Category: General

Molded FRP Doors: The Superior Choice for Cleanrooms

Posted on by Dortek

Abstract

Cleanrooms require doors that can maintain a sterile environment, resist corrosion, and withstand frequent cleaning with harsh chemicals. This blog compares the performance of molded Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) doors with powder-coated steel doors in cleanroom applications, highlighting the advantages of molded FRP doors.

Introduction

Cleanrooms are controlled environments used in manufacturing, scientific research, and medical facilities where pollutants like dust, airborne microbes, and aerosol particles are limited. Doors in these environments must meet stringent standards for cleanliness, durability, and resistance to corrosion.

Molded FRP doors in a short walkway.

Advantages of Molded FRP Doors

Durability and Strength

Molded FRP doors are known for their exceptional strength and rigidity due to the uniform distribution of fibers achieved during the molding process. This results in a door that can withstand heavy use and accidental impacts without compromising its integrity.

Chemical and Impact Resistance

The seamless construction of molded FRP doors provides superior chemical resistance, making them ideal for environments with exposure to corrosive substances. They also offer better impact resistance compared to doors with seams or joints, which can be vulnerable to damage.

A molded FRP door in a small room.

Long-Term Performance

Molded FRP doors are designed for longevity, requiring minimal maintenance over their lifespan. They do not rot, rust, swell, warp, or corrode, ensuring that they remain functional and aesthetically pleasing for years.

Hygiene and Cleanliness

The non-porous surface of molded FRP doors makes them easy to clean and disinfect, a critical feature for cleanroom applications. They can withstand the toughest cleaning regimes, including vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) and chlorine releasing agents.

Disadvantages of Powder Coated Steel Doors

Corrosion and Maintenance

While powder-coated steel doors can resist common alcohol-based cleaners, they may degrade over time when exposed to harsher chemicals used in cleanrooms. This can lead to increased maintenance and potential replacement costs.

Weight and Installation

The weight of steel doors can pose challenges during installation, requiring special equipment and care to handle and position correctly. This can increase the complexity and cost of installation.

Aesthetic Limitations

Powder-coated steel doors may not offer the same level of customization and aesthetic options as molded FRP doors, which can be finished with various colors and textures.

Conclusion

Molded FRP doors outperform powder-coated steel doors in cleanroom applications due to their superior durability, chemical and impact resistance, long-term performance, and ease of maintenance. Their ability to maintain hygiene and cleanliness makes them the preferred choice for facilities aiming to adhere to strict cleanroom standards.

Dortek 344 Vertical High Speed Doors

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In bustling industrial environments where safety and efficiency are paramount, finding the right door solution can be a challenge. That’s where the Dortek 344 Vertical High Speed Door comes in – a robust, high-speed roll door designed to meet the rigorous demands of modern workplaces while prioritising personal safety and energy efficiency.

NR344 rapid roll door

 

Unparalleled Safety and Efficiency

The Dortek 344 Vertical High Speed Door is engineered to shield effectively against drafts, dust, and noise, enhancing personal safety in busy interior openings. With its rapid and reliable operation, this door ensures seamless access while maintaining a secure environment.

At the heart of its operation lies the A4.0 drive unit, featuring a robust worm gear drive and advanced vector-inverter control with a monitored brake function. This powerhouse can handle up to seven openings per minute, boasting an integrated absolute encoder for precise control. With opening speeds reaching up to 2.5 m/s and closing speeds up to 1.2 m/s, the Dortek 344 Vertical High Speed Door offers unmatched performance in its class.

Compact Design, Maximum Efficiency

Designed with space-saving in mind, the Dortek 344 Vertical High Speed Door features compact frame columns, covers, and a bottom beam constructed from anodized aluminium. At just 80mm wide, these components are easily detachable, allowing for hassle-free installation and maintenance. Safety photocell curtains, well-protected within the frames, ensure comprehensive safety without compromising on space.

Innovative Door Panel Technology

The patented Dortek 344 Vertical High Speed Door panel sets a new standard for durability and safety. Constructed with PVC coated double reinforced woven fabric, this 2mm thick panel is exceptionally resilient. The door panel is approved for use in food manufacturing and has carbon fibres woven into the fabric to protect it from static electricity.

