What you are about to read is NOT about a Schweiss Door
Warning: Hydraulic Door Failures
All fluff marketing with no common sense manufacturing skills leads to doors like this...
Hydraulic doors purchased from OTHERS may have a defect in the top pivot point
mount for the hydraulic pistons, where the top pivot mount has broken loose. When
this happens, the hydraulic piston breaks away from the structural sub-frame of
the door. If this happens the door is going to come down real fast. As you can
imagine, somebody or something is going to get hurt.
When the door is lacking solid engineering and the installation method was poorly done
along with insufficient information provided to the building manufacture from the door
manufacture you end up with an unsafe installation. ( Schweiss Hydraulic doors has detailed
Spec Sheets showing the forces the door has on the building, UNLIKE OTHERS! )
Designing the building's door side column for torsion on the door column due to the
eccentricity of the door cylinder and it's bracket and the door sub-frame is important. A
simple check for a potential problem is to jog the door as it opens or closes. If you
notice ANY twisting or movement where the piston cylinder attaches to the top of the
door's sub-frame, immediately TAKE THE DOOR OUT OF SERVICE and fix the problem.
It's clear that OTHERS are learning about engineering hydraulic doors the HARD WAY!!!
Fluff Marketing
Warning: Don't be fooled by this fluff marketing sales pitch;
"Additional workspace by providing a canopy to work under."
This is an accident waiting to happen! Hope their poor manufacturing practices have not given the hydraulic doors a bad reputation, but most importantly we hope that no one has been injured and nothing has been destroyed under their doors!
Another Door Failure 1-6-12 ( This is Not about a Schweiss Door Failure )
Both of the 70 ft door cylinders broke and fell off, door came crashing down, smashing the tug, damaging the door sheeting, scaring the crap out of the tug operator ( plane was safe ). Schweiss received an emergency call for help, since the original manufacturer is no longer in business. How many other doors will come crashing down, it's important to know who you're dealing with when purchasing large hydraulic doors... It's lucky no one was injured, what do you think it will cost to fix it, the down time, the fear of will it fail again, who made this door. Know who your dealing with! What seems like a good door deal can turn into a nightmare!
Ask the questions:
How long have you been making doors... it may be 14 years... but ask more. Have you been operating with the same company name for 14 years... or have you changed your name lately??? When did you start your company... Do you have Product Liability... How safe are your doors? Are you still learning how to----!!!! Did the owner of this door pay to much or to little to have this happen? Google Door Failures to learn more...
Will you door be the next to fail / fall ... Be Careful!!!
Will your door fail ?? This one did!
Know who your dealing with, are they still in business?
Do you have one of these doors? Be Careful!
Good place for birds to come in, not very weather tight!
Findout who built this door. Are they still trying to make doors?
If the door company I rely on for warranty claims goes out of business.
Now What?
If a company you depend on for your commercial door need disappears, you could be left with a lot of unanswered questions. What does this mean for my door? Who do I turn to now for repairs? My door is a very important part of my shop or hangar - will this unexpected situation hurt my real estate values?
You might be thinking: what good is a door if the brand name is now tarnished? When your bifold and/or hydraulic door provider goes under, you're the one who gets sold short. You're left with no service, no replacement parts and no one to walk you through important service issues. Think about it: what if something really goes wrong? A working bifold or hydraulic door is an absolute must for a properly functioning commercial building; you must trust your door!
Do Your Homework...look into a door comapny's reputation...longevity...and experience!
Really! When you're looking to purchase a hydraulic or bifold door, you should always look into a door company's reputation, longevity and experience. Without a good reputation and a solid history, what are you left with? Not a thing - and definitely no one to rely on! It's scary when you have no backup for such a large, important component of your building! Price is one thing and quality is important, of course - but no warranty? Now there's an awful thought! Imagine getting ready to fly and your hangar door just won't nudge! You and your plane aren't going anywhere. Getting ready to move your farm equipment and your shop door just won't budge! You and your large farm equipment aren't going anywhere. You run to the phone for helpful customer service, only to find that the door company you rely on is no longer in business!
Looking for the Cheapest? When you're tempted by the cheapest option on the market think about it first - because you really do get what you pay for! Without available service, you're really in a tough spot. Those problems will keep multiplying. Without that warranty, you're left calling around to find a reputable repairman. It's highly likely that repair company will ask you for the name of the door manufacturer - and once they find out the door company is no londer in business, they might just run from the mess, leaving you back at square one! In today's lawsuit-abundant world, a decent repair company isn't going to run out and assume the liability when the slightest thing goes wrong! In the real world, when that original door manufacturer is nowhere to be found, the last person to touch that door could be liable for negligence - and any good repair knows this! Here's the thing: you're not only buying the door, you're buying the odds that the company will stick around for the long haul, ready to service your moving door when you need it most!
Who do I Turn to for Help?
