The Door Industry Journal

Thursday, 21 March 2013

"True refinement seeks simplicity" (Bruce Lee)

SOMMER claim it's tried and tested Duo remote control garage door opener is the result of true refinement.

They've packed a host of features into the Duo which will have any homeowner jumping, twirling (and high kicking) for joy, but that's only half the story.

Mel Lovatt, SOMMER UK MD says:

"It's so important in these tough times that manufacturers make sure their products help installers. They need to be quick to install and give the flexibility to cope with whatever the fitter comes across on site. It's sounds hard to do, but it's not rocket science, it's about keeping things simple".

This is where SOMMER say they have the answer. The Duo is supplied as standard with a separate track and control box which are connected by 5 metres of low voltage cable, from either end of the track. It means the control box can be sited wherever suits the job - on the wall near a door, near an existing power socket, on the ceiling or in the traditional place on the end of the track.

Added to this, the track can be simply cut to length or extended, giving the installer confidence that they can deal with whatever they come up against on site.

Added to this, a simple set up means the Duo learns the force it needs to operate the door and sets its soft start and stop accordingly.

Mel Lovatt again:

"Time on site installing a product and the time taken to set up are important costs to installers, costs which manufacturers can lose sight of. With the Duo, we know that we've got a terrific product to help installers keep costs down. And with the incredible tried and tested reliability of the Duo, it's also a real 'fit and forget' product."

For more information about the Duo contact Mel Lovatt on 01904 60 87 87 or visit www.sommeruk.com

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Wednesday, 20 March 2013

Growing optimism amongst small businesses

FSB’s first economic report of 2013 suggests tentative signs of growing optimism among small businesses ahead of the Budget.

Small firms’ confidence has increased, but their investment intentions have fallen as the domestic economy and access to finance act as a barrier to growth, show the results from the quarter one 2013 ‘Voice of Small Business’ Index from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)

The report, which surveyed 2,686 people in the first quarter of 2013 showed a welcome increase in confidence, moving from a negative reading of -5.6 in Q4 2012 to +6.3 in the first quarter of 2013. However, this optimism was tempered with caution as fewer businesses expect to grow this year – down from 56 per cent in Q1 2012 to 54 per cent in 2013.

Firms cite the domestic economy, consumer demand and access to finance as the main barriers to achieving growth. Worryingly, a falling number of firms have approached the banks for finance – something the FSB believes must be addressed in the Budget, due on 20 March.

Year-on-year the number of businesses applying for finance has fallen from almost 23 per cent in Q1 2012 to 20 per cent in Q1 2013. In addition, the number of those that have been accepted has fallen back to 41 per cent from 44.5 per cent in Q1 2012.

Positively, and perhaps a sign that Funding for Lending is beginning to filter through, the businesses that did get the finance they applied for have seen the cost fall, with almost two in five small firms (38.6%) getting interest rates of less than four per cent on the credit they were offered. This figure is well up from 25 per cent of small businesses in the same quarter last year. At the other end of the scale, the share of firms being offered credit with interest rates of 11 per cent or more has fallen back to just 6.5 per cent of businesses, down from 17 per cent in Q1 2012.

The FSB has said that the Chancellor must use the Budget to put a firm plan in place for the Business Bank and outline how it intends to increase competition in the banking sector through traditional banks, but also by promoting non-bank finance. The FSB believes that to provide the necessary focus the Business Bank should focus on micro-business financing, longer-term and higher risk loan applications and advice.

Other key findings from the report shows:

Small businesses expect to marginally increase their staffing levels over the coming three months

Financial and business services firms remain the most optimistic about the business environment, while retailers and manufacturers expect conditions to deteriorate

Eight regions have seen confidence increase year-on-year, with the north east recording the largest annual increase in their confidence reading of +15, while businesses in the southern regions retain strong optimism levels

Fuel (56%) and utilities (51%) remain the main driver of increased business costs in the quarter

Wilfred Mitchell OBE, Policy Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, said:

