Automatic accesses to warehouses during coronavirus times

Many companies worldwide have had to close down temporarily for several weeks or months due to the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, other businesses have been unable to withstand the situation and have had to dismiss employees, apply furlough proceedings, or close their doors forever.

The companies that have reopened their factories, industrial units, offices and warehouses have increased all the necessary safety measures recommended by the health authorities to avoid new infections and spread of the virus.

Plastic or glass screens between employees and to divide areas, sanitiser gel dispensers on all corners and points where people gather or approved clothing such as masks, gloves or shields to protect the face now form part of the every-day lives of millions of workers all around the world.

Automatic doors to avoid the coronavirus in warehouses

Logistics warehouses and other functions have also applies these measures. Along with these, the installation of industrial automatic doors is recommended in these places. Every day, dozens of people go in and out of these types of building and it is vital for accesses not to have to be touched by human hands to open or close the entrances and exists.

Products such as the reinforced aluminium high-speed roll-up door, designed to ensure a superior air-tightness and to withstand air pressures, help units and warehouses automate their interior accesses.

Another good choice are the vertical PVC slat curtains, ideal for places with a great need for movement. This is the cheapest closing system and the one that requires least maintenance. Its simple installation and easy handling make it suitable for any area of the warehouse or industrial unit.

Along with this are the automatic sectional doors or the touchless switches, which will guarantee the access to your warehouse does not remain open for no reason, thus avoiding any type of airborne viral spread.

Automatic doors in the new normal

Some countries are gradually returning to their routine after the worst times of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Although everyone is on the lookout for the so- called new outbreaks, the new normal as it is being called is already becoming part of social conversations.

Offices, businesses, areas linked to passenger transport and common-interest developments, among other places, have already adapted to this new way of life in which we must wear masks, keep social distancing, and wash our hands with hydroalcoholic gel to avoid infection.

Automatic doors and intelligent accesses go a long way in helping look after the health of society. Not having to push a door or turn a door handle to enter or exit a room or a building is a guarantee. Many companies have decided to install doors that operate automatically by way of a movement or touchless switch. Systems such as the Optima Prox+ Touchless switch is a good example of how technology can help in busy places.

Technology is a great help in the new normal

There are also approved capacity control systems that are effective in ascertaining how many people are in a certain place at a specific time and in avoiding crowds and, therefore, the risk of infection if anyone is ill or asymptomatic.

The new normal might last several months or years. The uncertainty regarding this virus or others that might appear means that the health authorities and society as a whole remain on permanent alert. Intelligent door opening and closing products help ensure our peace of mind. You can never be too careful.

Manusa launches the Optima Prox+ Touchless switch

During this health crisis, all society has been forced to take precautions that it did not value so greatly before or that it did not consider essential. The COVID-19 pandemic has limited physical contact between people. Now, the use of gloves and masks is almost obligatory, and washing your hands with soap and water or sanitiser several times a day is recommended.

True to its commitment towards society, Manusa is launchig the new Optima Prox+ Touchless switch. At present -and in the coming future- hygiene, safety, accessibility and the easy movement of people are priority issues.

The Optima Prox+ Touchless switch is designed for shared spaces, such as those you might find in offices, hospitals and shops. Busy places that require minimal contact between people. As well as its capacity to adapt to any environment, its innovation and its avant-garde technology for safe, effective accesses are noteworthy. The Optima Prox+ Touchless switch is extremely adaptable and can be applied to different types of door, such as sliding, swing, and hermetic doors, etc.

Nowadays, it is more necessary than ever for the entrances and exits of rooms and buildings to be comfortable, simple and useful. And with automatic doors, people do not touch any glass or handle to open or close a door, avoiding sources of transmission.

Effectiveness against the coronavirus

The most noteworthy feature of this technology is the effectiveness, elegance and design of its touchless switch. Its system is similar to that of a traditional button used to open an automatic door and other control mechanisms. In this one, however, the door is opened with no need to touch the switch, and simply by approaching it with your hand or elbow at a certain distance.

