The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System in Mérida, Venezuela

Every day, millions of people throughout the world use public transport to travel to work or places of leisure. One of these means of transport is the bus, whether urban, interurban, or over large distances between cities. Many bus stations and bus stops have the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, that helps keep the transit of people fluid and improves their comfort while waiting for the bus.

Between 2007 and 2008 in Mérida (Venezuela), a project was developed to improve the mass transport system in the city. Manusa installed 168 doors along various stations. This improved the experience for travellers. Manusa BRT control systems are designed for intensive use, and are perfectly adaptable to any infrastructure in order to meet the requirements of station bays, causing minimal impact within the architectural complex.

This was a big help for the project designers and architects, since they were able to incorporate automatic doors in the different stations along the whole route. Manusa worked together with the Transmérida operator. It is worth noting that some of the bays have a gradient of up to 3%, so the doors had to adapt to this environment. This was something that was resolved without problems, thanks to Manusa’s technical ability to adapt to all types of environment.

troleBus merida venezuela estacion parada darsena transmerida transporte puertas automaticas

Greater Safety at Bus Stations and Bus Stops

The automatic doors for Bus Rapid Transit systems have been designed to optimise the flow of people in BRT stations. The aim is to improve the safety and functionality of these spaces, offering elegant and quality doors, suitable for intensive use whilst requiring little maintenance. It is integrated in a control and management system that synchronises opening and closing, both in the bay and the vehicle, allowing passengers to pass through in a coordinated and safe manner.

The Manusa BRT system can be scaled to meet any automation, control or safety requirements. Each project can be tailored and expanded to adapt to the growth of the BRT system.

Manusa doors in BRT guarantee passenger safety, allowing coordinated access to the trolleybuses while preventing accidents. Mérida, in Venezuela, is a city where passengers can already enjoy this system.

The Best Biometric Security Systems for Restricted Access Areas

One that most important issues in companies, both for themselves and their customers, is security. Safeguarding physical materials and intangible records, such as personal data and other data types, is highly regarded by society, and directly affects the reputation and corporate social responsibility of any company.

Third-party intrusions to an office building, industrial plant, commercial premises or other type of building has been controlled for many years by security cameras, and with the use of access cards and access codes.

Innovation has provided a further step in the last few years; nowadays, it is already commonplace to see biometrics linked to the opening and closing of automatic doors, and smart access system in restricted-access areas in all types of buildings.

Detection systems for reading fingerprints, facial recognition, voice recognition or retina scan make security inside or outside the building more robust. With these, access validation is unique.

What Automatic Doors use Biometric Access Control?

There is a series of Manusa products associated with biometric technology.

These are some of the examples that can be seen in sensitive areas, such as bank branches or office complexes dedicated to handling highly-sensitive information, which require greater levels of access control than any other company or public entity.

Together with these entry control systems, the Manusa automatic doors can feature a biometric system that not only improves security, but also provides a modern and avant-garde design to the facilities. Do you want to implement biometrics for accessing your building? Contact us now and we will advise you.

Manusa Automatic Doors: the Ideal Back-to-Office Solution

Every day, more companies are reducing the number of staff working from home, encouraging their employees to return to the office. Thanks to the COVID-19 coronavirus vaccinations, the number of infections has reduced considerably.

To improve this return to working on site, many companies have chosen to install automatic doors at the entrances and exits of office buildings. Smart access systems, characterised by their high-level safety features and leading designs, also provide conditions that excel in preventing the spread of viruses and bacteria, as well as improving energy efficiency in the building.

Manusa automatic access systems can be adapted to any existing architectural project, allowing the installation to be carried out quickly and without causing a nuisance for employees.

Manusa access controls can be integrated with different validation systems, to prevent any person outside of the company from entering without authorisation. This is a guarantee against theft and intrusion, thanks to biometric systems, fingerprints, facial recognition, RfiD cards etc…

Both exterior and interior automatic doors in offices help against the spread of coronavirus, because they do not need to be touched for opening and closing.

Additionally, automatic doors help prevent abrupt changes in temperature, reducing the electricity bill; an open door could drive up energy costs.

The Best Automatic Access Systems for Offices and Office Buildings

Thanks to Manusa, there is a wide variety of smart access opening and closing systems. All of these comply with the most demanding international standards.

