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And
The Future... |
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We
asked Robin his view about the future of the
industrial door. |
|
| So
what will the industrial door business be like
in 20 years time? |
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"Different
but the same is the short answer. As a basic
piece of technology industrial doors will still
be recognisable in twenty years time, although
the key components, controls and the nature of
the industry will change." |
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| What
are the factors that will drive change? |
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"Some
of these are already apparent. Regulation will
be the big driver for change - as we see
already. Health and Safety is a big issue and
this currently drives much of the regulation
such as CE marking and demands for CITB
certified skills. The environment and concerns
about energy cost and CO2 reduction will lead to
still higher standards being set in the Building
Regulations that will demand higher levels of
insulation and control of door openings." |
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| So
how will this affect door design? |
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"Expect
panel sections to be thicker - unless the panel
makers discover a way of improving insulation
levels without increasing thickness. Expect more
attention to draught proofing and greater use of
automation to control door movement to prevent
excess heat loss." |
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| Will
there be any changes to door appearance? |
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"As
architects and their clients get more demanding
I expect there will be greater demand for wider
ranges of finishes to match cladding
materials." |
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| And
what about the industry? |
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"We
will have at least another couple of branches to
serve our customers. I think there will be fewer
manufacturers - because of the trends I
mentioned earlier - and there is likely to be
some consolidation in the install and
maintenance trade. We are already seeing the
emergence of national facilities management
companies and this is likely to gather pace.
Importantly, training and professionalism in the
trade will increase - because of regulation and
because products will be more
sophisticated." |
