Many manufacturing plants and distribution centers are heavily invested in areas of operational efficiency and cost savings. But more often than not, the largest opportunities for savings and efficiencies exist in some of the simplest places.
As simple and rudimentary as overhead door openings may appear, they in fact perform many crucial tasks that have an impact on facility efficiency. Some of these tasks include:
1. Containing interior energy and preventing unnecessary energy loss.
2. Safeguarding against the entry of debris and weather-related elements such as water, wind and contamination.
3. Providing access to crucial areas to ensure proper workflow.
4. Ensuring a tight seal and maintaining air pressure levels in cleanrooms.
As important as an overhead door opening is, they are often neglected and left out of consideration unless there is a marked issue.
Where Standard Overhead Doors Fall Short
Because of their seemingly basic purpose to go “up” and “down”, it is a commonly held view that any standard model can do the job.
Standard electrically operated doors, while functional, are very, very inefficient at containing building energy. HVAC systems are one of the most important and expensive investments for any facility as they regulate temperature and humidity – which is an ever-increasing cost. With that being said, an HVAC system’s efficiency is directly correlated to the amount of consideration given to the overhead door openings at a facility – particularly the overall seal and speed of operation.
In addition to energy efficiency gains, with standard electrically operated doors, constant maintenance is another cost to be considered in high-volume applications.
How High Speed Doors Create Facility Efficiency
Within any facility, there are significant expenditures tied up in essential operational systems. With such large investments at stake, it becomes even more imperative that the workflow processes are as efficient as possible.
Simply for that reason, High Speed Overhead Doors can be significant contributors to operational efficiencies at industrial facilities. High Speed Doors play a vital role in improving efficiency, reducing costs, regulating traffic flow and controlling environments.
Faster cycles mean improved workflow.
Compared to a standard electrically operated door, High Speed Doors are up to 10 times faster, moving at speeds of up to 100 inches per second. The speed of the door becomes vital as it provides seamless entry through door openings, allowing workflow to progress without interruption.
Less time open results in significantly reduced air leakage.
The high speed ability of these doors also allows for better temperature control, as it minimizes air leakage each time the door opens. This is crucial for optimizing the efficiency of your HVAC system and alleviating it from overcompensating for the air leakages found in standard door applications.
Smart engineering means a more durable, long-lasting door.
High Speed Doors are designed and engineered with an effortless break away feature that allows the door to sustain minimal damage when struck by forklifts or other machinery. When impacted, you can simply reset them (without placing a service call) and get the door operational within seconds.
There are activation devices – such as motion sensors and induction loops that can automate the entire opening process without slowing down your operation. These activation devices can also simultaneously function as a safety device to ensure the High Speed Door does not close when it detects an obstruction in the way of the opening.
Contact Us To Learn More About High Speed Doors
To learn more about how a high-speed overhead door can help improve efficiency in your facility, give us a call or fill out the contact form and we’d be happy to provide you with a free 10-point facility inspection.
