As energy costs continue to rise, the role of a truly fast acting door can be vital. By minimising ‘open times’, heat retention within a building is maximised. Similarly, when used in cold or chilled storage areas, these doors are important in helping to maintain correct temperatures.

Safety is an important factor in the specification of high-speed doors. By incorporating the most appropriate activation and control systems, these products can be used safely in close proximity to personnel and powered vehicles such as fork lift trucks. Furthermore, there is a door for almost every application, both indoor and outdoor, to successfully cope with the busiest high traffic scenario.

 

For example, the outdoor capabilities of the new FlexiEdge range of fast-action doors from Stertil Stokvis are reported to offer exceptional safety and resistance to wind, weather and impact damage. 

The new FlexiEdge range comprises 16 models of many different types and styles including internal and external doors, all-weather doors, cleanroom and freezer/coldroom doors plus emergency exit doors incorporating breakthrough curtains. Standard models are available in widths to 11m and heights of 5.5m; bespoke and special sizes may be specified. 

The doors are made from high quality materials including galvanised steel for structural strength allied to reinforced polyethylene side guides. The door curtains, which have been developed to offer flexibility and durability, incorporate no rigid elements. A hi-tech manufacturing process involves the insertion of reinforced polyester within a PVC sandwich to produce a high strength yet lightweight door curtain. Curtains are available in a range of standard RAL colours and various styles that include vision panels and windows, translucent curtains, insulated versions for chiller/freezer applications and fly screen curtains.

Simple operation is assured via a user-friendly push button control box incorporating a self-diagnosis feature. The range provides standard travel speeds to 2.7m/sec (opening) and 1.2m/sec (closing) to speed work cycles and increase productivity. Frequency inverter motors and encoders ensure smooth operation while a manual hand crank has been incorporated for use in the event of a mains power failure.  

Safety features

The door curtain is flexible with a soft bottom edge which not only self-adjusts to seal on an uneven floor but avoids any possibility of causing injury to users. The incorporation of an infrared photocell, 300mm above floor level, supported by a bottom edge wireless detector ensures instant halting of all door movement in the event of sensing an obstruction. Also, the flexible soft-edge curtain is said to provide maximum resistance to damage caused by a vehicle collision. If door edges are knocked out by the collision, they are automatically re-inserted in the side guides as the door opens. 

A range of activation systems affords versatility. Alternatives to the standard push button pads include wired and wireless pull cords, key switches, induction loops, photocells, radar, radio or infra-red transmitters, presence detectors and touchless hand-wave detectors.

Environmental benefits

Speed of operation minimises ‘open time’ thereby reducing heat loss from the building, conserving energy and lowering CO2 emissions. This, in turn has a very positive effect on payback times. Stertil Stokvis can provide a cost analysis for specific installations to demonstrate achievable savings. Additionally, rapid opening times help to maintain internal temperatures for improved working conditions whilst reducing the entry of pollution, dust, noise and vermin.

Andrew Georgiou, general manager of Stertil Stokvis, is confident about the impact the new doors will make in the UK. He says: “Our FlexiEdge range has been developed to raise the bar across every discipline. Performance, safety, reliability, cost effectiveness, user-friendliness and environmentally – it ticks all the boxes. We’ve not overlooked affordability either. Our launch offer leasing deals mean that users can benefit from all the advantages of a FlexiEdge door from just £90 a month.”