Traffic Door Choices

You may not know this, but when Chase Industries, Inc., started in 1932, we were initially  a manufacturer of insulated walk-in coolers and specialty refrigeration equipment. Shortly after launching the business, Chase Blum (founder) pioneered the original, flexible AirGard™ traffic door with its unique top-mounted-only gravity hinging system. We’ve greatly expanded our line of doors since then, and it can be easy to get overwhelmed by all the different types (cold storage doors, fire doors, bird & bug doors, etc.). One of our specialties, which I’ll highlight today, is our traffic doors.

Flexible Traffic Doors

Our AirGard™ flexible traffic doors operate with a top hinge only, allowing them to be used in areas where wide loads need to pass through, and are especially useful where space is at a premium. Since they don’t have a bottom hinge, there is no worry of  damage to the bottom door hardware. Due to their flexible materials, they can take a lot of impact and are offered in many styles to suit usage from industrial applications with heavy loads (the AirGard 973) to secondary cooler doors (our Econoclear door).

Econoclear flexible door (left) and Top Hinge close up (right)

Industrial Traffic Doors

When you’re up against forklift traffic and other heavy loads each day, you’ve got to be tough. Chase offers some of the most durable industrial traffic doors in the industry. While our flexible doors are fully capable, in applications where a traditional (solid) door is desired for these highly-demanding applications, our Durulite doors fit the bill, especially the Durulite Industrial door or our Durulite Postal-Security 200 door.

Durulite Industrial Traffic Door

General Service Traffic Doors

For less abusive applications that aren’t subjected to forklifts, we offer many doors that are appropriate for traffic such as the pallet, push cart and pedestrian traffic typically found in retail or supermarket locations, such as our SC 3000 or ABS 5000 doors. We also offer insulated traffic doors that are appropriate for these locations, such as the Durulite Retailer.

SC 3000 Traffic Door

ABS 5000 Traffic Door

Hopefully this short guide offers a little guidance on the traffic door that would be best for your application. We want you to get the best door for your particular project, and the best way to do that is to talk to one of our customer service people, by calling 800-543-4455. You can also leave us a comment here, or reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter.

DuraShield Vinyl Roll-up Doors

With spring in full swing here in Cincinnati, we’re getting use of our DuraShield Bug doors in our warehouse. But we also have another DuraShield product useful for areas where ventilation (while keeping bugs & birds out) isn’t the primary concern.

The DuraShield Solid Vinyl Roll-up Door is an affordable choice for sealing out dust, noise, and pollution and for managing temperature differentials. It can help you increase productivity by improving your employees work environment.

We were recently on location doing a video shoot for a new install video. This particular facility had several other areas devoted to different production activities, and one in particular stood out to me as an ideal location for a DuraShield Vinyl Roll-up door. This was a wood cutting area which utilizes a big opening to allow forklift traffic to move through. While there is a pair of traffic doors installed (which we also sell and highly recommend!) this struck me as a perfect application for our DuraShield vinyl roll-up door:  it would effectively contain the sawdust and keep the other areas of the building clean, while allowing the forklift to pass through easily.

Manual or Automatic Operation

DuraShield Vinyl roll-up doors come standard with manual chain hoist operation, but can be ordered with motor operators, which is appropriate for applications (such as the one mentioned above) where there is motorized traffic passing through.  

Mounting Options and Sliding Models, Too!

To accommodate nearly every application, there are three mounting methods to ensure you get the perfect fit and seal (face of wall, in jamb, and inside standoff). In addition, DuraShield vinyl doors are available in a sliding configuration, useful where there are tight clearances at the top of an opening. These operate smoothly on a galvanized track system utilizing pull handles and manual closures.  

DuraShield products are available in many colors and are a great choice to solve contamination problems in industrial and manufacturing facilities. For more information give us a call at 800-543-4455 or feel free to leave a comment here in the blog, or on Facebook or Twitter.

Saino Sliding Door Solutions

Did you know that Saino® is one of the oldest brands of sliding service and fire doors in the US? Since 1899, when Saino created the original sliding service fire door, the name has been synonymous with high quality, reliable doors that stand the test of time. In fact, several years ago we received pictures showing how Saino sliding fire doors stopped a fire from spreading (like they are meant to). In the image below, lightning struck a lumber facility and the back inventory warehouse burned up. Fortunately, the store itself was unharmed and they were back in business very quickly. As a testament to their quality, the doors were still operable!

