What is Automatic Door?

Automatic doors, which are used at the entrances and corridors of various buildings such as commercial facilities, office buildings, hospitals, and airports, are very familiar to us.
An automatic door is a door that opens and closes not by human power, but by power such as electricity or pressure-sensing pads.
The automatic door equipment used at entrances of commercial facilities, office buildings etc. is commonly an “automatic electric door” that opens the door by detecting approach of people or objects with sensors. The sensor is used to open a door and close it after confirming the passage of pedestrian.

OPTEX is a manufacturer that develops, manufactures and sells automatic door sensors.

Effect of Automatic Door

In addition to being able to open and close a door without touching the door, an automatic door has the following effects.

  • Energy-saving: Air conditioner efficiency can be improved by preventing the door from being left open.
  • Barrier-free: Since manual opening and closing is not required, the usability is increased for people with luggage in both hands, people pushing carts, people in wheelchairs etc..
  • Hygienic: Doors can be opened and closed without tounching, which is advantageous in places where hygiene management is required, such as hospitals and food factories.

Type of Automatic Door

Slide Door

In Southeast Asia, sliding automatic door is commonly used. For this type, there are not only flat doors but also curved doors that look stylish.

Swing Door

An automatic door that opens and closes by swinging forward or backward. It can be installed even in places where there is no door retraction space.

Revolving Door

Place two to four doors radially around the axis of rotation. As it rotates inside the cylindrical windbreak room, it can always block the inside of the building from the outside, preventing the wind coming from the outside and keeping indoor temperature changes to a minimum.

Safety of Automatic Door

Automatic doors are convenient in our daily life, but on the other hand, it is also true that there are accidents especially caused by small children and elderly people. In Japan, it’s said that the tendency of accidents is “collision due to rushing”, “collision due to diagonal approach”, and “getting caught in due to stopping at the threshold” in that order, and these 3 causes occupies 50% of all accidents. *

OPTEX is a manufacturer that develops sensors for opening and closing automatic doors and improving the safety of them. In order to reduce such accidents as much as possible, OPTEX is working on sensor development every day with an emphasis on the safety and comfort of pedestrians. While thoroughly understanding the usage environment, we have accumulated advanced sensing technology by discovering unique problems of actual sites and deriving solutions suitable for each environment.

* Data source : 全国自動ドア協会

OPTEX's Sensor for Automatic Door

– Sensor per installation position
Position Model Name Model Image Detection Principle Installation height BLUEZONE※
[1] OA-72 > OA-72 Active Infrared 2.0 – 4.0 m (ceiling mount)
[2] OA-FLEX T > OA-FLEX T Active Infrared 2.0 – 3.0 m
[2] OA-FUNXION > OA-FUNXION Active Infrared 2.0 – 3.0 m
[2] OA-FUNXION LITE > OA-FUNXION LITE Active Infrared 2.0 – 3.0 m
[2] OM-105 > OM-105 Microwave 2.0 – 3.5 m
[2] X-ZONE > X-ZONE Active Infrared & Microwave 2.0 – 3.5 m
[3] MIRAGE > MIRAGE Active Infrared 3.0 m max (built-in)
[4] Air Slide2 > Air Slide2 Active Infrared 2.0 – 3.0 m (sensor)
[5] OS-12 > OS-12 Active Infrared
Position Model Name Model Image Detection Principle Installation height BLUEZONE※
[1] OA-72 > OA-72 Active Infrared 2.0 – 4.0 m (ceiling mount)
[2] OA-FLEX T > OA-FLEX T Active Infrared 2.0 – 3.0 m
[2] OA-FUNXION > OA-FUNXION Active Infrared 2.0 – 3.0 m
[2] OA-FUNXION LITE > OA-FUNXION LITE Active Infrared 2.0 – 3.0 m
[2] OM-105 > OM-105 Microwave 2.0 – 3.5 m
[2] X-ZONE > X-ZONE Active Infrared & Microwave 2.0 – 3.5 m
[3] MIRAGE > MIRAGE Active Infrared 3.0 m max (built-in)
[4] Air Slide2 > Air Slide2 Active Infrared 2.0 – 3.0 m (sensor)
[5] OS-12 > OS-12 Active Infrared

※ BLUEZONE : Increase the safety level of automatic door opening and closing

※ BLUEZONE : Increase the safety level of automatic door opening and closing

The “BLUEZONE” function is an OPTEX unique setting to increase the safety level at the threshold of automatic sliding doors, and helps prevent accidents caused by being caught by stopping right under the automatic door. When detecting a person or object in the approach area, the sensor activates the door and turns on the “BLUEZONE” for detecting the threshold area. The sensor keeps the door open as long as someone is in the detection area. When the person leaves the area, BLUEZONE ignores the door panel and allows the door to close safely.

The “BLUEZONE” function is an OPTEX unique setting to increase the safety level at the threshold of automatic sliding doors, and helps prevent accidents caused by being caught by stopping right under the automatic door. When detecting a person or object in the approach area, the sensor activates the door and turns on the “BLUEZONE” for detecting the threshold area. The sensor keeps the door open as long as someone is in the detection area. When the person leaves the area, BLUEZONE ignores the door panel and allows the door to close safely.

OPTEX's Automatic door sensor

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Summary

Automatic doors are used in everyday situations and very convenient, but it is also true that accidents sometimes happen.
In order to use it more safely, it is effective to use an upgraded sensor with safety function, to do daily maintenance and periodic inspection.

Ever since OPTEX developed the world’s first automatic door sensor with infrared technology in 1980, we have been working on product development every day to reduce such accidents as much as possible.
There are various types of automatic door sensors, and the best sensor differs depending on the installation position, installation height, standard, waterproofness, required safety level, etc.
Please choose from various OPTEX sensors based on reliable and proven sensing technology to meet your needs.

For inquiries about automatic door sensors, please feel free to contact us from the following link.