Tips for Enhancing Your Facility’s Closure System

by Marcy Marro | October 3, 2022 12:00 am

At the same time, products must provide safety features that protect those that use it. Enhanced safety options are available to keep people safer while also making it easier for them to use the doors. Below is a roundup of some of the more useful add-ons that can help rolling doors and grilles better serve your operations.

Auto Locking
To ensure rolling doors and grilles are always locked when in the closed position, automatic electronic locking mechanisms are the best option. They are even available for high-cycle applications (when doors are opening and closing frequently), such as parking garages. When doors and grilles are secured in the closed position, electronic auto locks prevent lifting attempts and keep intruders out.

Most automatic locks have a failsafe feature. This ensures the rolling door or grille stays locked with the closure in the closed position during a power outage. A manual key is included with the auto locking option to override this function, if necessary, and open the door or grille during an emergency.

Rolling grilles with auto locks are a rarity in the industry—currently, only one manufacturer offers them, in both new products and retrofit projects with grilles of the same make. Rolling grilles with autolocks are ideal for high traffic facilities with high security needs, such as retail operations and parking facilities.

Aesthetic Sloping Bottom Bar

Not all parking facility entry points are level. In instances where there is hilly or inconsistent terrain, a sleek solution available on some high-performance rolling grille products is an innovative update to the traditional sloped bottom bar. Instead of a bulky metal plate, the new low-profile version is engineered to maintain the grille curtain pattern all the way down to the slim bottom bar, maintaining a uniform look. Any sloping bottom bar prevents gaps at the bottom of the grille, enhancing the grille’s security, but the new sleek version also offers aesthetic appeal while preventing intruders from entering.

Light Curtains and Photo Eyes

Safety is just as important as security. There are instances in which safety depends on a rolling door or grille stopping operation mid-cycle.

Sensors, also called light curtains or photo eyes, can be installed along the plane of the door’s path to detect movement. If an object is detected as the door is closing, the sensors reverse the door or grille’s operation. Some products feature light curtains with blanking features, however, which allows specific light beams to ignore an object intruding on the curtain. This can be a useful feature that eliminates the light curtain being triggered by door deflection due to wind.

Also look for products that feature no-contact reversal. Some light curtains offer a sensing field up to 6 feet high and that can be installed within the guides to blend with the trim, keeping them out of sight and ensuring they won’t interfere with other mechanisms.

Operable Wind Load Rating

For rolling doors or grilles that need to operate in the face of extreme weather, such as hurricanes or severe thunderstorms, it’s important to look at operable, not just static, wind load. Operable wind load specifies the maximum wind load at which a rolling door can safely operate. Some newer operable wind-rated rolling doors are engineered with special wind locks, allowing the door to glide through its guides when exposed to winds up to approximately 88 mph (which equates to a wind load of 20 PSF).

When in Doubt, Check with the Experts

With so many applications, door options, and features it can be difficult to narrow the field when making selections. It can help to start with the experts—the manufacturers themselves. Choose a knowledgeable manufacturer that offers helpful design and technical support teams to assist clients. These teams ensure the proper security and safety features are selected for the rolling door or grille and its application.

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Heather Bender is the director of commercial product marketing at Clopay Corp., Mountain Top, Pa. For more information, visit www.clopaydoor.com[1], or contact Bender at hbender@clopay.com[2].

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/tips-for-enhancing-your-facilitys-closure-system/

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