Door controls with integrated safety function

Status:

completed 03/2002

Aims:

Power-operated windows, doors and gates are increasingly being used in commercial, public and private premises. Conventional door controls only embody the functions open, close and stop. New types of systems employing microprocessors offer not only motion functions, but also safety functions such as the safeguarding of closing edges, prevention of entrapment, and supplementary functions such as traffic control, access control, and variable re-closing. Current European draft standards governing user safety in relation to power-operated doors and their protective equipment were to be studied, on behalf of the "Building Structures" BG expert committee, with regard to their applicability to the new technologies. If required, new assessment principles were to be drawn up.

Activities/Methods:

Safety technology concepts for programmable electronic systems were implemented in support of the development of a number of door controls (both industrial doors and garage doors). At the same time, amendments were made to the requirements of the European draft standards.

Results:

Specification of the parameters (e.g. for observance of the closing forces) is particularly important for the controls. It was seen to be possible to integrate the safety functions into a control system together with the service functions with no impairment of the objectives of protection. The results of the studies were incorporated both into the design of door controls with integrated safety function, and into European standardization work.

Further informations:

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