An automatic door system usually goes unnoticed until it suddenly fails. You can make a hundred trips through the front of a grocery store without a thought for the mechanism. But on the hundred-and-first occasion, when the door seems to be making a point of ignoring you and just standing there, all of a sudden people have questions. 
It\'s Science, Not Magic You might think there is some kind of intelligence at work determining who is allowed in. There isn’t. Microwave or infrared sensors detect movement or presence, relays that to a motor and you are done with it. A shopping cart and a human set it off in precisely the same manner. Which explains why a stray pigeon will put the door in motion while someone loitering too far to the side is left out in the cold. The system cannot interpret intentions; it is only concerned with the detection zones put in place at installation. If those detection zones are poorly positioned and you end up with a door that is either flapping open for no reason, wasting energy, or creating a bottleneck at rush hour by turning a blind eye to half the traffic. Selecting the Right Door System Matters Not all automatic doors are created equal. In retail you will see sliding models because they don’t waste floor space. Medical facilities tend to go with swinging doors for the better seal and accessibility. Then there are folding doors for where a slide track won’t fit. Each design also has its own weaknesses. Sliding doors will jam on debris, swing doors place stress on hinges over time, while folding doors may lose alignment after prolonged use. Choosing the wrong system for the application often leads to higher maintenance costs. What Happens During a Power Outage Building owners are often caught unawares by this: how does the door behave during a power failure? Safety regulations generally require automatic doors to fail safely so that in an emergency one can open it by hand and get out. If it locks up solid, that is more than an inconvenience, it is a liability. A qualified installer should explain the fail-safe operation before completing the installation, including any backup power options. The Tedium of Maintenance Cleaning tracks and recalibrating sensors may not be exciting. But put it off for twelve months and the door will start to grind or hesitate. It is a small thing, but when you have several thousand visitors a day, a half-second delay means a line is forming at the entrance. Quarterly inspections are an inexpensive way caesar door to reduce the risk of costly repairs. Accessibility Comes First Automatic doors are essential for people using wheelchairs, pushing strollers, or carrying heavy items. They provide convenient and independent access. Modern building codes establish accessibility standards, from clear width to opening force. To disregard them is to lock someone out of a place they are entitled to be in. Good design simply means planning for everyone's needs. The best solutions are designed around the people who use them.
It\'s Science, Not Magic You might think there is some kind of intelligence at work determining who is allowed in. There isn’t. Microwave or infrared sensors detect movement or presence, relays that to a motor and you are done with it. A shopping cart and a human set it off in precisely the same manner. Which explains why a stray pigeon will put the door in motion while someone loitering too far to the side is left out in the cold. The system cannot interpret intentions; it is only concerned with the detection zones put in place at installation. If those detection zones are poorly positioned and you end up with a door that is either flapping open for no reason, wasting energy, or creating a bottleneck at rush hour by turning a blind eye to half the traffic. Selecting the Right Door System Matters Not all automatic doors are created equal. In retail you will see sliding models because they don’t waste floor space. Medical facilities tend to go with swinging doors for the better seal and accessibility. Then there are folding doors for where a slide track won’t fit. Each design also has its own weaknesses. Sliding doors will jam on debris, swing doors place stress on hinges over time, while folding doors may lose alignment after prolonged use. Choosing the wrong system for the application often leads to higher maintenance costs. What Happens During a Power Outage Building owners are often caught unawares by this: how does the door behave during a power failure? Safety regulations generally require automatic doors to fail safely so that in an emergency one can open it by hand and get out. If it locks up solid, that is more than an inconvenience, it is a liability. A qualified installer should explain the fail-safe operation before completing the installation, including any backup power options. The Tedium of Maintenance Cleaning tracks and recalibrating sensors may not be exciting. But put it off for twelve months and the door will start to grind or hesitate. It is a small thing, but when you have several thousand visitors a day, a half-second delay means a line is forming at the entrance. Quarterly inspections are an inexpensive way caesar door to reduce the risk of costly repairs. Accessibility Comes First Automatic doors are essential for people using wheelchairs, pushing strollers, or carrying heavy items. They provide convenient and independent access. Modern building codes establish accessibility standards, from clear width to opening force. To disregard them is to lock someone out of a place they are entitled to be in. Good design simply means planning for everyone's needs. The best solutions are designed around the people who use them.