At Schweiss Doors, we
ARE in it for the long haul. We've been around for 30 years and we're not
going anywhere! We're available to service the hell out of your door and
we'll always be here when you need us.
Just remember this: sure, that door you rely on so much moves great today -
but just knowing that, should something ever go wrong. Schweiss Doors will
back you up - now that's real piece of mind! You shouldn't have to experience
that lonely, scary feeling when
your door company goes our of business - at Schweiss, we're always here
for your commercail door warranty needs. ALWAYS!
Sometimes the topic of warranty seems trivial, but at Schweiss Doors, we know
there's much more to a door sale than just the sale itself! When you purchase
a hydraulic or bifold door from Schweiss, you're just beginning a lasting
realtionship with our company. We provide ongoing service - and that's the
schweiss Advantage!
Warranty is
everything! Imagine calling
a company only to find out nobody's home - the entire company was dissolved! "Sorry baby,
you're on your own!" No one want to hear
those words! At Schweiss, we know warranty is huge! Warranty is everything! A
warranty without the original company behind it meands absolutely nothing.
Warranty is worth it, it's everything, and you need a
door comapny who will
carry you through any service issue that may come up! At Schweiss Doors, we're
here to help! We havea proven track record of excellent warranty servicing and
fantastic customer care.
Quote... A farmer asked...
When the door is hanging straight out there, you better have something strong holding
those cylinders, doesn't that put a lot of stress on the building?
Quote... A engineer once said...
The Doors Will Find the Weak Points in our building design. Many metal building engineers
have a tendency to get lax with the design of the door supports and framing surrounding
your doors and forget that we not only have to support the weight and wind on the door,
we also have to support its operation. *NOTE: "It's better to overbuild your building than
to make costly repairs later"
DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOUR TOLD!
Beware of the following door myths below...
- Door does not hang on your building
- Door does not require any extra building strength...
- Door has it's own Header - that the door is self contained...
- Self-supporting framework - No additional building structure braces needed...
- Door can be left open in windy conditions can the buildings withstand the forces...
USE COMMON SENSE AND THE Schweiss Door Specifications and Reactions sheet to find out the rest of the story!
Understanding Hydraulic Doors
Schweiss Doors is the leader in the development of hydraulic doors, building on their
experience from Bi-Fold Doors. Schweiss has spent extensive time analyzing and developing
"New Specifications and Reactions" of hydraulic doors that provide the forces that are
transferred to the building framing. It is critical that the customer pass these
"Specifications and Reactions" on to the Building Designer.
Important:
No matter what you may see on other door supplier's websites, literature, specifications
or reaction sheets there are some things that you can be sure of for any hydraulic door.
Hydraulic door forces are considerably different from bi-fold doors.
Bi-fold doors roll up the face of the door side column, hydraulic doors cantilever from
a fixed location on the cylinder bracket which is offset inside and behind the door side
column. Bi-fold doors fold as they open. Hydraulic doors open as one piece so the
hydraulic door is cantilevered much further than the bi-fold door. The operator of the
bi-fold door distributes much of the dead load of opening the door to the hinges. The
hydraulic doors are opened using powerful hydraulic cylinders which concentrate the door
opening loads at the cylinder bracket location on the building door side columns.
Schweiss Hydraulic Door Package
Schweiss Hydraulic Door packages consist of the Hydraulic Door that is
pre-hung in a sub-frame. The sub-frame and door are designed to be
attached to the building door column and header supplied by the building
manufacturer. Schweiss Hydraulic Doors are custom designed and fabricated
to fit your building requirements.
Sub-Frame and Door
The Sub-Frame provided by Schweiss, positions and aligns for the door and
forms the structural connection from the Schweiss Hydraulic Door to your
building. The hydraulic door sub-frame horizontal members attach to the
building stub columns or continuous building header provided by the building
manufacturer. The cylinder bracket is shop welded to the vertical sub-frame
to connect the hydraulic cylinder to the door and sub-frame. The hydraulic
door sub-frame vertical members attach to the buildings door side columns
provided by the building manufacturer.
Sub frames.....Sizes
The vertical and horizontal sub-frame members can be custom sized to add
additional strength to an existing building structure. Schweiss custom
manufactures every door.
Hydraulic Door... Easy Installation
The sub-frame provided by Schweiss, positions and aligns for the door and
forms the structural connection from the Schweiss Hydraulic Door to your
building. The hydraulic door and sub-frame is shop welded pre-drilled for
easy assembly in the field.
Hydraulic Door Framing and Building Design Recommendations
Introducing the ..."New Specifications and Reactions" of Hydraulic Doors
Schweiss Doors is the leader in the development of hydraulic doors, building
on their experience from Bi-Fold Doors. Schweiss has spent extensive time
analyzing and developing "New Specifications and Reactions" of hydraulic doors
that provide the forces that are transferred to the building framing. It is
critical that the customer pass these "Specifications and Reactions" on to the
Building Designer.
What Others fail to tell you...
