|
Door Entry Market Overview
The door entry sector is growing; installations are increasing in industrial, commercial and domestic applications and 2004 looks set to be a good year.
Advances in technology mean that many different types of systems are now available, from audio only, audio and video systems in black and white to colour systems with memory capability. Systems are also available in analogue, digital and semi digital formats. Equipment is improving in quality and reliability, it is generally easier to install with most systems using just 2-wires and overall prices are getting lower. Security Installers and Electrical Contractors can now source systems to suit every budget and specification, giving end uses exactly what they want and still making a healthy profit.
There’s such a diverse range of systems available now with so many different features and functions creating greater choice and flexibility for the end user. Multi-way audio door entry systems are now common, where a door station calls several receivers in the building, or where different door stations call one or more receivers. Although, colour video entry systems have been available for around 8-9 years, it is only in the last couple of years that these systems have really taken off, notably due to the fact they are improving in quality, but also prices are coming down, making colour a more affordable solution. Over the next ten years colour systems are likely to dominate the market, the use of dual cameras that switch from colour to black and white in low visibility, will also become popular. In the coming year Farfisa will be bringing new products out in the UK, full information will be available on the website www.farfisasecurity.co.uk and products will be demonstrated at IFSEC and Interbuild exhibitions.
Case Study 1
Direct Communications, a professional commercial installation company based in St Ives was involved in an unusual door entry installation at a luxury Fulham residence comprising of 49 houses. The project required replacing the existing door entry system, which no longer worked, with a new video and audio door entry system, interconnecting the audio and video from the vehicle gate and pedestrian gate access areas to each of the 49 houses. In addition, each house was being fitted with an audio door entry system on the front panels outside each house and inside on the ground floor a monitor and handset with door release, with additional handsets on the first and second floors. At the main entrance, the new system had to be fitted into the existing brass push-button panel. The requirements of the system were to enable residents to communicate with visitors as they arrived. To see and speak to visitors at the vehicle and pedestrian gates and using the door release allow the vehicle gates and individual front doors to open automatically.
In preparing the tender for the project, Direct Communications needed to specify a 2 camera video entry system capable of working 1-49 way and that would be able to operate over the 1500m distance around the houses. “Only two manufacturers were able to provide the right system for us, and we decided to specify the Farfisa FN4000 digital system from Farfisa Security Products. It was the best product for the job, in that it fulfilled all the required functions and came within our tight budget.” Comments Robin Harper Project Manager for Direct Communications. David McGinn, Sales Director at Farfisa Security Products recommended the use of the Farfisa FN4000 digital system, he explains why: “When we realised the distance was 1500metres we recommended the digital system as it would be more cost effective and easier to install than an analogue system. In this situation the greater the distance between each system, the more cable and power is required. An analogue system would have required use of 2.5mm cable with 11-core, coax, plus a wire per number would mean that you would need 49 wires plus a common and coax per house. Not only would this have been extremely costly, but physically impossible using the existing trunking.”
As it was the cable installation presented quite a few challenges. To start with, the system that was being replaced was thought to have never worked properly, possibly due to the distance between the houses and cabling errors. Direct Communications intended to use the existing ducting for the new installation, however this was not possible as in some places the ducting did not reach the house as it should, or it stopped just under the foundations, or a meter away. Excavation work was required, which unfortunately meant that the job took longer to complete. Harper continues: We had to excavate outside to take the old cables out and put new cables in. we found that the main ducting leading to the main entrance had collapsed, so we had to excavate there as well. It was a bit of a nuisance.”
Due to the long distance of the cable, Direct Communications had to increase the diameter from 0.5mm standard cable to 2.5mm to allow for the signal loss over the distance. Since they were installing a digital system they used a multi core12 wire cable using 9 wires over1500 metres. 600 metres of video cable and 2000m of coax cable were used. “We needed 9 wires in the 12 wire cable which presented its problems because we actually want to loop from house to house. This was not a straight forward process and what we ended up doing was fitting water tight joints in the man holes and spurring out from there to each house.” Harper explains. “There were 5 circuits, each circuit serving 10 houses and the last serving just 9.”
It’s unusual for a system like this to connect over such a long distance, and in the beginning they experienced some teething problems with the audio connection. Farfisa assisted in finding the solution by creating bespoke software to accommodate the long run. They added two data modules to boost the signal, which worked successfully. This digital system is off the shelf but the application clearly wasn’t as each house had a front panel as well as a connection to the outer gate.