Flexible Control Options

The Dortek 344 Vertical High Speed Door offers a flexible control system, programmable to accommodate various operational requirements. With a 4.3″ full-colour touch display, programming and monitoring operational information are effortless. Integrated safety features, including safety photocell curtains and automatic emergency openings, provide peace of mind in any situation.

Meeting High Standards

The Dortek 344 Vertical High Speed Door prioritises safety at every level. Located at the base of the door panel, a self-monitoring electric safety edge ensures immediate reversal of the door if any obstruction is detected. This safety feature is seamlessly integrated with a wireless connection to the door control system, enhancing operational efficiency. Furthermore, a safety photocell within the door line triggers the door to open position in the event of interruption. Optional light curtains provide an additional layer of safety, ensuring comprehensive protection in all operating conditions.

Customisation for Every Need

The Dortek 344 Vertical High Speed Door can be tailored to suit specific requirements, whether it’s high-temperature application or ESD-safe doors. With alternative actuators the possibilities are endless, ensuring the door seamlessly integrates into any environment.

Experience the benefits of High-Speed Vertical Doors

Compact, efficient, and incredibly safe, the Dortek 344 Vertical High Speed Doors is the ultimate solution for environments where performance and safety are non-negotiable. With its innovative design and cutting-edge features, it’s not just a door – it’s a game-changer for industries worldwide.

The Dortek 344 high speed door is also available on NBS Source –

Dortek 344 Vertical High Speed Door | Dortek Ltd | NBS BIM Library (thenbs.com)

Crash doors and flip flap doors from Dortek

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In the fast-paced world of retail, the right doors are essential for maintaining a seamless and secure environment. Explore the benefits of retail crash doors and discover how Dortek’s retail expertise, spanning over 55 years, enables us to provide the best tailored solutions to meet your needs.

Retail crash doors play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth flow of both foot traffic and goods. These robust and durable doors are designed to withstand the demands of high-traffic environments, providing a perfect balance between safety and efficiency.

Advantages of Dortek flip flap doors:

  • Robust and Long Life Design – a durable, hardwearing construction which is built to last in high traffic applications.
  • Easy to Operate – lightweight, 180-degree swing hinge system which is user friendly and 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.
  • 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.

Advantages of working with Dortek:

  • Over 55 Years’ Experience: Benefit from Dortek’s extensive 55-year experience in the retail industry. Our specialised in-house retail team is at your service, managing projects with precision and ensuring your requirements are met seamlessly.
  • Dedicated In-House Retail Team: We offer you our full support at every stage of the process from initial design to install and final commissioning.
  • BIM Objects for Easy Specification: Simplify the specification process with Dortek’s comprehensive range of BIM objects. Tailor your crash doors to your exact specifications effortlessly.
  • NBS Product Specifications: Access detailed product specifications on the NBS platform. Dortek provides transparency and clarity, empowering you with the information needed for informed decision-making.

For more information, please contact us or look at our retail brochure.

Fire Resistance – Tried and Tested Doorsets to Global Standards

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Why Choose Dortek GRP Fire Doors

The traditional door used in fire applications is made of steel, however modern GRP doors are much more hygienic than steel. They are also much lighter meaning they are easier to operate with less wear on hinges & closers. This significantly reduces maintenance costs and improves the overall lifetime of the door.

Dortek offer a unique, patented concealed intumescent strip, which is built into the door during the manufacturing process. This maintains a smooth, seamless profile ensuring that there are no seams or ledges where dirt and germs can gather.

Tried and Tested to Global Standards

Dortek door sets are designed, tested and certified by independent third parties to meet the most stringent fire certifications. We continuously test our doors to ensure they meet the most recent certification and test standards in each of the countries where our fire doors are installed.

Our hinged & sliding doors are tested and certified from F30 to F300, combining safety without compromising high standards of hygiene and usability. We currently have over 50 independent tested door specifications compliant with worldwide regulations.

