Every business needs to reduce costs in order to stay competitive. As the cost of energy rises and becomes a larger percentage of total variable costs for many manufacturers, saving energy becomes more in focus as business looks for ways to reduce expenditure and bring overall costs down.

Most businesses will look at the obvious ways of saving energy costs, firstly by negotiating better deals with their energy provider, but this can only go so far and once you have the best energy deal available, the opportunities to reduce costs further have all but evaporated.

The next area of attack is often lighting. Using natural lighting by replacing roofs with clear panels can let in natural light and reduce the reliance on electric lighting during daylight hours. Replacing traditional forms of lighting with LED will also contribute to significant savings, often in the region of 90% of the costs of electricity for the lights.

One area that is traditionally overlooked is the role of Industrial PVC Strip Curtains in reducing energy usage and costs in the workplace. These can be fitted across most doorways or entrances that might be typically left open during the working day to let pedestrians and vehicles pass through without having to open and close doors. They are strong, robust (often referred to as impact doors), and are well insulated. They make a significant contribution to reducing heat loss in large open areas that need to be heated for staff comfort, but open to the outside environment such as buy warehouses or factories.

It is estimated that the energy savings from installing PVC Strip curtains will pay for their purchase and installation within 3 months. Typically, a business could get a 400% annual return on investment when installing these energy-saving industrial door solutions.

PVC strip curtains offer the perfect solution for buildings, rooms, and openings that need regular access by pedestrians or vehicles. The PVC strip curtain is designed to form a flexible barrier across an opening. This allows easy access and efficiently manages the temperature of the room even if it is hot or cold. Walk-in freezers and cold stores are an example where the PVC strip curtain can be effective. Temperatures can reach as low as -32 degrees, this is where the PVC is a polar grade which means it remains flexible.

Here are some benefits of Plastic strip curtains:

 

• Easy to repair or replace on a strip by strip basis
• Prevents the loss of hot or cold air
• Maintains the rooms ambient temperature
• Cost-effective and easy to run
• Isolates against noise or the movement of airborne particles
• Admits light and omits rain, wind, and draughts from the workplace

For external curtains, the PVC is sometimes of a thicker grade with more overlap to protect it from the outside elements. Internal grade plastics will be of a lighter material to aid easy passage for pedestrians. PVC strip curtains can be ordered in different sizes, weights, and grades with specialist PVC grades available such as welding bay PVC and anti-static PVC.

Manufactures are experiencing the economic impact of the ongoing pandemic as prices of many raw materials rise above the base line inflation rate. One area under cost pressure is that of manufactured PVC products, including our very own PVC Strip Curtain range of products, accessories, and replacement parts which rely on the wholesale cost of PVC resin which has seen multiple price increases during 2020 and the beginning of 2021.

PVC is a globally used, versatile and a relatively cost-effective raw ingredient that is used in the manufacture of a broad range of products used around the home and used by industry. Everything from industrial welding screens to flip flops can be made from PVC. Starting in early 2020, many business sectors and manufacturers have seen price increases in PVC resin due to the pandemic and related business challenges.   Reduced production levels combined with strong consumer demand for many PVC related products has altered the fine balance between manufacturing supply and consumer demand as many industries were forced to shut down during March 2020 and again at the beginning of 2021.  The main price pressures have resulted from the overall rising costs of business operations such as energy, distribution, and the base PVC resin prices which is the core of many PVC based products.

Plastic News picked up on this price story and said that PVC prices rose for 5 consecutive months once the pandemic started to take effect and that prices were approximately 20% higher at the end of November 2020, compared to June 2020. The published article also stated that the rise in demand was pushed higher by the quarantine results on household projects, mentioning the fact that the construction industry in the United States of America and Canada typically accounts for about 60% of the PVC consumption.

Another leading industry source, Plastics Technology created an article in the last quarter of 2020, about the upward pressure on PVC resin prices seen during 2020. According to the author, PVC prices went up three times in just two months because of “a tight market, strong demand from the construction industry, higher export prices, limited availability, and the late-settling September ethylene contract price increase,” all of which sent global PVC production costs in the wrong direction.

