How to specify a hermetic door: a buyer's checklist

Hermetic doors are among the most consequential purchases in a hospital or cleanroom project — and among the easiest to get wrong, because the differences that matter are invisible once the door is installed. This checklist covers the seven questions to resolve before you buy.

1. What airtightness class do you need? For operating theatres, isolation rooms and Grade B areas, specify EN 12207 Class 4, tested to EN 1026. Ask for the test basis, not just the claim. 2. How does the door seal? Down-and-in closing geometry with a full-perimeter gasket is the mechanism that achieves Class 4; brush seals do not. 3. What is the cleaning regime? Match the finish to the disinfectants — full stainless steel where chemistry is aggressive. 4. Does it need to interlock? Airlock pairs need electrical interlocking with status indication, commissioned to the cascade. 5. Fire or radiation duty? These change the leaf construction — specify them upfront, not as retrofits. 6. What are the clear opening dimensions? Size the structural opening to the door system, not the reverse. 7. Who maintains it? Get the cycle-count-based service schedule in writing.

Egis' HermaSeal range answers each of these as standard: Class 4 tested sealing, down-and-in geometry, HPL through full-stainless finishes, interlock options, EI30 and lead-lined variants, and a documented maintenance schedule with every installation.