Many of our readers involved in doors and door set installations are most likely well aware of the challenges involved, especially on larger-scale projects. Door installations can be time-consuming, with mistakes easily made due to the less-than-perfect-nature of doorways and openings, especially in existing/older buildings.

Currently, installing a perfect door means filling gaps between the frame and wall before fitting door sets or pre-hung doors. When installing a slab/blank door into an existing frame, the process can become even more labour intensive, as they often require templates, tracing, or multiple measurements with a tape measure before the new door can be made to size.

The issue with this traditional approach is that it is lengthy and rarely results in the optimal gap between the existing opening and the installed product; be it a frame, a door, or any of these configurations. While Prodim trusts that the expertise and craftsmanship of a professional who takes the time and effort prevents most of the issues mentioned, the keyword here is time, which is neither unlimited nor free. Therefore, saving time and labour, especially on larger projects, directly translates to cost savings and profitability.

A real example from the UK Door industry on these issues can be seen in a report on fire doors by the FDIS. In this research, 61% of doors had incorrectly installed, missing, or wrong types of smoke or fire seals. Furthermore, 34% of the doors had a gap that was larger than the 3mm standard, and one in 5 doors was produced with the wrong hinges. In this example, each of these issues could have been prevented through better project preparation, more careful measuring techniques, and more accurate administration of production specs.

 

 

The Solution:

Prodim has created a platform which both addresses these issues, and streamlines the entire door measuring, manufacturing, and installing process. This platform, also known as the Proliner Door Pro range, achieves this through its accuracy, efficiency, and digital connectivity, allowing for greater versatility and optimization in the production process. While a more basic version is also provided in the Furniture, Door, and Window Package, the Door Pro products provide the additional functionalities to tackle the issues experienced in high-output retrofitting, renewal, or new installation of doors.

Project preparation:

Using Prodim’s PC software platforms, users can benefit from simpler, quicker, and more reliable project preparation. This works by allowing the management of projects within one comprehensive view. Within the Door Pro packages, users can add or edit projects, use templates to configure doors, and assign them to a building’s individual openings with the automatic name generator.

These projects are then exported to the Proliner for the surveyor to use when measuring, ensuring ease and speed. Over time, these templates can be standardized by simply selecting them from your personal library for even quicker project preparation.

For more context, templates offer many options, including the number of (guided) points to measure a door, hardware positioning, tolerances for deviation from your standards, as well as the exact offsets for the door gap within the frame on the side jambs, head, and bottom/sill separately. For example, you can achieve a perfect 3mm gap/reveal around the door and an 8mm gap at the bottom.

Customers are able to use the door and hardware libraries with variable levels of customization for editing and configurations to ensure an accurate finished product, created much faster, and digitally available. This enables standardization and process optimization on a level never before seen in the industry.

Measuring and installing:

After said preparation, measuring and surveying becomes virtually effortless. Besides the ability for adjusting templates using the onboard software, surveyors can select the Proliner positioning to record the correct handing for each opening while measuring. This feature is invaluable as it prevents the common mistake of ordering doors with the wrong handing.

With time and experience, professionals can record each opening within 40–60 seconds using the Proliner’s guided measurements. Finished products will always fit perfectly due to the high accuracy of the Proliner’s measurement results.

Manufacturing:

These measurement results can be exported via USB to any location worldwide. Prodim’s product packages, which are compatible with various process setups, can be seamlessly integrated into the customer’s manufacturing process for optimal results. As the Prodim mission states: Our mission is to improve, always!

*The CNC file exports are part of the Production module, more on which below.

Factory Door Pro packages:

Purchasing the Proliner provides access to an integrated application equipped with comprehensive features essential for precisely measuring each door within a project. This includes allowances for deviations from specifications, checks for out-of-wind conditions, and the utilization of digital templates and hardware libraries for precise door design. Additional features such as custom offsets/reveals, a specified number of guided measurement points, swing directions, and more all contribute to achieving the perfect fit. In combination with the PC software (also called Factory) packages below, the Proliner paves the road to maximized process efficiency!

1. Factory Door Pro home:

The Factory Door Pro Home edition is a streamlined version of the Factory Door Pro PC software. It is designed for customers who already use the Prodim Door Pro software products in their manufacturing process, whether it is internally or through external companies. This package aims to offer a more economical solution, eliminating the need for multiple full license purchases. Although this PC module allows for limited project preparation, acquiring the Door Pro Home package implies the presence of an existing Prodim infrastructure, ensuring overall process efficiency.

File output is in Prodim format (PRLD).

2. Factory Door Pro Edit:

The Factory Door Pro Edit product package is a versatile solution designed for flexibility and efficiency for new users. This package enhances project management and preparation with comprehensive list views. Users can leverage the robust functions of the software, including templates, margins, offsets, deviations, and assigned names, to create comprehensive, ready-to-measure files. These files can be conveniently loaded onto the Proliner before each project, streamlining the workflow.

One standout feature of this software package is the variety of file formats available for exporting measurements, allowing customers to connect measurements more easily to external software or processes, simplifying conversion to the actual production process. By employing this strategy, the Door Pro Edit module not only accelerates the entire process but also minimizes errors, significantly boosting profitability.

Supported file outputs include PRLD, XML, DXF, PDF, and EXCEL.

3. Factory Door Pro Production:

In the Factory Door Pro Production module, Prodim dedicates its 20+ years of experience to fully integrate measured results into specific CNC manufacturing systems. This positions the Production module as a potent tool for high-output door companies with in-house production facilities, aiming to revolutionize their process for optimal efficiency across preparation, measurement, production, and installation stages. For companies interested in this integration or who are planning the acquisition of a required CNC setup, Prodim can assess the compatibility of its Factory software with external software beforehand for the best results. Contact our professionals for availability, advice, and quotes.

Supported file outputs include PRLD, XML, DXF, PDF, EXCEL, and Export to CNC.

 

To provide the best solution, contact our professionals for advice specific to your situation.
For more information on each Factory Door Pro version, visit our product pages here.