What is Interlocking?
Hello! Blake here from Tekta and today we’re explaining interlocking!
If you’re involved in the design, build, or use of a controlled environment (like a food factory or cleanroom), it’s likely that you would have heard the term ‘interlocking’, but what does it mean?
Well, according to the Collins dictionary the official definition of interlocking is, “A device, used in an electrical safety system to prevent an activity being initiated unless preceded by certain events. An accurate definition, but a bit of a mouthful! So let’s break it down…
In the world of industrial doors, 2 doors can be interlocked to ensure that only 1 of those 2 doors can be opened at any given time.
Applying that to our definition, in a door scenario interlocking is, “an electrical safety system to prevent a door from being opened, unless another door is closed.”
Interlocking is typically used to protect a controlled environment from adjacent uncontrolled areas. For instance, you may have 2 doors creating an airlock to the entrance to a cleanroom or food production area. Ensuring one door remains closed at all times protects that controlled environment and helps to maintain whatever cleanliness, hygiene, air pressure or particle count you need to achieve.
Trust this is useful. If you need help specifying industrial doors, get in touch. The Tekta team are here to help!
Did you know the Tekta range is available on NBS?