Door Industry Journal - Spring 2017

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 89 THE door industry journal spring 2017 powered gates NEW ANDROID APP MAKES GATES SAFETY BECOME EVEN SMARTER Microtronics, the Italian specialist in producing force testing equipment, has recently developed a customised Smartphone app for its BlueForce Smart tester for automatic gates and doors. “What encouraged us to design this app was: firstly, to offer to gate installers a quick handbook at their fingertips that, for each kind of gate, shows every measurement point per the norm. Secondly, but more important, was to make possible the visualisation of the force graphic trend directly at the place of the installation, in addition to giving an immediate indication whether the parameters of that test would conform to the regulations or not. It is this special attention to detail and to the needs of people working in this field, that makes the difference between us and the competitors” Utilising the Bluetooth connection, this special app allows the customers to see the tests directly on their portable devices. It works very simply: all that must be done is to download the app from the Apple Store (for iOS devices) or from the Play Store (for Android devices) and then activate Bluetooth on the device. Every new test performed with the BlueForce Smart will be automatically transmitted to the iOS or Android device and displayed using the BlueForce Smart app. Using the “Blue” function it is also possible to send, previously memorised tests one at a time to the app. After sending the required tests with the instrument, the device will show a page containing all information about the measurement taken. For each kind of gate and door there is an image showing all measurement points established by norm. What is more important, for every single measurement taken, there is an impact curve graph displaying the intensity of the force and how it should be to be in compliance with the norm, whilst taking into consideration the kind of door and the position of measurement. Below this graphic force representation, there is a list with the numeric results of the parameters (Dynamic Force, Dynamic Time, Average Static Force, Final Force) that must be evaluated to verify that the specific measurement point is safe as far as the European norms EN 12445, EN 12453 are concerned. If the results of the tested parameters are within the maximum values allowed by the normative, then it displays a message saying “test passed”. On the other hand, if the values are higher than the standard, it will display a message saying “test failed” and the number that is out of the limits will be highlighted. Moreover, every test is listed in date and time order, and it also shows the last calibration date of the force tester. As a matter of fact, as established by the normative, to provide a certificate fully in accordance with the law, a force tester must be calibrated every 12 months. “Every single improvement that we made was done to offer gates installers an easy and practical instrument to assist them in the installation of a safe power- operated system. We believe that this new “Blue” function could really offer a more precise and immediate feedback of the test taken”, says Diego Biason of Microtronics. The new Android app for Android Smartphones is available now from the Play Store, making BlueForce Smart testers even smarter through Bluetooth connectivity. Despite this innovation, the existing NFC system, will be still included in all Microtronics instruments. Find out more at www.microtronics.it .