On the one hand, there are automatic sliding, swing or revolving doors. Installed on the outside of the building, they make a positive impression on users.

On the other hand, once inside the building, Manusa can install an access control system that is a great help to the company’s security services, while at the same time improving considerably the comfort of the employees.

The corridors with panels and turnstiles have been installed in thousands of companies around the world and, in addition to allowing access to the office, they also help in monitoring attendance, commonly referred to as clocking-in.

Manusa plays an active role in the fight against coronavirus infections, and their access solutions contribute in making offices safe working environments, free from the fear after the continuous pandemic waves.

The Efficiency of Telescopic Doors: Making the Maximum Use of Space

When an architect plans a new building or property, they aim at arranging the elements in the best possible way and providing the most space possible for the people that live, work or pursue leisure activities there.

In these types of designs, doors play a part, both for accessing the building and for the interior distribution separating corridors, common areas and various rooms.

Thanks to Manusa automatic doors, not only is the design and energy efficiency of the building improved, but the available space is also optimised. A good example of this is the automatic telescopic sliding door.

It is worth highlighting that they are the ideal solution for building entrances with limited space, for separating corridors or to expand and maximise access in narrow areas. This product has many customisable options, and adapts perfectly to any type of structure.

This ability to fit any architectural space creates aesthetic harmony, resulting in elegant doors with a visually avant-garde design.

Accessibility Guaranteed in all Types of Buildings

Depending on the needs of each customer and each architecture firm, telescopic doors can feature a bi-parting or a side opening. They meet high safety standards and provide an added value in the comfortable transit of people, since they open and close automatically.

People in wheelchairs, with a pushchair, or laden with cases or bags, are thankful that they do not need to use their hands to push a door open to gain access to the building. With automatic doors, accessibility is guaranteed, since they can have a through area which is two thirds of the door space. Their main features are:

  • Maximum opening in minimum space
  • Compatible with transparent glass or framed leaves
  • Compatible with a wide range of accessories
  • Possibility of combining with or without fixed leaves

Hotels, bank branches, office premises, restaurants, shopping centres or residential areas are ideal candidates for telescopically opening sliding doors. Do you want to know more? Contact us now.

The Best Automatic Accesses for Hotel Dining Rooms and Open Buffets

When we enjoy the experience of having breakfast, lunch or dinner at an open buffet, we mainly look for an appetising meal, and that the transit between the table and the food counters is quick and easy.

Normally, open buffets are found in hotels. The customer finds various trays and food counters comprising both hot and cold dishes, and chooses the quantity and variety that they desire without the need for waiting staff. Usually, these restaurants have a fixed price, and the customers can eat as much as they like.

Automatic accesses are extremely useful for these types of areas. For example, in the case of hotels, they have had to reconsider their access due to new measures that need to be adopted as a result of Covid-19. At the entrance, they can install a motorised swing gate, which allows people to enter and exit in a quick and safe manner.

The customers can access at the allocated time slot, reducing the typical crowds that are often found at these buffets. It is possible to integrate different validation systems in the access control system, such as fingerprint recognition or wrist bands, whose reader is incorporated into the gate. These type of validation systems offer managers the possibility to control the seating capacity, extremely important during these COVID times, and they can also know how many customers made use of the food service.

Automatic Doors for Kitchen Access

On the other hand, we should consider the restaurants employees. An open buffet is not a quiet area with regards to movement of people, since customers are always getting up from their seats for food. Also, the workers are replacing dishes constantly, as well as collecting used plates, glasses, and cutlery.

The automatic doors between the dining room and the kitchen facilitate the day-to-day operations of employees, since they need to roll out large trolleys with containers and trays that must arrive to the counters as quickly as possible. In addition, in establishments where we want to increase safety levels, a fire-resistant automatic door can be installed, since it prevents flames, heat and smoke from reaching the dining room in the event of a kitchen fire.

Thanks to Manusa’s automatic accesses, a more pleasant stay for customers and a better working environment for chefs and waiting staff is achieved.

Which Are the Best Smart Accesses for Airports?

In the transport sector, some of the spaces that have the greatest volume of people are usually airports. Especially if we’re referring to those in large cities that serve as a stopover for international flights.

