Choosing the right kind of industrial door can be either an easy or complex issue, depending partly on whether or not a holistic view is needed, with energy issues the leading concern, especially as building regulations next year require all industrial overhead doors to have U-value of 1.4W/m2K or lower. But it is more than just choosing the right product. It is also about choosing the right supplier partner if it is a large project requiring an integrated holistic view that takes into account all of a customer’s present and future needs and past experiences with door damage and accidents.
The reality is, says sara LBS’s sales manager, Louse Nurse, that there are many high quality products on the market so performance gains will often be marginal compared with other premium brands. So the key point to look for is the quality and consistency of customer service and choose someone who is not a reseller who is unlikely to project manage the installation and work directly with the architects, contractors and site owners to ensure the project is completed to deadline and within budget.
While it may be helpful to install an energy-saving door its impact on energy loss will be much limited if the rest of the building is uninsulated! This is where reliance on leading door/dock suppliers for initial advice, preferably from members of ALEM, can be worthwhile. ALEM recently published a free, downloadable guidance document on ways to save energy in a vehicle loading dock (www.alem.org.uk). Moreover, most leading door/loading bay suppliers offer a free energy audit survey.
While it is broadly true that there may not be any more than marginal gains between good quality brands there are exceptions. Efaflex, for example, claim that their roller doors often need far less servicing than their competitors, allowing up to 250,000 operating cycles between maintenance visits. Their top opening speed is 4 mt/sec, way above the industry average standard of 2.5 mt/sec. This can be important if there is high usage in cold/chilled storage areas. However, it may not always be necessary to invest in a high cost, rapid-roll internal door working with a main door that is kept open during working hours owing to heavy traffic. Where pedestrians handle cold store products a much cheaper, two-part, light secondary door from Kenfield, for example, can be pushed through by a pedestrian after which the door closes automatically. Popular with local authorities and major supermarkets, these insulated doors with clear, see-through, double-glazed panels have given users energy savings of 54%, and unlike strip curtains they will not become opaque through usage.
Another much cheaper secondary door option involving less maintenance in ambient conditions is the air curtain from suppliers like JS Curtains and Airbloc. Money is also saved by avoiding the need for forklift door control devices like induction loops, radar and infrared. Door collision damage should also be eliminated and they are said to cut energy loss by over 80%.
While the science of door technology is not going to set the world alight, nevertheless innovation never ceases. Door systems are becoming smarter every year, says sara’s Louise Nurse. “We are already able to programme doors to recognise the type of vehicle that is approaching and adjust its opening height accordingly. We can also use automation technology to protect against injury by communicating with dock levellers to stop the door being opened before a vehicle is docked.”
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