“It is great news that confidence is beginning to edge up and is back in positive territory. This bodes well for GDP figures for Q1 and we would expect them to be better than the -0.3 per cent recorded in Q4 2012. However, we know that inflationary pressures are likely to persist in 2013, especially through rising energy bills and fuel costs and this will affect disposable incomes.
“Two separate reports last week showed that lending to small firms remains constrained. This is something which must be addressed at the Budget. A clear plan for the Business Bank must be put in place to increase help ease access to finance and to boost competition in the sector, both through encouraging non-bank lenders such as peer-to-peer lenders to join the market and through new „challenger‟ banks entering the arena. Regulation has a key part to play. Measures must also be put in place to ensure that smaller banks can access the funding available on an equal footing so they can pass on the benefits to their small firms customers.”

www.fsb.org.uk

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Tuesday, 19 March 2013

Electric Wrought Iron Gates & Components Expands to Birmingham

ONE of the UK’s major wrought iron gates manufacturers and iron components suppliers is making a major investment with the opening of a new Electric Gates showroom in Birmingham.

Expansion has always been part of the North Valley Forge mindset, having gone from regional supplier to a major UK manufacturer and supply centre for wrought iron gates, wrought iron components and gate automation.

The company has now extended its operations to Birmingham, with a new secondary base in West Bromwich.

"We had been looking at various locations" said Darren Weatherill, Sales Director, "but this one really ticked all the boxes, providing both stock and showroom facilities in a location that could not be better placed to increase our service radius nationwide."

"We will work in exactly the same way as at our Nelson showroom and manufacturing base, show-casing full-size wrought iron gates, with working examples of the gate automation and access control products on offer, as well as being open to the trade for wrought-iron components". He continued, "training on gate automation equipment & all of the safety aspects involved will also be an important service offered from here."

Since it was established 25 years ago, the company, based at Nelson in Lancashire, has become one of the foremost operations of its kind in the UK.

With over £2 million of stock, North Valley Forge provides a 24-hour turnaround on almost over 4000 catalogue items.

Family owned, North Valley Forge developed the five-acre North Valley Business Park in Nelson eight years ago and has a 25,000 sq ft manufacturing , distribution and training facility that enables it to service both retail and trade customers.

This includes one of Europe's largest electric gate showrooms. The largest UK distributor of the Liftmaster brand, they also offer major European gate automation brands such as BFT, Hy-Dom, Beninca and FAAC, as well as access control systems from Farfisa, Videx, Comelit and Daitem.

"We have expanded beyond expectation and this has obviously provided the springboard to go to another level," said Darren Weatherill. "There is no intention of slowing down, far from it."

Having produced a gate automation trade catalogue earlier this year, North Valley Forge has now produced a new wrought iron gates design catalogue, as it looks to move further into the property development and architectural sectors.

"We will be increasing our gates manufacturing capacity to ensure we can continue to produce everything required within acceptable timescales," said Richard Ratcliffe, technical director, "it may be an uncertain economic climate, but we really a company that is going from strength to strength and continually looking to expand."

Find out more about North Valley Forge and its product ranges at www.gatesiron.com

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Monday, 18 March 2013

“Revolutionising the door manufacturing industry” ..... that's what is being said about RapidSpec.

RapidSpec is the first software of its kind ever produced for the door manufacturing industry.

The software has been developed by Database Design (UK) over 5 years aims to reduce the time it takes to draw doors needed for commercial buildings.

It has been warmly received by tradesmen and architects alike who have said the whole process of drawing and designing doors is much faster using this software.

Birmingham Veneers says:

“We have been using RapidSpec for over 2 years. The software is an essential part of our manufacturing business; our doors and door set production relies on RapidSpec to meet our customers’ needs.”

Chris Chamberlain of Newbury Commercial Interiors says of the software:

“RapidSpec is a remarkable software product. Its speed really comes to the fore when we have a high work load and short lead times. Under these conditions especially, we would not want to be faced with scheduling the old way.”

There are two versions of the software available to download from their website, RapidSpec Advanced Vs 3.2 and RapidSpec Manufacturing V7.3.

Here are some of the main features of RapidSpec

The software is leased so there are no upfront costs and no long term contract.
Significantly reduces specifying errors.
Produces complete door schedule documents automatically.
Keeps a library of standard door sets to pull into your schedule and modify if necessary.
Produces detailed, scaled and dimensioned drawings automatically.
Produces Ironmongery schedule automatically.
Produces complete purchase summary for each ironmongery supplier automatically.
Calculates most dimensions automatically.
Make a complete copy of any door set with ironmongery and modify if needed instantly.

