In a world where cybersecurity grabs many of the top headlines, it could be easy to forget about the importance of physical security. According to Pro-Vigil’s report “The State of Physical Security Entering 2024,” 25 percent of businesses experienced increased physical security incidents in 2023. Rising crime rates, economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and security guard shortages were among the chief factors identified as possible contributors to the issue.
When security incidents occur and bad actors strike, it ultimately hits companies where it hurts — the bottom line. From causing project delays to damaging critical assets, these events can impact businesses for months or even longer.
This data underscores the importance of industrial security gates and robust perimeter security solutions for modern businesses. TYMETAL Corp has a unique understanding of the complex needs faced by industrial facilities and properties and the role industrial security gates play in meeting them. Explore how to choose the right industrial security gates and the importance of partnering with the right manufacturer in this gate selection guide.
Introduction to Security Gates for Industrial Facilities
Industrial facilities have unique needs and many potential safety hazards that security gates can help mitigate. Industrial security gates perform multiple functions. From access control to increasing the property’s defenses against potential criminal activity, the right gate in the right place could make all the difference.
Importance of Choosing the Right Security Gate
Security gates are rarely a one-size-fits-all proposition. Each industrial facility has unique traffic patterns, constraints regarding opening sizes, and overall security risks. Each use case has unique requirements, which is why choosing the proper gate style, size, and specifications is an essential step.
Overview of Common Types of Industrial Security Gates
Some of the most common industrial security gates include:
Cantilever Slide Gates: These security gates have a counter-balanced design for smooth, linear opening and closing. They are ideal for areas with large openings and/or challenging grade conditions.
Box Frame Roller Gates: These gates can efficiently close large openings with integrated safety clips for more stable use, even in high winds. Some offer telescoping designs and a matched operator for speedy opening and closing.
Overhead Slide Gates: These gates open and close from above, making them particularly well suited for areas with limited space on either side of the opening. They are rugged and able to withstand high-use conditions.
Heavy Duty Swing Gates: These gates work well in nearly any setting, especially in spots with inadequate space for sliding or rolling gates. They are rugged and offer lightweight, sag-resistant designs.
Pedestrian Gates: For facilities that need to control more than just vehicular traffic, these industrial security gate options help control foot traffic. Available in various designs and finishes, pedestrian gates can provide reliable access control at entry and exit points.
Vertical Lift Gates: These gates are for facilities that need compact, and space-efficient security. Vertical Lift Gates moves upward to open, and go above the height of the authorized vehicle.
Vertical Pivot Gates: These security gates work by rotating upward at one lower corner and pivoting 90 degrees upward. These are ideal for facilities with space to the sides of the opening is limited.
Assessing Your Facility’s Needs
No two facilities are alike, and assessing your facility’s needs is the first step. This empowers you to choose the perimeter security solutions and industrial security gates that will best safeguard your people and property.
Analyzing the Type of Facility
As you assess the property, begin by considering the assets you need to protect as part of your efforts to create an effective security solution. This might include buildings, equipment, supplies, inventory, customers, and employees. Beyond that:
- Consider crime in the general area
- Analyze risks and determine potential threats
- Assess the size and scope of the perimeter
- Evaluate entrances to the property and individual buildings
Understanding Traffic Flow
When considering security gates, developing a solid understanding of traffic flow is particularly critical. Evaluate the number of vehicles that enter and exit every day, along with the general volume of foot traffic. Additionally, think about any areas that may be vulnerable to vehicular ramming, as those zones may require additional security measures like crash-rated barriers for extra protection.
Evaluating Gate Durability and Material Requirements
After assessing the facility and surrounding property, consider the various available gate options. To maximize the return on investment, choose materials that offer the strength necessary to provide the required security in addition to lasting performance. In an industrial setting, gates must be able to withstand heavy volumes of traffic and accommodate oversized vehicles.
Factors Influencing Durability
How the components are manufactured and whether they have undergone rigorous testing are two elements that have an impact. For example, TYMETAL’s TIGER industrial gate systems undergo hundreds of thousands of testing cycles in varying conditions to ensure reliable performance and lasting construction. The materials used for manufacturing the gates also play a significant role.
Material Options and Their Benefits
Two of the most popular materials include steel and aluminum. Steel can offer durability, but it’s prone to corrosion and rust. That’s why TYMETAL typically uses stainless and galvanized products when steel is required and primarily recommends aluminum for its security gates. Aluminum is lightweight and resists corrosion and also offers high yield and tensile strength for greater long-term durability with less required maintenance.
Technological Compatibility and Integration
Securing property perimeters and entrances typically requires more than just a physical barrier. Choosing an industrial security gate that offers advanced features and compatibility with existing technology will ensure smooth operation and comprehensive security.