Attachment of the sub-frame and door to your building:
When a door attaches to your building, it will transfer loads into the building
structure at that point. There is no practical way to make the door independent
from the building. Each door will be attached to the buildings side door columns
and building header and the door will transfer loads to the building just like
the wall of the building transfers loads to the building.When designing the
building or door framing structure, it is important to support the weight and
wind on the door, also have to support its operation.
Explanation of ....Self Supporting Doors:
The Self supporting door is a common misconception in the hydraulic or bi-fold
door industry. To be self supporting, the door would have to stand like a flag
pole or road sign without attaching to the building. The door cannot attach to
the building without placing load on the building for lateral strength. Also,
large doors are heavy. The door horizontal sub-frame (which some door suppliers
will call a header) that is supplied with the door is not capable of supporting
the full dead load of either a hydraulic or bi-fold door.
Diagonal Brace.....the Building Header
Diagonal bracing is recommended back to the next interior building frame transferring
hinge and cylinder load from dead and wind loads from the door surface to the building
and keep the door and building stub columns / header and door columns in alignment.
Diagonal Braces are placed at the bottom of each stub column or spaced along the
continuous building header as needed to transfer loads into the building bracing system.
Diagonal bracing supplied by the building company.
Two-Styles of Building Headers ... Stub Columns or Continuous Header
If a continuous building header is not used to distribute the load, several more
diagonal braces may be required to transfer the hinge and cylinder loads into the
building framing and bracing system.
Designing Building Door Side Column for ....Torsional Deflection
the buildings door side column must be designed to withstand the force from the
hydraulic door cylinder as the door opens. Due to the diameter of the cylinder
and clearance required to allow the cylinder to rotate as the door opens, the
sub-frame and bracket that attaches the cylinder to the buildings door side
column causes eccentric loading and torsion on the buildings door side column.
The cylinder bracket is offset from the centerline of the buildings door side
column on both the major and minor axis of the door column. The buildings door
column must resist all of the torsion the hydraulic cylinders impose on the
buildings door columns. The torsional deflection of the door side columns
supplied by the building company should be limited to 3° to allow the door
hydraulic cylinder to operate properly for the life of the door.
Diagonal Brace Door Side Column....Supplemental Diagonal Bracing
Supplemental diagonal brace placed on the door side column at the cylinder
bracket location are recommended to increase the stiffness of the door side
column in the strong axis. The supplemental diagonal brace would be supplied
by the building manufacturer and extend from the building door side column at
the cylinder bracket location to the top of the next adjacent interior frame.
Hydraulic vs. Bi-Fold:
A hydraulic door cantilevers away from the building structure as the door is opening and
reaches the full open height of the door. The hydraulic door is a one piece door that
extends much further from the side of the building than the same sized bi-fold door. This
causes considerable load on hydraulic cylinders. These loads are placed on the cylinder
bracket which will attach to your building column. Each door manufacturer's details will
easily confirm that the load is applied eccentrically from both the major and minor axis
of the door side column. Each hydraulic door manufacture has some type of sub-frame
mechanism. When you consider the magnitude of the hydraulic cylinder load and the extremely
small torsional capacity of any type of sub-frame supplied by any hydraulic door manufacturer,
relative to the magnitude of the hydraulic cylinder load, by inspection the building door
side column is going to be required to resist most or all of that torsion.
Horizontal Bracing.... increase the torsional stiffness of the door column.
Hydraulic doors come with two power full cylinders that are pre-mounted to
a vertical sub-frame, one cylinder on each side of the door opening. The
sub-frame that the hydraulic cylinders attach to mount to the building door
side columns. The hydraulic cylinders exert strong rotating forces to the
building door side columns as the door is being operated. It is important
to limit the rotation of the door side columns. To aid in limiting this
rotation, horizontal braces are strongly recommended at the point on the
door column where the cylinder attaches.
Horizontal bracing is used to stop the doors vertical sub-frame and cylinder bracket and buildings door side column from twisting. The door cylinders and cylinder plate attach to vertical sub-frame members which are all connected to the buildings door side column on each side of the door opening. To help resist the torsional forces in the door side column, use horizontal bracing to the next adjacent building column in the plane of the door. These horizontal braces help resist the torsional load in the door side column.
Be On the Safe Side...use horizontal bracing
Even though the door side columns may be designed without the use of horizontal
bracing to the adjacent column, horizontal braces are strongly recommended and
aid in stiffening the door side column in the event of building structural
modifications happen over the life of the building
Engineers Must Consider:
The design engineer should always consider the reactions, specification and details submitted
by any door supplier. The engineer should make some common sense checks concerning the load
path and how the door is attaching to the building they are designing. Even relatively small
hydraulic doors can generate substantial hydraulic cylinder reactions. The engineer should
always consider the hydraulic cylinder reaction and the load path into the building.
Hydraulic doors offer...
strength, power and simplicity....
BUT the door is only as good as the
Company behind it!
The Questions You Need to Ask... Learn More!
