To a person outside of the lift industry, lift doors may come across as one size fits all. However, this is quite contrary to what 75 years of constant development and refinement have produced. Although lift doors may follow suit and have varying similarities, essentially each type of door is unique in its own way. Whilst the modern-day lift is respectively still in its infancy, utilising the method of vertical transportation has quite a history.
You may see automatic doors on a daily basis and not give them a second thought, as these doors are often placed for accessibility purposes. Whilst most modern-day lifts on the other hand include doors as a safety feature, to stop people from falling down the lift shaft. Similar to the way in which we accept and expect the features of a lift, there is a wealth of thought and technology behind these safety processes we often take for granted.
There are four main types of lift doors, each with its own unique purpose; Single Speed Side Open, Two Speed Side Open, Single Speed Centre Open and Two Speed Centre Open. These doors in question often provide the fear-free ride the majority of people have in a lift. They provide a sense of security and hide many inherent dangers of traveling vertically.
Single Speed Side Open
Typically, this door slides to the left or to the right only and provides an access point for the rider. This door option is commonly the most cost-effective and is often found in older buildings. This door style provides a unique advantage to buildings that lack space, as it only requires additional space on one side of the lift shaft wall.
Two Speed Side Open
A two-speed side open door is frequently chosen when an area fails to have additional space. This type of door sees one metal door sliding behind the other door upon opening and closing. Using a double-panelled door that slides in one motion is a great space-saving solution for allowing the full width of a lift, but with minimal intrusion into free space.
Single Speed Centre Open
This type of lift door is commonly located in modern buildings and is more commonly used as standard practice in modern-day architecture. These lift doors operate automatically in unison with one another, sliding into the side of the wall whilst riders access the lift car.
Two Speed Centre Open
Combining factors from all three other door types, this lift door comprises an accumulation of four panels. In which, two panels slide to the left and two panels slide to the right stacking up behind one another. This supports the end user in ensuring they make the most of their small space.
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