Door Industry Journal - Summer 2016

building hardware Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 113 THE door industry journal summer 2016 More opportunity for door manufacturers Dr. Lloyd Blewett, sales manager at Samuel Heath, takes a look at the challenges faced by the door manufacturer when selecting door closers and the potential for adding value to product ranges. With the building industry moving more and more towards the use of complete doorsets, as opposed to sourcing doors and hardware separately, the door manufacturer is playing an increasingly important role in ensuring that door solutions meet project needs and that the right hardware options are provided for a given situation. Those manufacturers who perform this role most successfully will reap the benefits of increased specifications and sales, assuming, naturally, that pricing and service meet expectations. Knowing what performance requirements apply, such as fire and accessibility, and which hardware meets them, or enables a door to meet them, is obviously paramount. However, appreciating the additional features and benefits offered by hardware, and ensuring that doorsets are available with this hardware, can provide the door manufacturer with the potential to extend product ranges and add value to their offering. Choosing the right door closer for many situations often means looking beyond performance. There are other vital considerations in the specification process, such as the safety, comfort and well-being of the building’s occupants as well as the appearance of the interior. Reliability Failure of a door closer can lead to failure of the entire fire door, with potentially devastating consequences. The main reasons for door closer failure are poor reliability of the product itself, poor installation and damage, whether accidental or deliberate. Designed and manufactured at our factory in Birmingham, Powermatic door closers are renowned for their engineering excellence and quality of manufacture. They also undergo rigorous cycle testing to provide added assurance of their durability in use. Powermatics are maintenance-free and are backed by lengthy guarantees as well as dedicated specification and technical support, which includes advice on door preparation and on-site assistance to assure installation efficiency. Damage limitation In educational buildings and other public facilities, where the users’ duty of care may not be so high, the risk of a door closer being damaged, either through a misplaced prank or deliberate act of vandalism, are significant. The obvious control boxes and mechanical arms of surface- mounted devices can be a tempting target for pranksters, whereas concealed door closers, particularly jamb-mounted models, virtually eliminate such a risk. Samuel Heath’s Powermatic controlled, concealed door closers are invisible when the door is closed and have very few visible parts when