MARKILUX 776 ELECTRIC VERTICAL BLINDS TO ENCLOSE RACE WORKSHOPS

An unusual but not so unusual use of external vertical electric blinds for the Formula E race teams and their race enclosures during races around the world.

Samson Doors were approached by The Halo Group to propose solutions for multiple door openings to be used on their steel structures for the Formula E 2023/24 racing series. This series goes around the world just like Formula 1 but requires an almost pop up solution approach due to the nature of the racetracks used and their variance in different countries.

It turned out quite quickly that the solution perhaps was not a roller door from Samson Doors in the traditional sense, but a roller blind, specifically designed for outdoor use from Samson Outdoor Living.

The Markilux 779 external vertical fabric blind is a product designed to block sunlight and provide shade but is also extensively used on the Markilux outdoor structures to close off open sides and prevent sun, wind and rain ingress, the fundamental need for this project.

This fact alone made it a contender for a solution for the openings on the Formula E race team enclosures and workshops during the race. They would not open very often at all and were more to provide privacy and weather protection when the teams were not racing.

These were not going to be ‘doors’ in the traditional sense and didn’t need to be steel or fast action or insulated, etc…

The deciding factor was the need for dismantling and reassembling around the world and transportation, weight, ease of handling and other factors. Considering the large size of these roller blinds, the cassette and side guides are very small and made from aluminium, so nice and light by comparison.

These Markilux 779 blinds are designed as ‘zip blinds’ with the fabric literally zipped into the side channels to provide lateral tension as well as the vertical tension by the use of tensioned belt pulley systems inside the guides.

Add a fire resistant fabric with additional coating to the already tough fabric and you have a perfect solution for the needs of the Formula E race teams.

The blinds are fully electric operated and the controls were decided to be a hold to run system to ensure safety and compliance with their intended use as ‘doors’

The Markilux 776 Tracfix electric blinds use a gas piston tensioning system for the fabric taught Ness and to see them operating now as these large doors is testimony to their strength and other job as an external fabric blind for domestic and commercial applications, weather that be over doorways, patio doors, windows or large open spaces.

We were delighted to assist on this fantastic project and see The Halo Group successfully launch their first race in Berlin last year with the new structures and enclosures designed and built by Halo Group.

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