As 2020 got underway, and businesses reacted to the growing uncertainty regarding the pandemic, there was limited availability of resin from multiple PVC makers around the world which according to S&P Global, was made worse by chlor-alkali production issues and hurricane damage at manufacturing facilities. We also saw a big change in consumer behaviour which filtered through to business operations, such as the steep rise in online shopping and the higher expectations placed on delivery times, resulting in higher transportation costs. Both on a global scale and at a local level, with container costs rising as much as 10-fold in some instances, these changes in behaviour are likely to remain and will continue to impact businesses, their operational costs, and the cost to operate as rates increase in the year ahead.

Here at PVC Strip, we are not immune to what happens on the global stage and to these rising costs.  We have worked hard and continue to do so to minimise the impact of these price increases to our customers as much as we possibly can. This includes focussing on our price promise guarantee and extending this throughout 2021, absorbing as much of the external cost increases as we can to remain the best value supplier of industrial PVC Curtains and associated products.

Following the success of the PVC-Strip price match initiative throughout the lockdown months, we have made the decision to extend the popular initiative until at least the end of 2021 and probably beyond.

We are the UK’s biggest manufacturer, distributer, and spare parts supplier of PVC strip curtains, welding screens and chiller blinds and hold the largest stock of PVC strip rolls anywhere in the UK.

To support our claim as the best in the business and to back up our value promise, we provide a price match guarantee on all our PVC strip curtains and promise that we will not be beaten on any ‘like-for-like’ written quotation. Our in-house purchasing team is constantly reviewing our pricing policies and squeezing our margins so we can remain extremely competitive in the PVC market. You will not buy better no matter how hard you look, providing you want the best quality as well as the lowest prices.

As well as providing the best products at the best prices, we also provide unrivalled expertise and customer support. We have been providing a range of industrial door, curtain, and PVC products since 1975.  We make a point of standing out from the crowd, making sure we are seen in our industry as the company to go to for all industrial strip curtain products.

We pride ourselves in being product experts with wide industry experience. We only supply competitively priced, highest grade PVC curtain solutions for our customers, and we know the commercial demands of all the industries we provide products to, meaning that we can recommend the correct PVC grade and performance for each industrial and commercial application. Our highly efficient and experienced sales and after sales teams go above and beyond the call of duty to provide advice and support to our customers during the specification and buying process, during installation of the curtain, and on continued repair and maintenance, long after the sale has been completed.

Please contact a member of our sales team to discuss your PVC strip curtain requirements and in the unlikely event you believe you have been offered a better price for the same product, upon inspection of the quote, we will beat it.

We can always guarantee that when you purchase from PVC-Strip, you are making the right decision and purchasing the highest quality product at the best price on the market.

Please have a look around our website where you will see our extensive range of PVC strip rolls and PVC strip curtains.  If you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us, we are more than happy to help.

We are here to give you advice and to help you buy PVC Strip Curtains or industrial impact doors. Do you want some simple advice on cleaning, maintenance, or replacing parts? Here are the top 5 questions we have come across from people in manufacturing and warehousing who ask us about PVC industrial strip curtains, and the tips we have put together on the back of these questions on getting the most out of your investment for years of worry-free usage.

What about when the strip curtains become dirty?

Not to worry, they are easy to clean. All you really need is a bucket of clean warm water and a nice big sponge. Just simply wiping and rinsing with warm water will be enough to get most of the dirt off. If not, a solution of specialist PVC cleaning fluid will get the last bits of grime and grease off.

Once you have cleaned the strips, dry down to avoid streaks just like you would when cleaning a window. If your PVC strips are incredibly old, slightly damaged, or beyond simple cleaning, you can purchase individual replacement strips to match the ones on your curtains.

Where can impact doors be used?

Anywhere you want is the simple answer. As costs of manufacture have come down, it is no longer large factories and warehouses that can afford them, but any business that wants a flexible, energy-saving solution to providing a flexible door to an open space. Their durability means they are great for areas with vehicle access, whilst lighter-weight doors can be used for areas used by pedestrians.

What information do I need to provide when ordering PVC Strip Curtains?

You will need to measure the height and width of the opening and provide us with this information. if you need any help with this, just get in contact with us. You only need to measure the clear opening space, as we will automatically add any extra on the width and the height of the doorway to make sure any minor adjustments at installation can be made.

