The Door Industry Journal

Saturday, 15 June 2013

Rollixo RTS – The Next Generation Roller Garage Door Controller from Somfy®

Somfy have just launched a new roller garage door controller unlike any system available on the market.

It has been specifically designed based on UK market requirements and will operate on the Somfy RTS radio protocol.

So what’s different about this controller?

Let’s go through a typical installation & commissioning procedure:

Installation: A single screw removes the front cover to reveal the wiring terminals. The unit will accommodate the following options: tubular motor, safety brake, safety edge (optical/resistive – wired or wireless), photocell, wired switch, indicator light and a 24Vdc supply. To make the wiring of each product easier, the terminals can be removed and slotted back in place once the wiring has been completed. The mains supply cable plugs directly into the controller and the quick fit cable gland system will ensure that wiring is completed in double quick time.

Magnets: When installing the Rollixo RTS system, your installation time will be reduced as no guide magnets are required for standard optical safety edge installations.

Commissioning: Now this is where the Rollixo RTS controller comes into its own. Once the wiring is complete and the controller is powered up, the controller automatically reverts into a commissioning mode. As you make your way through the different stages of controller setup, your receive confirmation of your progress from the innovative pictorial diagnostic system located on the front panel:

Step 1: Verify that the motor direction is correct – does up correspond to up and down to down? If it doesn’t, you can use the control panel to reverse the motor direction – no need to power the unit down and reverse the motor direction wires!

Step 2: Set the motor limit positions – use the control buttons on the panel facia to operate the motor in dead man mode to set the upper and lower limit positions.

Step 3: Pair the safety edge transmitter to the controller – simply press the program button on the Rollixo RTS until the led lights up and then press the program button on the safety edge transmitter!

Step 4: Complete a full test of the door – job done! No commissioning sequence for the safety edge transmitter is required.

What’s more, the Rollixo RTS controller is based on Somfy RTS radio protocol. This means that the Rollixo RTS can be operated with the same controller that will also operate the home owners motorised awning, blinds, roller shutters etc., adding value to your offer.

Want to learn more - call Somfy® on 0113 391 3030 or visit www.rollixo.co.uk.

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Friday, 14 June 2013

Maria Simmonds, MD of Lorient appointed GAI Vice President

The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) has appointed a new President; John Jefferies, CEO of Laidlaw Interiors Group. John is joined by his new Vice President - Maria Simmonds, Managing Director of Lorient – a respected designer and manufacturer of architectural door seals.

The GAI is the UK’s only trade body solely dedicated to promoting the interests of the whole architectural ironmongery industry. Maria joined the GAI Executive in 2006; during that time she has been an instrumental member of the Marketing Committee and worked assiduously on a number of smaller task groups for special projects. In fact, she was a member of the founding group of the Fire Door Inspection Scheme – a joint initiative between the GAI and BWF Certifire.

With 20 years’ industry experience, an MBA and Diploma in Marketing, Maria is able to contribute to all aspects of the GAI’s strategic planning and implementation. She is particularly passionate about the highly respected education programme; promoting the GAI overseas and is a keen advocate of social media as a tool for the GAI and IAI.

Maria was elected and named Vice President at the GAI AGM and conference on the 18th May and on her appointment said:

“Being appointed as Vice President to John Jefferies for the next two years is a great honour. I believe that these are very exciting times for the Architectural Ironmongery industry and I hope that I can contribute to the delivery of a robust future for the GAI both here in the UK and throughout the world. We are an industry passionate about what we uniquely offer and we have an education programme the envy of many professional institutions. Our agenda is challenging, but John and I are supported by both Shaun Brown as National Chairman and Mario Del Signore as Vice Chair of the Institute of Architectural Ironmongers, along with a wonderful team in London. Together we are committed to achieving the right kind of progress for all of our members”.

Lorient Polyproducts Ltd, Endeavour House, Fairfax Road, Heathfield Industrial Estate, Newton Abbot TQ12 6UD

Tel: 01626 834252

Fax: 01626 833166

www.lorientuk.com

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Thursday, 13 June 2013

When it comes to garage doors, housebuyers feel the squeeze

Up to three quarters of recently built homes with garages have garage doors that are too small to truly accommodate today’s larger cars, a recent survey has shown.

Now developers of new homes are being urged by the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) to review their current developments and increase the width of the garage doors.

The DHF, which represents manufacturers and installers of garage doors, says that developers still design and build new homes with 2134 mm (7 ft) wide doors, which has been the standard width for the past 40 years.

