Automatic door operators South Africa: supplied, installed and serviced nationwide

Automatic door operators South Africa from MC Automations means two commercial units, the MC-125 sliding operator and the MCW-100 swing operator, imported and assembled at our Laser Park facility in Johannesburg and installed, commissioned and serviced by our own technicians. We work on commercial pedestrian entrances only: shops, offices, hospitals, clinics, hotels, schools, airports and public buildings.

This page explains which operator suits which opening, what automatic door operators South Africa cost, how installation and service work in each province, and what to send for a proper quotation. In Gauteng we attend the same day; in every other province we install and service on planned visits.

Automatic door operators South Africa: the two units we supply

We carry two operators, deliberately. The MC-125 automatic sliding door drives one or two sliding leaves from a header above the opening, and starts from R27 590 excluding VAT. The MCW-100 swing door operator opens a hinged door through an arm, and starts from R15 900 excluding VAT.

Both units are imported and assembled at Laser Park, tested to one million cycles, and carry a 24-month warranty on the operator. We are not a manufacturer and do not claim to be one; what we own is the assembly, the commissioning standard and the spares behind every unit we sell.

A narrow range is a strength for automatic door operators South Africa buyers. Our technicians know both units thoroughly, the spares that matter are held in Johannesburg, and a fault described over the phone is one we have usually seen before.

Which operator for which opening

• Busy main entrance, mall or hospital: MC-125 sliding operator, single or bi-parting leaves.
• Shop or office front: MC-125, usually bi-parting, often with access control.
• Corridor, toilet or narrow opening: MCW-100 swing operator.
• Existing hinged door to be automated: MCW-100, fitted to the existing leaf where it is sound.
• Wide opening with short side walls: telescopic sliding doors.
• Tall, windy lobby: automatic revolving doors with a swing door alongside.

For automatic door operators South Africa the decision is settled by the opening, the traffic and the users, not by preference. A slide handles heavy two-way traffic and wide openings; a swing is the cheaper entry point and suits lower traffic and existing doors. For the full range of types, see our automatic door operator guide.

Automatic door operators South Africa by province

We work from Laser Park in Johannesburg and cover all nine provinces. Each city page below explains local conditions, the buildings we work in and how attendance works there.

• Gauteng: Same-day attendance. Johannesburg, Pretoria, Sandton, Midrand, Centurion, Randburg, Fourways, Kempton Park, Rosebank, Soweto.
• Western Cape: Planned visits. Cape Town, Stellenbosch, George; coastal sites get the salt regime.
• KwaZulu-Natal: Planned visits. Durban, Umhlanga, Pietermaritzburg; humidity and salt on the coast.
• Eastern Cape: Planned visits. Gqeberha, East London; wind and salt on the coast.
• Free State: Planned visits. Bloemfontein; dust and cold winters.
• Limpopo: Planned visits. Polokwane; summer heat and storms.
• Mpumalanga: Planned visits. Mbombela; Lowveld heat and humidity.
• North West: Planned visits. Rustenburg; mining towns and dust.
• Northern Cape: Planned visits. Kimberley; heat and long distances.

Every other town is listed on automatic doors near me and by province on automatic door service areas.

How automatic door operators South Africa work

Every one of our automatic door operators South Africa follows the same sequence. A sensor, push button, card reader or timer sends a signal to the controller. The controller releases the lock, runs the motor through the gearbox and belt or arm to open the door at the set speed, and holds it open for the set time while the safety sensors watch the doorway.

It then closes the door more slowly than it opened. If anyone steps into the opening, the door stops and reopens. The controller also learns the length of travel when it is commissioned and limits the force the door can apply, which is what makes a commercial operator safe in a public building.

Sensors, push buttons and access control

Automatic door operators South Africa are activated in several ways: a motion radar above the door, a push button at an accessible height on both sides, a key switch, an access card or tag, a keypad, an intercom or a timer. Presence sensors then keep the door open while someone is in the opening.

