Optimal use of space with sliding doors
Choosing the right door is one of the corner stones of new cold room constructions. Opting for functional design can contribute to optimal utilization of space in the cold chamber. Moreover, design of doors has an effect on both energy and workflow efficiency. Door quality and perfect insulation play a key role when constructing a new cold room, not to mention the human factor. Doors should always be closed perfectly and the number of openings should be minimized.
Most important features of top-quality cold room doors:
- heavily insulated, robust, yet easy-to-open and close door panels
- easy-to-clean surfaces that meet the highest hygienic requirements
- reliable, heavy-duty hinges
- easy installation into any wall structure
- custom sizes
- high-quality sealing and insulation
- safe product for everyday use
- resistant coating
- smart heating system
All these factors contribute to excellent design that serves smooth operations of a cold room.
We must discuss the two types of cold room doors separately: hinged and sliding doors. Hinged doors are recommended for larger spaces where taking up space in front of the cold room is not an issue. These doors are equipped with reinforced hinges with three different settings. Besides, hinged doors are also available in double-wing design.
However, in some cases, space in front of the cold room is rather limited. Should the space be too narrow, workflows and movement of goods might be problematic, and in some cases, opening the door at a 90° angle might even be impossible. We recommend sliding doors for such applications.
The IglooDoors IDS product family consists of sliding doors that meets all the above-mentioned requirements, solving the issue of limited available space in front of the cold room. However, we must keep in mind when designing a cold room that sliding doors may save us a significant amount of space in front, but they need space in the plane of the chamber.
We recommend different types of IDS sliding doors for various temperature ranges:
- IDS60 – For a cool environment in case of a positive temperature range between +12 and 18°C
- IDS80 – For a chilled environment in case of a positive temperature range between 0 and +18°C
- IDS100 – For a freezing environment in case of a negative temperature range between -18 to -22°C
- IDS150 – For an extremely cold environment in case of a negative temperature range between -25 to -40°C
All four models feature an aluminum rail system with large ball-bearing composite castors. The door thickness is always adjusted to the temperature range. Thickness of doors in inversely proportional to the temperature range, meaning that from IDS60 to IDS150 each model gets thicker, in order to reach optimal thermal insulation. We equip the doors with self-regulating heating cables in the negative temperature ranges that is built into the door panel. In case of the IDS150 sliding door, a heated door frame and safety heating strips are also inserted.
Door openers have a fixed composite design up to an opening of 1300 mm, and feature a stainless-steel lifting lever for opening in any size above. In terms of size, single-wing sliding doors have a minimum size of 900 x 1800 mm and a maximum size of 2900 x 3500 mm. We can manufacture single-wing doors in any size within this range.
Is it possible to open a cold room door inwards?
Clearly not, since by doing so, we lose valuable storage space in the cold room, whether we are talking about hinged or sliding doors. What is more, it would also have a huge impact on the insulation, given that the entire door leaf would need to be cooled.
In case of tight spaces, automated sliding doors may provide an ideal solution, allowing lighter goods to be moved in and out with a remote control or by pushing a button. With automated operation, we can also make sure that the door never remains open for longer than needed.
Sliding doors prove to be highly practical in a number of cases, but the right model always depends on given circumstances. This is why we advise to consult an expert during the design process who can help to optimize the layout both in terms of utilization of space and meeting specific requirements.