For a demonstration of how Rapidspec works please go to www.youtube.com

To download a brochure visit this link.

For more information about RapidSpec, please contact:

Database Design (UK) Ltd
Unit 31 Meadow Park
Tamworth
Staffordshire
B79 7RR
Freephone: 0800 316 0790
International: +44 7973 194 041
E-mail: info@productiveuk.com
Web: www.rapidspec.co.uk

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Sunday, 17 March 2013

FAULTY SIGNS ON M42 SHOULD VOID PREVIOUS MOTORING CONVICTIONS

Motoring Solicitor Richard Silver believes thousands of speeding convictions on the M42 motorway should be scrapped because speed limit signs did not comply with UK regulations.

The announcement by The Crown Prosecution Service that signs on the M42 were showing numbers taller and narrower than regulation, means convictions going back to 2006 could be affected, with motoring solicitor Richard Silver believing that this should lead to all speeding convictions on the M42 being overturned.

This is because a person cannot be convicted of breaking a variable speed limit if the correct sign is not displayed. In order to be valid, the sign must comply with strict rules in relation to the size and proportion of the numbers. In this case, the Police have admitted that the numbers on the sign were taller and narrower than they should have been.

With this announcement, motoring solicitor Richard Silver believes that any cases should be made invalid:

“The legislation is quite clear. If a sign is not the correct size and proportions, a driver should not be convicted. Cases against three of my clients have already been discontinued. Drivers who unwittingly pleaded guilty should have their convictions set aside. Anything else would be unfair. It remains to be seen whether or not the Crown Prosecution Service will put up a fight.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time that something like this has happened. A few years ago, I acted for a driver who whilst representing himself had pleaded guilty to speeding on the M6. Although the Police eventually admitted that the speed camera had not been properly type approved, the prosecution wouldn’t agree to the conviction being set aside. It was only when a District Judge granted my application to set aside the conviction and remove the points that the CPS finally agreed to drop the case.”

In 1991 the High Court had to quash the convictions of hundreds of drivers who had pleaded guilty to drink driving. This was because they had been unaware that the blood tests on which the prosecution relied had been taken using cleaning swabs which were contaminated with alcohol.

To find out more or to make contact visit: www.richardsilver.co.uk

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Sir Elton John’s Ferrari Sold at Auction

A Ferrari Testarossa formerly owned by Sir Elton John with only 2,100 miles on the clock was sold by international auction house COYS at their Spring Classics sale in London, last week.

The 512 Testarossa, which was purchased new by Sir Elton John, was one of 40 cars that went under the hammer at the Royal Horticultural Society, Lindley Hall, on Tuesday March 12th.

The car only covered a remarkable 1812 miles while in his ownership but was always subject to an annual service.

It is well known that Elton drove all 28 of the cars in his collection on a regular basis, and gave rides to many other dignitaries and celebrities before they were auctioned off by Christie’s in 2001. This particular 512 sold for £98,000 at the time and passed to its current owner.

Having covered a mere 2,100 miles from new, this 512 TR is still reported to be in pristine condition. Finished in the stunning Rosso Corsa with complementary beige interior, it comes with a complete service history and a letter of ownership authenticity from Sir Elton. Most recently this year it has been serviced at Meridian Ferrari – where it has had its cambelts replaced. This Ferrari was estimated at £90,000- £110,000.

Chris Routledge the Managing Director of COYS said:

“This must be the lowest mileage 512 TR available on the market today, with exceptional ownership provenance. With Ferrari prices continuing to rise, this car offers the opportunity for a real blue chip investment. Unique.”

The sale also featured two Ferrari Dino's, arguably one of the most beautiful Ferraris built to date. The first example was a 1969 Ferrari Dino 206 GT, one of only 152 models produced, which was once owned by Canadian film director David Cronenberg and was estimated at £180,000 to £210,000. The second model a 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS in the distinctive "French racing blue", was estimated at £170,000 to £180,000. These Ferraris are becoming one of the most sought after examples of this marque and would be a sensible investment for the future.