The presence of large crowds of people should flow well enough to avoid mobility problems with passengers. The large access points at the building’s entrances and exits, and between different lounges, allow the constant flow of people throughout the location.

Types of Automatic Doors at Airports

Automatic doors are an excellent solution for these types of areas. They are characterised by their functionality and security in all terminal areas. What type of smart accesses are best for airports?

  • Airport Complex Entrances: These types of doors are designed for areas where there is an intense circulation of people, or where security is linked to the flow of traffic. There is a wide range of openings available for entrances and exits with a high flow of people: bi-parting opening, side opening, telescopic, curved or revolving automatic doors.
  • Doors for sectioning off areas: Manusa has a wide variety of automatic doors adaptable to any requirement. For example: the standard sliding or swing doors; the panic-breakout doors that allow the leaves to be folded back to maximise the transit space in an emergency; and the fire-resistant doors, that help section off and isolate areas that have a high risk hazard.
  • Access control systems: different systems that allow access control to restricted areas, or to areas with limited access. They are fully customisable, with the possibility of integrating different elements such as a passport reader, fingerprint reader, ID card reader, facial recognition equipment and screens with an interface for user communication.
  • One-way corridors: Security device that allows the flow of people to move in one direction only. It features two doors in an interlocking system, which open automatically with the flow direction; they can also be fully connected with other existing management and control systems.

The variety of smart access systems makes Manusa the leader in design, manufacture and installation of automatic doors in airports throughout the entire world.

Why Is an Automatic Door More Sustainable than a Traditional Door?

Sustainability has become an essential element for many companies, and for society at large. Caring for the environment and the world around us is a task that concerns everyone; because of this, each day actions are taken and decisions made so that where we live in a more sustainable place, now and in the future.

The presence of automatic doors in constantly increasing. Offices, shopping centres, hotels or clinics are spaces which are usually accessed by a door that opens and closes without the use of our hands.

But, what level of sustainability do these products supply to the buildings where they are installed? Are technology and automation sustainable? Is an automatic door more sustainable than a manual one?

Manusa automatic doors help to improve energy efficiency thanks to their opening and closing speed, which contributes to minimising heat transmission and the leaking and infiltration of air. The smart radars detect the presence and/or movement of people and also contribute to sustainability, since they only open the door when it is necessary.

The automatic doors ideal for improving sustainability of a building are:

Sustainability provides added value for companies and people

As manufacturers, Manusa always has original spare parts permanently in stock, to guarantee quick and efficient repairs. Also, thanks to the maintenance contracts and preventative checks, we can extend the useful life of the automatic doors.

With manual doors, if a part breaks, such as the handle or the hinges, it may be necessary to change the entire door if the spare parts cannot be found because the product is now obsolete.

Sustainability improves health and quality of life, not only for the buildings but also for the employees and visitors to the building, who will deem the company to be a good place to work and visit.

Do you want your building to show its commitment to the environment? It begins at the point of access. Contact us now.

Smart Access in the Cities of the Future

At the end of the last century, books and films led us to imagine a future full of lights, robots and flying cars. Reality has implemented some of these ideas from writers, screenwriters and cinematographers, but the majority of them still remain in the collective imagination.

Cities have been transformed. The new urban projects support wide pavements, promoting the transit of electric cars, bicycles and pedestrians, and designing common areas with large green spaces for the use and enjoyment of the citizens.

With the idea of being at the forefront of technology and making cities as modern as possible, governments work to include technology in many areas, both inside and out. Automation is a part of this revolution.

Automation in Smart Cities

Traffic lights that function by movement sensors, vehicles that brake before an obstacle, scooters that are activated by a QR code, street lamps that turn on an off depending on the amount of sunlight there is, sprinklers that spray more or less water depending on atmospheric humidity… These are some of the many innovations we find in smart cities.

Automating accesses also improves the value of streets and buildings. It is common to see bollards that go up and down in streets when they are activated, so that cars can access a specific restricted area. Access control are also often found at urban train and metro stations.

Also, turnstiles and automatic accesses in parks and gardens can be installed to prevent access during specific times, for example, at night. They can be remotely activated without the need for staff on site.

