The ins and outs of efficient throughput

Well-planned entrance systems result in doors becoming ‘invisible’, opening and closing seamlessly with the traffic flow, contributing to effective operation. Conversely, poorly specified and maintained doors can lead to unnecessary costs, safety hazards and security breaches. 

Paying attention to five key factors can significantly improve throughput flow.

Contamination and temperature

When considering entrance and exit systems, naturally the focus is on front entrances and ‘back of house’ exits. However, internal doors play a critical role in getting goods through and out of the building.  

Chilled or refrigerated storage sections need a solution that provides flexible entrance and exits for goods. High-speed doors minimise the loss of temperature-controlled air, reducing energy costs without compromising access. 

In industries like food and pharmaceutical, contamination control is absolutely critical. A cleanroom door will prevent unnecessary air infiltration and minimise the spread of airborne particles, by providing an air tight seal to keep problems created by pressure differentials and drops at a minimum. These doors must also be easy to clean, disinfect and be resistant to cleaning aids. 

Distribution efficiency  

After all the efforts to make the manufacturing process as efficient as possible, you don’t want to create a bottleneck when goods are ready for distribution. A poorly performing door in this area can be the equivalent of a motorway lane closure, slowing traffic significantly.

Well organised processes for vehicle loading and unloading is essential and the choice of dock leveller, which bridges the gap between vehicle and  loading bay, can have a huge impact on operating efficiency. The Crawford Combidock from ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems, for example, facilitates the use of different vehicle types and sizes from the same docking station. This means that loads of different sizes can be loaded easily onto almost any van or trailer using any of the stations available, reducing the likelihood of traffic build up.

Health and safety 

Making health and safety a seamless part of the process is critical to throughput flow. The blunt fact is that accidents are expensive, not just in terms of compensation and damage to reputation, but indirectly through subsequent repair and downtime. 

Using doors to segregate certain areas, ensuring that they do not obstruct movement, and that they do not open or close too slowly or too quickly, and integrating them into overall emergency exit planning, are all important factors to consider. 

Energy efficiency 

Managing energy consumption is a vital factor in the running of any production plant. Leaving a loading bay door wide open in the winter, or at any time of the year, will haemorrhage heat, but restricting movement to avoid energy loss will compromise throughput flow. Energy efficiency surveys and calculations should help decision makers to understand influencing factors within their operations and the needs of the facility. Inflatable dock shelters and insulated dock leveller pits are useful retrofit tools for energy loss prevention. 

Maintenance

Preventative maintenance is just as important as reactive maintenance. A broken door at any stage of the manufacturing or distribution process creates a bottleneck for the rest of the plant,  resulting in expensive downtime.  Taking a lifetime costing approach and scheduling planned, preventative maintenance is essential to achieve true cost efficiency. Competency of the engineer, who should be trained on the particulars of each door model and type, accessibility of the manufacturer’s genuine parts and physical location of engineers are factors that are well worth consideration.