The Optima Prox+ Touchless switch is an improved version of the already famous Manusa Smart Prox Switch. Among its improvements are that it is compatible with the new Visio+ based on IoT technology, and its simplified BUS-type connectivity, which makes entering much easier, faster and directer. The detection area has also be significantly decreased, lowering the possibility of unwanted door opening and increasing safety and hygiene conditions.

The switch has a blue LED light that flashes to confirm that the system is sending the order to open. Its small size and discreet design mean that it blends into diverse architectural environments, producing a simple, functional surface-mounted mechanism.

This technological element and other activation accessories play a key role in the fight against the virus, as they allow for more orderly movement and better capacity control, and will be essential in the society we must image and create from now on.

How to control the number of people in crowded places?

The control of health in public and private places of all kinds has increased following the global social impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Mobile apps, surveillance cameras and management and control systems and software are now available to inform us in real time of the number of people who have entered or left a building or area, and how many remain inside.

This is done to avoid the spread of the virus by people who are unaware that they are carriers. Physical distancing between individuals is essential for ensuring this global pandemic is stopped.

Approved capacity control system

All companies that have a place where there is free-flowing traffic of customers or employees must have an approved capacity control system in line with the current regulations of each country. This is not something that can be done manually. It involves the health of people in supermarkets and markets, airports, hotels, restaurants, industrial units, on public transport, and even at beaches and swimming pools.

Places of leisure also require a control system that does not depend on one person. As well as shopping malls and shops, for example, bars, cafés, pubs and discos are all gradually returning to normal and are applying restrictions while the pandemic remains active.

The Manusa capacity control system is an autonomous device based on stereoscopic vision. It controls and manages capacity in a simple, intelligent manner, and can be connected to automatic doors. The technology in this switch is 98% reliable.

What guarantees this automatic system? Firstly our safety, by not filling up a place with more people that is permitted by the health authorities, and secondly that people will be more self-assured in the knowledge that they do not have to worry about walking around because there will always only be few people around them, and at the regulatory distance established. The entrance doors or turnstiles will be locked when the maximum number of people is reached.

In addition to this are the temperature control systems that we have already seen to be set up in many different places. Artificial intelligence already formed part of our lives. It is now here to look after us and care for our health.

Visio+, the new Manusa operator with built-in IoT technology

The contemporary company is increasingly automating its processes. The development of mobile technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT) means that a technical process that would have seemed crazy several decades ago is now a normal, natural event.

One of the elements we use almost every day are the automatic doors in office buildings, supermarkets, restaurants, hospitals or airports. More and more areas where people move around are choosing to eliminate their manual doors and install intelligent accesses.

On implementing this type of product, Manusa presents a complete, multi-purpose solution for access automation. This solution is the Visio+ Operator, which makes sure that the user experience when crossing the threshold of an automatic door is more satisfactory and more in line with the unstoppable technological evolution.

Automatic doors and the Internet of Things

Visio+ has built-in IoT technology, for the connectivity and remote control of the automatic door. This is an easy to install operator that adapts to all environments and is safe, versatile and flexible. It includes a series of additional functions via a smartphone that make it simpler and more function to use and control.

Its connectivity, which is compatible with Doorwifi Virtual Access, makes the administration and management of intelligent accesses safer and remote using virtual keys.

Thanks to the ESAT 2.0 software, the door can be updated remotely with new software versions and the customer can contact the Manusa Technical Service directly and remotely, thus offering permanent communications in the event of any incidents.

Faster, safer doors

This innovative, new operator can be installed on bi-parting and side-opening automatic sliding doors; and with a standard or telescopic configuration. It has three versions of drive unit: Visio+ 100, Visio+ 125 and Visio+ 125HD, the features and measurements of which adapt to all construction requirements, offer the best dynamic traits, and offer great energy savings.

