Category: General

Seasons Greetings From Dortek

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Wishing You All a Great Festive Break and a Happy New Year!

We’d like to wish you all a great festive break and a Happy New Year. Thank you to our valued customers for their business, all our partners and our staff for their hard work this year. We look forward to working with you all in 2024!

Please see details below for our Dortek office closing times over the festive break:

  • UK office: closed 25th December – 1st January.
  • Irish office: closed 21st December – 2nd January.
  • US office: closed 25th December – 1st January.
  • Swedish office: closed 25th December – 1st January.
  • Singapore office: closed 25th December – 1st January.

Cleanroom Swing Doors

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Cleanrooms are tightly controlled environments used in various industries, such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and healthcare. The key objective of cleanrooms is to minimize particulate contamination and maintain specific levels of cleanliness. To achieve this goal, every component within a cleanroom must be carefully designed and specified, including the doors. Cleanroom swing doors play a vital role in maintaining the integrity of cleanroom environments by preventing the entry of contaminants while allowing access for personnel and equipment.

Specialized cleanroom doors are designed with meticulous attention to detail, considering factors such as air leakage prevention, durability, ease of cleaning, and compliance with stringent industry standards.

Key Features of Cleanroom Swing Doors

Cleanroom swing doors offer a range of key features and benefits that make them an ideal choice for controlled environments. Firstly, these doors are designed with airtight seals, ensuring minimal air leakage and maintaining the desired level of cleanliness within the cleanroom. This helps to prevent contamination and maintain sterile conditions. Furthermore, cleanroom swing doors are constructed using materials that are resistant to chemicals, making them highly durable and long-lasting.

Their smooth surfaces also make them easy to clean, reducing the risk of particle accumulation. Additionally, these doors can be equipped with interlocking systems to control access and enhance security. Another advantage of cleanroom swing doors is their ability to provide excellent sound insulation, minimizing noise pollution in sensitive work areas. Moreover, they are available in various sizes and configurations to suit different requirements.

Types of Cleanroom Swing Doors Available

Cleanroom swing doors are an essential component of controlled environments, ensuring the highest level of cleanliness and preventing contamination. Various types of cleanroom swing doors are available, each designed to meet specific requirements and standards. Firstly, flush cleanroom swing doors are widely used for their sleek appearance and seamless integration into the cleanroom walls. These doors have a completely flat surface without any protrusions or ledges, minimizing particle accumulation and facilitating easy cleaning.

A blue cleanroom swing door. The corner of a cleanroom swing door.A window on a cleanroom swing door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Secondly, fire rated cleanroom doors provide an added layer of safety by offering fire resistance for a specified duration. These doors are constructed with special materials that can withstand extreme temperatures and prevent the spread of fire within the cleanroom. Moreover, double-leaf cleanroom swing doors allow wider access points while maintaining cleanliness standards. These doors consist of two independent leaves that can be opened simultaneously or individually, providing convenience in high-traffic areas.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Cleanroom Swing Doors

When selecting cleanroom swing doors, several crucial factors need to be taken into consideration. First and foremost is the door’s material. The chosen material should be compatible with the cleanroom environment, ensuring easy cleaning and preventing particle contamination. Secondly, the door’s design and construction must provide an airtight seal when closed, maintaining the desired pressure differentials inside the cleanroom. Additionally, considering the frequency of use is important as it affects durability and maintenance requirements.

Swing doors should be designed for smooth operation and withstand constant opening and closing without compromising cleanliness levels. Another factor to consider is the size of the door. It should be appropriately sized to accommodate equipment or personnel traffic while minimizing air exchange during entry or exit from the cleanroom. Furthermore, compatibility with access control systems may also be crucial, enabling secure entry while preventing unauthorized access.

Dortek’s range of door sizes and thicknesses are designed to integrate into all cleanroom modular panels. Our unique frame design offers a completely flush finish to any cleanroom wall panel of choice.

