A COMMON QUESTION MANY CUSTOMERS ARE ASKING...
Which door is better?
HYDRAULIC BIFOLD?
VS
SCHWEISS RESPONDS:
"The choice is yours. Each door offers something different. Each has specific advantages. Tell us your situation so we can better advise you. The bottom line, it's the customer's choice. Only Schweiss Doors gives you that advantage. Schweiss Doors already has a long history in the door world. We are the first choice for thousands of customers and our Hydraulic Doors are creating great interest. With either door, you get Schweiss Quality. Talk with us first and we can make your decision easier... Hydraulic or Bifold!"
" You decide which door works for you. "
Door Parking Comparison
Hydraulic
Don't park too close!
Bifold
Parking not a problem
HYDRAULIC DOORS SWINGS "OUTWARD" WHEN OPENING
The One-Piece® hydraulic door acts as a large moving wall that swings outward when opening, requiring extra space as the door travels outward to the open position.
"NO PARKING AREA"
To avoid possible damage to equipment, vehicles and airplanes, clearly label the doorway or ramp area "No Parking Area". By clearly marking the "No Parking Area" there will be minimal loss of valuable parking space in front of your hangar/fly-in home/shop/warehouse/storage building.
Be Aware
At airports with hangars located on each side of the taxiway, keep the door open or closed (not half open) to avoid damaging wings as planes taxi by the front of your hangar door.
For Safety Reasons:
Windows are Recommended...
Schweiss recommends that all One-Piece® hydraulic doors have windows in the doorframes. Windows will make any obstructions in front of the door visible to the operator before opening the door.
CAUTION
When operating the One-Piece® hydraulic door, you must clearly warn people. The door swings outward when moving. No parking in the doorway. Personal injury and property damage can result
from a moving door. WARNING: Schweiss does not recommend using the space under the door as an extended work area or for parking your expensive equipment or airplane. Your door is the largest piece of moving equipment on your building and can be dangerous. Keep the doorway clear.
HYDRAULIC DOORS SWING OUT AS THE DOOR OPENS
BIFOLD DOORS LIFT UP AND AS THE DOOR OPENS
Stay back
Space saver
More swing
Less swing
"STAY CLEAR" AREA
Important to Install a window to view the
door travel area
Door swings outward when opening. The doors need extra room to travel when opening.
You must keep the doorway clear of people, vehicles and objects
Caution! No parking on the Ramp or Driveway!
Parking in front of
your door video
SEE THE DIFFERENCE!
GAIN VALUABLE SPACE
Bifold doors have a huge advantage when opening. They start by raising upward, not out ward. They require less operating space in the front of your building. The area in front of your large door opening is very valuable space. The two piece bifold allows more usable space in front of your door opening. Bifold doors are a real space saver.
SPACE SAVER
The fact that bifold doors fold in half instead of just swinging out, allows for more open ramp/ vehicle space in front of the hangar. It also allows the full use of the width of the hangar, making the entire end wall a door.
Customers Welcome Greasable Hinges
HINGE SURFACE AREA
Hinge surface area is critical on large moving doors. Over the years, we all have heard of hinge failures on others doors. Large hydraulic cylinders are putting extreme forces on each of the outer hinges of the doorframe. Schweiss has designed and patented a robust hinge with more surface area to evenly distribute the loads of a moving one-piece doorframe. Look at the hinge surface area. The stresses on the very outer hinges are immense. With that being said, take one look at the patented Schweiss hinges and you'll clearly see the workmanship, strength and functionality of each hinge.
GREASEABLE HINGES
It's very important to be able to grease the door hinges with a heavy viscosity grease. When grease is used on the hinges of a large moving door it avoids unnecessary wear and adds longer life to the hinge and the doors operation. It's a common manufacturing practice to use grease on the critical wear points and load points to avoid unnecessary wear just like in the industrial equipment world with implements such as payloaders, skidloaders and other industrial equipment that are being operated around the clock.
The new hinge design with grease points on every hinge segment enables owners - whether they be private individuals or commercial customers - to periodically grease their hinges from inside the doorframe without having to go through the cumbersome process of first removing the top rubber weather seal.
Advantages of Grease
Using grease on the hinges is a better method of lubrication.
Using grease on the hinges is the industry standard.
Using grease on the hinges makes for a quiet door.
Using grease on the hinges makes for a smoother operating door.
Using grease on the hinges extends hinge life
Greasable hinges last forever.
Look at the Schweiss hinge, it has more lubricated surface area to give you longer life
Others rely on bushing FOR LUBRICATION
Doors move and flex as they open and close. The forces on each hinge vary during operation.
Not all bushings wear evenly.
Bushing wear thin over time.
Worn bushings offer less lubrication.
Less hinge surface area to distribute the door loads across the door header tube.
