48 LOADING BAYS & DOORS www.ipesearch.com
FEATURE
The evolution of the
high-speed door
The industrial door has come a long way since the introduction of the high-speed
door concept in the mid-1980s, writes Chris Dobson
THE OLDEST British
manufacturer of high-speed
doors is Hart Doors
of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Its
chairman, Doug Hart, says
he had been looking at his own factory,
where access was via hand-operated
roller shutters. “Every time access was
required, it took several minutes to
open/close the shutters, during which
time the outside world blew in. This was
bad for heating costs and especially
bad for the work environment,” he says.
“It was almost Dickensian,” he
continues. “If only we could develop a
high-speed, automatic door, where the
opening/closing cycle was just a very
few minutes. From initial thoughts to
developing the first Speedor as a test-bed
took several weeks, but, once
installed, heating costs plunged and the
working environment was considerably
improved. We have moved on
considerably since then.”
He adds: “Now pushed by carbon-reduction
targets, global warming and
the challenges of climate change,
industry has started the crusade
towards greater automation, slicker
procedures, where fewer people are
employed but the fundamentals of
each business remain the same.
“Deliveries will still take place and
products will still leave factories and
warehouses, which means where there
is increasing automation, the high-speed
door has a vital part to play.
Typically, the automated warehouse is
the current challenge, where very large
buildings rely on state-of-the-art
technology, software, computing
robotics and wider automation across
every element of the warehouse.
Naturally, the automated, high-speed
door is a part of this process.”
Hart says automation is an important
element of manufacturing, but he
recognises that the economy
comprises hundreds of industrial
categories, all with their own complex
issues, so the common dominator for
Hart is the need for advanced
automatic door systems.
For example, at Nissan’s Sunderland
plant, Hart installed a number of doors
– some to ATEX standards – in the new
paint plant. In a fast-moving
environment requiring a reliable and
dust-reducing solution, Hart installed
ATEX-rated Speedor Cleanrooms to
maintain strict air-leakage limits and to
ensure maximum protection for staff.
Safety and reliability
At nearby Komatsu, the challenge was
safety and reliability in a highly efficient
200,000 m2 facility. Here, each Speedor
was made to measure, with devices
and activators fitted to suit specific
areas, giving Komatsu a safe and
secure working environment for staff.
At Arla Foods, hygiene is a priority, and
food production areas required
specialist doors to promote cleanliness
and avoid contamination. Hart replaced
unreliable aluminium bi-parting doors
with stainless-steel Speedor Minis. Made
to measure, the high-speed roll-up
Speedors have multi-layer PVC fabric,
which is thicker and less prone to tears
and splits. The stainless steel is easy to
clean and prevents contamination.
There can be no more frantic an
environment than an international
airport, and Hart has worked on more
than 40 across the globe. At Heathrow,
the demanding specifications and
operating requirements meant Hart
needed to supply reliable doors
capable of handling thousands of bags
per hour, while providing a seal in the
event of fire. The company designed,
manufactured and installed 50
specialist and unique Speedor
Conveyor automatic smoke-screen
systems capable of handling 6,000
bags per hour, while providing a seal for
30 minutes in the event of fire.
For Veolia, Hart was faced with difficult
conditions on site, including dust, dirt
and moisture. Door failure could affect
compliance with local authority
regulations. The solution was to install
8 m x 8 m Speedor Storms, an
extremely robust door capable of
withstanding wind class 5 thanks to its
unique guide system.
Using multi-layer PVC fabric, which is
thicker and less prone to tears and
splits, and moisture-controlled electrics,
the Speedor Storms, through their high-speed
action, control the escaping dirt,
odours and noise.
Chris Dobson is editor-in-chief at
ComPropNEE
For more information:
www.hartdoors.com
Tel: 0191 214 0404
The automated
warehouse is
the current
challenge,
where very
large buildings
rely on state-of-
the-art
technology
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