sara supplies Ferrari dealership with high speed door system to enhance showroom aesthetics and security.

Joe Macari sells, services and races a range of high performance and prestige cars from marques such as Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin, Bugatti and Lamborghini. Its stock regularly includes some of the finest examples in the world, such as the incredibly rare Ferrari 250 Series. As would be expected in a dealership of such high quality, Joe Macari places a great deal of importance on the aesthetics.

When Joe Macari needed to install new internal and external loading bay doors there were a range of requirements, other than the typical need for security, to ensure that they would be suited to the business. The doors needed to be extremely reliable; ensuring that there was no way that the doors could cause accidental damage to cars, with some worth over (GBP)5M. The internal door also needed to be transparent, allowing the cars to be visible to customers, and aesthetically pleasing.

Fortunately a technical salesperson from sara Loading Bay Specialists was able to work closely with Joe Macari to develop a solution which involved no compromises to these requirements. sara is a total package provider, offering pre and post sales design input and technical support, allowing its trained engineers to design full turnkey solutions.

“The customer service provided by sara personnel was second to none”, said Joe Macari. “They were able to provide a solution that was engineered specifically around our requirements. They provided a transparent internal door which uses a sensor to ensure that the door cannot close when something is passing through. If I needed new doors tomorrow I wouldn’t hesitate to use sara again.”

The solution offered by sara consisted of two external doors and one internal one. For the external openings, Roller Shutter Doors (RSD’s) were employed. Manufactured from galvanised steel the RSD provides secure protection, essential in a high class dealership such as Joe Macari. The RSD’s can be powered either manually or electrically, and are wind resistant up to hurricane force.

The internal door was from sara’s ‘Sprint’ range. This range is designed for frequent traffic; it is powered by an intelligent FCC Control drive and can reach opening speeds of 2.2 m/s. The doors have a high priority on appearance and are available transparent or finished in any RAL colour required. The doors have a choice of locking methods and provide both sound and heat insulation.

The Sprint door installed at Joe Macari was transparent, allowing the cars to be displayed in full view, whilst remaining protected. The doors are extremely energy efficient with low maintenance costs; meaning that they often have a payback period of only two to three years. The inclusion of the unique sara safety beam/non-contact safety edge protects the cars from accidental damage - as well as being a vital health and safety feature.

The sara safety beam, is a transmitter and receiver that continuously scans ahead of the door curtain while the door is closing, this safety system is fail safe and reduces the risk of injury to personnel or damage to product. The sara non contact safety beam does not require an external curly cable which is usually found on contact safety edge systems. Curly cables stretch over time and become vulnerable to snagging, they can also suffer from wind movement and trigger doors unnecessarily when doors are fitted with standard radar devices.

Dean Williams, speaking for sara, said: “We pride ourselves on offering a complete service. This means listening to each customer’s specific needs and designing a unique system to fit them. In this instance we were able to supply a door system that provided both the security and confidence required, whilst complimenting the aesthetics of the showroom.”