Considerable care and quality control goes into every Dortek door blade to ensure the smoothest possible finish. The fiberglass door blade is designed to have no sharp edges or 90-degree angles for ease of cleaning. Our frames are seamless, smooth, with round edges and seamless mitres with no crevices or dirt gathering areas.

We are constantly developing innovations to our product offerings to enhance the hygienic performance of our products. Small, but critical, features including flush fitting frames, recessed hinges, vision panels, lock keeps and receivers have all been continuously re-designed to minimise and eliminate dirt gathering areas in cleanrooms.

 

A Case Study From When We Supplied Cleanroom Swing Doors

We’ve collaborated with The Jefferson Institute for Bioprocessing in the United States on a couple of occasions. Initially, when they were inaugurated in 2019, we provided them with our cleanroom swing doors. In 2023, they had a similar requirement, and we were pleased to supply them with the same once again as well as a few other products like cleanroom windows and pass-through hatches.

If you’d like to check out the full case study, please follow this link – The Jefferson Institute for Bioprocessing

 

 

Exploring the Benefits of Hermetic Doors in Healthcare Environments

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Innovation is the key to improving patient care and maintaining stringent cleanliness standards. One such innovation that has significantly impacted healthcare facilities and many other facilities around the world are hermetic doors. In this blog post, we’ll delve into these doors, highlighting why you should choose them and also the options that come when purchasing with Dortek.


Hermetic doors are a remarkable addition to any facility. They are designed to maintain airtight seals, preventing the passage of air, moisture, and microorganisms. This technology not only enhances the hygiene of the environment but also contributes to energy efficiency. The airtight seal achieved by hermetic doors can be particularly vital in areas like operating rooms, isolation rooms, and cleanrooms, where infection control is paramount.

Why Choose Hermetic Doors?

  • Infection Control: Hermetic doors are at the forefront of infection control. In healthcare settings, where the spread of infections can be life-threatening, hermetic doors act as a robust barrier against the transmission of germs and bacteria.
  • Enhanced Patient Safety: These doors ensure patient safety by maintaining a sterile environment. Patients in isolation or post-surgery can recover without the risk of secondary infections.
  • Energy Efficiency: Hermetic doors contribute to energy savings by reducing the exchange of conditioned air. This not only helps in maintaining a controlled environment but also lowers energy costs.
  • Ease of Access: Designed with user convenience in mind, hermetic doors can be seamlessly operated, allowing for easy entry and exit while maintaining their airtight integrity.
  • Customisation: These doors are available in various sizes and designs, catering to the specific needs of your facility. They can be integrated into other door systems, depending on your individual requirements.

The Benefits of Dortek Hermetic Doors:

  • Airtight
  • Hygienic finish
  • Radiation proof
  • Smoke proof
  • Sound Insulation
  • Automated or manual
  • Up to 60 minutes fire rating & much more.

Please contact our team today on +44 (0)1482 226848 for more information on hermetic doors or alternatively please send us an enquiry via our contact us page.

Dortek adds Modular cleanroom Doors to its BIM objects

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With an increasing number of specifiers embracing the benefits of BIM we have extended our range of objects to include Modular cleanroom doors.
We are committed to making the specification of our products as easy as possible for architects and customers. Our comprehensive range of BIM objects are offered alongside a range of other technical resources on our website, including product specifications, data sheets, brochures and case studies.

All our objects are available in user friendly Revit file format. You can download our BIM objects from our website here. 

Butzbach Sectiolite Doors: Combining Durability & Smooth Operation

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Butzbach Sectiolite doors are a testament to innovative engineering and durability. With exceptional design flexibility, these doors offer a perfect balance of functionality and durability. Whether you require doors for an industrial facility, commercial establishment, or any other application, they will provide a reliable and visually appealing solution that meets the demands of the modern world.

A Butzbach Sectiolite Door in a busy warehouse.

