A COMPANY that cut to shape parts of the cladding system used on the fire-ravaged Grenfell Tower has explained its role in the supply chain.

Omnis Exteriors’ subsidiary CEP Architectural Facades, which is listed as being based at Sherdley Road Industrial Estate, was part of a chain that provided materials ordered by the building contractors refurbishing the tower block.

Omnis, which is not accused of any wrongdoing or breaching regulations, said CEP's involvement in the cladding was in cutting the aluminium composite material (ACM) – called Reynobond PE – not producing it.

The firm cut to shape two components in the cladding system (rainscreen panels and windows) using materials, and to a design, specified by the Grenfell Tower design and build team.

An Omnis spokesman said: “The supply chain is quite complicated but we did not produce the Reynobond PE.

“We received it and our job was just to cut it into the specified shapes requested by Rydon and Harley Facades, which we did.

“Rydon are the main contractor for refurbishment work of this nature and on the occasion with Grenfell Tower, they partnered with a firm called Harley, to form Rydon and Harley Facades.

“Cladding is made from various components including exterior sheets of ACM, in this case Reynobond PE, and then other fixtures inside such as fire-resistant materials.

“These are combined together to make the complete cladding.

“Though Omnis and our company CEP Architectural Facades do design cladding, we also often do part of the production for some [other] companies.

“In this instance Rydon and Harley Facades specified to us the material, the Reynobond PE, that they wanted, which was supplied to us on their behalf by a French company called Arconic.

“We then cut it to shape for them.

“Rydon and Harley Facades then took that material and combined it themselves to produce the completed cladding on Grenfell tower.

“The Reynobond PE material is able to be used on structures as part of the UK building regulations to specific heights.

“However, Arconic yesterday, (Monday, June 26) pulled the product and will no longer sell it.”

Investigations are continuing into the rapid spread of the fire, which has so far claimed 79 lives, on the 24-storey tower block in North Kensington.

In a statement on the Omnis website, CEP said it believed the focus of the investigation needs to be on the overall design and build process.

It noted that investigators had been assessing the role of the insulation boards (Celotex RS500) alongside the cladding at Grenfell Tower.

It read: ”We assume they will want to understand why a class O fire spread rainscreen panel material and a class O insulation material were specified together.”

The company has said investigators should focus on the whole system including insulation materials, fire barriers, fixings and railings.

A public inquiry will take place into the inferno and the Metropolitan Police said last Friday it was reviewing the building and refurbishment of Grenfell Tower.