The best wireless systems for opening doors

A lot of the technology around us at present no longer includes any type of cable that could limit its distance and mobility. This is the case, for example, of microphones, headphones, telephones or computer mice and keyboards. All these products now have a wireless version that makes them much more functional.

This technology is also used in access systems and in the opening and closing of automatic doors. This provides security, energy efficiency, and convenience for people. This type of product, which can be controlled remotely, improves capabilities and the user experience

Wireless controls on automatic doors

By security we should refer, for example, to being able to open or close a door remotely to allow or to refuse access to a given individual. Furthermore, energy efficiency involves the saving involved in being able to ensure that one of our doors has not been left open by mistake. All good practice in favour of sustainability. Therefore, we can activate the drive unit of one or several doors using software such as Manulink, through which we can check the status of the doors simply by looking at our computer screen.

Openlinx should also be mentioned, which is an advanced communications device that allows for control of our automatic door and access barrier systems. Or the Airlinx wireless program switch, which is a mechanism that allows for one or several automatic doors to be controlled remotely and for the reception of data on their status.

Without a doubt, this type of product makes access control easier in places with a significant number of automatic doors, such as shopping centres, hospitals, industrial complexes or airports.

On a lower scale, a remote control can be used to activate a door without having to approach it. Technological advances show that wireless systems will be gradually implemented more and more in the Internet of Things.

The benefits of automatic doors at home

We are used to seeing automatic doors in office buildings, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, airports and shopping centres, etc. It seems to be an element that is now fully integrated into our every-day lives. But automatic doors can be seen in only a few homes.

It is true, however, that most housing blocks or residential areas are quite old, and automatic doors were not commonplace when they were built. But if you were to stop in front of a newly constructed housing block, you would see that some builders and designers are choosing to integrate these products into their development projects.

They are generally seen in communal areas such as garage doors, which are activated by remote control, or the main entrance, which includes doors that open thanks to movement sensors. But could automatic doors be installed in other areas of the home?

The straightforward answer is yes. There are already some success stories in home automation, where many of the elements in the home can be automated. This can include switching the heating on and off, raising or lowering the blinds, etc.

What about the doors? Automatic door opening and closure systems can be installed in any room in the home. Imagine that you -or your children- are having a party at home and you want to make sure nobody can enter certain areas of the house. Simply install an access control system that uses a remote control or numeric code to prevent intrusions.

The elderly, children and pets protected in the home

Automatic doors in the home are also useful when you have vulnerable people living with you, such as children or the elderly. To can avoid a fright if you are able to maintain control over the different accesses in the home, such as children entering the kitchen and switching on the hob or picking up a knife. Furthermore, if you are disabled and move around in a wheelchair, an automatic door inside the home could may life easier.

Likewise, if you have a pet at home, you can control its comings and goings from the house to the garden by automating the doors.

It is your decision whether or not to install several automatic doors in the home. And builders and designers should be innovative and standardise this type of product in housing blocks and private homes. Will we see it soon?

McDonalds, Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid)

Retail and entertainment areas seek to attract the largest number of consumers possible. Either with LEDs on large screens, advertising spaces that quickly attract your attention, or elements that affect the senses and that are associated to neuroscience.

Chains of restaurants, cafés and other areas devoted to the hospitality sector are at the forefront of matters regarding technology and customer satisfaction. But not just to make offers, launch new products, or improve prices. Improvements also include accesses to the establishment.

In the Madrid town of Pozuelo de Alarcón, Manusa installed a product at the main entrance to a McDonalds restaurant. This involved a telescopic door with framed leaves. It was able to make use a relatively limited space at the entrance to the restaurant.

The telescopic door uses the maximum clearance possible and, therefore, the maximum aperture. What is more, given that the leaves are fully framed, they have a high degree of resistance to knocks and vandalism. This, in turn, gives the doors greater durability.

Thanks to this, foot traffic is much more fluid than it would be with a manual door. Customers can enter and exit the restaurant without having to take any kind of action. Even when carrying bags from shopping in the nearby stores, they don’t have to worry about putting them down to push the door.

And if they are eating a burger that they are holding in their hands, the automatic door opening will make it easier for them to exit the restaurant. Without a doubt, automatic doors improve the quality of life of people, in the hospitality sector too.

