Keys Factors for Recovery in the Automatic Door Sector in 2021

“After the first months of 2021, and as the recovery of activity gathers pace, the sector can expect sustained growth,” says Erreka’s marketing manager, Juan Carlos Erauso. In his opinion, one of the first measures needed is“ to stabilise raw materials supplies. The pandemic has caused endless turbulence in labour, raw materials, and shipping, and this has disrupted supplies” The next measure is for banks to provide “the financing our clients need” so that construction and public works “continue to grow, with projects put on hold because of the crisis.”

On the other hand, Erauso claims that “in one year we’ve moved forward with digitalisation like we would have expected in five. And it’s happened across all segments, in customer and supplier communications, and that will help us develop much faster than before the pandemic.

For Enrique Fernández, marketing manager of Nice Automatismos España, the critical aspects in 2021 will be “getting the sanitary situation under control, to remove restrictions on most normal activities.” Secondly, “the flow of credit to resume investments in industry and services.” And thirdly, “ongoing market inertia early in the year, with a stronger or weaker slowdown, depending on the points I mentioned before.”

Health Protection

Óscar Conde is Connectivity Solutions Expert with GEZE Iberia. He summarises the sector’s recovery as two pathways: “On one hand, protecting users’ health and safety is a sensitive issue that we need to focus on at all levels.” And, on the other hand, “innovation and energy efficiency, which must go hand-in-hand as we move towards a sustainable future in which our sector must participate.”

Agustín Martin Vecino is general manager of Martín Vecino. He says that in this context, “the sector will be sluggish in early 2021, but we’ll see a recovery starting in the second half.” Also, he believes that “to do our part to improve the situation, we have to strive to comply with the applicable laws, regulations, royal decrees and rules.”

Communication between manufacturers, distributors and customers will be essential for a rapid recovery. Carlos Márquez is Technical Manager of CEportal-Integra Ingeniería. He says that the critical factor will be making owners and users of automatic doors aware of the importance of making them safe. “This includes contactless mechanisms to reduce Covid-19 risk, regulatory compliance to prevent accidents, and proper preventive maintenance to minimise breakdowns” In his opinion, “companies in the sector need to focus on promoting all these aspects to their clients. For example, when you’re doing a maintenance task, if a door has inadequate safety systems, take the opportunity to inform them about how it could cause injury.”

New Products
 

In this context, manufacturers are preparing to boost their offering in 2021 in the main market segments and areas. Erreka highlights especially those in healthcare, food, and other related industries, which “have driven the economy over the last few months and will continue to do so” And they point out that “everything related to protection and industry is our focus for the short-term.”

Integra Ingeniería will continue marketing its CEportal tool to the sector. This tool can be used “to analyse a door’s risks, issue compliance reports and manage maintenance in a professional way.” The Nice group will focus on its new YUBII and all its integration and security products. And Martín Vecino will be promoting its kits to provide solutions for problems with limited space with its different types of doors (telescopic, self-supporting and double-leaf sliding doors) and their active and passive protection products.

For its part, Geze Iberia will promote solutions to eliminate surface contact and automated occupancy monitoring (Geze Counter), proposals aimed at improving health and safety protections, and improving accessibility for people with reduced mobility. And its GEZE ECDrive T2 Thermic solutions (automatic thermal break sliding door) provides a measurable increase in a building’s energy efficiency. “All our systems are designed to be easily adapted to very high footfall applications, such as those in hospitals, schools, day-care centres, retirement homes, sports centres, spas, gyms, government buildings, apartment building entrances or shared spaces for public use,” says Conde.