We will also need to know if the door opening is likely to be completely internal or external and the type of traffic that will use the doorway, such as people or vehicles, as all this information will help us to determine which product is perfect for your business and to calculate the right price and delivery times.

Do I need to buy the complete kit again if my PVC strip curtain needs replacing?

At PVC Strip we provide replacement parts, so you do not need to buy a complete replacement kit for your PVC curtain/impact door. This is not true of all industrial door manufacturers, however, as many do not offer a replacement PVC strip service to their customers. It is worth checking out this service prior to purchasing your first kit as you want to make sure you can easily obtain spare parts in the future if you need them. Our  PVC strips are sold individually so you can order the exact number you need to replace.

How long will it take for my order to arrive?  

As most of these PVC products are held at our warehouse here in Warrington in the UK, and most standard items are in stock, you should be able to receive a next-day delivery for standard items. Check the current delivery status on our website or call us for clarification.  Non-standard items and made to measure industrial curtains are generally despatched within 3-5 working days.

 

PVC Strip is the UK’s largest manufacturer of PVC strip curtains and we hold the largest stock of PVC strip rolls in the UK. We offer a price match guarantee on our PVC strip curtains and we will not be beaten on any ‘like for like’ written quotation. We constantly review our pricing so we can remain extremely competitive in the PVC market. We also guarantee that when you purchase from PVC Strip, you are purchasing the highest quality product at the best price on the market.

Allowing you to control your environment every step of the way, a cold chain is a temperature-controlled supply chain. It is used to help extend and ensure the shelf life of “cool cargo”; products such as fresh seafood, frozen food, photographic film, chemicals and pharmaceutical drugs.

An essential part of any cold chain are PVC strips: manufacturing > distribution > stores. It’s important that you choose the correct PVC grade when selecting PVC strips for your cold chain.

Below is a brief guide to some of the different grade PVC strips we offer and how well they operate.

• Rayflex standard grade PVC: operates well between +50°c and -15°c
• Rayflex low-temperature grade: operates well between +30°c and -25°c
• Rayflex super polar grade: operates well between +15°c and -60°c

Manufacturing

Food preservation processes with fridges up to +0°c, freezers down to -12°c and deep freezers down to -45°c, require the use of PVC strips to ensure that food items don’t become compromised.

PVC strip curtains play an integral part in the food preservation process. When doors are left open, the PVC strip curtains ensure that there’s no air loss in these environments so when people are coming and going in a walk-in fridge, the PVC strips create a temporary barrier to ensure food preservation processes aren’t affected.

Storage

Depending on the food being stored, best before dates, ripening processes and the temperature at which consumables need to be stored at. The majority of large facilities will have their own cold storage facilities and regulations will state that the food items in question need to be kept at a constant temperature with agreeable tolerances in place.

Again, PVC strip curtains are used in every single cold store environment, regardless of what is being stored.

Distribution & Logistics

In the cold chain, transport is highly regulated and specialist, refrigerated vehicles are deployed in order to ensure that whatever the goods in transit are, they leave the storage facility and arrive at their destination in the same state.

Not only do PVC strips help to maintain the temperature in the vehicles, but they also ensure cross-contamination during the journey isn’t caused by fumes, debris, vermin or insects. This can easily happen when people enter and exit so PVC strip curtains really do play an integral part here.

Preparation Points, Commercial and Retail Stores

The final part to the cold chain before the goods are on display and ready to be purchased by customers is commercial and retail stores and preparation points. These environments have PVC strip curtains installed because the retailer has to ensure that their products are presented to their customers in accordance with strict regulations.

This ensures that the goods are turned around in line with sell by dates and remain fresh and in the best condition possible so that they can be sold.

If you have any questions for us here at PVC Strip, please get in touch today using our email address – sales@pvc-strip.co.uk. Alternatively, you can call our friendly team on – 01925 638753.

PVC-Strip is the UK’s largest manufacturer of PVC strip curtains, so we understand that there isn’t one grade of PVC suitable for all applications. From our 40+ years in business, we have discovered the most popular grades of PVC in the industry and we’ve expanded to hold the UK’s largest stock of PVC rolls, suited just for our customer’s needs. Take a look at our full range of PVC strip rolls below and see how we can provide solutions to common problems in your environment.

