A Guide To Crash Doors and Their Benefits

Two doors with a sign on the wall.
28/02/2022

Crash doors, also commonly called impact resistant doors, are used in many applications where there is a need to get between two rooms quickly and easily.

Crash doors have a number of advantages including strength, high operating efficiency, heat conservation, infection prevention and noise pollution. They are specifically designed to offer reliable, safe and durable operation to meet the demands of retail and industrial environments.

Let’s explore each of the benefits these types of doors offer in more detail.

They withstand high traffic and heavy impacts

The most essential feature of a crash door is that they are built to withstand heavy impacts. High traffic areas such as retail environments will have cages, forklifts and other equipment frequently passing through so they need to be strong and able to endure high impacts.

Dortek crash doors are constructed from GRP, which is plastic reinforced by fine fibres made of glass. GRP is known for its high mechanical strength and durability.

Crash doors are designed for heavy duty areas and usually come equipped with door protection which can include polypropylene bumpers. These help to guard against aggressive traffic and prevent damage to the door face.

They support hygiene

Retail, food, manufacturing and commercial kitchen environments all place hygiene as a key priority. Premises should permit good hygiene practices, be easy to clean and disinfect and should offer protection against external sources of contamination, such as pests and bacteria.

The benefit of crash doors is that they’re constructed with a high-density glass fibre reinforced polyester core that prevents water absorption and bacteria. The smooth, hygienic GRP surface is easy to keep clean. They are ideal for wash down areas due to the fact that they will not swell, rot, rust or warp.

These doors are also valuable for pest control as they prevent access from unwanted visitors entering the premises, particularly where there is food.

They help improve operational efficiency and productivity

Large retail stores experience high volumes of traffic every day. Suppliers and employees move around these stores frequently which is why a typical door would be unsuitable to this environment. A crash door is specially designed to increase productivity and to enable smooth and easy access. Doors can also come prepared with kick and push plates as well as hold open devices.

GRP is a naturally insulating material which helps maintain temperature controls. Features like these are very beneficial, especially for areas that are humid or for food or household items that are sensitive to temperature. Crash doors are an economical way to reduce both heat loss and noise pollution in working environments.

Crash doors constructed from GRP are also extremely lightweight and impact resistant with long lasting built-in colour. The outer skin of the door has a gel coat finish which is chemically bonded to the glass fibre. This ensures that the door will never require repainting or refinishing. All these factors give the doors low life cycle costs and means they are often proven to outlive their usage.

The main benefits of Dortek crash doors are:

Two sets of crash doors in a supermarket.

  • Robust Design – a durable, hardwearing construction which is built to last in high traffic applications
  • Double action hinges tested to 1 million cycles
  • Hygienic – smooth, easy to clean, non-porous gelcoat finish which does not harbour bacteria and is resistant to water and cleaning chemicals
  • Easy to Operate – lightweight, 180-degree swing hinge system which is user friendly
  • Automatic Self Closing – crash doors will automatically close behind the person using them
  • Cost Effective – helps reduce building energy costs by keeping temperature-controlled zones isolated
  • Efficient – helps improve traffic flow and enable people, forklifts and trolleys to move around buildings quickly
  • Reduces Contamination/Noise – separates areas to help reduce contamination, dust, fumes and noise pollution
  • Pest Control – helps prevent access for pests or birds.

Have a look at our product brochure or contact us for more information.

 

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