­­­­­Speedgate Express streamlines pedestrian access control at Sasol head office

Sasol is an iconic South African company, characterised by innovation and a pioneering spirit. Committed to excellence in all that it does, Sasol is an international, integrated energy and chemical company that leverages the talent and expertise of its more than 35 000 people working in 37 countries.

The company develops and commercialises technologies, and builds and operates world-scale facilities to produce a range of product streams, including liquid fuels, high-value chemicals and low-carbon electricity.

For over 60 years, Sasol has developed and commercialised innovative energy-related technologies, first with coal as a feedstock, then with gas and, into the future, with renewable energy sources. Today the company comprises Sasol Mining, Sasol Gas, Sasol Synfuels and Sasol Oil, Sasol Technology, Sasol New Energy, and a chemical cluster of seven companies, in Southern Africa and internationally it spearheads Sasol Synfuels and Sasol Petroleum.

The company’s upmarket head office in Rosebank, Gauteng is host to thousands of employees and visitors on a daily basis. An access control entrance and exit point was required that would allow the easy flow of pedestrian traffic while simultaneously ensuring maximised security. Turnstar’s Speedgate Express was selected as it perfectly complements the high-tech design of the reception area.

Turnstar supplied and installed six Speedgate Express lanes in 2013 in a combination of 700 mm wide and 900 mm wide options to cater for regular access and special needs access. The Speedgate, also known as flap gate or wing gate, are installed in the very busy reception area so speed of traffic flow, combined with high-end aesthetics were critical.

The Speedgate Express has a sleek and attractive appeal, with 304 grade brushed stainless steel cabinets and 8 mm CNC toughened glass wings that retract into the cabinet for ease of passage. Great care was taken in the design of the Speedgate, with 3D computer rendering and precision laser cut components ensuring a high-quality fit-to-purpose product.

The Speedgate Express lanes are submitted to expert welding and polishing to provide a classic, sophisticated finish. The Speedgate Express not only looks good, but is fitted with state-of-the-art technology. Should a power failure occur, the glass wings on the Speedgate Express can be easily moved into the cabinet for free access. In the event of a fire alarm being activated, the system can be triggered to activate the barriers to remain in the open position to allow unhindered exit from the building.

The Speedgate Express has a heavy-duty high-speed motor drive system and gearbox that will ensure continued operation at Sasol’s head office as well as provide a ‘green’ credential in terms of motor and electrical usage efficiency. The unit contains a built-in PLC controller and a motion detection sensor array that enables dynamic following of pedestrians through the Speedgate Express.

This highly sophisticated product includes anti-tamper detection capabilities that create an alarm if tailgating, unauthorised direction and crawling occur. In addition, safety is of the utmost concern and a series of detectors are used to prevent closing of the Speedgate Express when a person or object is within the closing envelope.