Unmatched Durability: One of the key advantages of Butzbach Sectiolite doors is their exceptional durability. Constructed with high-quality, sustainable materials and advanced manufacturing techniques, these doors are built to withstand demanding environments. Whether it’s heavy industrial usage or regular commercial operations, Sectiolite doors are engineered to deliver long-lasting performance, ensuring peace of mind for businesses.

Energy Efficiency: In today’s world, energy conservation is of utmost importance. Butzbach Sectiolite doors are designed with energy efficiency in mind. With excellent insulation properties, they effectively minimise heat loss and reduce energy consumption, ultimately leading to cost savings. This feature is particularly beneficial in industrial or warehouse settings, where maintaining temperature-controlled environments is crucial.

A Butzbach Sectiolite Door in a garage.

Smooth Operation and Easy Maintenance: Sectiolite doors are engineered for smooth and quiet operation. With high-quality tracks, rollers, and precision-engineered components, these doors open and close effortlessly, ensuring seamless workflow and minimising disruptions. Furthermore, the low-maintenance design of Butzbach Sectiolite doors saves valuable time and resources, allowing businesses to focus on their core operations without worrying about frequent upkeep.

Applications: The versatility of these doors makes them suitable for a wide range of applications. They are commonly found in industrial facilities, warehouses, logistics centers, manufacturing plants, fire stations and commercial buildings.

Three Butzbach Sectiolite Doors.

Here are a few other advantages:

  • High light transmission due to the fibreglass door infill.
  • Extremely long lifetime due to a sustainable material selection and conception.
  • No cost-intensive wear parts such as springs, spiral cables, etc.
  • Opening speed up to 1 m/s.
  • The safety edge control stops automatically and reverses the door when it hits an obstacle.
  • Wind load resistance.

For more information, please contact us at info@dortek.com.

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Dortek’s Guide to Fire Door Safety

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Fire doors are one of the most critical elements of fire protection. They are used to provide compartmentation – in other words, containing fire and smoke for a period of time to allow people to be safely rescued and evacuated.

Fire doors are often the first line of defence in a fire and their correct specification, maintenance and management can be the difference between life and death for building occupants. Despite this, fire doors remain a significant area of neglect and are often the first thing to be downgraded in a specification or mismanaged throughout their service life.

A review undertaken by FDIS certificated fire door inspectors earlier this year revealed the extent of fire door failures being seen on site:

  • Over 61% of fire doors inspected had problems with fire or smoke seals
  • More than a third had incorrect signage
  • 230 fire doors inspected had gaps bigger than 3mm between door and frame
  • More than 20% had unsuitable hinges
  • Almost 1 in 6 had damage to the door leaf.

(Source: FDIS 32)

The most common identified cause of death from a fire incident is being overcome by gas, smoke or toxic fumes. Suffering from the effects of gas or smoke also accounted for one-fifth of all non-fatal casualties in 2013-14. (Source: Gov.uk) This reinforces the importance of properly specified, installed and maintained fire doors with intumescent seals that keep smoke from leaking around the edges of a fire door.

Collage of three door images.

Here’s our checklist to help you specify the correct fire doors and keep them in tip top condition:

  • Always use a reputable and competent supplier – many people claim to make fire doors, but only a handful have a properly tested product which is proven to work in a fire.
  • Ask whether the product has been fire tested and demand to see the documentation that proves it (e.g. fire certificate or label).
  • Make sure test evidence is from a UKAS-accredited test centre
  • Specifying fire doors with intumescent seals is crucial to prevent smoke inhalation in the event of a fire.
  • It’s not just the door itself that matters. The frame and ironmongery is just as important – they all work together. Only buy exact compatible hardware and components from the same reputable supplier, also making sure that the ironmongery also meets the relevant fire test standard as well
  • Correct installation is as important as buying the correct product – fire doors are a carefully engineered fire safety device which must be fitted correctly so make sure you use experienced installers from a reputable company.
  • Ask for the fire door to be installed and then certified using a 3rd-party approved certification programme, such as BM Trada
  • Fire doors should be checked and maintained regularly, to ensure that they still work and perform as intended
  • Make sure you use an experienced door company to manage the servicing and maintenance of your fire doors, using a 3rd-party approved certification programme, such as BM Trada
  • Only ever replace damaged components with like-for-like. A suitably trained individual should be responsible for this maintenance work.

