New freewheeling closer offers many advantages and is EN1155 certified

When opening or closing a door, we are reluctant to look up to see which door closer is installed. But you should, because there may be a clever piece of technology there. Provided the door closer is manufactured by dormakaba, of course. Profile talks to Geoffrey van den Berg about the latest addition to the door closer family, dormakaba's TS 99 FL K BG. "This new door closer has special features and is the only solution certified in the Netherlands for the 2020 Building Code amendment," Van den Berg opens the conversation. "We are talking about a free-wheeling door closer, which is mounted on the non-hinge side, on the frame lintel."

Unobtrusive presence

For example, the new door closer can be mounted on the gallery side of a front door - which of course turns inward - of an apartment. "The wiring goes through the frame and is therefore not in sight. A visual inspection does not require the resident to be at home," outlines Van den Berg. "The TS 99 FL K BG has a setback of 50 to 96 mm. Once mounted, there is no restriction on the passage height."

Door closer technology then and now

That door closers offer comfort, are low-noise and provide energy savings is well known. Door closing technology is particularly important for smoke and fire doors. If you use access control, you also need a door closer. A door with an access control solution does not want to be left open. Previously, scissor arm closers were mainly used. Now we usually work with door closers with a guide rail. More attractive, more functional and less susceptible to vandalism," Van den Berg explains. We use pressure regulating valves in combination with oil pressure to allow the door to close softly. This provides the necessary comfort, it is low-noise, aesthetic and energy-saving."

dormakaba is the market leader in door closers. "In total, we have sold more than 150 million door closers worldwide. Every second somewhere in the world a door closes with one of our systems. The TS99FL K BG was developed specifically for the Dutch market. This is proof of the fact that dormakaba is not only globally, but also locally capable of product development."

ITs-3b certification

The opening resistance of dormakaba's guide rail door closers is minimal. "We call this technology 'Easy Open Technology.' The basis of this technology is formed by a heart-shaped cam shaft. Our guide rail door closers are ITs-3b (integral accessibility standard) certified for this reason," continues Van den Berg. "These door closers contribute to barrier-free access to a building. This benefits children, the elderly and the disabled. Comfortable opening but strength to close properly."

Appealing design

The eye wants something, too. In terms of design, dormakaba's door closers are right on target. "Architects find our door closers appealing in terms of design. Most models have the Contur design, the latest models have the 'XEA' design. XEA stands for 'Ten (X) Elements of Aesthetics' and involves a combination of form, color, use of materials and finish. The XEA design is also applied to other dormakaba products so that unity in design of access components can be achieved within the interior of a building or space. This provides added value and distinctiveness on all fronts."

Door closers for projects

The TS93 and the TS98 XEA are door closers that are very suitable for projects. As standard, they feature opening damping and closing delay. "The damping hydraulics ensure that a forcibly opened door does not break through. The closing delay makes it possible, for example, to comfortably remove your bicycle from the storage room, the door can thus remain open for a few seconds," explains Van den Berg.

"Whether it's freestanding door closers, ideal for fire-rated entrance and traffic doors, flush-mounted door closers that are mounted completely out of sight, system door closers that are modular, or closing sequence controllers for double doors... dormakaba has something suitable for practically every situation," Van den Berg says in conclusion.