Louvre doors and plant rooms benefit from enhanced security

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Nick Dardalis

Visit any office block or other large commercial building and it is often the case that you will see aluminium commercial doors installed in plant rooms, boiler rooms or engine rooms.  These often small rooms are tucked away at the sides and rear of many buildings housing compressors, air conditioning systems, machinery, tools, plant and other similar products.  Often these will require permanent ventilation and aluminium louvres fitted to the doors offer solutions.

ikon aluminium systems are the first to achieve a pas24 enhanced security rating for louvre doors.
IKON Aluminium systems are the first to achieve a PAS24 Enhanced Security Rating for louvre doors.

It is also the case that these doors can be subjected to attack and theft.  With the open element found in many louvre systems these can be perceived as offering less security than glazed or fully panelled doors.  The consequences for any business losing valuable plant and equipment can be severe and especially for a small to medium business that relies on it so heavily.

IKON Aluminium launch PAS24 security louvred door.

IKON Aluminium Systems are an established Birmingham based Aluminium Systems Company that offer an excellent range of windows, doors, curtain walling and louvre systems.  Also included in their product range are shopfronts, pressed metal and shading systems.

IKON Aluminium have worked with Adams Rite, part of ASSA ABLOY  to create a highly secure aluminium double louvred door where high security is a prerequisite.

We have already reported on the Adams Rite Adams Rite Sentinel 6 deadlock that has been used on other commercial door systems to enhance their security either to LPS 1175 or PAS24.  Sentinel 6 from Adams Rite is has been specifically designed for aluminium doors and offering high level security due to the combined strength of a bar bolt and anti-spread feature of the hook bolt.

The two companies have combined their efforts to create and test a louvred double door set that complies with the BS EN 12209, and fully tested to PAS 24.

Hardware on double doors is not just about the lock.

very old metal doors such as these in a hospital have in the past only had basic locking fitted.
Very old metal doors such as these in a hospital have in the past only had basic locking fitted.

Double door slave leaves rely on the security of the flush bolts typically found on most double door sets.  Using the Sentinel lock and the 7201S flush bolt as well as the IKDS50 louvre system from IKON, the tested doorsets passed PAS24.

The testing process to achieve PAS24 is rigorous and sophisticated.  Doors will sustain and be put though timed manual attack methods, impact testing and severe impact loading at each of the locking points.  Component failure at these points is not acceptable.

Upon passing the IKON IKDS50 door can now offer ‘Enhanced Security’.  For plant rooms housing expensive and important equipment and machinery and especially given that these types of rooms with aluminium doors are frequently unattended and unmanned, it is important.

Mike Lock of IKON says:

We’ve manufactured this doorset as a number of our customers have expressed a need for a heavy duty doorset, suitable for securing plant and engine rooms. If security is breached and machinery is damaged, businesses not only endure the cost of replacing equipment, but also lose income from operations being interrupted due to the time it takes to replace devices. The IKDS50 is proven to provide the high level of security needed to protect expensive pumping and heating equipment.

The provision of a niche product such as a PAS24 security tested louvred door will be of huge benefit to building owners and managers.  Many of the louvre and plant room doors installed over many years will normally only feature a single point hook lock, flush bolts to the slave leaves and standard pad handles.  The provision of a highly secure commercial door is a welcome addition to what can be done with commercial aluminium doors.

The Sentinel 6 lock from Adams Rite is not just for louvre and plant room doors and can be fitted to any type of hollow metal door.

Please contact us if you would like more information on either the IKON Aluminium Commercial Door or the Adams Rite Sentinel 6 hook lock.