CLEAR PVC ROLL:

The Clear PVC strip roll is the standard grade of PVC that is used in a wide range of applications. The PVC is crystal clear, allowing ease of access for both pedestrians and vehicles while complying with health and safety regulations. The clear PVC strip roll is ideal for almost any application and is also available in low-temperature, which is ideal for environments that are constantly below -0°C, often found in cold stores and refrigerated vehicles to maintain the temperature of the environment.

RIBBED PVC ROLL:

The ribbed PVC strip roll is used in more frequently in high traffic areas, for ease of access and durability. The thick ribbed protrusion ensures that the PVC is protected while also remaining safe for pedestrians and vehicles. The ribbed PVC roll is also available in low temperature, ideal for environments that operate below -0°C. We recommend this PVC roll in applications that have constant vehicular and pedestrian traffic throughout the day, most commonly seen in warehouses for forklift trucks and workers to easily pass through.

FROSTED PVC ROLL:

The frosted PVC strip roll is used most commonly as a privacy partition. The frosted effect reduces visibility but allows light to pass through. Ideal for environments where particular areas need to be hidden from the public eye and offer privacy to staff, e.g., mortuaries, stock areas and open office areas. The frosted PVC strip roll should be considered in conjunction with your health and safety policy as the lessened visibility could pose a risk to the public and staff when passing through.

PERFORATED PVC ROLL:

The perforated PVC strip roll is a summer bestseller. Most commonly found in hot kitchens, supermarkets and warehouses in warmer months where pests can cause big hygiene risks. The PVC is clear, but contains small perforated holes throughout which allow airflow but prevents insects from passing through. The perforated PVC strip roll is ideal for preventing hygiene risks and improving overall health and safety in food preparation areas. This PVC strip is often used as an alternative to our mesh strips that work in a similar way.

COLOURED PVC: 

We supply two options of coloured PVC here at PVC-Strip, coloured and transparent. Our range consists of red and blue in translucent and opaque, black and grey in opaque. Most commonly found as edge markers to denote hazard areas or access point, the Coloured PVC strip rolls can be used in a variety of applications. Ranging from poultry sheds, art and film sets and food manufacture environments. PVC can also be printed on, providing a unique material, often used in corporate branding.

ANTI-STATIC PVC ROLLS:

The anti-static PVC strip roll is designed for installation in datacentres and cleanrooms, offering the best solution for their unique requirements, the main purpose is for contamination control and creating airflow. The benefits of including our anti-static range in datacentres is the increase in capacity with lower, more stable temperatures – which saves energy on air conditioning by up to 67%, optimise server cooling and see ROI in under a year and it maximises airflow dynamics and increases the effectiveness of hot aisle/cold aisle isolation.

The anti-static PVC keeps cleanroom areas free of dust, pollution and other cross contaminates, removes static charge from clothing and prevents the charge being passed inside the cleanroom and helps to contain the environmental regulation within the cleanroom.

ANTI-INSECT PVC ROLL:

The anti-insect PVC strip roll is translucent yellow and contains citronella, designed to deter airborne pests, like bees, wasps and flies. This range of PVC is very popular in summer, mostly installed in hot kitchen environments, like bakeries and restaurants. The anti-insect PVC improves contamination control and reduces the risk of hygiene breaches in the environment.

WELDING GRADE PVC ROLL:

The welding grade PVC strip rolls are available in red, bronze and green. The PVC strip rolls can be manufactured into screens, curtains or portable booths for your welding environment. The rolls are naturally dark in colour, however, when light passes through it improves the visibility, making worker observations much easier and removing the risk of harm to workers in the area. The welding grade PVC strip rolls are ideal for protecting workers by screening out hazardous UV rays and blocking sparks or hot metal projectiles that could cause severe burns and fires in the environment.

If you would like to learn more about our PVC strip roll range or would like to purchase any of the products, please visit our PVC strip roll product page. If you would like to discuss your options and enquire about the best PVC roll for your environment, please contact our dedicated and experienced sales team by calling 01925 638753 or emailing sales@pvc-strip.co.uk.