Union Industries blows away the competition with its Ramdoor at BSW Timber

Union Industries, the UK’s leading manufacturer of bespoke industrial doors, has once again demonstrated the robust design and manufacture of its Ramdoor by helping BSW Timber overcome extreme weather challenges through the installation of two high-speed doors.

Having installed a Bulldoor at BSW Timber’s sawmill in Newbridge on Wye, Wales, in 2021, Union Industries has returned to tackle the site’s challenging location with two of its hard-working Ramdoors.

Founded in 1848, BSW Timber is the largest sawmilling company in the UK. With six sites across the UK and Latvia, it is a large-scale producer of certified timber products for various industries and applications, including fencing, landscaping, decking, cladding, construction, joinery and pallet production.

It is a member of BSW Group, owned by its parent company, Binderholz, which is Europe’s largest integrated sawmilling group.

The sawmill’s location required a tailored door solution to meet the unique requirements of the site. Union Industries Ramdoors not only needed to provide high wind resistance, but ultimately had to provide the reliability that BSW timber needed.

The Ramdoors, with their robust construction and durable components, replace two existing European-manufactured fast acting doors, which were incurring excessive repair costs due to their age.

Each of the Ramdoors have been engineered to achieve a Class 5 wind resistance rating, making them able to withstand strong winds, and to remain operational even during severe weather conditions.

Achieving this rating is supported by a number of the Ramdoor’s features, including its thick Ramhide door curtain material which is high-frequency welded together, giving the strongest fabric joins available.

On top of that are the heavy-duty wind-brace and wind-bar systems for added strength, plus its extra-deep side-guides all contributing to Ramdoor’s ability to cope with high wind loads and pressures. Like other doors in the Union range, Union Industries Ramdoor also benefits from a ‘Crash Out’ facility, in case of vehicle or personnel impact to the bottom beam, thus ensuring minimal downtime and repair costs.

To further enhance safety and functionality, the Ramdoors have been equipped with visual and audible warning systems to overcome the high noise levels present in the environment. These modifications ensure that employees are alerted to the door’s operation and can take necessary precautions.

Richard Tarleton, Technical Sales Engineer for Union Industries, said: “Our high-speed industrial doors are tried and tested in some of the most challenging weather conditions. The Ramdoor in particular, has a reputation for maintaining continuous operation all year round, in any weather.

“BSW Timber’s site is prone to high winds so our Engineering Department has enhanced the design of their Ramdoors to ensure they’ll stand strong against the conditions, which will help maintain operations and productivity at the sawmill.”

Richard Barnett, Maintenance Manager at BSW Timber, said: “We sought a reliable solution to address any adverse weather conditions and maintain the integrity of the interior of our facility.

“In addition, we required doors that supported productivity at our facility, but requiring minimal maintenance, particularly if impacted by forklift trucks. We were very impressed with the ‘Crash Out’ function in our first Bulldoor, which we didn’t have in our previous roller shutter doors, allowing the doors to quickly return to operation and providing a cost and operational saving.

“As a result, given the success of the Bulldoor, it seemed only natural to approach them again. The service from the team has again been very impressive and we have every confidence that these new Ramdoors are exactly what we need to protect us from the elements and keep our colleagues safe.”