But cars have been getting wider, and many cars on the market today are simply too wide to fit through the garage. Garage doors need to be at least 2286 mm (7 ft 6 ins), according to the DHF.

The federation carried out an informal survey amongst its garage door members which revealed that around 75 per cent of new homes with integral garages built in recent times have garage doors that are too narrow. And the DHF worries that developers are continuing to specify garage doors that are too narrow.

The DHF carried out the survey following recent complaints from a family in Huddersfield who only discovered their Volvo S40 would not fit in the garage of their brand new £200,000 home after they moved in.

They complained to the developer who told them they should have measured the garage before buying the house. The family subsequently used the internet to research widths of typical family cars and found that eight of the fifteen they compared would not fit. These included some of the most popular cars on the market, including the Ford Focus and the Honda Civic.

Said Bob Perry, executive chairman of the DHF:

“Housebuyers are increasingly looking to buy new homes with integral garages and it’s a reasonable expectation that an average sized car will fit into the garage. The problem is, developers started using the standard 7ft wide doors in the days of the Ford Anglia and have continued to do so ever since. But over the years the width of cars has steadily increased to accommodate safety features such as door airbags and larger door-mounted wing mirrors.

“Garage door manufacturers produce doors in a variety of widths that can accommodate all sizes of cars, even the latest 4x4s and SUVs. We would strongly urge developers to take this into account when designing and building new homes to avoid these justified complaints from disgruntled purchasers. Developers must realise that when it comes to garage doors, size really does matter.”

It is believed that developers try to maximise living space in new homes at the expense of the integral garage size. The problem was confounded in the last decade when local councils encouraged smaller garages in homes to reduce car usage. Following a campaign by garage door manufacturers, one local authority in 2009 admitted its policy had failed and relaxed its restrictive guidelines on garage size. But despite the relaxation, developers are continuing to use narrow garage doors and the DHF campaign continues.

www.dhfonline.org.uk

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Wednesday, 12 June 2013

DORMA Helps Provide ‘ACCESS FOR ALL’ at £14.5M Clapham Junction Station Refurbishment

As part of the Government’s £370m Access for All scheme to make UK railway stations more accessible, a £14.5m step-free entrance building has been built at London’s Clapham Junction. Delivering smooth operation and closing reliability in all weathers and seasons, DORMA’s ED 100 swing door operators proved perfect for the building’s new automatic doors.

Europe’s busiest railway station with 41 million trains passing through each year, Clapham Junction welcomes hundreds of thousands of passengers onto its platforms every day. Delivered by Network Rail with main contractor Osborne, the improvement package makes the station fully accessible for all passengers, including those with reduced mobility, heavy luggage or children.

Even in tough conditions, such as strong wind loads acting on the door leaves and in extreme cold temperatures, the ED 100/250 swing door operators from DORMA excel with their opening and closing behaviour by responding flexibly to the prevailing weather conditions, helping to avoid heat loss and therefore contributing to the reduction of the building’s overall carbon footprint.

During in-house testing at temperatures of -15°C, the ED 100 was proven to prevent up to 50% reductions in closing speeds when compared with DORMA’s previous model of electrohydraulic operator – ED 200. Also, its integrated Initial Drive Control (IDC) ensures functional stability as the system detects and compensates for even the slightest irregularities in the door’s performance.

In low temperatures, the viscosity of the hydraulic fluid used in traditional swing door operators will rise. This can cause resistance and a decrease in speed which means the door may not close properly. As the ED 100 doesn’t use a closed hydraulic system, instead equipped with a multi stage gear, the operator requires only a small amount of high performance grease to continue to function at the highest standard.

The ED 100 swing door operator is also equipped with DORMA Wind-Load Control. While adjusted to automatic mode, the system recognises and compensates wind loads with a force of up to 150 N (maximum admissible force) making it the perfect solution for doors subjected to high winds and extreme temperature.

Suitable for internal and external doors, both single and double leaf, the ED100/250 swing door operators are designed as part of DORMA’s elegant Contur range. The ED 100 operators offer a contemporary, unobtrusive design which is impressively compact suiting all environments and interior designs.

As part of the major improvement works, Osborne completed construction and delivery of brand new ticketing facilities, travel information screens and toilets in a fully-refurbished ticket hall – helping to make the station more accessible, brighter and much easier to negotiate. For the entrance to the new lift lobby at Platform 17 – providing excellent access to a number of platforms – DORMA supplied the ES 200 sliding door operator.