Its technology ensures the automatic doors are the fastest in the market thanks to its extremely powerful motor group and sophisticated technology. What is more, Visio+ offers a uniquely smooth and silent movement over its track, and is fitted with side safety switches to make entrapment impossible.

Visio+ is also compatible with the entire range of Manusa door leaves and other commercial leaves; it can be connected with building automation and control systems; and can be used with people counting and control systems. An innovative, state-of-the- art product of the 21st century.

The new capacity control system to avoid crowds

The crisis arising from the COVID19 coronavirus pandemic has meant that, given the health emergency, people in busy places must respect the safety measures determined by the authorities. Crowds must be avoided to stop the spread of this virus, which has proven lethal around the world.

Many companies have already implemented systems to ensure people remain away from each other. For example, some office buildings, restaurants, pharmacies or shopping malls have installed screens to ensure a distance between individuals.

As part of our social commitment, Manusa has launched a new capacity control system. The goal is to control the number of people entering an enclosed place. This new product has been designed to help businesses measure and control crowds. The mechanism is 98% reliable thanks to its stereoscopic camera, which is an exceptional feat in the market. It also includes IoT switches with 3D technology for data processing.

Because it is a modular product, it has the option of incorporating advanced software, which provides real-time information on the number of people inside the area and sends a message when the established capacity is filled.

Thanks to this new system, any company will be able to guarantee the health and hygiene of its employees and that of its customers, who can rest assured that there will never be uncontrolled crowds of public.

How to automatically control access by people to a building?

At present, access for example to a supermarket is controlled by a security guard. This new capacity control system is equipped with a stereoscopic camera that distinguishes the type of outline. This feature makes it a safer, more hygiene, non- intrusive control system. Thanks to this system, the business saves on costs and guarantees the safety of the establishment.

Stopping the coronavirus is in the hands of everyone and preventive measures must be taken in the future. Manusa has already prepared this innovative new system, which can be installed portably or permanently. We will gradually return to our routines, and all society must be aware and ready.

What will cities be like after the coronavirus?

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the plans of people and businesses worldwide. Society has changed its habits regarding personal health and hygiene with others. We have reduced physical contact with those around us and gloves and masks are now every-day items.

But what social changes will there be after the pandemic? What is the future of health safety and hygiene? While scientists look for a vaccine or effective remedy for the virus, the governmental authorities must apply a series of measures to ensure public health and to avoid infections in countries and cities.

Many businesses are purchasing products and material such as hydroalcoholic gels or separation screens to safeguard their employees. The building doors are the first element a person finds when arriving at work. If they are intelligent accesses that open and close without having to touch them with your hands, this helps avoid any infection and spread of the virus.

The effectiveness of automatic sliding doors in offices, industries or residential areas has been proven. The protection of society as a whole starts with the individual.

Businesses in sectors such as retail or horeca are gradually reopening their premises and must also adapt their accesses. They must also establish a capacity control that guarantees there are no crowds. In the near future, the uncertainty and fear of opening a door with your hand on a handle will be extremely high. Automatic doors offer an essential, necessary alternative.

Initiatives such as Cities for Global Health are already working on studying a series of social changes that are soon to be applied. As they explain on their website, “the global crisis generated by the COVID-19 outbreak is pushing cities of all shapes to give immediate answers to an emergency that is seriously threatening not only citizens’ health, but the social cohesion, the economy and the infrastructures of our territories”.

The behaviour of society is new in many aspects. We must all work together to improve people’s quality of life and everyone’s health.

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Which accessories can help avoid the coronavirus in cities?

The security of automatic platform doors at bus stations

Thanks to technology, our lives have advanced exponentially over recent years. We can contact someone on the other side of the world at just the click of a button, we can share a photo with thousands of people five seconds after taking it, and we can travel by car without having to actually drive it by hand.

Decades ago, these actions would have seemed like a utopia, but reality often goes more quickly than the fiction that scriptwriters imagined for their films at the end of the 20th century.

