You’ve just had your car washed brilliantly clean in the car wash. The programme has ended, the roller door moves up… and the dirty water on the roller door drips onto your freshly washed car. Ben Nobel, owner of Total’s Ben Nobel petrol station and car wash in Nieuw-Beijerland was convinced there had to be another way. So he started looking for an automatic folding door for his new car wash. This search eventually brought him to HTC parking & security via numerous different door suppliers. “The door panels had to slide open on both sides and the door had to be completely sealable in order to keep the water and heat in,” according to Ben.
Inward opening panel doors
André de Koning, project manager at HTC, immediately got to work on the request. “Although we usually supply Speedgates for car parks, apartment complexes, business parks, high security locations or, for example, for ambulance access, an application like this is certainly also perfectly possible. The top-drive Xentry 3TP was the most obvious choice in this case. Ben and I then looked at exactly how the entrance gate should be installed and what conditions it needed to meet. One of the things we soon realised was that the panel doors which normally open outwards are actually better off opening inwards in this case. This will result in more space when exiting, which instantly improves safety.” This safety is further guaranteed with red and green LED lighting, which will tell the user he can leave the car wash. The detection loops inside and outside the car wash also ensure no persons or vehicles are accidentally trapped.
A design which perfectly befits an ultra modern car wash
The Speedgate had to perfectly match the rest of the ultra modern car wash design where its appearance is concerned. That’s why the robust steel panels were fitted with glass. “We also included brushes on the underside for insulation and the Speedgate has been hot-dip galvanised and equipped with a double-layer of powder coating for protection,” André tells us. “This means you can be sure of the fact you have purchased a sustainable product which will last for years. Even in a demanding environment like a car wash.”
Optimal operation and reliability thanks to the Speedgate
And speaking about demanding, the cars have constantly been queuing down the road and the car wash has been working overtime since it first opened in mid-January. Ben: “The new car wash opened on Friday afternoon and really hasn’t stood still since then.” Such levels of activity naturally also require optimal operation and reliability of all equipment, including the Speedgate. André explains: “The doors need to move smoothly and quickly in order to guarantee an optimal flow and positive customer experience. After all, a faltering door takes time and certainly won’t contribute to the car wash’s excellent image. Fortunately Ben doesn’t need to worry about this, as our Speedgates are produced for environments in which a good and safe flow is essential.”
Positive reactions from customers
Ben isn’t worried in the least. He is certainly very proud of his state-of-the-art car wash with accompanying exit door. And the reactions from customers have been incredibly positive too. Both about the quality of the equipment and products, as well as about the car wash’s design and operation. “Of course we still have a few small things to fine-tune and set up, but we’re definitely very pleased with the end result.” An end result which HTC was fortunate enough to make a nice contribution to, making sure the total picture was truly spot on. Just like the beautifully cleaned cars, without any drips from the roller door.