Designed to meet the functional and aesthetic requirements of virtually every automatic sliding door application, the DORMA ES 200 automatic door operators seamlessly blend into almost any building design, with a stylish and modern cover that also features DORMA’s Contur design styling with sleek contours and perforated end caps.

Easy to install and set-up, it features a powerful motor and a dynamic acceleration/deceleration control capability to ensure reliable operation. The operating performance of the ES 200 is matched by its clean design that complements any interior scheme.

Now complete and officially opened by Mayor of London Boris Johnson in May 2011, the new entrance building and its much improved route to Clapham Junction’s 17 platforms allows thousands of passengers a smooth, hassle-free access to one of the world’s most famous railway stations.

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Tuesday, 11 June 2013

INGERSOLL RAND LAUNCHES NEW BRITON PRODUCT GUIDE

Leading global provider of security and safety solutions Ingersoll Rand has launched a new Ironmongery and Security Hardware catalogue to provide installers and specifiers with an easy-to-use guide featuring their architectural hardware and entry level access control products.

The new full colour guide has been designed to provide easy-to-access information on each product range to help customers select the ideal product, featuring Ingersoll Rand’s flagship brands including Briton door closers, exit devices, door furniture and lockcases. The guide also includes Legge lever locks and latches, CISA cylinders and Briton mechanical and electronic access control products.

The catalogue outlines solutions and guidance on the correct specification and products for different applications. It also explains relevant requirements and the latest legislation, such as The Equality Act – disability legislation.

Paul Cundy, Unitary Sales Leader of Ingersoll Rand, said:

“We know that specifiers and installers are time-pressed and need to be able to access superior products and solutions quickly and efficiently. That’s why we wanted our Ironmongery and Security Hardware catalogue to be as comprehensive as possible with many images to help with product selection. All of our products are clearly marked with the key features, vital dimensions and certification, making this the ideal tool at the vital planning stage of any project.

“The product guide is also an invaluable tool for busy installers, with all the latest product information in an easy to navigate format that makes comparing and choosing the right product really simple.”

Soon to be launched CISA Astral Tekno cylinders, Briton 2820 floor springs, the Briton 9360 digital code lock, Briton 9260 outside access device, Briton 581 push pad and Briton by Randi door furniture also in feature in the product guide.

All Ingersoll Rand products are offered with industry needs in mind and are backed up by the company’s ISO9001 and ISO4001 accreditations.

To download the product guide please visit www.ingersollrand.co.uk or alternatively, a hard copy can be requested by emailing info@ingersollrand.co.uk or calling 08706 012012.

For further information on Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies product and services visit www.ingersollrand.co.uk

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Monday, 10 June 2013

Gilgen Door Systems appoints New Management Team

David Cerquella, MD of Gilgen Door Systems

Leading automatic and industrial door specialists, Gilgen Door Systems, has centralised its UK production facility in Alfreton, Derbyshire and announced a number of senior appointments to its management team as part of an ambitious growth strategy.

David Cerquella has been appointed Managing Director of Gilgen’s UK operation. David was previously General Manager of the company’s service division were he was responsible for the successful launch of the company’s Safeguard maintenance scheme.

Prior to joining Gilgen, David held a number of senior management positions with Niscayah, a market leading supplier of integrated security solutions.

Other key appointments include Colin Cufley, Financial Director, David Anderson, National Sales Manager and Mike James, General Manager of After Sales. The new appointments come into immediate effect and add considerable weight of experience to Gilgen’s management team.

Gilgen has completed the centralisation of its new door production at its facility in Alfreton and has invested heavily in enhanced production capabilities designed to address customer demand for both Automatic Doors and Industrial Doors. The upgrade of its Alfreton facility will also provide improved order management and quality control leading to higher levels of customer service.

Commenting on the developments, David Cerquella says he is excited by the potential to reinvigorate the business through a more customer focussed approach and new centralised structure.

“We have some fantastic assets including a great reputation for well engineered solutions, highly experienced people and a superb service infrastructure. With the new management team in place and centralised production at our Alfreton facility we have the opportunity to address some of the market challenges, develop our employees’ skills set and focus on improving customer experience”.

Whilst seeing the need to evolve the approach to market, David’s background in service delivery networks gives him the advantage of seeing things from the customers’ point of view.