Another important collectors’ car that went under the hammer was a rare and exclusive 1974 E-Type Commemorative, one of the fifty special roadsters built to mark the end of the model's production in 1974. This iconic Jaguar, with only 25,950 miles from new, was estimated at £115,000 to £135,000 and provided an unrepeatable opportunity to become a member of the most exclusive E-type club.

Additionally, in the year of the 100th anniversary of the marque, the auction featured a 1975 Aston Martin V8 which was estimated at £55,000 to £65,000. The car, finished in metallic blue with a blue hide interior, has been held in pristine, original and un-molested condition throughout. It even had an extensive service history, including MoT certificates dating back to 1984.

COYS ‘Spring Classics’ auction featured a general mix of pre and post war sports and touring cars. Further details of the final prices achieved were not available when this article was written but will be published on the website - www.coys.co.uk in due course.

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Saturday, 16 March 2013

Safety on doors and gates is not an end in itself

Andy Holz is Technical Sales Manager
for ASO Safety Solutions

ASO Safety Solutions, manufacturer of tactile safety sensors, has been dealing with the question for more than 25 years, of how safety on doors and gates can be ensured. Safety is not an end in itself but a precondition to prevent severe harm to personnel and machinery.

Generally speaking, installers are now very aware of and in some cases wary of the amount of standards and guidelines that cover the safe installation of powered gates and as a result they now practice risk minimisation.

Responsible for safety on doors and gates is the standard BS EN 12453 and the implied 150 Newton (15 kg) force limitation. If the acting force exceeds 150 Newtons it is obligatory to install safety devices that can protect users from danger, injuries or worse. An installer should never rely on “it will be all right” as he will be flouting his professional responsibilities and leaving himself and/or his company liable for any consequences that follow. All parties concerned (homeowner, contractor or developer) should be aware that the better a gate is built, protected, installed and maintained, the greater the chance having done everything right.

Why is there a need for safety devices on gates?

Currently, automation seems to be the most progressive development of the whole industry sector.

On the one hand powered gates make sure that they open and close mainly independently. Compared with manual operation, powered gates save time, money and effort.
On the other hand we are giving control to a machine, so it is necessary to prevent potential danger. No one would consider doing without air bags in cars, would they? So why should we be less careful when it comes to gates?

A second very influential development is green building. This term includes lots of measures and products ranging from energy saving lamps to eco-friendly materials. It does not stop at doors and gates - faced with increasing energy costs, especially the requirements relating to industrial gate systems, sectional doors and drives are growing. The shorter and faster the opening phase of a door or gate the smaller the energy loss and the shorter the personnel engagement. That saves money. But that also creates the need to respond to the increasing acting forces with safety devices in the same way as air bags in cars have also been the logical consequence of faster vehicles.

An Exemplary Sliding Gate

That does not mean there is no necessity to safeguard pinching and shearing points on privately managed doors and gates. Children especially, should be protected from the risks in the vicinity of automated garage doors or domestic gates. Often they are not aware of the risks or do not care because they are focused on playing.

Two years ago two children were killed by sliding gates in the UK and just a few weeks ago another 3-year old girl from the Netherlands was killed by a powered gate not complying with the standards. That alone makes it obvious that this is not an academic discussion without any relation to reality. Maybe it’s because fatalities caused by gates have not had the same significance or publicity as fatalities caused by car accidents, but the people killed by powered gates in the last few years in Europe are clearly a fact that the industry needs to be very aware of.

Besides the danger of bodily injury, which is the worst case scenario, avoidable damage to property should be kept in mind. Damage to vehicles and machinery, either privately managed or industrial, can become expensive and aggravating.

Which possibilities exist to safeguard gates?

First of all automated gates should go through an adequate risk analysis to identify possible pinching and shearing points. In some cases the torque limitation of the drive and control units can be sufficient. The control monitors the drive, which generates a higher closing force in the case of an obstruction. Once the force exceeds 150 Newtons the control board checks the torque and reverses the drive to avoid any severe danger.

Bigger gates require sensitive safety edges that are installed on the pinching and shearing points. These rubber profiles are exactly customized to the gate. Before the gate exerts a force higher than 400 Newtons the gate reverses automatically and serious injuries are prevented. The safety sensors are permanently observed by safety relays to guarantee error-free operation and to ensure, that safety devices are technically available when needed. This is a European standard that is abided by actively by most of the manufacturers.

