The new fabric fold-up doors of the KPA Unicon factory save on energy and heating costs
KPA Unicon Oy is a company established in Pieksämäki Finland, that designs, builds and delivers heating and power plants worldwide. In addition, the company provides operation and maintenance services. KPA Unicon is one of the most significant companies in its size class, in Northern Europe offering life cycle services for energy production. The company's turnover in 2019 was € 32.8 million and it employed about 174 people.
It is a challenge to close the bridge crane openings in factory halls tightly with traditional crane hatches/doors, so cold weather poses a major challenge to the energy-efficient heating of halls. If heat escapes, unnecessary energy is used for heating and working conditions in the hall can suffer. Champion Door fabric fold-up crane doors are designed to eliminate these problems.
A new fabric fold-up door was installed at KPA Unicon's factory hall in 2016, as the old door was not tight enough. Unicon's plant in Kiuruvesi manufactures heat-generating boiler plants and their components. The company offers more sustainable solutions to the industry and speaks in favor of environmentally friendly production, so sustainable solutions are also important in their own factory.
- “The wind blew in and heat leaked out all the time around the old metal door of the factory hall. In addition, the door had to be opened and closed by hand cranking. It was heavy and took a lot of time,” says warehouse worker Jarno Saastamoinen, who works in the factory hall.
"The fabric door is so good that now we wouldn’t take a metal door"
The Champion Door fabric lift door is of light construction and is easy to use. A special feature of the fabric is the thermal insulation pad, which effectively retains heat in the hall. The door opens and closes smoothly at the touch of a button, making it quick and easy to use.
- "The new fabric door is so good that we would never take a metal door now. The fabric door is easy to raise and lower. It's also really tight. It is much more comfortable to work in the hall.”
The T-model door keeps the warmer air inside, even when opened for vehicle traffic
The shape of the door is very important in how much heat can escape when it is open. Warm air rises to the top of the building, so the bridge crane openings near the roof are in a difficult place for energy savings. When they are opened, a lot of heat is lost from the hall.
The advantage of the T-model door is that only the narrow lower part can be opened if necessary. So warm air stays inside when you drive in or out of the hall. The door needs to be completely raised up only when going in or out with the crane lifter.
According to Saastamoinen, the door is a great solution for factory halls where you want to provide pleasant working conditions.
- "The door will definitely payback its cost, because in addition to heating costs, we save clear working time thanks to the smooth use of the door. It is reliable even in severe frosts. The service man visits the door regularly, but it has not needed servicing. We have been really satisfied with the door."