The quality counts
June 1st 2006

Alan Jenkins, commercial director of Hormann Industrial Doors, explains why quality is so important in today's busy commercial loading bay environment

As it is hard to escape world cup fever at the moment, particularly as Hormann is of course a German company, I thought it would be timely to use a soccer analogy. So, to put into perspective the statistics for the recently completed distribution centre contracts we have completed at Hormann, imagine that if all the centres were lined up side by side there would probably be enough space to hold the entire schedule of world cup matches in one go, along with the spectators!

The majority of the loading bays doors we have supplied have been for ProLogis, for which we are the exclusive supplier. I suppose if you laid each of the loading bay doors we have supplied for ProLogis developments alone they would probably fill the car park of the new Wembley Stadium!

Fast moving environments

These distribution centres are usually sold after the building work is complete, and so we often don't know which companies will be using them until much later, but whether they are used by grocery retailers, car manufacturers or logistics companies, it's more than likely that they will be busy, fast moving environments.

The loading bay doors have to be reliable and there really is no hiding place for short cuts in engineering and materials. I suppose to a certain extent we are fortunate that German engineering does enjoy such a strong reputation for quality, but that reputation is backed up by the fact that Hormann, which incidentally is still a family run company, puts quality at the top of its list of priorities.

ProLogis sited Hormann's quality products as a key reason for awarding us its business last year, quoting that the loading bay facility is at the sharp end of its customer operations and that it was essential that the best equipment available was provided.

One way of helping to ensure the quality of loading bays is for all the component parts to come from the same place. Sadly this is not always the case with some providers whose components are factored from different manufacturers, often from different parts of the world, and are not assembled until they arrive here in the UK or on the customer's premises. At Hormann quality is not being sacrificed for cost.

Increased efficiency in loading bay technology is recognised as a key issue for many large companies looking to improve turnaround in the warehouse, and loading bay door manufacturers and suppliers need to be aware of the customers' intentions, and help them achieve that drive for efficiency by supplying products which meet their needs.

Legislation

It's also important to keep ahead of legislation. The machinery directive dictates that all doors should be CE marked, but it is also important to be ahead of EU legislation, and these dictate that CE marking needs to satisfy EN13241-1, which is the standard that covers the mandatory requirements for safety for both mechanical and power operated doors.

So, my advice for those looking for a quality solution is to check that all the component parts are manufactured under strict quality controls, and preferably by the same manufacturer and that the complete loading bay programme allows engineered equipment to be specifically matched to the respective operating conditions in terms of the goods to be loaded, size of vehicles, sealing requirements and door equipment.

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