GfA UK Ltd - product, industry and company news
Tel: 01926 452452 May 2016

Help at hand if you’re importing ready-assembled doors

For some companies it can now be more cost-effective to use the economies of scale of large overseas manufacturers by importing ready-engineered doors for installation in the UK. But it can be difficult to ensure these doors are fit for purpose and will comply with the correct door legislation once installed, especially if importing from outside the EU.

National Sales Manager Peter Whittles looks at two examples where GfA are offering expertise and assistance.

Turkish doors being fitted with GfA drives

Our Safedrive® Fi drives and TS control panels are currently being tested for use on fast-acting fabric doors being imported from Turkey by a UK company. Originally, the doors were specified as a complete unit but the customer recognised that the Turkish motor and gearbox were dated technology and not specifically designed for door applications (e.g. mechanical limits, no anti-fallback device or emergency handchain facility).

They now plan to import the door only and use GfA equipment to drive it.

Their main concerns are safety, product reliability and quality and the assurance of having UK-based technical support. Unlike the GfA ‘plug and play’ system, the Turkish drive unit and panel would have required much more complex and time-consuming wiring on-site using dated technology the engineers might not have been familiar with.

And of course, if the customer takes GfA drives, control panels and safety devices they benefit from being able to use our test certificates in their technical file as evidence of compliance with the Construction Products Regulation.

Compliant doors from America

Compliance with the European regulations and being able to correctly CE mark, was the main reason GfA UK was approached by another customer, who is looking to import doors from America for use at environmental waste sites.

They involved us from the very first meeting to ask for our opinion on the best way forward. Our Managing Director Andrew Collett was able to assist them in linking the supplier direct with GfA in America to source the correct drives. The door is now being evaluated ensuring it will not only be compliant when it hits the UK market, but also able to withstand the harsh environmental conditions inside a waste site.
 

Contact Peter Whittles or any member of the GfA technical team on 01926 452452, for help to spec the right drives and control equipment for your doors.

    Meet our new Customer Service Manager

    Customers can now contact our new Customer Service Manager Rachel Collett for any after-sales queries. Many of you will know Rachel. She has been with GfA for 24 years and brings great experience of the industry and our products to her new role having worked across the business in sales, accounts, and for the last 12 years as Distribution Manager.          

    As part of our continued drive to improve turnaround times, she will be your single point of contact for any issues relating to returns, repairs, complaints and any after-sales queries.

    Rachel and her team will be able to run basic fault diagnostics on-site in Warwick for the majority of returned product, reducing wait and response times for customers. Where an issue needs to be passed to our parent company, Rachel will have a direct line to the customer service area in GfA GmbH to ensure we do all in our power to enhance this aspect of our business.

    Rachel’s former role is taken by David Orton. He is a very experienced Distribution Manager with a focus on reliability and the quality of service. David will be making sure your deliveries arrive with you on time and in good order.

     

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