Door automation has become increasingly common, being seen in daily life from shop doorways to train doors.
Door automation is generally associated with the automated opening and shutting of doors without actually touching the door. There are a wide range of reasons why door automation may be employed including:
- Cleanliness: When door handles are touched by countless people throughout the day, it can create a perfect place for cross-contamination to occur.
- Heat saving: As heating prices continue to increase, automated doors can help retain heat as doors are not needlessly left open.
- Accessibility: For those with a form of mobility impairment, automated doors play an important role in helping with accessibility. Automatic doors also help those pushing trolleys or pushchairs.
We at Rotalink have a wide selection of different motors available that are ideal for use in not only automated doors but also within gate opening mechanisms. Our customers choose our motors for countless reasons from their fantastic reliability to their incredible longevity.
When is an automated door the perfect solution?
When choosing if an automated door is the right choice for a property, it is also worth bearing in mind that there is a range of automated doors to choose from. These include automatic sliding doors, swing doors, revolving doors and gate-opening solutions.
Our motors are utilised for a range of door automation purposes, including:
- Property access: Our motors are ideally suited to use in various automatic door types, including revolving, sliding, and swinging doors. Automated doors have become commonplace in commercial situations but are now becoming increasingly common in homes with the introduction of smart homes.
- Railway access: One of the major industries that have taken up automated door access is the rail industry with automation being found in a range of applications from train doors to ticket barriers.
- Lift/elevator access: When you enter a lift, the last thing you want to happen is to get stuck as the motor fails to open the doors. It is no wonder that manufacturers choose Rotalink as our motors are known for their reliability so not letting you down in your time of need.
The benefits and drawbacks of door automation
We appreciate that door automation certainly has pros and cons, and whether it is the best solution will highly depend on the situation at hand; therefore, weighing up the benefits and drawbacks of door automation is vital in understanding if it is the right choice.
Benefits
- Access: The main advantage of an automatic door is that it helps with accessibility, whether that is for someone with mobility issues or simply has their hands full with something else.
- Adaptable: The amazing range of options when it comes to automated doors means that an automated door is possible in almost any situation. Different scenarios need different solutions due to space and requirements.
- Cleanliness: When a door is in constant use it can cause cross-contamination where different individuals are all touching the same surfaces, which automatic doors help to eliminate.
- Ease of use: An automated door can make life just more convenient. It can help those carrying items or pushing trolleys or pushchairs, and you don’t even need to worry about closing the door after yourself.
- Heat saving: An automated door means that your doors won’t be left open so minimising cold air coming in during winter months. It can also help prevent warm air from coming into air-conditioned premises.
- Protection: When it comes to safety, automated doors come with a range of features to protect the users, the property and those who are inside. These measures include sensors, warning alarms, buttons to open doors, and auto-close functionality.
Drawbacks
- Cost: When it comes to the initial cost of doors, automated doors require a larger investment than installing an unautomated option. The ongoing maintenance costs are also going to be higher; however, energy use should be reduced through less heat escaping.
- Installation: Due to the complexities of an automated door, the installation will require a trained engineer to complete the fitting.
- Power: Automated doors require power to work so in the event of a power outage, the automatic door will not be able to function as intended unless there is a backup power supply.
- Maintenance: For an automated door to work as intended it will require general maintenance including cleaning and checking parts. Our motors however help keep maintenance costs low as their reliability helps minimise any need for replacements.
Why is the choice of motor important?
Installing the wrong motor for the job can cause numerous issues from not working as fully intended to actually causing damage to the automatic door system. At Rotalink we are able to provide a wide range of different motors that are suited to an incredible selection of applications. Our motors are ideal for sliding doors, swing doors, revolving doors and far more.
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