Integration with Existing Security Systems
Industrial facilities require top-of-the-line security that includes cameras. Video allows security professionals to keep an eye on hard-to-monitor spots and collect evidence in case of an intrusion. Other helpful elements include sensors, magnetic or electronic locks, and other access control features.
Advanced Features to Consider
Automatic security gates with advanced systems provide additional peace of mind. TYMETAL is a single-source provider of security barriers, gates, and matched operating systems. Technology-forward capabilities are the key to keeping industrial properties safe and on the cutting-edge of today’s security options, with advanced features such as secure access codes, biometrics, keycards and proximity sensors.
Custom Security Gate Solutions
Standard options don’t always fit the bill. Facilities may have irregular space requirements, a challenging installation environment, or a specific security level that other gates don’t meet. Customization offers a precise fit and additional control over aesthetics to ensure the project meets all standards.
Process of Designing Custom Gates
Working with design experts is the optimal way to achieve your goals. It all begins with a consultation, at which point you can explore how custom security gates can help the facility achieve the access control it needs. Working with professionals, you can explore the various options for risk mitigation and asset protection, as well as the varying finishes and aesthetic touches available. In the end, you will have an industrial security gate that meets your precise specifications.
Selecting the Right Vendor
Partnering with an experienced vendor grants you access to decades of expertise and ongoing support. What should you look for in a security gate provider?
Criteria for Choosing a Gate Manufacturer
First and foremost, it’s essential to choose a manufacturer that offers the types of security gates you seek. Beyond that, consider the manufacturer’s breadth of industry expertise. Industrial facilities’ security needs demand solutions that are reliable and durable. Consult reviews and testimonials from past clients to learn about product quality, the way the company operates, and the level of service you can anticipate. Other criteria to consider include the following:
- Where it manufactures its products — does it handle everything in-house, or does it outsource?
- Is the company committed to ongoing innovation, ensuring it offers the latest in security technologies?
- Does the vendor offer support and installation services during the project (bonus points if they offer support beyond installation)?
- Does the company provide matched operators and other technological options?
- Can you work with a team of experts to plan the project?
- Does the vendor provide design services?
- Is the company ISO-registered?
Importance of Warranty and Maintenance Services
Gate installation isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it proposition. Industrial security gates require ongoing preventative maintenance, and even the highest-quality products may need service. Research the provider’s warranty offerings and determine whether it provides technical support before, during, and after installation. The right partner will provide assistance, even after the project is complete.
Legal and Compliance Considerations
Safety is paramount at industrial facilities and a broad range of other property types. Ensuring gates meet all regulations, such as the UL325 standard for automated gates, ensures that the products enhance operational efficiencies while safeguarding the property.
Regulatory Standards for Industrial Gates
Depending on the precise nature of the property, industrial gates might be required to meet specific impact resistance levels. Working with an experienced perimeter security solutions provider ensures that all products will meet and exceed regulatory requirements for the best possible outcome.
Cost Considerations
Installing industrial security gates is an investment, with varying price points available, depending on whether you opt for manual, automated, or custom security gates. However, approaching it as a preventative, proactive measure for the facility’s security can help put the costs into perspective.
Budgeting for Your Security Gate
Expert gate manufacturers can help guide industrial facility stakeholders in determining their budgetary needs. The right vendor will also work within the facility’s budgetary constraints to deliver optimal solutions that are still affordable.
Establishing a security budget can help enhance your ability to protect the facility’s physical and digital assets. The budget will be a critical resource to allocate funds for security gates, maintenance, access control systems, and other perimeter security solutions. It can also help cover cybersecurity needs for robust protection from physical and data breaches. In turn, the facility’s customers, partners, employees, and assets are optimally safeguarded.
Evaluating Cost vs. Benefit
Data from global financial services company WTW reveals that the average commercial crime loss totals more than $1 million. Some of the highest losses have totaled $55 million, highlighting the potential cost of inaction vs. implementing proactive security measures.
Conducting a cost-benefit analysis can help facility stakeholders understand the savings that security gates can offer. In its most simplified version, this could include:
- Determine the property’s unique risk profile.
- Estimate the costs associated with those risks (direct asset losses or property damage, unplanned downtime, productivity losses, etc.).
- Research security solutions and the associated costs.
Contact the Security Gate Experts at TYMETAL
TYMETAL has been an industry leader since 1985, offering a host of security solutions, including industrial security gates and custom options. We are a single-source provider, manufacturing our products in-house and providing matched operators and expert design services. From site planning to gate installation and beyond, TYMETAL provides superior products and services to industrial facilities. Contact TYMETAL today to learn more or to schedule a consultation.