Our GRP fire doors are tested and certified to the following worldwide standards:

EN 1634 – 1 (Pan European Standard) Certified from F30 to F300
ANSI/UL 10-C (US Standard) Certified F30 and F90
GB-12955 (China) Certified F30 and F60
Singapore SS332 : 2007 (Singapore Standard) Certified from F30 to F120
BS 476 Pt 22  (British Standard) Certified from F30 to F300
EN 1634-1 CSTB (France) Certified from F30 to F180
AS 1530.4-2005 and AS1905.1-2005 (Australia and New Zealand) certified from F30 to F120.

Our Projects – GSK Biologicals, Belgium

Dortek Projects | GSK Biologicals, Belgium | Hygienic Fire Doors

GSK, the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical group, with around 100,000 employees across 116 countries, sought hygienic door solutions for their new manufacturing plant in Belgium, where three main vaccine sites are located (Wavre, Rixensart, and Gembloux).

Dortek, having supplied multiple projects in Wavre and Rixensart, provided hygienic fire-rated hinged and sliding doors meeting Belgium’s Ei 1 60 standards. The doors were installed in ISO 6, 7, and 8 cleanrooms, integrated into double plasterboard and masonry walls. Dortek’s doors, featuring air pressure management seals, also included access control for personnel and material airlocks. Their unique, hygienic, and non-absorbent properties make them well-suited for pharmaceutical facilities.

Cleanroom Sliding Doors

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The use of sliding doors in cleanroom environments has proven to be an effective solution for enhancing efficiency. These specialized doors offer numerous benefits that contribute to maintaining the required cleanliness levels and improving workflow.

Firstly, sliding cleanroom doors ensure a tight seal when closed, preventing any unwanted contaminants from entering the cleanroom. This helps to maintain the integrity of the controlled environment and protect sensitive processes or products from potential contamination.

Sliding doors simply cut through the air causing minimal disturbance in clean room environments, whereas swing doors disrupt the airflow each time they are opened. This uncontrolled air can accelerate the spread of airborne micro-organisms by air currents and may result in cross contamination in clean rooms.

Secondly, sliding cleanroom doors are designed with smooth surfaces and minimal crevices, making them easy to clean and sanitize. This reduces downtime for cleaning procedures and allows for quick restoration of operations.

Additionally, cleanroom sliding doors provide seamless access between different areas within the cleanroom, facilitating smooth flow of personnel and equipment. Their ergonomic design also enhances user comfort and convenience during frequent movements.

Overall, by incorporating sliding doors into cleanroom facilities, organizations can optimize efficiency by minimizing contamination risks, streamlining cleaning processes, and improving overall workflow.

A white cleanroom sliding door.

Sliding Cleanroom Doors:

• Create up to 70% less air disturbance than swing doors
• Reduce the spread of micro-organisms
• Is safer, provides convenient access for high traffic areas
• Generate extra floor space: on average 10-15%
• A better solution for those with limited space
• Eliminate the chance of a door being opened into someone.

Dortek have a range of FRP cleanroom sliding doors and hermetic sliding doors designed specifically for hygienic areas. Our doors are proven to maximise efficiency, safety and cleanability in the most demanding cleanroom environments. Contact us for more information at info@dortek.com.

Seasons Greetings From Dortek

Posted on by Dortek

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

Posted on by Dortek

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

 

 

Test Shows Our Doors Are Resistant To Spor-Klenz

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Dortek GRP doors are designed to be extremely functional, robust and chemical resistant. A test we have carried out demonstrates this further by proving our doors resistance to the popular sterilant Spor-Klenz. Our doors were tested by the US approved independent test laboratory Intertek. The results in the report indicated that there were no changes to the finish when Dortek GRP doors were exposed to the disinfectant.

Dortek GRP doors have a smooth, seamless surface which facilitates easy cleaning and chemical and moisture resistance. Our doors are completely free from joints, voids and crevices which can harbour bacteria.

This makes them ideally suited for pharmaceutical, medical, research and biotech applications or other areas requiring a long lasting door solution which is easy to clean and also impervious to water or common chemicals.

You can view the full report of our recent test here.

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. 

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