What size automatic door operator do you need?
Operators are rated for a maximum leaf weight and width, and for how often they can cycle. Sizing simply means matching those ratings to your door and its traffic. Get it right and the door is reliable; get it wrong and it fails early.1. Door weight
Weight is the biggest factor. A wide glass leaf is heavy, and a heavier leaf needs a stronger operator. Aluminium and glass doors are weighed by area – your supplier works this out from the size and glass specification.2. Door width and single vs double
A wider clear opening, or a double bi-parting door, changes the operator and track length you need. Double doors split the opening between two leaves, which affects sizing.3. Traffic and duty cycle
A quiet office side door and a busy mall entrance are different jobs. High traffic needs an operator with a high duty cycle, built to open and close thousands of times a day without overheating.4. Exposure and wind
Doors on an exposed facade face wind load, which the operator has to work against. Windy or exposed sites may need a stronger unit or adjusted settings.Sliding vs swing sizing
Sliding and swing operators are sized differently – see our automatic door operator guide and what is an automatic door operator for how each works. A typical sliding unit is the MC-125.The simplest way to get the size right
Give your supplier the door type, width, height and glass spec, and they will match the operator for you. Quality operators follow safety standards such as EN 16005.FAQ
What size automatic door operator for a shopfront? A high-duty sliding operator sized to the leaf weight and width – your supplier confirms the exact model. Can an operator be too big? Oversizing wastes money; correct sizing is more reliable and cost-effective.Get the right size operator
Coetz sizes, supplies and installs automatic door operators across Gauteng, with supply nationwide. Browse automatic door systems or contact our team for a free quote.
Getting it right with Coetz
When it comes to what size automatic door operator, the details decide the outcome – the operator rating, the sensor package and a clean installation, all built to recognised automatic door technology safety principles. 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.
Three typical entrances and how we size them
The quickest way to understand operator sizing is to look at real situations. These three come up again and again.
A small shop on a busy street
A single glass sliding door that opens hundreds of times a day during trading hours. The leaf is light, but the operator has to be rated for continuous duty, so the number of cycles matters more than the weight of the glass.
A clinic or pharmacy entrance
A bi-parting sliding door with a wide clear opening, so that wheelchairs and people with walking aids pass easily. Two leaves meeting in the middle open the full width faster than a single leaf, and the operator is sized for the combined weight and the width of the opening.
An internal office door
An existing hinged door fitted with a swing operator such as the MCW-100. Traffic is light, so the deciding factors are the weight and width of the leaf and whether the door is exposed to draughts from a corridor or stairwell.
In each case the operator is chosen around the leaf weight, the opening width and the number of cycles the door will do, not around the size of the building.
The measurements to send us
You do not need technical drawings to get an operator sized correctly. These details are enough for us to specify the right one:
- The structural opening width and height.
- Whether the door is framed glass, frameless glass or another material.
- For an existing door, its material, its condition and a photograph of the hinges.
- A photograph of the wall or ceiling above the opening, where the operator will be mounted.
- A rough idea of how many people use the door on a busy day.
- Whether a power point is available near the top of the opening.
- Any access control you want, such as a card reader or push button.
Signs that an operator is undersized
An operator that is too small for the door it moves usually works on installation day and then starts to struggle. The warning signs are:
- The door slows down or hesitates near the end of its travel.
- It struggles to close when there is wind or a pressure difference in the building.
- It stops with overload faults and has to be reset.
- The motor housing runs hot during busy periods.
- Belts, rollers or arms wear out faster than expected.
If you recognise these symptoms on an existing door, have it inspected before the operator fails completely, because a struggling motor also wears the parts around it.
When a bigger operator is not the answer
Sometimes a door that seems underpowered has a different problem. A hinged door that binds on its hinges, a sliding leaf that drags on a damaged floor guide or a swing door that catches the wind on an exposed entrance will all make an operator struggle. Fitting a larger motor hides the symptom without fixing the cause. In these cases we repair the door, realign the leaves or, on a very windy entrance, recommend a sliding door instead of a swing door.
Framed or frameless leaves: does it change the operator?
It can. A frameless glass leaf is usually heavier for its size than a leaf with a slim aluminium frame, and it is fixed to the operator through patch fittings or rails rather than a framed edge. Both work well, but the weight and the way the leaf is hung are part of the sizing, so tell us which look you want before the operator is specified.
Planning for future changes
An operator chosen for the entrance as it is today may need to cope with more later. If a shop expects to extend its trading hours, add access control or change from a single leaf to a bi-parting door, mention it at the quotation stage. It is much cheaper to allow for these changes in the operator and the cabling now than to replace them afterwards.
Questions to ask when you compare quotes
Two quotes for an automatic door can look similar on paper and still describe very different doors. Asking a few direct questions makes the comparison fair:
- Which operator is included, and what leaf weight and width is it rated for?
- Is the operator suitable for the number of people who will use the door?
- Are both a motion sensor and a presence sensor included?
- Is battery backup included, or is it an option?
- What does the warranty cover, and how is servicing arranged after installation?
A supplier who can answer these clearly has sized the operator for your door rather than simply quoting the cheapest unit.
