Unique magnetism-based solution prevents dilation problem at entrance doors

The facade is often the business card of a home, and then a beautiful, secure front door cannot be missing. In recent years, our contemporary architecture has been characterized by larger, taller entrance doors with joinery in PVC and aluminum. However, with a classic sash covering system with glued door leaf, the front door may warp on warmer days and consequently jam. Frager, a specialist in aluminum and PVC door panels, sought a solution to this dilation problem and developed the unique and revolutionary Magnetude front door system.^®, which works through magnetism.

For several years now, architects and building owners have been opting en masse for large entrance doors, in many cases also in dark colors, even mostly black. Combined with the existing three-point locks with anti-intrusion hooks, these doors become very susceptible to dilitation. 

"Due to the solar heat, the large surfaces expand and so the door leaf deforms inward on the side of the lock. The hooks of the lock get stuck and the door becomes impossible to close or open. It was raining complaints," explains Franck De Munster, manager at Frager. 

"Finding a solution to allow the outer plate of a door to move freely with respect to the door leaf while being attached to it was the challenge we presented to our R&D department. Gluing was not an option, because that was precisely where the cause of the dilation problem lay. We developed a unique system in which the door panels are not glued to the door leaf, but simply mounted via a magnetic principle: Magnetude^®. You can actually compare it to the smart cover of an iPad. There, movement to the left and right is also possible, although the cover remains attached to the iPad."

Win-win for processor and builder

At Frager, they mounted 16 magnets, each with 30 kg tensile strength, on an ordinary recessed panel. The aluminum faceplate was fitted with three 2.5 mm thick steel bars. During thorough testing, they determined that dilitation is a thing of the past thanks to this revolutionary innovation, as only the outer plate of the door expands when heated. The door leaf, on which the hinges and lock sit, does not warp, preventing the door from pinching. 

"However, we discovered many more advantages for the production process at our customer window and door manufacturer PVC and ALU, as well as for the builder. The production of doors with glued sashes takes about 2.5 hours. Afterwards, the door system must dry for 12 hours and it is recommended to wait another 24 hours before transporting them to the construction site. At Magnetude^® the sandwich panel is assembled to glass size, after which the outer plate is placed via the magnetic principle. That completes the job, after only 6 minutes," explains
The Munster toe. 

"It remains a nightmare, too, that doors are damaged by other tradesmen on the construction site between windproofing and completion. At Magnetude^® the filler panel is installed as a provisional panel and the sash cover plate can be assembled by one man the day before delivery. If damage to the outer panel, inner panel or glazing should occur later, all elements can be replaced separately. The owner also has the ability to change the look and feel of the front door in an easy way, without the use of tools. And with a magnet, all kinds of decoration can also be attached to the outer leaf of the door, without screwing or gluing. Moreover, burglars won't have a chance. Even if they were to succeed in removing the outer panel, they are still faced with a classic door panel that is fixed with the glass lath in the glass rebate."    

Visit us at Polyclose 2022, booth 1538.