’s workshop, under their roof, with their team — before the product arrives at your home.
Why Crimsafe Won’t Let Just Anyone Sell or Make Their Product
This is deliberate, and Crimsafe is quite clear about the reasoning: because Crimsafe is a security product, the quality of manufacture and installation directly determines whether it actually protects you.
The patented Screw-Clamp™ system gives Crimsafe its extraordinary strength — the ability to withstand up to 550 joules of impact force for Crimsafe Regular, and up to 750 joules for Crimsafe Ultimate, compared to the AS5039 minimum of 100 joules. But that strength is entirely dependent on the mesh being correctly seated and clamped in the frame. If the manufacturing process is sloppy — incorrect screw spacing, inconsistent clamp pressure, mesh not properly tensioned — the product will not perform to its tested specification, regardless of how genuine the components are.
This is why the proprietary screwdriving tools required to install Crimsafe’s system are only made available to licensed manufacturers. You cannot buy them at a hardware store. You cannot replicate the process without them. And you cannot perform a compliant Crimsafe installation without being trained in their use.
Crimsafe also cannot be purchased through hardware chains or general building suppliers. The only way to get a genuine Crimsafe product installed on your home is through a Crimsafe licensee in their network.
What the License Actually Requires
Becoming a licensed Crimsafe manufacturer isn’t a rubber stamp process. It involves:
Training in Crimsafe’s manufacturing methods — the specific techniques required to correctly fabricate and assemble each product in the range, including doors, sliding screens, fixed windows, bi-fold configurations and specialist products like Safe-S-Cape® emergency exit screens.
Access to proprietary tooling — the tamper-resistant screw drivers and installation tools that are exclusive to the Crimsafe licensee network and essential for correct assembly.
Use of genuine Crimsafe components only — licensed manufacturers source their mesh, frames, clamps and hardware directly from Crimsafe. Substituting any component with a non-genuine part voids compliance and warranty.
Adherence to Crimsafe’s quality and installation standards — the license comes with ongoing obligations to manufacture and install to specification.
Warranty backing — Crimsafe’s product warranties (10 years standard, up to 15 years on Ultimate and iQ products) are only valid when the product has been manufactured and installed by a current licensee. A product made or installed by an unlicensed party carries no Crimsafe warranty.
The Difference Between a Manufacturer and a Reseller
It’s worth being direct about this, because the distinction matters when you’re making a purchasing decision.
Some businesses sell Crimsafe products but do not manufacture them. They may source screens made by another licensee and install them — or in some cases simply act as a sales intermediary. There is nothing necessarily wrong with this, but it does mean you should ask questions.
When a licensed manufacturer makes your screens in-house, you have:
Direct control over quality — the business that quoted you is the same business that made your product and fitted it. There is no handoff between a manufacturer and a separate installer, and no gap in accountability.
Consistency — every screen made in-house is built by the same team, using the same process, to the same standard. Variation is minimised because the workflow is contained.
Faster lead times — products don’t need to be ordered from a third-party manufacturer and then scheduled for installation. They’re made locally, to your specifications, in your timeframe.
Local accountability — if something needs attention after installation, the people who made it are down the road. Not interstate. Not in a call centre. Right here on the Sunshine Coast.
What This Means for Your Warranty
This point deserves its own section because it’s frequently misunderstood.
Crimsafe’s warranty — up to 10 years on Regular and Classic products, up to 12 years with registration, and up to 15 years on Ultimate and iQ — is a product warranty issued by Crimsafe the company. It covers the components and the system performing as specified.
For that warranty to be valid, the product must have been:
- Fabricated using genuine Crimsafe components
- Manufactured using Crimsafe’s specified process
- Installed by a current, licensed Crimsafe manufacturer
A product that was manufactured or installed by an unlicensed party — even if it uses genuine Crimsafe mesh — does not carry Crimsafe’s warranty. The warranty is tied to the licensed manufacturing and installation process, not just the raw materials.
This is one of the most practical reasons to verify your supplier’s licence status before you approve a quote.
North Coast Blinds & Security: Licensed Crimsafe Manufacturer on the Sunshine Coast
North Coast Blinds & Security has been a licensed Crimsafe manufacturer on the Sunshine Coast for over 25 years. That means every Crimsafe product we sell is measured, fabricated, and installed by our own team — in our own workshop — using genuine Crimsafe components, proprietary tooling, and the manufacturing process that earns the compliance label and backs the warranty.
We manufacture the full Crimsafe range:
- Crimsafe Regular — strong, stylish everyday protection with a 10-year warranty
- Crimsafe Classic — a step up in strength and finish and up to 12-year warranty
- Crimsafe Ultimate — the premium range, up to 750 joules of impact resistance and up to 15-year warranty
- Safe-S-Cape® — keyless emergency exit screens for windows
We manufacture for every door and window configuration: hinged doors, sliding doors, bi-fold doors, stacker doors, fixed windows, sliding windows, casement and awning windows, louvres, and more.
And because we’re local, you’re not dealing with a national franchise or a sales agent who outsources the work. You’re dealing with the people who will actually make your screens and install them on your home.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if a Crimsafe supplier is a licensed manufacturer? Ask them directly: “Are you a licensed Crimsafe manufacturer?” A genuine licensee will confirm it without hesitation or refer you to Crimsafe’s website to verify. You can also search Crimsafe’s official website for their list of authorised suppliers in your area.
Does it matter whether my screens are made locally or in a factory elsewhere? It can. When screens are manufactured locally by the business installing them, the same team is accountable from measure through to final installation. If a screen needs adjustment or something doesn’t fit perfectly, it can be remade quickly. If screens are ordered from an external manufacturer, that process takes longer and accountability is split.
Can I buy Crimsafe at a hardware store or online? No. Crimsafe cannot be purchased through hardware stores or general retailers. It is only available through the licensed manufacturer network. This is a deliberate policy to ensure every product is correctly made and installed.
What happens to my warranty if the installation isn’t done by a licensee? The warranty is void. Crimsafe’s product warranty requires the product to have been manufactured and installed by a current licensed manufacturer. An installation by an unlicensed party — even using genuine components — does not carry warranty coverage.
Is a licensed manufacturer more expensive? Not necessarily. The licensing requirement doesn’t mean premium pricing — it means a qualified, accountable process. Compare quotes on the basis of the full scope: what product, what warranty, who manufactures it, and who installs it. A cheaper quote that omits any of those elements isn’t a better deal.
What is the Crimsafe Screw-Clamp™ and why does it matter? The Screw-Clamp™ is Crimsafe’s patented system for fastening the stainless-steel mesh into the aluminium frame. Unlike other security screens where the mesh is held in place by a plastic wedge or pressure alone, the Screw-Clamp physically bites down on the mesh and locks it with tamper-resistant stainless-steel screws. When the screen is hit with an impact, the force is absorbed and dispersed around the entire frame — rather than concentrated at the point of impact. This is what gives Crimsafe its extraordinary strength. And this is why correctly applying the Screw-Clamp requires licensed tooling and training that is only available through the manufacturer network.
Ready to Talk to a Licensed Manufacturer?
If you’re looking at security screens for your Sunshine Coast home, we’d welcome the chance to show you exactly what we make and how we make it.