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ROLLER iu1tl 1I'1
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N Roller shutters are more complicated closures than doors, with accompanying higher in-service costs. Despite this, they remain popular for multi-drop and intensive distribution work. Access is fast and operation is simple: to open, you release the single locking handle and push shutter upwards into the roof; to close you pull the shutter down and engage the handle. This can often be done with one hand, leaving the other free to carry small consignments. On intensive operations, they eliminate any height-matching problems between loading banks and the bottom of the doors; drivers do not have to jump out of the cab, open the doors and then reverse against the bank.
Shutters can be plywood, aluminium or glass-reinforced polyester.
JR Industries, which sells Whiting shutters in the UK, has introduced a pre-painting service for its wood shutters. "Painting gives a longerlasting finish than laminating," claims Len Dorman. "We produce up to 7,000 shutters a year, so it is more costeffective for us to paint in operator colours than the bodybuilder."
Mobile Doors shutters use a multiveneered plywood and all fixings are internal so the rear is free for decals. Standard on dry freight and insulated doors is FingerShield, an extruded plastic profile that fits between the slats and prevents fingers getting trapped.
Roller shutters can play an important role in maintaining the cool chain on temperature-controlled operations. With roller shutters the body does not have to be opened until the vehicles have reversed right up against the loading bank.
Sealing advances
Wood's ability to soak up moisture makes it unsuitable for insulated bodies, so aluminium or glass-reinforced plastic shutters are preferred. Advances in sealing means shutters can now be used on bodies designed to meet ATP Class C temperature-control criteria. The shutters themselves are often given a K factor describing their heat absorption properties of the insulation in watts/m2. be K28 extruded plastics box-section shutter from Mobile Doors, for example, has one of the highest levels of Insulation with a K factor of 0.279 watts/m2 at 0°C. The slats are from extruded plastics filled with close-cell foam insulation. The door rollers are concealed *thin the panel to minimise load damage. The KU aluminium door has aluminium skins pre-coated in white.
Shutters do steal internal height at the rear, and manufacturers have taken steps to reduce that intrusion. Mobile Doors latest insulated shutters reduce headroom requirements by 50mm. Cables have been moved from top to bottom and repositioned. Pneumatically or electrically operated shutter doors speed up operations even more, but are not as popular in the UK as in mainland Europe, mainly because of the higher cost. However, the premium has virtually halved over the past three years, according to JR Industries, to under £.500 excluding fitting. The company thinks renewed focus on health and safety may persuade some operators to switch for multi-drop operations. "Pneumatically controlled shutters operate at a controlled speed, so there is less wear and tear," says Dorman.
Designing out In-service problems can be achieved. JR Industries reports that in the three years since It introduced its Cold Saver insulated shutter, It has not had a warranty claim. "The rollers, cables and seals are the main wearing parts and making them easy to replace is the key," says Dorman. Skimping on maintenance is a false economy, he warns. "If the seals wear, the door bounces up and down more in transit, which in turn puts more stress on the cables and balancing mechanism."
Aluminium shutters
Shutters are inset and so protected from casual damage from the outside, but they can suffer from interior knocks, especially insecure loads crashing against the shutter. Pricier but tougher aluminium shutters are thus popular for intensive operations such as parcels or supermarket distribution.
FIT shutters are part of the same French AFE bodybuilding group as Polyfont-1P1. It has introduced two new insulated shutters: a higher-specification Husky shutter suitable for Alp Class C bodies and the lsolite, a low-weight, fast-fit composite panel shutter for chilled bodies that saves 50kg weight.
As the driver closes the shutter or door it automatically locks, meaning It can be operated one-handed without the need to balance deliveries or collections.