For the terraXcube research centre in Bolzano, we supplied specially developed gates and doors that can withstand a negative pressure of up to 0.7 bar. The climate chambers of terraXcube, a research platform of Eurac Research, simulate extreme conditions – from arctic cold to desert heat – and are used to research the influence of extreme environmental factors on people, materials and technical systems.
The gates and doors are designed for high loads and had to withstand strict tests for pressure and temperature resistance (-20 °C to +50 °C). All sliding doors are threshold-free, equipped with a floor groove and drive-over guide rail to ensure safe operation in the climate chambers. A large sliding door for the main negative pressure chamber ‘Large Cube’ withstands a negative pressure force of around 110 tonnes and is moved electrically in dead man’s mode.
In addition, pressure-resistant airlock doors with viewing windows were supplied for the smaller chamber ‘Small Cube’, designed for suction and overpressure. The doors have a circumferential, heated seal and thermal insulation to provide a reliable seal at extreme temperatures. Electronic interlocks and manual release options ensure safe operation under different pressure conditions.
