Automatic door operators: types, prices and how they work
An automatic door operator is the drive that opens and closes a door by itself: a motor, gearbox and controller, with sensors, a lock and a power supply. Every automatic entrance, from a hospital sliding door to a corridor swing door, depends on one.
This guide explains the types of automatic door operator, how to choose one, how an automatic door operator is installed and wired, what it costs in South Africa and how to keep it running. We supply, install and service operators from our Laser Park base in Roodepoort, for commercial pedestrian entrances only.
Types of automatic door operator
Sliding door operators
Mounted in a header above the opening, they drive one or two leaves sideways on a belt and carriages. The most common commercial type, for malls, hospitals, offices and shops. Our MC-125 automatic sliding door is this type; see how an automatic sliding door mechanism works.
Swing door operators
Mounted on the frame or the door, they push and pull a hinged door open and closed through an arm. Ideal for corridors, toilets, narrow openings and existing doors. Our MCW-100 swing door operator is this type.
Low-energy swing operators
Swing operators set to open slowly with low force, so they are safe without extra guarding. Common on accessible routes and in clinics.
Telescopic sliding operators
Drive two leaves a side at different speeds so they stack, for wide openings with short walls. See telescopic sliding doors.
Revolving door drives
Rotate the wings of a revolving door at walking speed, with safety sensors on every wing edge. See automatic revolving doors.
Hermetic operators
Slide the leaf and then press it against a seal to hold air pressure, for theatres and laboratories. See hermetic doors.
| Door | Automatic door operator |
|---|---|
| Busy main entrance | Sliding, MC-125 |
| Shop or office front | Sliding, MC-125 |
| Corridor or toilet | Swing, MCW-100 |
| Existing hinged door | Swing, MCW-100 |
| Wide opening, short wall | Telescopic sliding |
| Tall windy lobby | Revolving drive plus swing door |
How an automatic door operator works
A sensor or push button sends a signal to the controller. The controller releases the lock, runs the motor through the gearbox to open the door at the set speed, holds it open for the set time while the safety sensors watch the doorway, then closes it more slowly. If anyone is in the way, the door stops and reopens. The controller also learns the length of travel and limits the force the door can apply.
Choosing an automatic door operator
- Door type: sliding, swing, revolving or hermetic decides the family of operator.
- Leaf size and weight: the operator must be sized for the leaves; see what size automatic door operator do I need.
- Traffic: a busy entrance needs an operator rated for a high cycle count.
- Users: elderly, frail and disabled users need slow speeds, long hold-open times and push buttons.
- Power: battery backup where load shedding would leave people stuck.
- Support: local spares and technicians matter more than any feature list.
Push buttons, actuators and activation
An automatic door operator can be activated by a radar sensor, a push button (often called an actuator), a key switch, an access card, a keypad, an intercom or a timer. Push buttons are mounted at an accessible height on both sides of the door, and wireless buttons are available where cabling is difficult. See automatic door push button.
Installing an automatic door operator
Installation starts with a survey of the door, frame, header, floor, power supply and access-control connection. The operator is fixed to a solid structure, the leaves are hung or the arm is fitted, the sensors, lock and buttons are connected, and the controller is commissioned: speeds, forces, hold-open time and sensor fields are set and the safety functions tested. Wiring is done by our technicians to the manufacturer’s diagrams, never by guesswork. See automatic door installation.
Automatic door operator price in South Africa
Our MC-125 sliding operator starts from R27 590 excluding VAT and our MCW-100 swing operator from R15 900 excluding VAT, both imported and assembled at Laser Park, tested to one million cycles and carrying 24 months on the operator. The installed price depends on the leaves, sensors, locking and access control, and is confirmed in writing after a survey. See automatic door prices.
Operator, motor or opener?
People use operator, motor and opener for the same unit. Strictly, the motor is one part; the operator is the whole drive, with gearbox, controller and fittings. When comparing prices, compare complete operators with sensors, not bare motors. See sliding door motor or operator.
Servicing and replacing operators
An operator should be serviced every six months, more often on busy doors, with the drive, sensors, lock and battery checked and the settings recorded. When an old operator keeps failing or its parts are no longer made, a new MC-125 or MCW-100 can usually be fitted to the existing door. See automatic door servicing and automatic door modernisation.
