Elevator doors are divided into automatic and manual doors. Manual doors are similar to ordinary room doors, opening inwards or outwards. However, due to their lower safety, this style has been gradually phased out and is only seen in a very few older elevators or specially customized scenarios. Therefore, we will focus on automatic doors.
Automatic door types include:
- Center opening doors
- Side-opening doors
- Telescopic doors
- Swing doors
- Vertical lift doors
- Round elevator doors
Center-opening elevator doors consist of two panels that open horizontally outward from the center. Characterized by rapid opening speeds and high passenger throughput, they are ideal for high-traffic locations such as shopping malls and office buildings. The center-split door design features a simple structure and low maintenance costs.
Side-opening elevator doors slide open to one side, similar to sliding doors. Within the same shaft dimensions, side-opening designs achieve a larger opening size than center-opening doors. This makes them suitable for elevators in hospitals that need to transport hospital beds, as well as for retrofitting older buildings with narrower elevator shafts.
Telescopic elevator doors come in 2-fold, 4-fold, or even 6-fold configurations. They offer a wider opening than side-opening doors, making them suitable for shafts with limited space and elevators requiring larger door dimensions. The double-fold door design is more complex and incurs higher maintenance costs.
Swing doors resemble standard room doors, opening outward or inward. They utilize swing door operators for automated opening and closing, making them commonly used in residential elevators.
Vertical elevator doors slide vertically up and down, similar to rolling shutters or gates. This design is commonly used in freight elevators or industrial lifts, as it maximizes shaft height utilization and offers high impact resistance, making it suitable for transporting large cargo. Vertical section doors provide excellent sealing but demand high precision in track alignment.
Round elevator doors slide along curved tracks, commonly found in high-end hotels or art venues. Their unique design enhances spatial aesthetics, but they come with higher costs and complex maintenance, making them generally less mainstream.
