Matching the Right High-Speed Door to Your Specific Application

Doorways can be one of the more overlooked or forgotten aspects of a building. But, they really are a major part of the movement that takes place in a manufacturing plant, distribution center or warehouse and choosing the right door is very important.

Here, we will examine three different applications and three different door choices, which in turn influence decisions like how big the entryway needs to be, how close electrical and mechanical components (if any) must be present, and the benefits of each.

Material handling applications

Warehouses and distribution centers typically have more loading dock doors than in-plant doors. However, in areas where interior doors are needed – like finishing stations or long-term storage – the preference is for doors that move fast.

While human workers on foot will traverse doorways on occasion, most material handling doors are designed for forklifts. These larger doorways need big, high-speed doors. There are typically two different options – high-speed, fabric roll-up doors and high-speed, bi-parting doors. Choosing between the two might depend on the immediate space around the door, as well as the preference of management.

Roll-up doors, like those in the FasTrax line, offer speeds of up to 100 inches/second and safety options like clear window panels and soft-edge technology. They can even come with features like impactability, which allows the door curtain to re-set on its side-frame tracks if gets struck and knocked out of alignment. Due to their roll-up operation, these doors have an extremely small footprint and are excellent options if there is limited room on the walls around them.

Cold storage applications

Inside many food and beverage plants, doors really play a critical role in maintaining temperature separation, which is key for ensuring product integrity. Companies in this industry know that finding doors that meet regulations, while also delivering quick enough cycle times so temperature-sensitive products aren’t ruined in cold storage is critical

The traditional way to approach refrigeration was to install heavy, insulated, rigid doors with a high R-value. While they work extremely well for low-traffic areas that don’t require them to be opened and closed often, these doors also require strong, load-bearing infrastructure to work properly. These doors also tend to be susceptible to forklift damage if struck.

Folding doors or low R-value, high-speed doors are sometimes chosen as an alternative to minimize air infiltration. However, some models have poor sealing characteristics or an R-value too low to prevent frost from building on the door panel surface itself, which commonly leads to the installation of heat lamps or air curtains for the doors – and exorbitant operation costs.

Conversely, high-speed fabric doors offer fast cycle times that are excellent for high-traffic areas. While doors with high R-values offer better temperature separation when closed, their slower operating speeds are detrimental in facilities that maintain regular traffic between spaces.

Because many cold operations require frequent material handling operations, doors with slightly lower R-values that reduce air infiltration with fast cycle times become more practical. Not to mention, fabric roll-up doors with a single overhead assembly (like FasTrax FR) or low-weight bi-parting tracks (part of Barrier Glider) provide different options for walls that don’t need to support a big, heavy door.

Clean room and wash-down applications

These doors are typically used in pharmaceutical and food applications, two of the most strictly regulated industries because people ingest the products that pass through these facilities. As such, doors need to adhere to stringent cleaning and wash-down protocols.

High-speed, anti-microbial doors with wash-down capabilities play an essential role in maintaining clean operations and food product integrity. They are designed to address food facility needs for environmental control, productivity and safety (as well as cleanliness). In cleanroom applications, doors like the LiteSpeed Cleanroom, are used not only to prevent cross-contamination, but also to help maintain correct room pressures, air circulation rates and optimal operating efficiency.

Key considerations for any door configuration are ease of cleaning and durability. In all cases, these doors must be able to stand up to repeated cleaning with chemical solvents and have a smooth, non-porous surface resistant to microbial and fungal growth. Doors should also have tapered surfaces and edges that essentially eliminate harborage of dust or other contaminants and possess no sharp angles to minimize harborage of microbes. Additionally, they should:

• be corrosion-resistant (which is often a problem with older door systems);
• use stainless steel side frames and shrouds; and
• incorporate a lubrication-free design, since lubricants can attract particulates.

It is also advisable to avoid doors with exposed fasteners and coils, as they will take longer to clean and could harbor contaminants. To ensure complete 360-degree clean capability, look for doors with side frames that can be removed for cleaning and that the drive system and controls are completely sealed and wash-down rated (like the FasTrax Wash Down).

Understand How the Door Will be Used

The in-plant doors of a facility might not seem like the most important part of any large plant. But, choosing the right door for the specific application it’s designed for can have a crucial and long-lasting impact – whether it’s energy use, productivity, or safety – on the business operating within that facility.

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