This automation helps to improve the quality of life of the citizens thanks to big data. The large amount of non-personal data that local governments can compile and combine with safety parameters is enormous. And that benefits the people that live in smart cities.

The Safety of the Speed Gate with Swing Panels

On many occasions, when we arrive to an airport, maritime terminal, train station or other type of building in the travel sector, we often find ourselves in a speed gate with swing panels that provides access to another area. These are designed to allow a quick, safe and automatic control, without the need for staff, and without causing problems in the building where they are installed.

Manusa speed gate with swing panels are the safest solution for controlling access to areas with limited or restricted access, or where strict control measures are required.

It is an ideal product for access control points in areas where there is a large transit of people, such as airports and maritime ports. It is, without doubt, an intelligent solution that improves the effectiveness and experience of passengers in the entrance and exit of, for example, boarding or customs areas.

Security Against Intrusion and Safety in Emergencies

Thanks to their design, they can easily link access control with databases, allowing access by card or biometric systems such as facial recognition, depending on their specifications and on the needs of the customer. Their advanced technology allows users to be registered, and to give personalised permissions depending on the frequency or the type of access required.

The transit of people is controlled by a combination of sensors in the corridor, obstacles and light information; all these ensure that only one passenger at a time enters when the access system operates.

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In addition, they also feature luggage detection in the transit area and intrusion detection in the opposite direction, that prevents the tempered glass panels from opening and activates a fire alarm at the entrance in the event of an emergency.

It must also be highlighted the fact that Manusa speed gate with swing panels are designed using the highest quality materials, such as stainless steel, polycarbonate and glass, and always with the best technology.

Their aesthetics provide a modern, state-of-the-art design touch wherever they are installed. Ports and airports passengers experience an improvement in transit before or after travelling by plane or boat.

Manusa Provides Access Systems in the New Ophthalmology Surgical Block in the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona

Manusa has installed different automatic doors in the new Ophthalmology Surgical Block in the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona. It is an architectural project at the forefront of spatial design, using the latest technology led by the architecture firm Estudi PSP Arquitectura in Barcelona.

In an area of 1,000 square metres, PSP worked together with healthcare professionals and engineers with the aim of achieving the best architectural solution for the new facilities. The area contains four operating theatres with the most advanced technology in the field of ophthalmology.

Advantages of Automating Doors in Healthcare Architecture

The automatic doors designed explicitly for these four operating theatres help to maintain hygiene and security in these delicate spaces, at the same time as guaranteeing a continual optimal level of cleanliness, as well as providing high resistance to bacteria and other toxic agents. Its airtightness also helps in providing an exceptional seal against dust and air particles, minimising their flow and the transmission of pathogenic bacteria and other contaminants.

For this project, it was essential to rethink everything relating to flow, intersections and circulation of people since, thanks to the hermetic automatic doors, areas can be sectioned off and, at the same time, intersections, infections and diseases can be prevented.

In this surgical block, whose design is based on the principles of neuroarchitecture and the humanisation of spaces, the physical and mental well-being of people, both patients and healthcare workers, is paramount. Inside, four automatic sliding doors are installed, as well as an airtight partition door that only opens in the event of an emergency or fire, four large hermetic automatic doors with viewing panel, and three small hermetic automatic doors without viewing panels for the operating theatres.

As Clara Rius, architect partner of Estudi PSP Arquitectura, states, for a healthcare project such as this ‘it is fundamental to be able to automate access and have control of the doors, and to do this we worked right from the start with the Manusa team, with the aim of finding solutions that meet the requirements of a space like this, which houses innovative operating theatres’.

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An additional benefit of these doors is the fact that they include, in their top part, a different-colour lights system that indicates whether the operating theatres are in use, empty or being cleaned. ‘Furthermore, we suggested making some organic viewing panels that would match the design of the floors and the finish on the walls, and which are aligned with the architecture of the surgical block’, explained Rius.

Together with these innovations, and in order to protect people from viruses and bacteria, a contactless system was installed on each door, so that it is not necessary to touch the door in order to open it.

A healthcare architectural project in which PSP and Manusa have continued to create synergies to improve the quality of the working environment for the medical and nursing staff, and to help the patients at a sensitive time, when they need to undergo ophthalmological surgery.