Industrial doors come in many configurations. Roller shutter, sectional overhead and hinged designs all offer different performance benefits; while material specification can improve thermal insulation, add fire protection or simply create improved aesthetics. Once the right design has been specified there are still more technologies which can maximise a door’s performance and create a positive performance benefit. New technologies allow the door to be sensitive to its environment. These can improve traffic flow, reduce the risk of on-site injury and facilitate a level of loading bay automation.

Whether they are located at the entrance of a loading bay or between separated production areas on a factory floor, doors play a vital role in protecting a workplace from external weather conditions, vermin ingress, atmospheric contamination and temperature variation; they are also responsible for regulating the flow of traffic. Specifying a door which is able to monitor its surrounding and open and close automatically can go a long way to improving traffic flow and ultimately increasing productivity by reducing bottle necks.

 

Automatic door operation is available using many different technologies, which all perform differently. Speaking to a well-respected industrial door supplier, such as sara LBS, will allow you to weigh up the pros and cons of each option.

 

Sensing technology 

Simple radar, or motion sensing, technology can detect approaching traffic and pedestrians from up to 10m away which means in areas of high flow the door will not cause an obstruction. However, many applications may require a level of security, only allowing access to authorised personnel. Here radio or infra-red transmitters can be used. Again, the door will open automatically so as not to obstruct flow, but will grant access only to personnel or vehicles with the appropriate transmitters. Equally a work area may be unsuitable for pedestrian access, in this case induction loops can be set into the floor which are set to be activated by certain weights.

sara LBS combines automatic operation with its Sprint range of high-speed doors to ensure that even the fastest forklifts aren’t obstructed. The doors can detect an approaching vehicle and open at up to 3m/s, meaning that the door is fully open before the vehicle reaches it. With similar closing speeds the door’s cycle time is one of the quickest on the UK market, meaning that the door is carrying out its primary job of protection for longer.

 

There are too many possible activation systems to list, but ultimately it’s possible to find a solution that allows the door to become a useful tool in affecting site wide efficiency, rather than a simple protective barrier. It doesn’t end there either – sensing technology can be used to improve site safety and prevent accidents.

 

Doors can be programmed to detect possible obstructions and avoid contact. This prevents damage to equipment and product while boosting personnel safety. Again there are many technologies which provide this protection. Photocells positioned by the door prevent doors from closing if any object is within their boundary. Self-testing contact edges are also popular, reversing automatically if the curtain makes light contact with anything as it closes. However, the most sophisticated systems are able to run in front of the door.

Pre-running systems, such as the sara non-contact safety beam, detect an obstruction before the curtain makes contact. This means that no contact damage or injury can occur. These systems are extremely accurate (to within an inch of the curtain), so a stray box left next to the door won’t prevent it from closing.

By designing automation technology into industrial doors, it provides end-users the added advantage of integrating them with other equipment onsite. Loading bay doors can communicate with traffic lights, opening automatically as lorries approach, or with alarm systems, acting as a fire door for example. It’s also possible to integrate doors into automated production lines. sara LBS can supply machine protection doors which prevent machinery from operating unless they are fully closed for example.

 

As with all technologies, it’s important to strike the right balance between performance and cost when specifying a door. Depending on the requirements of the application (e.g. traffic, security, protection) different options will be more efficient than others. Most high quality suppliers will be able to offer guidance on the latest technology and provide help during specification and installation to make sure that you find the perfect solution.