Most offices, banks and hospitals connect the door to their access control, so it opens freely by day and only for a card after hours. We wire that connection ourselves and test it at commissioning. See automatic door access control and automatic door sensor replacement.

Accessibility and users who need more time

An automatic entrance is often the difference between a building that everyone can use and one that excludes people. For elderly, frail and disabled users, and for people with prams or trolleys, automatic door operators South Africa can be set with slower opening and closing speeds, longer hold-open times and push buttons placed where a wheelchair user can reach them.

We set those values at commissioning with the people who run the building, write them down, and check them at every service. A door that is safe and comfortable for a hospital corridor is set very differently from a busy retail entrance, and both are set deliberately.

Commissioning records

At handover we record every setting on the door: opening and closing speeds, hold-open time, force limits, sensor fields, lock mode, and the behaviour in a power failure and a fire alarm. The record stays with the service history.

That record is why automatic door operators South Africa from MC are easy to support. Any technician who attends later starts from a known point, the building owner can show that the door was set up and tested properly, and if the building changes, for example new access control or a change of use, the settings are reviewed and the record updated.

Hospitals, clinics and hygienic entrances

Healthcare is one of the most demanding places for automatic door operators South Africa. Doors run all day and all night, beds and trolleys need wide clear openings, and hands-free entry matters for hygiene. Sliding operators suit main entrances and wards; swing operators suit consulting rooms and corridors.

For theatres and laboratories that need an airtight seal, a hermetic sliding door is the right choice. For fire-compartment doors, the specification is agreed with the fire engineer; see fire-rated automatic doors.

Choosing a supplier for automatic door operators South Africa

When you compare suppliers of automatic door operators South Africa, ask the same five questions: who supplies the operator, who installs it, who services it, how quickly they attend a breakdown, and which spares they keep in stock. A clear answer to all five is worth more than a lower price on the operator alone.

Our answer is simple: we supply, install and service our own two units, we attend the same day in Gauteng and on planned visits elsewhere, and we hold the spares in Johannesburg. See automatic door companies for how we compare.

Same-day in Gauteng, planned visits elsewhere

In Gauteng, automatic door operators South Africa faults are attended the same day by our own technicians from Laser Park. That is a Gauteng commitment and we keep it there, because it is what we can deliver every time.

In the other eight provinces we install and service on planned visits, agreed in writing for each site. A planned visit combines installation, service and any repairs in one trip, and we leave the commissioned settings written down so that a competent local technician can be talked through a fault by phone between visits.

Installation and commissioning

Automatic door operators South Africa are only as good as their installation. Our own team surveys the opening, fixes the operator to a structure that can carry it, hangs or fits the leaves, connects the sensors, lock, push buttons and access control, and then commissions the door: speeds, forces, hold-open time and sensor fields are set and every safety function is tested.

We record every setting at handover, so any technician who attends the door later starts from a known point. See automatic door installation for the full process.

Automatic door operators South Africa: what the price includes

The MC-125 from R27 590 and the MCW-100 from R15 900 are operator prices, excluding VAT. A complete quotation for automatic door operators South Africa adds the leaves and frame where needed, the sensors, the lock, push buttons or access control, battery backup, installation and commissioning, and travel outside Gauteng.

Every line is listed separately, so you can compare like for like. The installed price is confirmed in writing after a survey; we do not guess a total from a width alone. See automatic door prices for typical totals.

Load-shedding and battery backup

Most automatic door operators South Africa buyers now ask for battery backup as standard. A battery keeps the door working through a power cut for a period, or lets it open and stay open so that nobody is trapped. Which behaviour is right depends on the building, its security and its escape routes, and we set it at commissioning.

Batteries are a wear item. They are checked on every service visit and replaced on their own interval, because a weak battery is what turns a power cut into a door that will not move.

Service and maintenance

Automatic door operators South Africa should be serviced every six months, more often on very busy doors. A service cleans the track and guides, checks the drive, belt and fixings, tests every safety sensor, checks the lock and the battery, and restores the commissioned settings if the door has drifted.

