Different automatic door Sensors for Different Applications

The most common doors are revolving, swing and sliding doors. There are low-cost sensors, which basically can only fulfill one major duty—detection or not. But there are also sophisticated sensors available which not only open a door, but can also be used for special applications. For example: a hotel entrance door that’s activated every time a car pulls up. This action can now be eliminated. Today, there are sensors that will ignore cross-traffic, only activating the doors when a person walks toward it. Many hotel managers will be glad to hear that.

Active infrared sensors are not only being used to activate a door, but also to detect presence so a door doesn’t close while a person or object is still in the door’s path. 

Swing doors are by far the most common automated pedestrian doors in North America. Most swing doors are activated by a sensor and secured by another. We differentiate between a header-mounted sensor and a door-mounted sensor. Header-mounted sensors are often used for activation, but there are also header-mounted sensors available for safety. Door-mounted sensors are basically for presence-detection to assure the door is not closing on a person in the path.

Sliding doors are the second-most used doors in the industry. Generally, the swing door is activated on both sides, and also has some presence features, either by beams in the threshold or a presence sensor. There are also combined sensors available on the market where the activation and presence is included in one unit.

Revolving doors are common, but seldom are they fully automated. A fully automated revolving door requires a set of activation and safety sensors. Activation sensors start the movement of the door; presence sensors assure no one is being hit by a moving door. Often, there is a single beam sensor on the closing edge, a presence detector on the moving leaf and, in addition, there are mostly electrical sensing edges and safety mats used.