DOOR SYSTEMS
cost savings over the entire lifecycle, and reduce the risk of infections, prioritising patient safety. Specifiers can choose from eight types and 24 colours, and the doorsets come with a 10-year warranty. SDS manufactures doors that are robust and help hospitals maintain compliance with fire safety and infection control regulations. The company says its doors can also help hospitals achieve significant lifecycle cost savings and save money in the long run due to their ability to withstand the repeated abuse that occurs in hospitals without needing frequent repair or replacement. The company said: “Unlike other door manufacturers who use global certifications, we at SDS test our doorsets in a ‘burn-to-death’ scenario. This means that all the components of the door have been tested together to ensure they can withstand a fire, which is known in the industry as Primary Test Evidence.”
X-ray and warning light vision panel SDS invests heavily in research and development, and another recent resulting innovation is its new Priviglaze +, a combined X-ray and warning light vision panel designed for doors used in hospital theatres, X-ray rooms, and laser treatment rooms. SDS explained: “This panel is fixed on the face of the door, which looks neater, and is a more commercially viable solution.” Additionally, SDS has launched a lead-lined door range called Shieldoor. This range is reportedly ‘incredibly resilient, hard-wearing, and hygienic, and ideal for high-traffic, high- wear hospital environments’. Shieldoor can be customised with items such as edge protectors and kickplates, and comes with a comprehensive range of glazing options, colour options, and door leaf sizes. It also requires minimal maintenance compared with timber and laminate products, and comes with a 10-year warranty. While touring SDS’s facility, I
My visit to the SDS facility in Hampshire included a facility tour led by Alex Motley, during which I was able to see the high level of craftsmanship and skill factory personnel there put into the design, manufacture, and finishing of doorsets produced for a range of healthcare applications.
44 Health Estate Journal May 2024
encountered a cutting-edge factory with state-of-the-art machinery and an efficient single-flow conveyor belt system. The staff, visibly dedicated and proud of their work, highlighted a remarkable commitment to their roles. Alex Motley, the Procurement manager, guided me through the gradual addition, affixing, and assembly, of various components for each doorset. This meticulous process included the integration of elements such as the timber core, vision panels, warning lights, intumescent sealing, lead panels, and high- quality ironmongery. Despite a significant degree of automation in the factory’s production, there was also a noticeable presence of skilled factory staff diligently handling some of the more intricate manual processes. Two recent case studies – see below – highlight SDS’s ability to tailor their doorset supply to a healthcare facility’s specific needs.
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