Safety and signaling for automatic doors

Safety of garage doors and pedestrian doors

Once again we want to emphasize a taboo subject, the safety of automated garage doors and automatic pedestrian doors. We keep seeing or hearing about accidents, some of them even fatal, with this type of automations, with little or no safety. These news upset the community, seeing that it is able to make an automated door, but the truth is that in most cases do not refer that the safety measures of these automations are not up to what the regulations require.

MEDVA, as a company in the automation sector, we never cease to remember the importance of complying with the security required by an automated gate, but we can not always raise awareness in a market that increasingly limits spending on the automation of a gate. Many users ignore this minimum security for not making the installation more expensive, and it is then when we realize that the competent authorities do not have, or have not made available, a control of such facilities. From MEDVA, as professionals of the automatism, we have a great variety of safety devices to comply with the regulations:

Safety edges, resistive and optical.

The safety edges are oriented as active safety devices, when they come into contact with a person, animal or object, it gives a signal to the control panel that warns that there is an obstacle. Depending on the installation, the door stops or stops and reverses the maneuver.

Photocells, mirror and transmitter-receiver.

The photocells are a device that emits a beam of infrared light throughout the passage of the door, when cut gives a signal to the control panel that warns that there is an obstacle. Depending on the installation, the door stops or stops and reverses the maneuver.

Infrared optical grids.

This device acts like a photocell, but instead of emitting a beam, it emits a grating that covers a larger area of the doorway.

Radars

These devices, usually installed at the top of the doorway, make a curtain that detects the obstacle. They are most commonly installed on automatic pedestrian doors or high-speed doors.

Passive anti-pinch rubbers.

These rubbers are usually installed where the door hinges are, so that there is no possibility of fingers being accidentally inserted. They are usually installed in the middle part of up-and-over doors or swing doors.

Signaling lights.

These are designed to light up, either steadily or intermittently, when the door is to be operated and while the door is moving.

Emergency stop devices.

An emergency mushroom-type device arranged in an accessible location that can be pressed to stop the door before it strikes a person, animal or object.

Linear and radial shock absorbers.

Hydraulic device that regulates the speed of the doors. These are usually installed in sliding doors with slope and fire doors.

Parachute.

Safety device in case of breakage of the springs or cables that hold the weight of the door. They are designed for roll-up, sectional and overhead doors. When the door reaches a certain speed, the device interlocks to prevent the door from falling under its own weight, which could cause personal injury or material damage.

Anti-fall hinge.

Hinges designed to prevent the door from falling in case of breakage. All installations should comply with safety standards, agreed upon by the Ministry of Industry and the automation sector. We believe that they should undergo inspections, approvals and periodic maintenance like any other element considered a machine.