Born in a barn?
February 1st 2009 While some firms still see energy efficiency as 'a bit of a joke', Stertil Stokvis says the
joke's on anyone watching their profits leave via the nearest available exit
With constant fluctuations in
energy and fuel prices and
increasingly gloomy economic
forecasts, all businesses are watching their
costs. Maintaining a reasonable level of
energy consumption is more important
than ever and companies with busy loading
bays have a particular need to keep energy
loss to a minimum. Stertil Stokvis
specialises in the production of industrial
doors and dock products and has made
energy conservation an important part of
its design process for some time.
Firms with frequent despatches and
deliveries need to constantly open and
close doors giving access to the loading
bay. Stopping heat loss through open doors
is an ongoing challenge, but fitting a
RapidRoll high-speed door can go a long
way towards reducing energy loss, whilst at
the same time maintaining comfortable
working temperatures for employees.
Since the first RapidRoll door more than
30 years ago, Stertil Stokvis has developed a
comprehensive range of high-speed
industrial doors, covering areas from four to
54 square metres, with a variety of models
and control systems to suit different needs
and budgets. There's even an insulated roller
shutter door offering a high level of thermal
insulation for areas, such as cold stores and
chill rooms, where it is particularly important
to control temperatures.
Easily and simply installed, RapidRoll
doors are robust enough to withstand
heavy usage and harsh conditions. The
Stertil Stokvis door range includes both
internal and external models, with opening
speeds up to 3000mm per second and
similarly fast automatic closing.
Dock shelters are also areas where heavy
traffic flow and the need for constant
access make it difficult to conserve energy
whilst the increasing variety of trailer
heights presents a challenge for
conventional loading bays. An inflatable
dock shelter will solve both problems, but
these have historically been tough to justify
because of their cost. Stertil Stokvis was
determined to overcome this issue and
consequently designed its own fast-acting
inflatable head dock shelter incorporating
curtain sides. The company's WIS Inflatable
Dock Shelter is able to accommodate a
wide range of vehicle heights from double
deck trailers to 7.5 tonne commercial
vehicles.
Traditional curtain shelters are not
designed for thermal efficiency or weather
resistance. However, the top cushion of
Stertil Stokvis's inflatable shelter sits on the
roof of the vehicle rather than against the
back, providing not only greater protection
against weather conditions and heat loss,
but also improved access to the whole of
the vehicle opening. This top cushion can
be up to 2300mm deep, enabling it to
cope with a wide range of vehicle heights
and types. Once inflated, the dock shelter's
seal is virtually airtight, minimising energy
loss from inside and offering considerable
cost savings.
Cushion seals are also an option when
looking to protect the internal environment
from energy loss and pollution. Stertil
Stokvis's TP1001 and TP1003 cushion seals
provide a virtually airtight seal between the
vehicle and building – even the gaps
between the trailer doors and bodies are
sealed. Draughts, summer heat, winter
cold, dust, insects and other airborne
pollutants are all excluded from the
premises, providing considerable savings in
energy costs while increasing both safety
and productivity.
"Energy efficiency used to be a bit of a
joke, but with fuel prices the way they are
and no sign of a let-up, the joke's on
whoever fails to control their energy
consumption," says Andrew Georgiou of
Stertil Stokvis. "We have always taken
energy saving seriously and have drawn on
many years' experience to design our
products in the most energy-efficient way
possible. Intelligent use of well designed
equipment really can produce big cost
savings." More articles from Stertil UK Ltd: | 
