Amarr’s New R & D Facility Is More Than a Test Center

When developing Amarr’s new research and development facility, company officials made sure the facility would provide for current and future needs. The facility, called the E3 Institute for Education, Exercise, Explore, has numerous unique features that make testing a wide variety of products possible.

First, and foremost, the building features 13 different spaces where doors can be cycle tested to measure everything from track and hardware endurance to spring life. These test chambers can be configured for a wide variety of door sizes.

“The facility was made with versatility in mind,” says Danny Joyner, manager of applications engineering. “We wanted to have the ability to test a wide variety of doors, and be able to reconfigure the test area quickly, if needed. With the large number of test areas we have, that is not usually necessary.”

The E3 building has two different wind load test chambers that utilize sophisticated software to measure a door’s deflection during the testing procedure. In addition, an impact cannon gives the engineers the ability to test a door’s impact rating by shooting a 2 x 4 piece of wood at the door from as far as 15 feet. The cannon can be set up to duplicate speeds in excess of 34 mph.

A salt spray chamber is used to test the corrosion resistance of hardware, springs, sections, and other metal parts that may be exposed to salt-air atmospheric conditions. This gives the engineers and the purchasing group the knowledge they need to select the best parts that will last the longest under these conditions.

The E3 facility houses a complete model of an Amarr Door Center and a classroom for training purposes. Plus there is a workout room, with treadmills, stationary bikes, weight machines, and free weights that is open to all employees.

For more information visit www.amarr.com or call 1-800-503-DOOR (3667).

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