Berner Offers BACnet and Digital Controls for Industrial Air Curtains

Industrial Intelliswitch and Berner AIR package offers BACnet capabilities; the first North American digital controller and app for industrial applications.  

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Berner International, New Castle, Pa., the leading manufacturer and innovator of air curtains, introduced the Industrial Intelliswitch, North America’s first digital controller platform for the shipping dock and door industrial air curtain market. The Industrial Intelliswitch enables building managers to control and monitor air curtains individually or in groups via additional options such as the Berner AIR™ smart controller/app and BACnet.  

 The 12 (h) x 12 (w) x 6 (d)-inch (304 x 304 x 152-mm) Industrial Intelliswitch control panel is the newest accessory available on Berner’s Industrial Direct Drive (IDC) 12 through the Industrial Belt Drive (IB) 50 air curtains. The NEMA-4/12, UL and cUL-listed control panel can be installed remotely or factory-installed on the unit. The 3.18 (h) x 9.72 (w)-inch (80 x 246-mm) display can be located remotely from unit-mounted control panels.

The Intelliswitch, which is standard on all Berner Architectural air curtains, was adapted for industrial air curtains to offer building managers flexibility in operations with a built-in time delay, preset programs, 7-day scheduling, a temperature probe, low voltage circuit for unit activation via door switch or BMS.  

The Intelliswitch also allows the option to add the Berner AIR smart controller and app, which includes BACnet capabilities. Facility managers can program, operate and monitor the air curtains through either a building management system using the BACnet-IP protocol, or a smartphone. The Berner AIR app also enables grouping, making it simpler and faster to program many air curtains across multiple locations.

The Intelliswitch and Berner AIR features allow one to program and adjust settings so that Berner industrial air curtains operate optimally for the application and conditions. Consequently, facilities are more efficient at saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when the doors are open by protecting interior temperatures, in addition to providing thermal comfort.  Air curtains also facilitate chemical-free flying insect control and enhance general indoor air quality (IAQ).

The Industrial Intelliswitch and Berner AIR package allows access to the new Berner AIR Console, which presents a dashboard style display from a Web browser for better overviews, especially with multiple air curtains and locations. 

Other Industrial Intelliswitch and Berner AIR package features are: 

  • Remote troubleshooting for service diagnostics; 
  • Designed, assembled and factory-tested in Berner’s UL-listed panel shop that’s authorized to build motor control panels; 
  • Compatible with most voltages;
  • Simplifies specification by eliminating a la carte control selection; 
  • Monitors air curtains with heating options (electric, hot water and steam), with the exception of direct gas heat; 
  • Simple to operate and maintain, the Berner AIR allows for over-the-air updates;
  • Improvement of air curtain monitoring and control leads to increased sustainability and ESG commitment support; 
  • Employs best practices for cyber security protocols;