12 Jun Electric door access options for industrial premises

Ever since electronic motors were invented (hundreds of years ago) it has been possible to motorise a door with electricity. Today’s doors are advanced in design with numerous features, and industrial properties have several options available.

The key thing to remember with electric door access is there’s two products associated with the technology. The first is automated doors or doors that can be opened at the press of a button. The second is doors that unlock electronically but are opened by hand.

In this article, we’ll cover both types of product and review the options available to you.

Automated doors

Ever walked into a building and the doors open for you? Automated electronic doors are extremely convenient for workers. They are also excellent for hygiene because no one puts their hands on the handle. This is perfect for food processing plants.

Another option is doors that open at the press of a button. A good example here is the doors you find on hospital wards. You ‘press’ to ‘enter’ or ‘exit’. This type of access system is also extremely convenient.

A securer option is automated doors that open by key card. Instead of pressing a button to enter or exit, you flash your key card at a scanner. The scanner then grants you access and opens the door if your key card checks out. This is perfect for secure locations.

Perhaps the most obvious electric door access system for industrial premises is a remote-controlled system, similar to automated garage doors. You press a button on a remote control to open a door. This is perfect for outdoor installation.

Doors with electronic locks

Doors with electronic locks offer the convenience of electronic locking and unlocking, but still require manual operation to open. They are a good option for internal installation in industrial properties, such as secure office areas.

The most popular option here is an electronic keypad door lock. These allow you to set a unique numerical code. The door lock has an internal motor that is controlled by electrical impulse. The right combination triggers the lock.

Another popular option is a smart handle lock. These combine a traditional door handle with an in-built key card scanner. You scan the key card and push the handle down. These are commonly found in hotels and industrial plants.

A more expensive option is a fingerprint door lock. These futuristic locks use biometrics for unbeatable security. These locks can typically store over 500 fingerprints and have two-factor authentication with a fingerprint and four-digit code.

How important is security to your industrial premises?

If your industrial site limits access to visitors and in certain areas to staff, it’s important you invest in a secure access system. Internal doors are prime candidates for electronic locks such as keypad locks and key card locks. External doors will benefit from the same, but you can also add automation to make access easier.

An increasingly popular access system in manufacturing plants is automated door systems in secure loading bays. These open when they detect pallet-sized movement. This ensures employees can’t access the area themselves that way. These systems boost security and can help manufacturers avoid sabotage (which can and does happen).

New doors or old doors?

Almost any timber door can be fitted with an electronic lock. If the door is metal, a keypad can be fitted on the wall. It isn’t simply a case of replacing the manual lock with the electronic one, but it is possible. The new lock will need coding and setting up to work as intended. So, if you have old doors, you can modernise them with electronic door locks. You don’t necessarily need to buy a brand-new door.

What systems will make life easier?

Industrial premises will benefit greatly from remote-controlled doors. Whether it’s operated by a remote control or a button in a workshop, doors that can be opened and closed without physically going to them are always convenient.

If your industrial premises allows site visitors, key card door locks will keep unwanted personnel out of restricted areas. This is a great way to ease the burden on security staff.

Lastly, automated internal doors. These separate areas of an industrial site but allow free access between the different areas. They can also be locked remotely or on site to change routes. This can be particularly useful during drills.

Call us on 0800 9788 168 or 0113 8941 968 to find out more about electric door access options for your industrial premises.