How many times when we are sitting waiting to get out of a car park or are frustrated by the fact that the road is blocked by barriers do we ever think about the technology that goes into these products?
One company that has invested heavily into the development of a wide variety of barrier and bollard systems is ATG Access. From small beginnings in the northwest of England, the company’s products are now in use all around the world. Today, ATG Access is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of access control, anti-terrorist vehicle barrier systems and crash rated bollards, with a comprehensive product range of automatic and manually operated vehicle barriers including bollards, road blockers and barriers.
One of ATG’s latest products is the Rapid Deployable Surface Mount Bollard. This is claimed to be the world’s first impact tested surface mounted bollard system, providing PAS68 certified impact protection. Installation and removal of the product is straightforward and almost instant, and it can be reused when heightened security measures are needed. Ground surfaces are unharmed as no bolts are required.
Marketing Executive Lucy Foster said, “The ATG Access Rapid Deployable Surface Mount Bollard System has been designed by our development team to a brief for a specific requirement – a system that could be pinned to the ground. We are currently in the process of testing this system as a buried solution that would only require a surface depth of less than 75mm, easily transforming the short-term solution into a more permanent one if required. The bollards may also be temporarily removed to allow access to underground services.”
The second new product is the SP400 ‘Independence’ – a drill operated, manual bollard. Its innovative nature means it’s one of the only products of its kind available in the market at the moment. The SP400 has an operating socket on the head, which is normally covered by a removable cover.
Again, Lucy, “the SP400 ‘Independence’ bollard benefits from quirky engineering, eliminating the problem of no power supply and remote applications still needing retractable bollards for access control.”
The SP400 is a manually retractable bollard ideal for use on remote applications with no power available to control automated products. The bollard may be raised and lowered by inserting a square socket tool into the chuck of a battery-operated drill. The shaft is accessible by removing a small, pear shaped cover fitted into the bollard lid. In the absence of a battery-operated drill, a hand operated brace type device can be used. An available option is a lockable cover to protect the retractable mechanism from being accessed by unauthorised personnel. This lock is designed to be ultra secure and has been tested to ‘Gold’ level by Sold Secure.
Lucy concluded, “ATG Access appeared recently on BBC Two’s ‘The Culture Show’ in a report which investigated the impact of terrorism on modern architecture. Bollards throughout the City of London have “sprouted” and become “silent, inscrutable” features of daily life. ATG Access has been involved in designing bollards to ensure they are not only aesthetically pleasing but also integral to urban architecture.”
For further information please telephone 0845 675 7574 or visit www.atgaccess.com.
