…And why AJ Manufacturing Inc. spends so much time making sure they don’t

When you get right down to it, a door is a hole in the wall that allows access when you need it, but a thorough closure otherwise.  So…nobody really thinks about a door – until it fails to do its job.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) rely on doors in their air handling units (AHU) to work as promised.  When they don’t, serious problems arise — water or air leakage, the introduction of dirt or other pollutants, an impact on unit performance, or other issues.

And in the case of AHUs for health care, agriculture, electronics, and especially critical environments like Data Centers, a door that doesn’t work properly can translate to an expensive and time-consuming cascade of problems that can affect AHU performance and customer satisfaction.

There are a host of reasons why doors can fall short of expectations, which AJ Manufacturing Inc. has spent decades anticipating and addressing:

Component, material selection, and design: Not all doors are designed and produced with the same attention to detail. The slightest variation in tolerance can result in measurable (but not visible) change in door reveal and/or gasket sealing. Less durable materials can result in detrimental changes in structure. Substandard “off-the-shelf” components like gaskets and hinges can also compromise an otherwise well-made product.

Transportation damage: When doors are shipped to the OEM for installation, keeping the pre-hung doorframe square and protected becomes critical for performance. Shipping clips, banding, packaging, specially built pallets become as important as the door construction and design: a door damaged during shipping is of no value to the end user.

Once the doors are installed, and the unit has passed quality testing, they are loaded for shipment on a truck or trailer. They are often loaded and secured using forklifts and cranes, and rigged with straps. The camber of a trailer, if not properly anchored and leveled, can put stress on the AHU shell when the vehicle travels across hundreds — even thousands — of miles to the site.

Installation damage: On paper, an AHU and its accompanying doors are designed to sit on a level surface. That is not always the reality of an installation site. If those variations aren’t addressed, poor performance is almost guaranteed. Square, plumb, level, correctly sized and properly flashed AHU installations are necessary, but — at times — difficult to ensure on job sites. The best door will be designed to function despite this variability.

Hardware installation: Even if a door is installed exactly as instructed, its performance can suffer if an installer or project owner chooses a handle or latch that differs from a manufacturer’s specifications. Ninety percent of the reported door concerns we receive at AJ Manufacturing Inc. are attributable to adjustment of the hardware.  Between the manufacture of the door, the manufacture of the AHU, transportation, and installation of the unit, the initial adjustments of the hardware can fall well out of alignment, making it necessary to check and correct on the site.

Other ancillary issues: Once a door is installed, technicians and workers of various systems begin drilling holes for pipes and cables through the structure.  These functions require personnel to enter and exit the doors hundreds of times. Those workers may wear tool belts that hit the doors, they may drag cords over gaskets, introduce dirt and debris, and more.  Some doors become go-to crutches for the workers as they stand up and down.

Even the simple act of painting can start the process of eroding door performance.  If not properly tested, inconsistent paint prep, chemical interactions that affect the gasket, and residue from tapes and overspray can affect a door’s seal or performance.

While other folks may not give much thought to a door, it’s all we do at AJ Manufacturing Inc. It’s why we invest so much time and consideration of each individual door: how it will be used, where it will be installed and by whom, and what kinds of challenges their customer might encounter before the door arrives at the worksite.