“I believe that by placing service and customer led solutions at the heart of everything we do, we will differentiate our offering and unlock the true growth potential of the business”.

Background Information

Gilgen Door Systems is one of Europe’s leading suppliers of automatic door, industrial door and folding wall systems. Since 1961, Gilgen has built a reputation for the quality and innovation of its indoor operating systems and fit for purpose solutions to meet customers’ access and security needs.

Formerly known as Kaba Door Systems in the UK the business was acquired by Nabtesco Group of Japan in 2011 and integrated into the Gilgen Door Systems Group, with headquarters in Switzerland.

Gilgen Door Systems operates to ISO 9001:2008 quality standards, has a worldwide presence, with a workforce of more than 900 employees, seven subsidiaries and further representation in some 70 different countries worldwide.

Gilgen Door Systems UK Ltd,
Head Office, Crow House, Crow Arch Lane,
Ringwood, Hampshire, BH24 1PD

www.gilgendoorsystems.com

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Sunday, 9 June 2013

Stirling Moss and Lewis Hamilton Compare Fangio’s 1954 Formula 1 Grand Prix Car for Sale at Bonhams with Hamilton’s Modern Silver Arrow

A meeting of motorsport greats: Ahead of the 2013 FORMULA 1 SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX (28-30 June), two past British winners from two very different eras of Formula 1 met at Silverstone to compare Silver Arrows...

Two-time British Grand Prix winner, ex-Mercedes-Benz driver Sir Stirling Moss, lent his support to fellow Brit Lewis Hamilton’s bid for success at this year’s Silverstone event, as the pair compared their Mercedes cars.

While Hamilton showed Sir Stirling around the modern Silver Arrow, similar to the car he hopes will steer him to his second British GP victory later this month, his companion presided over the double grand-prix-winning 1954 W196 in which Juan Manuel Fangio won the second of his five World Drivers’ Championships, and which Bonhams is to sell at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on Friday 12th July.

The latter is the same model of car raced by Moss when he won his first British Grand Prix in 1955 – his first ever Formula 1TM Grand Prix victory.

Sir Stirling said:

“Winning the British Grand Prix meant a lot to me. I won in a Mercedes-Benz W196 in 1955, just before the very last corner. It really was a very special day. I remember it quite well; I’d caught up with Fangio and overtaken him in traffic. As we went round the last corner I put my foot flat on the floor and took the chequered flag. I finished literally half a car length in front.

“Taking a look at Lewis’s car today, there’s no way would I get in it, but then he said the same thing about mine! He asked where the seatbelts were – we didn’t wear seatbelts!”

The car Bonhams is to sell – the 2½-litre straight-eight single-seater, chassis number 00006/54 – won the 1954 German and Swiss Grands Prix in Fangio’s hands, the first successive victories achieved by the factory Mercedes-Benz team in its post-war racing comeback.

As well as becoming the first open-wheeled ‘slipper’-bodied post-war Mercedes to win an F1 Grand Prix, the car’s innovative design marked the introduction to the sport of the fuel-injected engine, Mercedes-Benz all-independent suspension, multi-tubular spaceframe lightweight chassis design and all-round inboard-mounted brakes. The car also pioneered an in-line or straight-8 engine lay-down configuration to minimise overall height, and power take-off from the centre of the engine’s long eight-cylinder crankshaft to minimise vibration.

The Mercedes-Benz team missed the first two rounds of the 1954 championship in Argentina and Belgium, but made its debut in the French Grand Prix at Reims-Gueux, where the all-new W196 cars set new performance standards as Fangio and his team-mate Karl Kling finished first and second in both qualifying and the race.

But after the enclosed-wheel cars struggled to place at the following round of the British Grand Prix at the more twisty Silverstone Circuit, Fangio requested a ‘slipper’-bodied, open-wheeled variant of the W196 in time for the next grand prix in Germany. The two new cars were ‘00005’ and ‘00006’.

In Fangio’s hands, ‘00006’ dominated the German and Swiss Grands Prix – winning the latter by 58.7 seconds from his nearest rival, Jose Froilan Gonzalez in his Ferrari. The latter was Fangio’s third victory in four Grands Prix, and assured him of that year’s title.

Image by: Steve Etherington/Mercedes AMG Petronas

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Saturday, 8 June 2013

DORMA PRODUCTS ACHIEVE EPD APPROVAL

Climate change and rising energy costs constantly drive the demand for more economically and ecologically viable buildings. DORMA, the trusted global partner for premium access solutions and services, has issued Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for several premium products as part of the company’s continued commitment to sustainable product development.