Commissioning records
At handover we record every setting on the automatic door operator: 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 is kept with the service history, so any technician who attends an automatic door operator later starts from a known point, and the building owner can show that the door was set up and tested properly. If the building changes, for example new access control or a change of use, the settings are reviewed and the record updated.
Commercial operators versus residential openers
Commercial operators are built for thousands of cycles a day, public safety rules and integration with access control and fire systems. Residential and pet-door openers are not designed for this, so a commercial automatic door operator is the only safe choice for a public entrance. We supply commercial operators only, for shops, offices, hospitals, schools and public buildings.
Sliding, swing or revolving?
Sliding doors move the most people and never swing into anyone, so they suit most main entrances. Swing doors suit narrow openings, corridors and existing hinged doors. Revolving doors keep wind and heat loss out of tall lobbies but always need a swing door beside them for wheelchairs and goods. For automatic door operator, the main entrance is usually sliding and the internal doors swing. See sliding vs swing door.
Safety sensors explained
Activation sensors, usually microwave radar, open the door when someone approaches. Safety sensors, usually active infrared, watch the threshold and the path of the leaves so the door cannot close on someone standing still. Light curtains in the posts add a vertical safety field on busy or sensitive entrances. All of them are set on site and tested with a test body on every service.
The first year after installation
In the first months the building learns how the door behaves, and we often fine-tune speeds and sensor fields after the first busy weeks. The first service, normally at six months, records the cycle count so the service interval for automatic door operator can be set from real use rather than guesswork.
Three common myths
“Automatic doors waste energy”: a well-set door closes faster than people close a manual one. “They are only for big buildings”: a single swing operator can automate a small practice door. “Any electrician can fix them”: safety settings, forces and sensors need a trained technician and the right parts.
Gauteng conditions
Gauteng brings its own challenges for automatic door operator: summer afternoon storms with hail, wind and driving rain; dry, dusty winters that grind into tracks and rollers; lightning that can damage electronics; and load shedding that can stop a door at the worst moment. We answer each one with the specification: laminated or toughened safety glass, sensors set to ignore wind-blown debris, brushes and seals against dust, surge protection where lightning is common and battery backup on every entrance that must keep working. The service interval is then set from the conditions at each site, not from a fixed calendar.
A typical project, step by step
The client sends photographs of the entrance and tells us how busy it is. A technician surveys the opening, the header, the floor and the power and access-control connections. We confirm the door type, leaves, glass, sensors and locking in writing with a price and lead time. On the agreed day our team installs the operator and leaves, commissions the speeds, sensors and lock, tests the power-failure and fire behaviour with the building and hands over a written record. The first service is booked six months later. This is how every project for automatic door operator runs, large or small.
Access control and security
Doors can be linked to card, tag, biometric, keypad or intercom readers, to timers for trading hours and to the alarm. Two doors can be interlocked where screening is needed, and the lock is set to release on the fire signal where the door is an escape route. See automatic door access control.
Accessible entrances
An automatic door is the simplest way to make an entrance usable for wheelchair users, parents with prams and people carrying goods. Clear width, opening and closing speeds, hold-open time and push buttons are set on site for the people who use the door. See automatic doors for disabled access.
Energy and comfort
A door that closes promptly keeps air-conditioning and heating inside. Hold-open times and sensor fields are set so the door opens for people coming in and out, not for passers-by or wind-blown leaves, and an airlock or revolving door is considered where wind is a problem.
Working in occupied buildings
Most of our work happens in buildings that stay open. We barricade the doorway, keep an alternative entrance open, work outside peak hours where possible and leave the site clean. Every visit starts with a safe-work method for that building.
What you receive after every visit
A written report of what was found and done, the parts used, the settings left on the door, the cycle count, anything that still needs attention and the date of the next visit.
Planning your budget
Budget for three things: the installation or repair itself, any parts or new equipment, and an ongoing service plan. Where several entrances need work, it can be phased over months, starting with the doors that matter most to safety and security. Planned servicing of automatic door operator costs far less over their life than emergency call-outs.
Spare parts we hold
We keep the parts that wear first at our Laser Park workshop: belts, rollers and carriages, sensors, locks, batteries and controllers for the MC-125 and MCW-100, and common parts for other makes, so most faults are fixed on the first visit. See automatic door spare parts.
