Door Industry Journal - Winter 2018

21 THE door industry journal winter 2018 Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk industry news SALUTARY TALES ELECTRICALLY OPERATED ROLLER SHUTTERS CRASH TO GROUND AFTER LACK OF LUBRICATION CAUSES BUSHING TO FAIL This tale tells about remarkable faults found on two electrically operated roller shutters which were required for 24hr/7days-per-week operation on a military installation. About 13 years ago, I was called to site to investigate and report on two roller shutters, installed about a year earlier, which had failed the day before my visit. The first shutter, approx. 3.5m wide x 4m high, was on the ground in the doorway. Initial inspection immediately showed that the idle end shaft had been rotating, dry, apparently unlubricated since installation. With the result that both shaft and cast-iron bearing had worn excessively, each effectively grinding the other away, to the extent that, ultimately, the 1-inch (25.4 mm) diameter shaft had worn down to an oval section approximately 15 mm x 12 mm, about 30% of the original shaft cross-section. The bushing was worn out to approximately 30mm diameter. At which point, the shaft was no longer adequate to support half the weight of the barrel and curtain, it failed in a combination of twist and shear, allowing the entire shutter to fall. An adjacent identical shutter was in the same state, but had been raised out of the way, and retained aloft by means of chain slings to allow access to the building. The second shutter exhibited the same symptoms as the first, and failure appeared to have occurred in the same way. Interestingly, in both cases there was a small tell-tale heap of grey cast iron ‘filings’ at the foot of the relevant side-guide channel, which should have been a give- away clue to a sharp-eyed maintenance engineer. In both cases, the bearing at the drive end was of a bronze type, presumably sintered and self-lubricating, which had not failed. Many other shutters on the same site were of the same low specification and poor design. Furthermore, there was no positive retention of the barrel assembly between the end-plates. This kind of bad work should not be happening in the present day; but could still be encountered in a maintenance and repair context on older shutters. Self-lube bearings and positive shaft retention are ‘musts’! Luckily, in this case, no-one was injured. J. M. Boydell Email: jmbgpc@tiscali.co.uk Phone: 01952 432429 A regular column, which concisely outlines Door and Gate related incidents, some of which became court cases, brought to you by John Boydell, a Door Industry Consultant and Forensic Engineer since 1984. J Boydell IN2 Access Adds New Marketing Executive to Growing Team Farrell Johnson joins Shropshire-based safety and sensing technology supplier IN2 Access and Control Ltd. Bringing 20 years of marketing and sales experience to the company, Farrell joins the IN2 Access team as their newest Marketing Executive. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Farrell’s previous roles include Sales Operations Manager and B2B Marketing in the financial services industry. He holds a degree in Business Administration & Marketing from California State University Northridge. “Having worked with companies that have seen tremendous growth, I look forward to bringing that experience and skill set to IN2 Access,” says Farrell. “Whilst I may be new to the sector, many of the same principals apply in terms of scaling up the business and selling a valuable service to a wider audience. I hope to contribute and replicate that growth with IN2 Access.” Duties at IN2 Access include introducing new and significantly upgraded products in the coming months. Customers can also look forward to IN2 Access’ first comprehensive Gate and Barrier product catalogue, the first in a series designed to make it easier for customers to search for and order complete solutions for any gate, door, and barrier application. Marketing enquiries can be directed to farrell.johnson@in2access.co.uk . Farrell Johnson joins IN2 Access team