High-speed overhead doors, commonly referred to as high-performance doors or roll-up doors, are fast-acting entryways with rapid opening speeds. These doors are often used in manufacturing and industrial settings to ensure a safe, smooth operation with minimal interruption.
But these industrial doors are engineered to provide more benefits than quick entry. With a wide range of security features and high durability, high-speed doors have many different perks for interior and exterior applications.
High-Performance Doors vs. Standard Overhead
The most significant difference between a high-speed door and a standard one is how quickly they open and close.
High-speed doors come with high-cycle performance, which allows them to open and close at over three times the speed of the average overhead door. That focus on speed can have foot traffic through your business running smoothly without needless interruptions.
But constantly running foot traffic isn’t the only advantage you get with a high-cycle overhead door. Because they open and close quickly, high-speed doors prevent harsh weather elements from entering your facility and tampering with the room temperature. With a high-speed door, your facility will remain environmentally controlled, even in extreme environments.
Seconds Matter
A standard overhead door closes six inches per second on average, compared to 18 inches per second for most high-performance doors. A top-of-the-line overhead door can even close as fast as 100 inches per second.
A difference of 12 inches per second might not feel like much in the moment, but having high-speed doors that open and close quickly drastically trims downtime for facilities with many oversized doors. When built up over years of operation, those saved seconds can turn into hours, even days’ worth of wasted time removed from your business.
Between the lowered downtime and the preservation of your business’s interior temperature, inches closed per second add up. By the year, more business owners prioritize industrial doors with rapid opening speeds for those two benefits alone. However, there is even more to high-speed doors than that.
Benefits of High-Speed Doors
High-cycle opening speed is the most significant selling point for these doors. Another is how that quick opening and closing time allows employees to navigate their facility’s interior more efficiently. However, high-speed doors are suitable for much more than company efficiency.
Fast-acting doors allow for several different benefits, including the following:
Robust Safety Features
High-speed doors can keep everything moving quickly, but they will also have your facility running securely once installed.
Depending on the industry, some areas of your company might contain hazardous materials or technology. High-cycle rolling doors with rapid opening and closing speeds per second can reduce your exposure to those potentially dangerous environments.
Similarly, for workers in the food processing industry, quickly closing high-performance doors can increase your and your customers’ safety. By sealing refrigerated and frozen foods three times quicker than the average overhead door, you won’t be risking cooling loss that could make your food items inedible.
High-performance doors also lower the risk of any accidental collisions in the workplace. Because they close quicker per second than the average overhead door, there is less of a chance of unaware employees running into a door while it shuts.
Low Maintenance
Many concerned business owners assume that, because high-speed doors are more advanced than their standard counterparts, they have demanding components that are challenging to maintain. But high-speed doors are often low-maintenance technology with solid durability.
Most modern roll-up doors come with technology that limits the wear and tear felt by their many moving parts. Additionally, many high-speed doors can re-insert fast-acting curtains after a collision. That way, you can continue using the door even after it is damaged.
Those two features limit the amount of maintenance required to keep your high-performance doors durable. But even when fixes are needed, most repair crews can get high-speed doors back to working order within 15 minutes.
Energy Efficiency
Companies in extreme environments often need to run their HVAC units constantly to keep customers and employees protected from harsh weather elements. But unfortunately, a slowly closing overhead door can allow poor weather to interfere with a building’s interior temperature.
Six inches per second might sound like a quick enough door closing speed to resist the elements. However, if your industry utilizes roll-up doors that are multiple feet tall and frequently open throughout the day, you will repeatedly expose your interior to poor weather.
Fast-acting doors are the most effective way to combat extreme environments. Not only do high-performance openings block out inclement weather quicker than a traditional overhead door, but many of them have a pressure-resistant design that can mute the noise from heavy wind and rain.
Maximum Productivity
High-performance doors can be used throughout several industrial settings’ interiors and have many exterior applications. With their full range of applications, high-speed overhead doors are some of the best ways to enhance workplace performance, regardless of the industry.
We’ve already looked at the ways that high-performance rolling doors can increase foot traffic on a warehouse floor with quick per second opening and closing speeds. But these doors can improve work performance in other ways, allowing employees speedier access to supplies and minimizing the need for mindful movement, to name a few.
With all of those perks, interior and exterior high-speed doors can enhance your business’ efficiency as soon as you have them installed.
Highly Secure
Premium quality rolling doors are some of the most potent ways to enhance the security of your business.
Since average high-speed doors close three times quicker per second than a standard overhead door, they will quickly block accessibility to your company’s interior and exterior spaces. That way, any unwelcome intruders will be shut out before they can reach your company grounds.
Different Types of High-Speed Doors
Not every business will need the same things from their high-speed door. Luckily, company managers can choose from a wide range of quality doors.
All high-speed doors come in different materials, are made from different components, and prioritize different factors.
Some doors focus on security and being durable, while others are better for easy maintenance and guaranteed reliability. But whichever high-speed door you select will deliver enhanced performance over standard entryways.
High-Speed Rubber Doors
A high-speed rubber door is one of the best options for frequent usage and weather resistance.
Rubber is robust enough to resist wear and tear and any potential weather damage, allowing you to save money and time from regular maintenance.
Additionally, many high-speed rubber doors come with additional safety features, such as blockage detection and self-reset sensors. That added reliability makes rubber one of the best door materials for industrial use.
High-Speed Fabric Doors
While high-speed fabric doors are less robust than their rubber counterparts, they are the most straightforward rolling door to repair and have the quickest openings.
In addition to that reliability, high-speed fabric doors have a strong level of accessibility. Top-of-the-line fabric doors are often cheaper than a rubber or metal door, making them popular options for businesses looking to strengthen the interior of their company without breaking the bank.
High-Speed Metal Doors
High-speed metal doors have more power than most other door options, but they also come with rapid per second speeds. Many top-of-the-line metal doors can open and close at a speed of 80
inches a second, rivaling the rate of high-speed doors of lighter materials.
In addition to speed, high-performance metal doors are simple to maintain. Because of their springless design, repair teams have fewer moving parts to inspect and fix, creating easy maintenance.
That springless design also allows high-speed metal doors to last longer, with less risk of a crucial part breaking down.
High-Speed Door Applications
Because of their power, speed, and security benefits, rolling doors are ideal fits for just about any warehouse or manufacturing company with heavy foot traffic.
But there are even more industries that could benefit from installing high-speed doors, including the following:
- Food processing environments
- Loading docks
- Parking garages
Key Things To Consider
You must consider all relevant criteria before committing to a style of high-speed door. If you are not careful in the decision-making process, you could end up with a door that doesn’t meet your company’s values.
In particular, it is vital to think about these two questions before deciding:
What are your values?
What do you want from your high-speed door? Increased security? Easy accessibility? Certain high-speed doors are better for different things, and what you value most should determine which one you install.
Interior or exterior use?
Certain high-performance doors work better in specific settings. For example, since rubber doors resist weather, they are best for exterior facilities.
Where you want your high-performance door installed will determine which model you should purchase.
Guide for Finding the Right High-Speed Door
Measure Carefully
Before investing in high-speed overhead doors, it is essential to measure the interior or exterior space you want them installed. That way, you will know for sure what size door you need.
Consult With High-Performance Door Experts
It can be tricky to know which door style is best for your needs without ever working with one. Consulting with an expert can help give you a better idea.
Do the Research
Before investing in a high-speed door, be sure to research the pros and cons of all models to learn which ones will fit best with your industry.
For more information or to find the perfect door for your needs, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our ASI Doors team today at (800) 558-7068.