The importance of automatic doors in cultural spaces

Mankind has been interested in culture since time immemorial. Our capacity to acquire and implement culture is what defines us and sets up apart from all other animal species. Over the centuries, particularly thanks to its distribution through the printed press, culture has reached more and more levels of society.

This social interest for culture meant that cultural spaces to share knowledge have gradually been created, either in the form of museums, universities, libraries or art galleries.

Although the first automatic door dates back to 1 A.D., the technological advances of the past few centuries have made this entrance system fully standardised and implemented in places where culture is primordial.

But how important are they? Several characteristics make automatic doors fundamental for cultural spaces.

Silence is essential in avoiding distractions while studying in a library or looking at a painting in a museum. A silent automatic door will prevent those enjoying culture from being distracted. Remember, for example, that a door opened manually can bang when shut or its hinges can may an annoying sound when it moves.

Another key point is the fluid movement of people. Think about the entrances to a large theatre or an exhibition hall with a large influx of visitors, for example. Automation will prevent the doors from staying open by accident and will make sure the air conditioning system does not have to work overtime and waste energy.

At present, a main entrance with automatic doors denotes modernity. Culture is often avoided by the new generations, who prefer the screen of a smartphone to a painting by a Renaissance artist. Changing the concept that youngsters have of culture also involves this type of details.

Which are the best automatic glass doors?

One of the main characteristics of many companies is transparency. They want their customers to know all aspects of the brand’s values. Surprisingly, an element of marketing that helps in this process is for entrances and spaces to be as open-plan as possible.

Therefore, as well as glazed walls in offices or, for example, shops, hospitals and hotels, doors must also be mentioned.

Any entrance gives an initial impression to visitors and customers. An opaque door might indicate that the company has something to hide. This is why many brands use doors that allow you to see through them.

Over time, it has become increasingly commonplace to see fully automatic accesses at entrances and exits of buildings and offices in all sectors. But which are the best automatic doors with glass leaves in the market? There are three types of leaves:

  • Transparent: These include those with a single upper profile, those with an upper and lower profile, or those with transparent panic break-out profiles.
  • Framed: The entire perimeter of the glass is framed with aluminium. Also applicable to panic break-out doors.
  • With special functions: In this section we have doors with transparent panic-proof profiling, framed panic-proof profiling or hermetic glazed door leaf. In this sense, it is worth mentioning the explosion-proof doors and the fire doors. Both of these – together with the panic doors – are the glazed doors with the highest added value. Also it is worth mentioning the A44-H4 (Clearview) for Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in hospitals.

All glass is top quality to ensure the optimum durability of the product. They also include stainless steel and high density laminate finishes. This ensures they work perfectly with any model from our range of drive units.

Thousand Nights Hotel, Amman (Jordan)

Either for work or for pleasure, thousands of people around the globe stay in hotels in thousands of cities worldwide every day. The high season is often linked to the summer or Christmas holidays and, during the rest of the year, in the low season there is a drop in prices and, in most places, in the number of visitors.

Hotels form a fundamental part of any city, and although there are mobile apps on which private accommodation can be found, a great many people continue to stay in hotels, just as they always have done.

The Horeca sector (Hotels, Restaurants, Cafés) has also been using automatic doors in its facilities for decades. When this type of product was first launched, it was a very new occurrence to see how automatic systems were installed at the main entrance to important hotels for guests to enter and exit.

This streamlined traffic and prevented visitors from having to use their hands that were usually loaded with luggage to open the doors.

Thanks to its international expansion, Manusa also works in Middle Eastern countries. In Amman, the capital city of Jordan, we have developed a project at the Thousand Nights Hotel, a luxury hotel and spa complex located in the centre of the Jordanian city.

This is a 5-star hotel with all the services and conveniences, as well as an excellent location. The Manusa doors installed in the hotel are at the entrance. More specifically there are two doors: one bi-parting doors and the other single-slide opening. Thanks to Alfa Security.

Without a doubt, this is yet another convenience for guests arriving at the hotel, who climb the stairs or the access ramp to the building and are welcomed by the luxury of this magnificent accommodation with the doors wide open, ready for an unforgettable experience.

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Monuments are places with a large influx of people. Regulatory bodies apply access restrictions and capacity controls to many of them to maintain the essence of the interior and encourage conservation. Although these measures are not always enough to moderate an excess number of visitors, as they often congregate at points of tourism or cultural interest. The areas where the highest number of excess visitors often congregate is, without a doubt, at the entrance and exits of the building.

