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There are so many details and then further finer details to the consideration around making an electric roller garage door safe in its environment, because we are generally talking here about the use as a ‘garage door’, then the use is defined and it is only about the surroundings and people operating the door where the safety needs to be a consideration.
We will make this simple, an electric operated roller garage door is classed as a ‘machine’ and when the garage door is also controlled remotely by various methods, then the legal requirements are also generally simple.. but also quite logical….
Specific to electric roller garage doors you have the following rules:
An electric operated roller garage door must have a method of preventing the door from squashing a person (and of course any other object in reality) and should also have an ‘anti fall back’ device, should the main balancing system ever fail.
There are 2 types of operation and control which are NOT legal in the UK and should NEVER be used:
1. A single infra red beam across the opening. This method will only ever detect and protect a tiny part of the complete opening and the safety is not sufficient enough to comply. An infra red single beam safety is only ever to be used as an add on to a proper compliant method of safety detection.
2. A ‘hold to run’ remote control system. NOT legal and obviously gives the opportunity for anyone to operate the door whilst not being in view of the door whilst moving. Combining a single infra red beam and this method of control is also NOT compliant.
There are however 3 types of operation and control which are legal and 100% fully compliant with regulations on buying and operating electric roller doors.
1. A ‘hold to run’ fixed wall switch or key within full sight of the roller door is 100% legal and a long standing method of control for almost every security shutter on every shop in this country. Standing and controlling the door up and down whilst in full view with the ability to stop the door at any point is the most basic way to control an electric door. It is also perfect for anyone who perhaps doesn’t want to bother with the remote controls and associated electronics required.
2. Remote control with obstacle detection with a contact safety edge system. 100% legal and the roller door is stopped as soon as it detects an obstacle. This is usually a light beam inside a rubber chamber on the bottom of the door which when broken stops the door and reverses a short way back too.
This means the door can be controlled using any number of remote handsets and other remote control devices safely.
Remote control can also be used with power surge detection reversing the motor direction once activated.This is a method used on certain electric motor types, usually external motor drives in the world of roller garage doors. The motor detects a change in effort required and then stops the motor.
Options 2 and 3 above can both have infra red beams added for additional protection and this is always strongly advised in 2 clear site situations.
a. When the roller door is situated next to a public highway or footpath
b. When the roller door is to be controlled using Smart technology and the door might be operated by automatic timers or scenarios or indeed by a user from a different part of the world. It is simply for extra protection and logical to adopt.
3. Remote control with a light curtain system effectively covering the entire path of the moving door, although generally this is deemed to only be up to 2.3m high in a domestic scenario. A light curtain is a multi beam detection system and should NEVER be confused with a single beam infra red which as we said is NOT compliant.
The important thing to note here is the use of low quality light beams can be a pain as large changes in temperature can cause condensation and misting and sometimes upset the beams and present operation. Once again, the importance of high quality components in any roller garage door will provide reliability and peace of mind.
Hormann Rollmatic Original
There is a roller garage door using a very clever and different method of safety and compliance in the UK. The Hormann Rollmatic Original is an electric remote control operated aluminium roller door with a spring balance on one side and an external motor drive using a motor from a tried and tested garage door operator system sold for many years.
The balancing of the door to give the best operation is by the side mounted spring and the motor drive has force limit detection so in the event of an obstacle in either direction the door will stop and reverse. No beams or edge detection system required.
The external motor has another benefit in that if your home is prone to electrical power cuts then the manual override system is the easiest of any roller door. The motor is simply disengaged from the door and the door can then be lifted and closed by hand with the pring balancing assisting all the way. No winding using a handle and taking ages…
Built in courtesy light and a break in resistant locking system also add to the features of this unique and made to measure roller door system.
Hormann also offer their Rollmatic T which is a tube motor version of the electric aluminium roller door mainly sold in the UK. It sues edge detection system technology and a unique slat and anti scratch banding system now built in as standard…
The comparable and longer standing UK leading roller door is the Seceuroglide, leading the market in safety and technology in all areas. This roller door has features unique only to the Seceuroglide and is the result of 25 years of development in the UK offering the very best in security, safety and durability along with a host of optional extras to suit your garage and lifestyle. All roller doors are effectively a watered down copy of this market leading door..