Modernising older entrances
When an old operator keeps failing or its parts are no longer made, a new MC-125 or MCW-100 can usually be fitted to the existing leaves, glass and frame. This costs a fraction of a new entrance and comes with 24 months on the new operator. See automatic door modernisation.
Why choose MC Automations
- Our own operators: the MC-125 and MCW-100 are imported and assembled at Laser Park.
- Our own technicians: we never sub-contract installation, servicing or repairs.
- Any brand: we service and repair other manufacturers’ doors too.
- Spares in Gauteng: common parts are held at our Laser Park workshop.
- Written records: every visit ends with a report.
- Warranty: 24 months on new MC operators.
Getting the best from your entrance
Keep the floor guide and the area in front of the sensors clear, do not prop the door open or block it with stock, and ask cleaners not to spray water onto the sensors and header. Report noises, hesitation and doors that reopen for no reason early, because these are the first signs of wear. Know where the program switch is and what each mode does, so staff can set the door to open, closed, exit-only or night mode when needed.
A typical entrance upgrade
A shopping centre has an old bi-parting entrance that hesitates and is noisy, with parts no longer made. We survey it, confirm the leaves and glass are sound, and quote a new MC-125 operator with new sensors, lock and battery backup on the existing leaves. The work is done before trading hours in one morning, the door is commissioned for the centre’s traffic and the settings are recorded. The centre gets a quieter, faster, more reliable entrance at a fraction of the cost of a new front, with 24 months on the new operator. This is an example of how we work, not a specific client.
Health and safety on site
Every job starts with a site induction where the building requires one and a safe-work method that covers barricading the doorway, working at height on the header, isolating the power and keeping an alternative route open. Our technicians carry their own protective equipment and leave the site clean, and in hospitals, food production and laboratories we follow the building’s own hygiene rules as well.
Terms you will hear
Operator
The motor, gearbox and controller in the header that drive the door.
Leaves
The moving panels of the door.
Activation sensor
Opens the door when someone approaches.
Safety sensor
Stops or reverses the door if someone is in the way.
Hold-open time
How long the door stays open before closing.
Night mode
Locked and opened only by card, keypad or key switch.
Interlock
Two doors linked so only one opens at a time.
Cycle count
How many times the door has opened, used to plan servicing.
Where we supply and install
We supply, install and service every automatic door operator we sell across Gauteng from Laser Park, and across South Africa on planned visits. See automatic doors near me, automatic door companies and automatic door service areas.
What to send for an automatic door operator quote
- The address and number of doors.
- A photograph of each door, frame and header.
- The opening width and height, and the leaf material.
- How busy each door is and who uses it.
- Access-control, push-button and fire requirements.
Request a quote or call 010 412 0062.
Motorized operators and motorised doors
You will also see automatic door operators called motorized operators, motorised operators or door motors. They are the same units. A motorized operator is the complete drive, not only the motor: it includes the gearbox, controller and fixings, and it works with sensors and a lock. When comparing prices for motorized operators, compare complete operators with sensors, as listed above, rather than bare motors. For sliding doors that means the MC-125, and for swing doors the MCW-100.
Automatic door operator: frequently asked
What is an automatic door operator?
The drive that opens and closes a door automatically: motor, gearbox, controller and fittings, working with sensors, a lock and a power supply.
How much does an automatic door operator cost?
Our MC-125 sliding operator starts from R27 590 excluding VAT and our MCW-100 swing operator from R15 900 excluding VAT.
Can an automatic door operator be fitted to an existing door?
Often, yes. Swing operators fit many existing hinged doors, and sliding operators can often drive existing sound leaves.
Do you install push buttons?
Yes, wired or wireless, at an accessible height on both sides of the door.
Do you sell operators for home or pet doors?
No. We supply commercial operators only.
How often should an automatic door operator be serviced?
Every six months for an average door, more often for busy entrances.
Automatic door operator at a glance
- An automatic door operator can be sliding, swing, telescopic, revolving or hermetic.
- An automatic door operator must be sized for the leaves and the traffic.
- An automatic door operator from MC starts from R15 900 excluding VAT for the MCW-100.
- An automatic door operator should be serviced every six months.
See the South African Bureau of Standards.