EPD are developed to provide key environmental information about construction products and their life cycle using ISO 14025 compliant Product Category Rules. EPD can therefore be used alongside each other to make product comparisons and evaluations at a building level.

DORMA has EPD awarded by IBU, a leading EPD provider, for a number of our premium product ranges. Current DORMA products covered include the TS93 door closers, ED 100 and ED 250 automatic swing door operators, ST Flex and ST Flex Green Automatic sliding door systems, MOVEO, Variflex and Varitrans movable walls, Premium and Plus range of handles, as well as association EPD for locking cylinders, locks and door closers.

DORMA has a continued commitment to improving sustainability, demonstrated by the certification of the company’s environmental system to ISO 14001. Supporting this long term contribution to energy efficiency with new EPD approvals, DORMA continues to lead the way in sustainable building concepts and green solutions.

For more information and to view DORMA’s EPDs and Environmental policies please visit www.dorma-uk.co.uk

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Friday, 7 June 2013

CE Marking Seminars and Launch of New Alutech AR/555 Compact Lath

Alutech Group of Companies and JD UK Ltd are holding a seminar on the launch of the new Alutech compact lath AR/555 and the Protocol involved in cascading Alutech certification down to fabricators/manufacturers for the 55mm and 77mm insulated lath to comply with the new legislation.

As most of you are aware from the 1st of July 2013, it is a legal requirement for all fabricators/manufacturers
to comply with BS EN 13241-1:2003 and it will be a criminal offence to place a construction product on the market without a CE mark. You will no longer be able to regard CE marking of your products as voluntary.

For that reason we are inviting you to an open day where we will provide you with information on how we can cascade Alutech certification down to your company to ensure that you comply with the legislation.

Additional Requirements

You need to be aware that as well as the certification of a manufactured product you will have to supply the following.

1) Implement a factory production control system as required by the standard.
2) Issue a Declaration of Performance for each product and CE mark the door.

Free Seminars

We are holding 2 seminars. One in the South of England and one in the North of England. Below are details on the venues along with the dates.

SOUTH…….. 13th of June. Holiday Inn Express Swindon West, M4 –Junction 16, Frankland Road, Swindon, SN5 8UD Tel: 01793 818800

NORTH …… 14th of June. JD UK Ltd, Unit 2, Vulcan Works, Grange Road, Batley, WF17 6LL
Tel: 01924-472924

To book your place on one of the above seminars please contact Kevin Smith or Eric Royds at JD UK Ltd on 01924-472924

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Thursday, 6 June 2013

New DHF training scheme to drive up safety levels in powered gate sector

The drive to increase levels of safety of powered automatic gates has taken a major step forward with the introduction of a comprehensive training scheme by the Powered Gate Group of the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF).

The training scheme will be compulsory for all DHF members who install powered gates. It is the latest initiative from the DHF Powered Gate Group. This group was set up within the DHF specifically to educate and promote the safe and responsible design, manufacture and installation of automatic gates. Its formation followed a number of fatal accidents involving powered automatic gates.

Two 2 day training courses for DHF member employees will be held in September and October. Further two day training courses will be held early in 2014. All installers who successfully complete the course will be awarded the DHF Gate Safety Diploma. It is expected a total of 75 delegates will have successfully completed the training courses by early next year.

Each course will focus on both technical and practical safety procedures. The DHF Gate Safety Diploma will cover all aspects of gate safety from initial risk assessment through to force testing. It will ensure that installers are fully conversant with all relevant safety regulations, can prepare a technical file and can issue a Declaration of Conformity.

It means DHF Powered Gate Group member companies' personnel are trained to provide and install fully compliant gates in all environments including residential areas, industrial and commercial parks and school grounds.

It is the industry's only scheme to offer this depth of training. The DHF Powered Gate Group received advice on legal aspects from the Health & Safety Executive during the planning of the training curriculum.

Said Andy Holz, chairman of the DHF Powered Gate Group:

"The DHF Gate Safety Diploma assures the customer that he has chosen a safe product from an accredited installer and that the gate has been installed by a fully trained fitter. It gives the customer complete peace of mind that he has made a responsible and safe choice.”

For more information on the DHF training scheme, or to download the DHF Guide to Gate Safety Legislation and Standards which is used by all DHF Powered Gate Group members, visit www.dhfonline.org.uk .

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