JS AIR CURTAINS
THE AIR CURTAIN SPECIALIST
Multi-Service Air Curtains
Mike Verney, Sales Director at JS Air Curtains, explains how air curtains can do more than simply stop draughts.Saving energy, keeping heat inside and providing a comfortable internal environment are just some of the reasons given for installing air curtains on a doorway. However, justified as these reasons are, they arent the only function of an air curtain.
JS can supply air curtains that incorporate emergency lighting, motion detectors, security cameras, smoke detectors and other services, producing a multi-service unit that gives more than just protection from the elements.
Any office doorway that is in continual use or any retail environment where an open door will encourage passing trade to enter will benefit from the installation of an air curtain. In the winter the cold air will be kept out and the warm kept in, and in the summer, air-conditioned air kept in and hot air out. Air curtains provide energy and cost savings as well as producing a much more comfortable internal environment for staff and customers.
However end-users and consultants are now realising that the air curtain casing can also be used to house other services and are working with JS Air Curtains to develop bespoke air curtain systems. The air curtain is obviously always situated by the doorway, either above or alongside, and therefore presents the perfect opportunity to hide ugly services or disguise security features that are typically situated in this area.
By using the air curtain in this way all the benefits associated with prefabrication can also be realised; reduced installation and programme times, less reliance on on-site labour, ensuring consistently high product quality from factory production, space saving through integrated design and reduced on-site waste.
Recently JS Air Curtains worked with architects, consultants and contractors at Canary Wharf to develop and install bespoke multi-service air curtains throughout the retail development at Canary Wharf. These air curtains included emergency lighting, smoke detectors and hidden CCTV cameras.
With projects like this, the design of the air curtain can be styled to reflect its surroundings through collaboration between the architect or consultant and the air curtain manufacturer. The air curtain then becomes a feature of an entrance rather than just a chunky box hung above a doorway. Grilles can be hidden on top of a unit, metallic casings given the same finish as the doorway, service cabling hidden and overall aesthetics improved.
To take full advantage of the economic and aesthetic benefits that a multi-service air curtain can offer, expert advice is needed from an early stage. A bespoke air curtain project needs to be managed in a totally different way to a normal installation. Rather than leaving the decisions on style or supplier until later in a project, decisions have to be taken earlier on, like the services to be included, how these will be co-ordinated, the aesthetics of the outer casing, mounting solutions, etc.
In the Canary Wharf project it was necessary to liaise with all other parties involved to ensure the air curtains didnt just look and perform perfectly but were also easy to install. For instance, the contractors were an integral part of these discussions as the mounting solution required special easy-fit clips to be built-in to the units to make installation much simpler.
In order to fully realise the potential of a multi-service air curtains project a five-stage design and production plan is adopted. At the initial meetings advice is given on the possibilities of this type of project with outline proposals and costs. These are followed by conceptual designs, where preliminary concepts are worked-up considering aesthetics, incorporated services and functionality. Following this, more detailed designs are produced, with technical drawings finalising the features of the air curtain and its interface with the surrounding environment.
Once the design team has prepared these advanced plans, full size samples are made for testing and refinement. Then when final approval is given, pre-production models are manufactured and fitted on-site to ensure problem free installation and operation.
It is essential when starting out on a multi-service air curtain project of this nature that the supplier chosen is experienced in managing the design process and is capable of giving comprehensive advice on the possibilities of the system. All air curtain companies supply standard models, some supply bespoke designed units but very few have the knowledge to expertly run a multi-service project ensuring the most economical and effective routes are progressed.
JS Air Curtains offers a comprehensive range of standard and bespoke air curtains for heated, chilled and industrial environments including novel systems for rotating doors.