Security must be at the forefront in all these technological processes and innovations. One of the sectors to have evolved the most in its automation for customers and employees is the transport sector.

Trains, the underground, or buses are all means of transport that have increasingly used automation in their elements. Either to pay for tickets or to open automatic doors on vehicles or at the entrances and exits of the buildings.

Manusa’s specific design for all its intelligent accesses for the public transport sector means that we can guarantee the safety and comfort of millions of users every day, optimising the flow of passengers in the best possible way.

In some spaces related to this sector, for example thanks to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), customers on the platform are not in direct contact with the vehicles until the departure time. This means that people do not breathe in the gases that buses might emit, and nobody is run over. Furthermore, thanks to its automatic platform door system, the energy efficiency of the building increases and the temperature is better controlled in extreme temperatures such as winter or summer.

Security elements on intelligent accesses

Security can also be reinforced with other elements, such as emergency panic break- out doors, access control turnstiles, full-height turnstiles, one-way corridors, or validators. The public authorities and private companies have a good catalogue of products that make life easier for travellers.

How to solve the most frequent faults in automatic doors?

When a part of a traditional, hinged manual door is damaged, we always choose to attempt to repair it ourselves or contact a locksmith to solve the problem. Either because it opens by itself, because the door has dropped slightly on its hinges, or because the lock isn’t working as well as it should.

But what happens if the door is automatic? Other factors come into play here, as not everyone has sufficient mechanical or engineering knowledge to solve this type of incident. Therefore, it is always recommendable to contact the technical service and customer service departments of the manufacturer so that an expert in automatic doors can visit the business or home and repair the product and system as soon as possible.

Typical problems with an automatic door

There is a series of faults that are very commonplace in buildings and spaces -such as airports, banks, common-interest developments, hotels, restaurants, cafés, shops, businesses, industrial units, hospitals, offices or transport– that have automatic opening and closure systems.

The most frequent is for the door not to open. For example, the user might approach an automatic sliding door but the movement switch does not respond. The technical service must therefore inspect the computer system, which might have been deprogrammed, and the drive unit as soon as possible.

The case might also arise when the door opens by itself for no reason or when the opening and closing speed is too fast or slower than normal. Likewise, the best solution to this fault is to contact the technical service so that a professional in automatic doors can help you as much as possible.

Other faults that might arise include breakage of one of the leaves of the product, the remote control system to open and close intelligent accesses no longer working, or any of the accessories not working normally.

How to repair an automatic door

The advantages of automatic doors in the fashion sector

Companies in the retail sector, which includes all those associated to retail sales and stores, are increasingly favouring innovation and remaining up to date in order to attract the highest number of customers possible, thus obtaining greater profits from their sales to the public.

Forming part of this economic sector, which includes companies that specialise in the mass product marketing, is the fashion industry. Fashion firms and designers have premises and stores in most countries worldwide. These are mostly franchises.

Many of these clothing stores have automatic doors at the entrance for an easier inflow of customers and to ensure their comfort if they are loaded with shopping bags and recently purchased products.

First impressions mean a great deal in the positive experience of customers. A large window showing dresses, shirts and trousers will attract the attention of potential customers. And automatic access will underline this good feeling.

Clothing stores and automatic accesses

Automatic sliding doors are the most commonly used in businesses and stores selling clothing. They blend in very well with the other windows in the store, and retailer and customer satisfaction is optimum. A good example of this can be seen at the David Valls store in Barcelona.

Automatic doors for industrial units

The firms store and manufacture their products in industrial units. This enables them to offload material and store and classify it in a large space under strict safety conditions.

Companies must bear in mind the comfort of their customers and that of their employees. Automatic accesses in factories and clothing warehouses ensure professional tasks are optimised.

It is very commonplace to see automatic rapid roll-up doors and standard sectional doors in industrial units. They are a guarantee of quality, safety and insulation, to protect the material in stock for the fashion sector and any retail company.