The project was completed in just 2 months and the new system went live in March this year following a one-month test period and so far is running smoothly. Direct Communications will be maintaining the system. Direct Communications had used Farfisa door entry products before but not for such a large or unusual project. Robin Harper concludes: “This wasn’t the easiest installation, because of the cabling problems, however we found it easy to install the Farfisa digital system and were delighted at their ability to work with us to find the right solutions and get the system up and running.”
Case Study 2
The prestigious new residential development at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth is fitted with Farfisa door entry systems.
The old dockyard site of Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth is undergoing a £100million transformation, part of which includes a new development of luxury apartment buildings and town houses by Berkley Homes. Petersfield based A1 Security Systems Ltd won the contract to supply, install and maintain the security systems in the new dwellings; they were awarded the contract from Star Mechanical and Electrical Services, the consulting engineers at Gunwharf Quays.
The security installation is being carried out in four phases and Farfisa door entry equipment has been specified throughout. In phase one, Farfisa analogue audio entry equipment was installed in the town houses. Additionally, Farfisa analogue black and white video door entry system has been installed in 15 apartment blocks of between 6 to 17 flats. The marine grade stainless steel door stations included proximity access control for the residents. These bespoke entry panels were supplied from Farfisa Security Products, the exclusive importer of Farfisa in the UK.
A1 Security Systems specified the use of Farfisa for this project, Brendan Roberts, A1’s technical manager explains why: “We evaluated Farfisa against other products in the market place and felt that this system was the most suitable for the job. And the prices were quite competitive as well.”
In phase two A1 Security Systems are installing the Farfisa TD4100 digital entry systems across two large blocks of 129 luxury apartments and penthouse suites. The entry system is being used at each of the 16 entrances to the buildings as well as in the underground car parks that have 8 entrances to the ground floor levels. The Farfisa TD4100 digital audio entry system has also been fitted with integral proximity and keypad access control in a flush stainless steel panel. For this installation the video camera was supplied separately. Each apartment is being installed with the Farfisa digital monitor handset.
So far the installation is running smoothly as Brendan concludes: “Farfisa Security Products are supplying the Farfisa equipment on time for our installers and there is no problem with it. The kit goes together pretty well. Phase one has been in for a year now and we’ve never had any problems with it.”
Case Study 3
Farfisa video door entry was specified and installed in an illustrious Charles Church development at Manor Hill in Sutton Coldfield. The Installer, Tamworth based Forward Security Services Ltd designed and specified the security system for the new housing development comprising of 18 luxury town houses and 5 apartment buildings totalling 89 apartments.
Enclosed in a site of approximately 3 acres, the ‘village’ is secured at a main gate with Farfisa digital video door entry with integrated proximity access control on the vehicle and pedestrian gates. Each of the apartment buildings has a separate analogue video door entry with one monitor in each apartment, and the town houses, which are three and four storey high, have two monitors installed.
Adrian McIlmurray, managing director of Forward Security Services commented: “This is the first project we’ve used Farfisa equipment on. We’d heard a lot about the products and decided to give it a try. The people at Farfisa Security Products were really helpful when it came to specifying the right equipment to use.”
Forward Security specified the Farfisa FN4000 digital system and analogue video entry system. The door stations were customised to include proximity access control. The equipment was provided by Farfisa Security Products the exclusive importer of Farfisa in the UK.
The security installation was completed over four months and ran smoothly. The cabling for the door entry was a bit of a challenge though, as over 5000 metres of cable were used for the job. Each apartment building stands independently from the others and all 5 buildings and town houses are linked to the door entry at the main gates. The distance from the gates to each building is from 50 to 450 metres. For this installation it wasn’t a case of fitting just one run of cable from the gate to the block, firstly the cable had to be run to a main control room where all the relay switches were housed. Then from the control room it went out to the various buildings.
When it came to installing the door stations for the main gates, a last minute change from Charles Church meant that the door stations no longer fitted the new pillar design. Farfisa had to provide a new design, Andrew concludes: “Farfisa were good, they had to redesign the panels to fit the new pillars and we were pleased with the end result.”
Forward Security Services provide a complete security installation service to Charles Church and have won a five-year maintenance contract at Manor Hill.
For information about Farfisa product please contact Farfisa Security Products on Tel: 0. Email: .
 Top of Page
|