One of the most important the popular monuments of all Europe is the basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. It is currently in the final stages of constructions and will be completely finished in a few years.

As well as a church, this emblematic place in the Mediterranean city has others areas such as the museum or a souvenir shop where all types of souvenirs relating to the city, the Sagrada Familia, its architect Antoni Gaudí, and other elements of the modernist style can be purchased.

To encourage the movement of visitors and tourists in the shop, Manusa installed two bi-parting doors with clear and fixed leaves. This increases and improve the flow of people at the entrance and exit to this shopping area at the monument.

Furthermore, vinyl stickers identifying the direction of traffic were fitted on the leaves for accessibility purposes.

The Popular Theatre of Niteroi (Brazil)

Culture is one of the most important aspects for all society. Among other issues, mankind stands out from all other animal species because of our capacity to create and implement culture. Most cities in the world have spaces where cultural activities of all kinds are developed, whether it be painting, sculpture, theatre, cinema, music, or dance, etc.

At Manusa, we also serve culture using our know-how. We are experts in the design, production and installation of automatic doors. Several years ago we provided our work for an important area of public culture in Brazil, the Popular Theatre of Niteroi.

Inaugurated in 2007, this theatre was created by the famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, winner of the Pritzker Award 1988. The yellow façades and the green walls are a tribute to the Brazilian flag, and the use of concrete did not pose an obstacle to the curved construction lines. The boldness and large spaces in this composition make it more a sculpture than a simple building.

At one of the entrances to one of the theatre halls we installed bi-parting doors fitted with a panic break-out system and transparent leaves with upper and lower profiles. This meant that whoever enters or exits this space can benefit from the utmost safety but without having to give up the clear glass.

Automatic doors guarantee the easy movement of people. This provides an easy flow in the event of large agglomerations of people and offers the cultural complex great security.

The effectiveness of automatic sectional doors

When discussing doors relating to the industrial sector, a mention must be made to automatic sectional doors. Industrial units and all types of factory benefit from this type of entrance in their facilities.

They are safe and silent, and provide effective insulation with a maximum security sealed close that insulates the inside space. But not only its features are important. It also stands out for its appearance, the hallmark of the Manusa brand, which manufactures this type of products based on an optimised design to offer the most convenient entrance with reduced visual impact in the space where it is installed.

Sectional doors have several features that make them very effective. They open vertically, their seals are flexible at joints with hinges and sides to ensure complete closure. At Manusa, we seek to ensure each project can be unique for each customer, which is why doors can be customised for the use they are to be given. For example, they may include small windows or a glazed door can be produced so that it can be clearly seen through. Thanks to their continuous reinforcing plates, they are extremely durable.

There are several different product finishes for the door panel. This may be a horizontally grooved panel, a panel of quarter panels, or an imitation wood panel and stainless steel panel. Automatic sectional doors can also be installed in a wide range of RAL colours and an extensive scale of measurements to ensure they blend in perfectly with the architectural space of the building where they are installed.

But not only in industry, automatic sectional doors can also be installed in shops, hotels and residential areas. A real guarantee of effectiveness.

The best automatic doors for dogs, cats and pets

Over recent decades, dogs, cats and other pets have become yet another member of the family. There are homes in which several animals live together with humans in love and harmony. Although it seems we should not consider our pets when thinking about the automatic opening and closure systems in our home, it is important to weigh up the situation.

Despite the fact that animals are agile and it has been proven that they are capable of turning a handle to open a door, you might not want your pet to enter certain rooms of your home and do not want to leave these rooms locked. The best solution is, for example, an automatic door that is remote control activated or the uses a button that is out of reach of animals.

Likewise, if your home has a garden, you can install an access so that you pet can come and go as it pleases. We are used to kitchen doors with a small flap at the bottom for the animal to enter. Latest technologies have now launched systems onto the market that only open when they detect your pet’s microchip to avoid intruders in the home.

In this case, you must bear in mind the weight, width and size of your pet. Furthermore, if you want this system to be energy efficient and save on electricity bills, you can connect it to a solar panel.

If your bond with animals is not just limited to the pets you might have in the home but also includes horses, cows or chickens, you can also install automatic doors to open pens, stables or other parts of the farm or estate by remote control.

These smart systems can be included among the different home automation accessories for your home. The internet of things has already reached the animal world and pet owners should make the most of it for their own benefit and that of their animals.