Swing door operators: the extra checks
Sizing a swing door operator involves a few checks that do not apply to sliding doors. The hinges have to be in good condition and able to carry the extra cycles, the operator has to suit the side of the door it is mounted on, and the door needs a clear swing area so that it cannot open into people. On entrances exposed to wind, the operator must be able to hold the door against gusts, which is often the deciding factor between a swing operator and a sliding door.
Sizing for accessibility
If the door has to serve wheelchair users and people with walking aids, the opening width and the hold-open time matter as much as the operator itself. A wider leaf may need a larger operator, and the door should hold open long enough for slower users to pass through comfortably. Telling us that accessibility is a priority means we can size the operator, the sensors and the settings around the people who will use the door most.
If you are still unsure after reading this guide, send us the opening sizes, a photograph and a rough idea of how many people use the entrance each day. We will recommend the operator size that suits the door, explain the reasons behind the choice and give you a written quotation, so there are no surprises once the door is installed.
What we check before quoting automatic door operators Do I Need? Sizing guide
The structural opening decides most of the specification, so we measure that rather than any existing frame. We then check whether the head is level and can carry an operator, what sits above the opening — a bulkhead, sprinkler line or services void all dictate where the header can physically go — and whether there is power at the head. Getting those three right before anything is ordered is what keeps automatic door operators Do I Need? Sizing guide on programme.
Power, load-shedding and access control
Decide up front whether the door should fail open for escape or fail secure for stock, and whether a battery backup should keep it running through a load-shedding slot or simply park it safely. Whichever you choose, staff need to be shown the manual release. Access control belongs in the same conversation: card readers, push buttons, intercoms and time clocks are far cheaper specified with the door than cabled in afterwards through a finished ceiling.
Which door type suits the opening
Traffic and wall space decide the layout for automatic door operators Do I Need? Sizing guide. Single sliding is the everyday shopfront answer; bi-parting halves the travel and handles the busiest public entrances; telescopic stacks the leaves where there is not enough wall to park them; and a swing operator automates a hinged door you already have.
- MC-125 sliding: single leaf to 150 kg, or bi-parting 2 × 120 kg, openings 1450–5000 mm.
- MCW-100 swing: existing hinged doors to 1,200 mm / 150 kg (interdependent).
- Tested to one million operating cycles, 2-year manufacturer warranty on the operator.
How long is the warranty?
Two years on the operator, from the manufacturer. Wear parts — belts, rollers, guides and seals — are handled through servicing rather than warranty.
What service interval do you recommend?
Every six months as standard. Very busy entrances may need more frequent visits, which we agree with you per site.
What to send us for a quote
A useful quotation needs very little: the structural opening width and height, a photograph of the doorway taken square-on, a note of what is above the opening, and a rough idea of daily traffic. Tell us whether access control or a battery backup is wanted and the quote comes back complete rather than caveated.
- Structural opening width and height in millimetres.
- A square-on photograph of the doorway and what sits above it.
- Rough daily traffic, including deliveries.
- Whether access control, intercom or battery backup is wanted.
- Any deadline the entrance has to meet.
Accessibility and everyday use
A powered entrance is the most reliable way to make a doorway usable by somebody with a pram, a wheelchair, crutches or an armful of shopping. Hold-open time is set so that a slower user is through before the door begins to close, and presence detection keeps it open for anyone who stops in the opening. Those settings are chosen for the people who actually use the building rather than left at factory defaults.
How much work will the door really do?
Traffic is the number that sizes automatic door operators Do I Need? Sizing guide. Count people in and out, then add deliveries, staff movements and trolleys. A quiet reception and a supermarket entrance can look identical on a drawing and behave completely differently in service, which is why the cycle estimate belongs in the specification rather than in the assumptions.
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 access control be added later?
It can, but cabling into a finished ceiling costs more than specifying it with the door. Readers, push buttons, intercoms and time clocks are all straightforward at installation stage.
Automatic door operators in short
If you are pricing automatic door operators, 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. Automatic door operators are supplied, installed and serviced by one team, with spares held locally.
Ask us about automatic door operators and we will confirm the opening, the power supply and the traffic flow before quoting a fixed price.
Automatic door operators at a glance
- Pricing for automatic door operators follows the opening width, the glass and the sensor layout.
- Ask us to confirm the opening before ordering automatic door operators.
More about What Size Automatic Door Operator
Understanding what size automatic door operator helps you specify the right entrance the first time. The best results come from matching the operator, sensors and glass to the building and its traffic, then commissioning the door so it opens smoothly and closes safely. Cutting corners on any of these usually costs more later in call-outs and downtime, so it pays to get the specification right at the start.
Every site is a little different, so the what size automatic door operator that suits a busy mall entrance is not the same as a quiet office door. Traffic volume, opening width, safety requirements and the look of the frontage all shape the final choice, which is why a short site assessment is always worth the time before you commit.
Coetz supplies, installs and services automatic doors across South Africa, and we are happy to advise on what size automatic door operator for your project – from a single entrance to a multi-door development, backed by service and genuine spare parts.
Leave a Reply