In any new or upgraded loading bay area doors can be a sizeable element in the overall cost so it is critical to choose the most suitable equipment with a top line after-sales service. But the cost/benefit analysis should not be confined to the initial project cost because the ongoing costs of doors, and often production processes, can be eye-openers if doors are not up to the job of minimising potential accidents to equipment and staff. At Linde Materials Handling’s Aschaffenburg plant, for example, doors hit by forklifts awaiting fork fitting caused immense costs. High profile forklifts may only use special doors but to stop the wrong doors being used Linde had installed a laser scanner to warn approaching drivers with flashing lights and a loud sound. Together with their TLG door light grid from door specialist Efaflex, the high speed doors “significantly reduces repair costs compared to other door suppliers,” said Linde’s Andreas Baumann. But it was not just about door repair costs, because door failures could case disruption to their just-in-sequence production.
The knock-on costs of poorly chosen doors can also be boosted by unnecessarily high energy costs, and the risks are heightened in cold store applications. Energy issues are important not only because of rising energy bills but also the need to comply with environmental legislation like the Energy Act of 2011, enforceable by 2018. It is important, therefore, to conduct energy audits, and in this the leading door suppliers can often provide free and useful help. These should show how much energy can be saved through use of the most appropriate doors and therefore give some idea of door payback.
Doors, of course, are much more than about saving energy. The very popular rapid roll pvc doors, for example, can improve working conditions, prevent pest ingress and cut accidents typically found in cold stores. The rapid roll feature can now enhance insulated slatted doors which can act as an outer security door, and so replace a two-door application with just one door.
If forklift drivers had to make a contribution to a cold store’s energy bills they might act more sensibly and responsibly. Believe it or not, for example, it is not unknown for forklift drivers to leave freezer doors open while going in and out as lift trucks complete orders. Such behaviour leads to dangerous build up of ice on the floor for staff to slip on and suffer serious injuries. Rapid roll doors, like Union’s Eiger Freezer door, can play a key preventative role here, as well as reducing maintenance issues, and they are far more effective than the traditional sliding door.
Large door installations for temperature controlled operations should not be left to builders or architects to specify if buyers want to maximise the effectiveness of their operation. The fact is, for the operator to understand the choices and payback periods for such developments it is becoming a much more complex process. By calling in leading door suppliers like Hormann, their dedicated team of project engineers will take a holistic view of the requirements that goes beyond the choice of equipment to ensure the best solution is developed for every operator. Buyers should also avoid being insouciant over preventative maintenance issues. By planning for this from the outset they can minimise costly disruptions.
As always, before signing any door purchase contract it makes good sense to make some site visits to see the supplier’s customer doors in action. Any door supplier who seems reluctant to offer this facility is, perhaps, best avoided.
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