We also service the major brands already installed across the country, including GEZE, dormakaba, ASSA ABLOY, record and TORMAX. We operate independently and are not affiliated with these manufacturers, and service depends on the model and the availability of compatible parts. See automatic door servicing and automatic door repairs.

Replacing an old operator

When an old operator keeps failing or its parts are no longer made, the leaves, frame and glass can often stay. On many automatic door operators South Africa replacements we fit an MC-125 or MCW-100 to the existing opening, which costs far less than a new entrance. Where the frame, leaves and floor are all tired, we say so rather than patch an operator onto them. See automatic door modernisation.

Warranty and what it covers

All automatic door operators South Africa we supply carry a 24-month warranty on the operator itself: the motor, gearbox and controller. If the unit is defective we repair or replace it. Sensors, batteries, belts and other wear parts are covered by their own terms, and we explain those on the quotation rather than after a fault.

What no warranty covers is the same everywhere: damage from a power surge, damage from a door being forced, or wear caused by a door that was never serviced. A six-monthly service is the best protection a building owner has, and it is far cheaper than an emergency call-out.

Stock, spares and turnaround

Because we carry only two units, we can hold real depth of spares for automatic door operators South Africa in Johannesburg rather than a thin spread across many brands. Common wear parts, sensors and controllers are kept on the shelf, so a Gauteng repair is usually finished on the first visit.

For sites outside Gauteng, the parts most likely to be needed travel with the technician on a planned visit. Delivery and installation dates for new entrances are confirmed in writing with the quotation, once the scope is fixed, rather than promised from a brochure.

If an existing entrance has failed and needs to be made safe while a new operator is prepared, we will say how it can be secured or run manually in the meantime, so the building is never left with a door that cannot be opened.

Safety and standards

Every door we commission has its presence and safety sensors tested in front of the people who run the building, its force limits set, and its power-failure and fire-alarm behaviour checked. Requirements for powered pedestrian doors are published through the South African Bureau of Standards, and escape-route doors are agreed with the building’s fire professional.

What we do not do

We are clear about scope. Automatic door operators South Africa from MC Automations are for commercial pedestrian entrances only. We do not automate private homes, and we do not supply, fit or service garage doors, gates, roller shutters or door closers. If your enquiry is about one of those, we would rather tell you now.

The sectors we work in

Automatic door operators South Africa go into retail and shopping centres, offices and banks, hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, hotels and conference venues, schools and universities, government buildings, airports, warehouses and logistics offices. Each has a different traffic pattern and tolerance for downtime, which is why we ask about honest daily traffic. See commercial automatic doors and hotel automatic doors.

Getting a quotation right first time

Most delays on automatic door operators South Africa orders come from thin enquiries, not from stock. Send us this and the quotation comes back properly the first time:

• The address and the number of doors.
• A photograph of each opening, including the floor and the head.
• The clear opening width and height, measured.
• The leaf material, and whether existing leaves should stay.
• How busy each door is and who uses it.
• Access-control, push-button, battery-backup and fire requirements.

Request a quote or call 010 412 0062.

Beyond South Africa

We also export the MC-125 and MCW-100 across the continent and install and commission them ourselves, project by project. See automatic doors Africa and city pages such as Windhoek, Gaborone, Nairobi and Lagos.

Automatic door operators South Africa: the short version

If you read nothing else about automatic door operators South Africa: two units, the MC-125 sliding operator from R27 590 and the MCW-100 swing operator from R15 900 excluding VAT, imported and assembled at Laser Park, installed and commissioned by our own team, serviced every six months, with a 24-month warranty on the operator, same-day attendance in Gauteng and planned visits in every other province.

Frequently asked

Talk to us

Send the six facts above and we will come back with a real quotation. Call 010 412 0062, use our contact page or read the automatic doors South Africa guide first.