ASO Safety Solutions offers safety contact edges for this field. Depending on the gate, the circumstances and requirements, there are diverse types of safety contact edges. In this context the over travel distance is very important. The over travel distance is defined by the distance a gate covers after a receiving a stopping signal until standstill. The so called actuating distance describes how much a safety contact edge has to be pushed in until actuation. Safety can only be provided when both parameters are exactly customized to the automated door or gate system.

Of course there are also other types of sensors which can possibly prevent accidents on doors and gates.

Additional to the safeguarding of the pinching and shearing points, optical sensors like photo cells can be used to monitor the passage area of a gate. This is a preventive measure that tries to eliminate danger from the first point of contact with the system which is mainly used to detect vehicles. Induction loops are another possibility. Infrared or radar systems observe the door or gate permanently and can therefore be characterised as preventive devices which also have to be balanced carefully with the door or gate system.

If all components are set up well, the user can be quite sure that the door or gate system complies with European standards. The users will have safe and convenient access to the house, effective access to the factory building or an energy efficient access management of the building.

For further information visit www.asosafety.co.uk or alternatively www.dhfpoweredgategroup.co.uk

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Friday, 15 March 2013

Are you ready for the CE marking Challenge?

Within a matter of weeks, all door makers will be legally obliged to CE mark every non-fire industrial and commercial door they supply. Failure to do so will be a criminal offence from July 1st this year.

Help is on Hand

Recognising that door companies need immediate help in planning and implementing CE marking, the Door & Hardware Federation is holding its second roadshow, this time in Warrington. It is designed to explain the CE marking obligations on door companies and give practical help and guidance on the successful implementation of CE marking procedures.

Not a DHF Member?

Non DHF member companies are invited to attend the roadshow to help them catch up on CE marking. The attendance cost will be waived should delegates decide to join the DHF. The cost of attendance is £100 per non DHF member delegate.

Where and When?

The DHF CE marking roadshow takes place at the

De Vere Village Hotel in Warrington on Tuesday 9 April 2013. Starting at 10.30 am, the event includes practical help on CE marking, how to gain commercial advantage from CE marking, and the role played by test labs and certification bodies.

There will be ample opportunity during the meeting for any questions. The roadshow will end with a sandwich lunch at around 1 pm.

Book your Place:

Contact Kay Scattergood at the DHF Secretariat for details: kay.scattergood@dhfonline.org.uk

For more information on the DHF, visit www.dhfonline.org.uk

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Thursday, 14 March 2013

Semelia Campbell Gate Death Tragedy: Court Case Begins in Manchester

Semelia Campbell

Man accused of unlawfully killing Semelia Campbell in June 2010 has made his first appearance in Manchester Magistrates Court.

Kriston Kearns made his first appearance on Tuesday March 12th before Manchester magistrates on a charge of manslaughter by gross negligence after the six-year-old was crushed to death by an electronic gate ..... Read the full report in the Manchester Evening News

Image via link from article on the Manchester Evening News website.

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Prastel Radio Systems Secures Premises & Profits

Copying and rolling code remote controls of all makes seem readily available to end users via the Internet. Users can simply copy their current remote or programme the new one easily to enable it to operate their gate or barrier.

This leads to diminished security for the premises and lost profit for the installer. Remote controls can be purchased by disgruntled employees before leaving their company giving them access to commit damage or thefts. Losing the repeat remote control sales may also mean to you losing complete contact with the customer and you may lose out on service and maintenance work as well.

Prastel radio transmitters and access control products provide the solution to combat this growing issue. They are able to offer a unique SECURE coding system which not only employs rolling code technology but also utilises installer/site coding systems to prevent the possi¬bility of remote control and receiver cloning.

Using the provided PC programmer device, an installer can quickly establish a safe and secure radio system unique to them that cannot be copied by any¬one else. The customer remains in contact for remote controls hence servicing and maintenance work then follows.

The system has stylish but low cost transmitters available with two or four buttons. Customers taking the SECURE system are given the option of the company details being laser etched on to the keyfobs. The system is also available in 433Mhz and 868Mhz.

Prastel Secure Radio is available from EGD ( Easygates Distribution), Contact them on 0845 054 5070 or by email at info@egduk.com.

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