LOGISTICS AND PRODUCTION BUILDING

Increasing demands on building insulation, conservation of resources and the reduction of energy consumption are predominant topics and tasks in industrial and logistics construction. As these are often large and complex structures, numerous measures are necessary to fulfil these goals and requirements.

Insulated and insulating components and devices form the basis for keeping production halls or warehouses at a uniform temperature level. It is often also a question of effectively separating different temperature zones without unnecessarily complicating operating processes.

Doors, gates and dock levellers should therefore be designed and used in such a way that unnecessary energy losses are avoided.

Door and gate systems in the industrial and logistics sector are much more complex components than those familiar from the home, school or office sector. In addition to the usual building and installation regulations, numerous traffic and labour law aspects must also be taken into account for these products and devices.

For example, in the case of loading systemsloading systems, for example, it is important to avoid personal injury and damage to property during loading and unloading as well as to prevent damage to the vehicles themselves. There are also dangers if a lorry leaves too early due to a lack of communication between the parties involved or if a vehicle unintentionally changes position due to a forklift truck constantly driving into it. Suitable safety measures must be taken for this.

For industrial doorsthe safety of the function in the event of door malfunctions, spring breakage or the threat of a door falling must be guaranteed, as must the protection of persons from injury when opening or closing. In addition, burglar-resistant measures are required for external doors or devices that prevent doors from being operated when the wicket door is open. Provision must also be made for the situation of a power failure.

The changes brought about by the digitalisation of industry, which are discussed under the heading of Industry 4.0, also affect processes in logistics. Logistics 4.0 solutions create full transparency regarding operating times, cycles and other data from dock levellers and doors. This allows energy costs to be reduced, unnecessary opening times to be avoided and preventative maintenance work to be carried out.

Integrating the functions of gates and dock levellers into networked systems is the next step in a scenario in which people, machines, systems, logistics and products communicate and cooperate with each other.

Equipping industrial and logistics buildings with doors and gates is a constant challenge for planners. Numerous regulations govern the possible uses and also lead to restrictions in terms of design variety. System solutions with a multifunctional and multi-optional design can help to overcome this. Whereas in the past everything was more or less supplied in grey, today extended colour selection options should be standard. Platform strategies, as we know them from other industries, also form a basis for the integration of diverse functions into a standardised design.

Configurable basic types not only reduce the manufacturer's development costs, but also cater better to the increasingly differentiated design ideas of building owners and users. Fire and smoke protection, sound insulation and burglar resistance can all be included in modern system solutions without this being visually noticeable.

Today, industrial architecture is characterised not only by functional, but increasingly also by design ideas. Transparent construction with generous glass surfaces in the interior or translucent smoke protection closures are indicative of future developments.

Structural fire protection and the design of escape and rescue routes are also key requirements in industrial buildings and workplaces in general. Evacuation in an emergency, for example in the event of a fire, is ensured here by emergency exit locks in accordance with DIN EN 179 and panic door locks in accordance with the EN 1125 standard.

When dimensioning door, corridor and staircase widths, all rooms and traffic routes that lead to the escape route and are specially labelled must be taken into account. Their width should be coordinated so that employees, visitors and suppliers can leave a building safely and quickly.