Typical Applications

Sliding door systems are a great choice for larger applications, such as industrial facilities, pharmaceutical or cleanroom doors, convention centers, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. Saino sliding doors can be used in both single slide and center parting applications, making them ideal for larger openings where oversized access is required.

They are available with up to 4 hour UL labels, so they are ideal for most applications requiring fire barriers. One key advantage of sliding fire doors is that they can be part of your building’s overall security plan. Since they are easy to operate, they should be closed whenever the building is unoccupied (as the lumber facility image above highlights). 

Saino Fire Doors Meet Multiple Requirements

All Saino fire doors can be automated, which can reduce the cost and complexity of meeting building requirements by serving as both a functional door for everyday use, and as a fire door. A battery backup system comes standard, and sliding fire doors can be equipped with pass doors for an additional means of egress if required. Automated doors can be programmed to close automatically whenever the building is closed and the security system is activated, further enhancing security.

Choose Saino for Quality

When looking for a sliding door, choose Saino first. With nearly 115 years of experience behind us, you’ll know you’re getting a superior, custom designed solution for your need. Stay tuned to the Chase Blog for another update where I’ll review some specific features and benefits of the different Sanio door models. Until then, feel free to leave a comment here in the blog, or on Facebook or Twitter. 

ColdGuard: It’s the Construction!

In our last post, we discussed the three types of ColdGuard cooler and freezer doors that are available for varying applications, from simple, swing type walk-in cooler doors, to sliding and vertical lift doors available for cold storage facilities, warehouses, food processing and food service facilities.

Today I wanted to focus on what makes ColdGuard doors so unique and durable. It all comes down to the construction components – many competing doors have a wooden framework which is susceptible to moisture and is less resistant to impact which can allow the outer surface material of the door to become damaged.

In contrast, ColdGuard doors begin with a thermally neutral, fiberglass reinforced pultrusion (FRP) perimeter framework. Gusseted steel corner brackets fit perfectly inside the FRP profile to provide exceptional frame strength and eliminate the need for other bracing. The entire door panel is foamed-in-place with a non-CFC polyurethane core, which locks components in place and creates an extremely durable, insulated panel.

On all ColdGuard doors, heavy duty hardware is the norm: chrome-plated, self-lubricating cam lift hinges are standard on swing doors; a maintenance free heavy duty track rail system with ball bearing rollers is standard on sliding doors; and a coated, corrosion resistant track and hardware are utilized on vertical lift doors.

Another aspect that makes ColdGuard sliding doors so durable is our PerfectSeal^TM gasket system. Instead of a balloon seal that easily wears out during normal operation, PerfectSeal utilizes a two-ply, fabric reinforced blade seal against the top and side edges of the door. This design means less replacement of worn out seals and reduced drag from the gaskets during operation. Because it works so well, you don’t have to pull the door away while opening or push it in when closing, making it much easier to operate in every day use.

We’re proud of the simple yet innovative designs that make ColdGuard doors so reliable and easy to use. Of course there are many additional options and features, which you can find in the brochure. With better quality construction and simpler solutions to common problems, you can’t beat a ColdGuard door for your application. In fact, we’ve heard it from our customers, who tell us that ColdGuard doors just hold up better than the competition!

Give us a call at 800-543-4455 to speak with one of our customer service specialists, or reach out to us on our Facebook or Twitter pages. We’d love to hear your thoughts and get a dialog started!

Which ColdGuard door is right for you?

Many of you know Chase Doors makes some of the best cooler and freezer doors (our ColdGuard line) but you may not realize that we offer three distinct styles to suit different applications. Today I’ll highlight those three styles and the applications you might typically use them in.

Swing Doors First off, we have ColdGuard Swing doors. These are available in single or double panel configurations, and are the simplest in terms of operation. These doors are suitable for use in indoor or outdoor applications and are most often used as new or OEM replacement doors for walk-in coolers found in restaurants, grocery stores, etc. Ours are time-tested and feature heavy duty chrome plated hinges and latch mechanisms, as well as a magnetic vinyl push-in gasket for long service life.

