Single Sliding vs Bi-Parting Automatic Doors

Bi-parting automatic doors split into two leaves that open from the centre, making them the choice for the busiest entrances.

Choosing between single sliding and bi-parting automatic doors comes down to opening width and traffic. Compare the options in our automatic door systems overview and operator guide.

When a commercial entrance is being automated, the first layout decision is usually single sliding versus bi-parting. Both are supported by the same operator platforms, but they behave differently in the shopfront — and the right answer follows from the opening, not from preference.

Related: compare the two-leaf layout in depth in our double automatic sliding doors guide, or configure your entrance for a fast, itemised quote.

Single sliding: one leaf, one stacking side

A single sliding automatic door uses one active leaf that travels to one side, typically parking behind or alongside a fixed panel. It needs stacking space on one side only, which makes it the practical option for narrower shopfronts and asymmetric openings. The trade-off: for a given overall opening, a single slider usually achieves a smaller clear opening than a bi-parting pair, because the whole opening width has to house one full-width leaf plus its parking zone.

Bi-parting: two leaves, balanced entrance

Bi-parting automatic sliding doors use two active leaves that open away from the centre — the classic commercial entrance. Because each leaf is roughly half the width, the assembly stacks in two shorter zones, usually over fixed sidelights, and typically delivers a wider clear opening with a balanced look. It does, however, need stacking space on both sides, so the overall opening must be wide enough for both leaves and their parked positions.

How the decision is actually made

Start from the clear opening you need when the doors are fully open, then work backwards to the leaf and sidelight dimensions that deliver it. That is exactly how custom automatic sliding doors are designed at Coetz™ in Johannesburg — the shopfront, leaves and sidelights are sized together, and the MC-125 automatic sliding-door operator suits both single sliding and bi-parting configurations. If you are unsure which layout your opening supports, submit the overall dimensions and the required clear opening and the quotation will confirm the workable option.

Choosing bi-parting automatic doors

Bi-parting automatic doors move twice the glass in the same time as a single slider, so they clear high foot traffic in malls, hospitals and airports without a bottleneck. Because each leaf travels half the distance, the opening feels fast and the operators share the load. The trade-off is a slightly higher price and a little more commissioning, since both leaves and their sensors must be balanced – the same automatic door technology principles apply to each side.

For a quieter shopfront or a narrow opening, a single sliding door is usually enough. Match the door to the real traffic rather than over-specifying, and our team will size bi-parting automatic doors to the building and the footfall.

When are bi-parting automatic doors worth it?

When foot traffic is high or the opening is wide – two leaves clear crowds faster than a single slider.

Are bi-parting automatic doors more expensive?

Usually a little, because there are two leaves, more sensors and extra commissioning, but they handle far more traffic.

Servicing, spares and call-outs

We recommend a professional service every six months, with more frequent visits for very busy entrances such as malls. A visit checks and realigns the sensors, inspects the belt, rollers and guides, re-checks opening and closing force, and replaces wear parts before they strand the door. Wear items are replaced as part of servicing rather than under warranty.

We stock the operators, sensors, drive belts and control boards we fit, so a repair does not wait on an imported part. Automatic doors are installed and serviced nationwide, with call-outs within 24 hours in Gauteng.

Budgeting for single sliding vs bi-parting automatic doors

Opening width, glass specification, sensor layout and access control are what separate one quotation from another, so compare them line by line rather than on the total alone. A free site measure confirms the opening, the power supply and the traffic before we commit to a fixed price, and the standard glazing is 6.38 mm laminated safety glass.

Sensors, safety and commissioning

An entrance is only as good as its sensors. Motion sensors open the door as somebody approaches and see movement rather than a standing person; presence sensors hold it open while somebody is in the opening, which is what stops a door closing on a person who has paused. Safety beams and a force limit reverse the leaf if something is in the way.

Commissioning sets opening and closing speed, hold-open time, force and the safety zones either side, and the settings are written down at handover so anyone adjusting the door later can see what it was signed off at.

Do automatic doors work during load-shedding?

Only if that was specified. A battery backup keeps the door operating through a slot; without one, the door should be set to fail open or fail secure, with a manual release staff know how to use.

What warranty applies to the operator?

The MC-125 and MCW-100 carry a 2-year manufacturer warranty. Wear items such as belts, rollers and guides are replaced as part of servicing rather than under warranty.

What the entrance is made of

Glass and frame decide how single sliding vs Bi-Parting automatic doors looks and how it behaves in use. The standard is 6.38 mm laminated safety glass; performance and tinted glass are options, quoted separately, where heat or privacy are a factor. Frames are powder-coated to the building colour, and slim sightlines keep more of the opening as daylight rather than aluminium.

Can the existing opening be used?

Most retrofits work. We check three things for single sliding vs Bi-Parting automatic doors: the head and its support, how square the opening runs, and where the power is. If all three are workable, an operator goes onto the opening you already have. If they are not, we say so before quoting rather than discovering it on installation day.

Common faults and what they mean

Doors that stay open usually have a sensor seeing something that is not there — a reflection, a banner moving in the draught, or a unit knocked out of alignment. Doors that stop short are often reacting to an obstruction or a force limit set too tight. Grinding or juddering points at the rollers or the guide rather than the motor. None of those need a new operator; they need a technician with the right spares in the van.

What happens when we report a fault?

We take the symptom over the phone so the right part is loaded, then attend — within 24 hours in Gauteng and within 48 hours elsewhere.

Can the door be set to stay open at busy times?

Yes. Hold-open time is adjustable, and many sites run a longer setting during deliveries or peak trading and a shorter one the rest of the day.

Bi-parting automatic doors in short

If you are pricing bi-parting automatic doors, send the structural opening sizes and a photograph and we will specify the system, the sensors and the glass against the traffic the doorway really carries. Bi-parting automatic doors are supplied, installed and serviced by one team, with spares held locally.

Ask us about bi-parting automatic doors and we will confirm the opening, the power supply and the traffic flow before quoting a fixed price.

Bi-parting automatic doors at a glance

• Pricing for bi-parting automatic doors follows the opening width, the glass and the sensor layout.
• Ask us to confirm the opening before ordering bi-parting automatic doors.

Getting it right with Coetz

When it comes to bi-parting automatic doors, the details decide the outcome – the operator rating, the sensor package, the glass and a clean installation. Coetz specifies each entrance to its real traffic and building rather than a one-size-fits-all kit, so the door opens smoothly and closes safely from the first day.

Coetz has years of experience with automatic entrances across South Africa, from single shopfronts to multi-door developments. We install to standard, commission every safety function, and back the entrance with service and genuine spare parts, so it keeps working long after the invoice is paid.

Planning early is the simplest way to keep a project on budget and on time. Getting the power supply, the opening and the safety package right up front avoids rework and return visits later.

Ready to move ahead? Tell us your opening size and traffic level, and we will recommend the best option and a clear, itemised price.