Automatic Door Systems

About the system

An automatic sliding door uses a sensor to detect a person approaching and opens by itself. Wheelchair users, people with pushchairs and anyone carrying goods can pass through without handling the door, and because it closes again once they are through, it is not left open by accident and less heat is lost. In Ankara, Gündüz Alüminyum installs automatic sliding doors, along with automatic roller shutters for shops and warehouses, and industrial doors for factories and bonded warehouses.

Automatic sliding door types

When the motion sensor above the door detects someone approaching, the motor slides the leaves, which hang from a track, to the side; photocells and safety sensors monitoring the opening stop the door from closing while someone is in the doorway. The right type depends on the width of the entrance, where the leaves can slide to and the shape of the facade:

• Single leaf: The sliding leaf moves across in front of an adjacent fixed glass panel or wall. It is chosen when there is room for the leaf on only one side of the entrance.
• Double leaf: The leaves part in the middle and slide to either side. Because each leaf travels only half the clear width, the door opens faster; where there is room on both sides, it is usually the first choice.
• Half-round: Curved leaves can match a curved facade or give a flat facade an entrance that bulges outwards or is recessed inwards.
• Full-round: Two half-round doors set opposite each other enclose a cylindrical entrance space. Working like a draught lobby, this space reduces the outside air that comes straight in; it suits buildings with wide entrances and heavy pedestrian traffic.

On the OSB Türk and Neva Home Plaza projects, we installed automatic sliding doors at the building entrances.

Automatic roller shutters

Roller shutters secure shop fronts and the entrances of warehouses and workshops outside working hours. The interlocking slats wind onto a shaft in a box above the opening; the shutter is raised and lowered by a motor and operated with a wall-mounted key switch or a remote control. There are two main material options:

• Galvanised steel shutters: Heavier; chosen for shops and warehouses where resistance to forced entry and impact comes first.
• Aluminium shutters: Light and rust-free; a strong option for facades exposed to rain and for shop fronts where appearance matters. Where heat and sound insulation is wanted, filled (insulated) slats can be used.

The slat type and motor are chosen according to the opening’s dimensions, the shutter’s weight and how many times a day it will open and close. Whether the box sits in front of the facade or is concealed behind the lintel is also decided at the survey.

Industrial doors

In factories, warehouses, bonded warehouses and hangars, the wide openings used by forklifts and lorries are closed with industrial doors that open and close many times a day. Made of insulated panels, the door protects the interior from dust, wind and cold, and the panels can include windows so that the outside is visible from inside. The door is sized after the width and height of the opening and the space above it have been measured on site. The panel thickness is chosen to suit the insulation required, and the track system and motor to suit the size and weight of the door. The choice between a spring-balanced door and one without springs affects the motor, so it is settled at the quotation stage; if required, the door can also be operated by remote control.

Survey, installation and maintenance

At the survey we check the opening and its dimensions, the floor and lintel, the power supply, and whether the door lies on an escape route. For an automatic sliding door on an escape route, how it will open in a power cut or a fault must be decided at the start of the project. If the entrance also needs a manually operated door, we plan the automatic door together with aluminium entrance doors.

Our own team carries out the installation, and as with all our work, we give a 2-year installation warranty. Regular checks and cleaning of the sensors, rollers and tracks are important for safe operation. On spring-balanced industrial doors, the springs should only be adjusted by a specialist.