Protection against cold and noise: Neher relies on Efaflex high-speed doors

Challenging conditions for high-speed doors

The challenge in the factory: the doors at Neher Systeme have to withstand strong gusts of wind and open and close quickly at the same time. "We live in an area that is 600 meters above sea level and where the winters are correspondingly cold," explains Joachim Frasch from Operations Engineering. He is responsible for the development of the entire warehouse logistics. "We want our employees to work for us for as long as possible. That's why we have to make sure they stay healthy." In addition to the three external doors in the new warehouse, which will go into operation in 2023, four other doors from the manufacturer Efalex are also in use at Neher Systeme. They separate different areas of the company building from one another. For example, in the huge warehouse building with a ceiling span of around 40 meters, there is a warm hall for packing and picking products and a cooler, but draught-free section for shipping. In one production season, 20-30 tons of material are handled there. There is also cross traffic in front of the 6.50 meter wide gate between the areas. An EFA-Scan laser scanner is installed in front of the gate to ensure that the large gate only opens when vehicles approach it.

Pulse generator and safety system in one

The laser scanner not only detects movement, but also its distance, direction and speed. The door is only triggered to open when vehicles or people move towards it, but not when people simply walk past, for example. When a moving object or person is detected, the device is triggered in a fraction of a second and the door opens.

The geometry and logic of the dynamic detection zone of maximum 10 × 10 meters can be freely selected. The user can program the zone with the aid of a remote control. In the static safety field directly in front of the door, the scanner reacts like a safety system: the laser scanner covers the entire width of the door and prevents the door from closing as soon as it detects a moving or stationary obstacle. The depth of the safety field can be selected as required.
Software logarithms prevent the EFA-Scan laser scanner from being triggered by rain, snow or ambient light, thus ensuring that it is also suitable for outdoor installation. The laser scanner scans the horizontal with a detection angle of 95° and scans this area an additional six degrees vertically.

On his tour of the factory, Joachim Frasch stops in front of another door. This EFA-SRT Premium protects the micro-atmosphere in the climate-controlled warehouse at Neher Systeme. "This is where our adhesive products are stored. To ensure that they can be used perfectly at all times, the room is kept at a temperature of exactly 20 degrees Celsius and there is a constant humidity of 50 percent," says Joachim Frasch, illustrating the conditions in this part of the warehouse.

The reliable operation and speed of the door to the engine room is also very important. "It opens at a speed of around two meters per second. He only got to know the doors from Efaflex when the new warehouse was built, says Joachim Frasch. "We have already had positive experiences with the doors." In addition to their technical features, it is just as important for Neher Systeme that the building structure, the external appearance of the plant and the operating equipment reflect the quality of its own products. "If we offer beautiful workspaces with high-quality equipment, our employees also enjoy coming to work."