For our full range of Fire doors and for additional information contact us or take a look at Fire Doors | Dortek

Transfer hatches/pass through hatches

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Pass through hatches also known as transfer hatches, play a pivotal role in ensuring the seamless transfer of materials. Whether it’s ushering raw materials in, dispatching finished products, or facilitating the manufacturing process, these unassuming hatches are the unsung heroes of cleanroom efficiency.

The primary objective of pass throughs is to mitigate cross-contamination during material transfer, thus upholding the sanctity and cleanliness of controlled areas. Dortek, a leading provider of innovative solutions, offers a range of pass through hatches equipped with either electromagnetic or mechanically interlocked doors. These advanced door mechanisms serve a dual purpose: preventing depressurisation and minimising the risk of contamination.

What sets Dortek’s pass through hatches apart is their deliberate design. Unlike conventional sealed doors, these hatches allow a controlled flow of air from the clean side, typically maintained at a higher pressure. This constant influx of clean air effectively flushes the interior of the hatch. Importantly, the volume of air involved is so minuscule in comparison to the room’s airflows that it remains imperceptible, leaving room pressures unaffected.

Pass throughs silently ensure that materials move seamlessly, while cross-contamination remains a distant concern. Dortek’s innovative range of pass through hatches help improve the efficiency and reliability of cleanroom operations.

Key Features of Dortek’s Transfer/Pass Throughs Hatches:

  • You can either have our hatches bespoke or standard sized.
  • Can be manufactured using fire resistant materials for up to 60 minutes of fire resistance.
  • Can be lead lined to provide added security and fire protection as well as radiation safety.
  • Can be manufactured to fit bespoke sized trolleys or containers.

Dortek offer a wide range of standard sized, custom made and lead lined pass throughs. Please see our brochure for more details or contact us at info@dortek.com.

 

Dortek to supply FRP doors to the only training institute for biopharmaceutical processing in North America.

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Dortek have been specified to supply and install our hygienic FRP doors to The Jefferson Institute for Bioprocessing (JIB) facility as part of a refurbishment.

The Jefferson Institute for Bioprocessing is a full-service development and training organization specializing in biopharmaceuticals and biologics. They offer early phase pre-clinical process development, product development, analytical, quality control, stability and release testing, world-class industry training, and strong credential programs through Thomas Jefferson University.

Located in Spring House Innovation Park in Lower Gwynedd, Pennsylvania, the JIB gives scientists, engineers and technicians access to a state-of-the-art bioprocessing training facility where they can practice complex bioprocessing procedures using industry-grade equipment. The Institute has received a $2 million grant to add nearly 40,000 square feet of additional academic and training space.

JIB partners with the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) in Dublin, Ireland. JIB training courses use the internationally recognised NIBRT curriculum and are certified by NIBRT.

Dortek supplied our specialist FRP door systems to the facility when it first opened in 2019. The institute is designed to simulate a GMP manufacturing plant where biologics are made so it was crucial the doors met GMP standards. Dortek supplied FRP doors in Stainless Steel frames, cleanroom windows and pass-through hatches. Dortek fiberglass doors have an inorganic, wood free construction which makes them ideal for biopharmaceutical facilities.

A room with stainless steel tables and equipment.A room with white cabinets and white appliances.

 

 

Novosprint Mono High-Speed Door

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The Butzbach NOVOSPRINT Mono is a high-speed door with a sideways opening door leaf, specially designed for fast, unobstructed, and contactless traffic.

As it is a high-speed door with a single lateral opening, it offers many advantages compared to swing, stackable or sliding doors. It is the ideal solution for narrow passages or corridors, where there is limited space.

With a rebate profile depth of just 35 mm on the wall side, this installation variant makes almost the entire opening width available for use.