Sliding Doors The workhorse of our lineup is the ColdGuard sliding door. These are available in single or bi-parting designs, with manual or electric operation, depending on your needs. The sliding doors are designed for the abusive, high-cycle applications typically found in retail or cold storage facilities, warehouses, food processing and food service facilities. They feature a heavy duty track and the PerfectSeal^TM gasket system, which is superior to high-maintenance bulb gaskets typically found on other sliding doors, which tend to rip and tear. This unique system is simple, yet eliminates common problems such as air infiltration and moisture, as well as the “down and in” closing motion found on other sliding doors, making the ColdGuard door much easier to open and shut. You can see a video on installation here.

Vertical Lift Doors The last style of ColdGuard door is our Vertical Lift door. Available in electric or manual operation, it is ideal for applications where there is minimum side room or when several door openings are close together (such as warehouse loading docks). Available for cooler or freezer applications, vertical lift doors feature heavy duty hardware and a coated track for corrosion resistance. A torsion spring counter balancing system makes for easy operation, while the optional electric operation enables quick, 10″ per second operating speed. Safety features include a thru-beam photo cell and photo-eye beam which will reverse the door if an obstruction is detected.

The Best Cold Storage Doors

In another post, I’ll cover the various features and options available for each door. Just know that no matter which style you choose, when you buy a ColdGuard door, you’re buying one of the best doors in the industry. For more information, check out the links to the webpages (above), speak with one of our customer service specialists at 800-543-4455, or reach out to us on our Facebook or Twitter pages. No matter which way you prefer, we’d love to hear from you!

Improved Light Duty Service Doors

At Chase Doors, we’re always looking for ways to improve our products to make them more reliable, more visually appealing, or more cost effective for our customers.

Today we’re happy to announce that we’ve improved our light duty doors, the SD 2000 and SST 2000. With a slight design modification to the panel, Chase has been able to make these doors both simpler and more visually appealing, without affecting their durability!

The new design incorporates a triangular leading edge and back spine, which provide vertical panel stiffness and edge protection and reduces potential damage. This new design is simpler than our previous one, with fewer parts. We’ve also standardized the hinge design, minimizing maintenance requirements for our customers.

The biggest benefit you’ll notice is the improved visual appeal of the new design, with cleaner, smoother lines that benefit any decor.

A popular choice for retail stores, supermarkets, food service and institutional facilities, the SD 2000 is formed from .063″ anodized aluminum and is also available with a decorative, high-pressure laminate finish to match your decor.

The SST 2000 is constructed from stainless steel for a classic finish perfect for high-tech or retro applications. The upscale finish is durable and low maintenance, needing only an occasional polish to keep its shine. Both models are also USDA accepted.

This is one of the recent improvements we’ve completed at Chase Doors. Stay tuned to our Blog and to Facebook and Twitter as we announce more improvements throughout the year.

Fib-R-Dor and Retrofit Energy Savings

The GlobalCon 2013 Conference, which focuses on the latest developments in the energy sector, is coming up next week (3/6 – 3/7). There will be a lot of discussion about new energy technologies and how they can be integrated into new and existing buildings to reduce overall energy use. 

One topic that will probably be of particular interest is that of retrofitting existing buildings with new, different technologies. Two key factors to consider with upgrades and retrofits are: 1) how cost effective they are (payback period) and 2) overall energy performance.

Chase Fib-R-Dor doors are a natural choice for retrofitting old hollow metal doors on buildings. They are far superior in many areas, not only in durability and looks (which means the payback period is better), but also in terms of their energy performance.

Fib-R-Dor fiberglass doors utilize a unique “outside-in” manufacturing process, creating a highly durable panel with no seams, gaps or potential failure points. The door color is a molded gel coat finish, so it will never corrode, need to be painted or discolor like steel and aluminum doors.

When they are filled with polyisocyanurate foam (there are several core options), they offer high R-values across the panel. High R-values are only one part of the equation, though. As most energy experts will tell you, the larger energy losses in a building typically come from air leaks – and windows and doors are natural places for leaks to form.

Because of their superior FRP framework, the Fib-R-Dor frame and door system won’t corrode, warp, or split over time (like other doors and frames). This ensures a tight seal around the entire panel, and is a key factor in ensuring a consistent seal over the life of the door. When other doors may have warped, dented or corroded (creating air leaks), a Fib-R-Dor will still be plumb, true, and sealing tight.

To learn more about the Fib-R-Dor and how they can help your energy saving needs, give us a call at 800.543.4455, or feel free to talk with us on Facebook or Twitter!