Perhaps one of the most difficult issues to deal with when selecting a traffic door is which one to pick. With the different types and options available, the task can be daunting.
Asking a few questions will provide a great deal of direction. For example, if the door is going to be installed in a temperature controlled environment an insulated panel with gasketing is highly recommended. Other factors including the size of the opening, the traffic passing through and the customer’s expectation are all helpful bits of information.
Environment
As I mentioned above, environment plays a big part in selecting a traffic door. Environmental control can mean many things. In a food processing facility, environmental control usually means maintaining temperature difference, but could also mean acting as a barrier to insects, dust and dirt and germs. Poultry plants have barriers between “cooked” and “un-cooked” products to prevent the spread of salmonella. Doors for environmental control are normally gasketed, and usually insulated.
Visual
The next time you visit your local grocery store, make a point to look for the doors that act as a barrier between the store and the back of the store. While these are sometimes environmental barriers, their primary purpose is to act as a visual barrier. Retailers spend a lot of money to keep the customer looking at “products” as they walk the store. Back areas are used as storage areas, and are dark (and sometimes a bit messy) compared to the store area. The doors that are used in stores act as a visual barrier, and may or may not be gasketed. They tend to look less “industrial” and should blend into the area. The best door for this application is one that the customer never notices. Again, the goal of the retailer is to keep the customer’s eye on the product.
Door Use
Another very critical factor when selecting a door is the type and frequency of the load that is passing through. For example, an opening that gets fork lift traffic all day will be very different from one that sees personnel and an occasional light cart. The size of the load in relation to the opening is also an important factor. If the load is very large in relation to the opening, you may want to consider a flexible traffic door. This product has no lower hinge, reducing potential damage from traffic.
Options
Regardless of the type of door, options are a very important factor. Some options are for aesthetic reasons, and others for function. An optional high pressure laminate makes a door match the décor of a store. A teardrop bumper allows a door to accept impact without damage. Special hinge options allow the door to swing beyond 90 degrees or remain in the open position.
Price
Last but not least, the price that the customer is willing to pay is a major consideration. The customer always wants to pay “less” for a door. This makes sense. That being said, “less” should be thought in terms of the life cycle of a door vs. the purchase price. I can sell a customer a sheet door for much less than a Durulite door. If the traffic passing through the opening includes fork lifts, the sheet door will not only cost less, it will be in the opening for less……….much less than the Durulite. The life cycle cost of a Durulite door in an abusive opening is much less than the life cycle cost of a sheet door in the same opening.
Becoming educated on the application, and educating the customer on the product that best suits their needs is the winning combination.