The side opening ensures no dirt gets from the ground onto workers or the goods being transported. Unlike vertically opening doors, dust or liquids can’t be pulled upwards with the closing edge before then falling or dripping down.

The NOVOSPRINT high speed door range is an investment that pays off, more efficiency, greater reliability and a long service life.

A blue Novosprint Mono high-speed door.

The Butzbach Novosprint Mono door product benefits:

• “Disappearing leaf effect”: Ideal for corridors where a door shall be placed in the clear width, without space at the sides
• Minimum space requirements: Only compact projecting parts on the closing side of the corridor
• Advantage compared to hinged or sliding doors: No disturbing pivoting range or fixed leaf
• Sideward opening: total height open immediately
• Efficient protection against draught or heat loss
• Access control possible with transponder
• Full automatic function for pedestrian traffic
• Very high opening speed – minimises the transfer of dust, draught and noise
• Comprehensive safety relevant equipment
• Optional hygiene version
• *Springs with warranty 500000 openings: An investment which pays well
• Ideal for confined installation situations and highly frequented routes

A yellow Novosprint Mono high-speed door.

The Essential Role of X-ray Doors in Modern Healthcare Facilities

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The world of healthcare has undergone rapid transformation in recent years, with technology and innovation at the forefront of these changes. One of the critical aspects of modern healthcare facilities is their ability to provide accurate and reliable diagnostic services. X-ray technology is an indispensable tool for this purpose and ensuring safety in these areas is of paramount importance. That’s where Dortek steps in with its cutting-edge X-ray doors.

In this blog post, we will discuss the vital role that X-ray doors play in healthcare facilities, the features that make them indispensable and why Dortek’s X-ray doors are the ideal choice for medical establishments.

The importance of X-ray doors in healthcare facilities

X-rays are a powerful tool for medical professionals, enabling them to diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions. However, as beneficial as they are, X-rays also emit ionising radiation that can pose a risk to human health if not adequately shielded. Consequently, it is essential to have proper protection in place for both patients and staff, that’s where X-ray doors come into play.

These specially designed doors offer a protective barrier against ionising radiation, ensuring that exposure levels remain within the acceptable limits outlined by the relevant regulatory authorities. By investing in high-quality X-ray doors, healthcare facilities can maintain a safe environment while providing top-notch diagnostic services.

An X-ray door in an operating theatre.

Key features of Dortek’s X-ray doors

Our X-ray doors boast several critical features that make them the top choice for healthcare facilities:

  1. Lead-lined protection: Dortek’s X-ray doors are equipped with lead lining, which effectively shields against radiation leakage, ensuring the safety of patients and healthcare professionals.
  2. Seamless, hygienic design: Our doors are designed with seamless edges and a smooth surface, minimising the risk of bacteria and infection spread. They are also easy to clean and maintain, making them perfect for the stringent hygienic requirements of healthcare settings.
  3. Customisable options: Dortek understands that each healthcare facility has unique requirements. That’s why we offer customisable X-ray doors, allowing clients to choose from a variety of sizes, finishes and protection levels.
  4. Durability and longevity: The doors are manufactured using high-quality materials, ensuring they can withstand frequent use in busy healthcare environments without compromising their protective properties.
  5. Expert installation and support: Dortek’s team of professionals are well-versed in installing and maintaining X-ray doors, ensuring that they are correctly fitted and functioning at optimal levels.

Blue hinged X-ray theatre doors.

Why choose Dortek for your X-ray door needs?

With over 50 years of experience in the industry, Dortek has established itself as a leading provider of hygienic door solutions for controlled environments. Our X-ray doors are not only designed to meet the highest safety standards but also built to last, making them a smart investment for any facility.

Additionally, our team of experts are committed to providing exceptional customer service, from consultation and installation to ongoing support. When you choose Dortek, you can trust that you are partnering with a company dedicated to your facility’s safety and success.

Please contact our team today on +44 (0)1482 226848 for more information or send us an enquiry via our contact us page.

A blue X-ray door.

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