No way to inspect the bushings when the hinge pins are welded in - not removeable for inspection.
Almost impossible to replace the bushings when the hinges pins are welded in solid.
greasable hinges LAST FOREVER!
. . . only manufacturer to offer greasable hinges
LOSE NO HEADROOM . . . ON EITHER DOOR
Where you hang the door matters!
LOSE NO HEADROOM
Bifold Doors attach
above the clear opening
Not under the header
LESS HEADROOM REQUIRED
A hydraulic door is ideal in situations where
maximum clear opening must be maintained.
The hydraulic door swings out and away
from the building.
There is no loss of headroom.
There is no headroom lost inside the building.
LOSE NO HEADROOM
Bifolds doors mount up and above the clear opening on the outside of the building structure.
The bifold doors lifts up and out from the building.
No need to make the building taller.
There is also no headroom lost inside the building.
Where you attach the door makes all the difference...
No need to make the building taller!
Lose Headroom With A Tilt-Up Door
Door opens to the inside of the structure. When the tilt-up door is in the fully open position, one third of the door slides back into the building similar to the old style garage doors - losing valuable headroom! Tilt-up doors obstruct valuable inside space when open and utilize a cam mechanism that travels within a framework, reducing headroom space inside the building structure. This costs you valuable headroom and space you paid for, in addition to blocking interior lighting!
Tilt-Up Doors
Lose Headroom
Tilt-Up Door
Lose Headroom
Almost impossible to create a
weather tight seal.
Customer Says:
“The headroom loss from a tilt-up door as compared
to a Hydraulic door type was a deal breaker for me.”
The Schweiss Advantage
Gain Headroom
Both doors seal tight.
Hydraulic & Bifold
Door Advantage
Door Slope Comparison
Hydraulic Door
Bifold Door
HYDRAULIC DOORS
Lie flat 90° when in the full open position.
Water and snow can build up when left fully open!
WHEN OPEN, DOOR LIES FLAT
The One-Piece® hydraulic door will be at
90° from the building when fully open.
External trusses are standard on hydraulic
doors. Optional Internal Trusses are available.
SLIGHT SLOPE RECOMMENDED
One-Piece® doors should have a slight
downward slope when open to direct
moisture and water off the door sheeting.
This prevents moisture and water from
seeping under the door sheeting and ruining
the interior door insulation.
One easy way to get slope on your hydraulic doors is to open the door
to allow your vehicle/machinery in, then lower the door to create a slight slope for moisture to run off.
CAUTION: Remember to open the door again when moving your vehicle/machinery in or out of the building.
OR ORDER THE DOOR WITH A BUILT IN SLOPE !
Request a taller doorframe that allows you to open your door to the full clearance while still having a slight slope to the door in the full open position allowing proper drainage.
BIFOLD DOORS
HAVE A NATURAL SLOPE
Bifold doors have a 1:12 natural slope when in the open position.
The sheeting on bifold doors are flashed to allow water to easily drain off the door.
Water and snow run off in any position!
Internal trusses are Standard.
No external truss required on bifolds.
Door Travel Comparison
Why I went with a Hydraulic Door
Why I went with a Bifold Door
• I like the shade when open !
• We needed all the parking space we could get
• Swings out when opening
• Lifts up when opening
TRAVEL COMPARISON
Hydraulic Doors swing outwards when opening. Hydraulic doors require more/greater space in front of the doorway for the door to travel outward.
SPACE SAVER
The fact that bifold doors fold in half instead of just swinging out, allows for more open ramp and vehicle space in front of the hangar. It also allows the full use of the width of the hangar, making the entire end wall a door.
If there is a failure of a hydraulic component
the door needs to stop immediately!
Stopping the door completely in the event of a hydraulic component failure can be accomplished with a velocity fuse or a counter balance. THE SCHWEISS WAY
Restrictors or orifices...
Have been used by some manufacturers as a safety feature.
WARNING
When others are using restrictors or orifices to mitigate a hydraulic failure...
• They may be setting you up for slow motion disaster, Your worst nightmare!
• There's nothing safe about a door slowly, gently coming down on top of a plane or vehicle at a
"controlled rate of speed."
When phrases like these are being used to explaining what happens in event of a
hydraulic failure using restrictors/orifices
• "Gently coming all the way down..."
• "Coasting down..."
• "Controlled rate of decent..."
• "Preveting the door from slamming down..."
When manufactures use Restrictors or Orifices on their cylinders...
• Inadequate safety built in
• Door will come all the way down if theres a failure, no matter what.
• No way of stopping the door from coming all the way down
• Slow motion disaster . . . Your worst nightmare!
ASK YOURSELF...
"How safe can it be when the door doesn't stop in the event of a hydraulic failure? "
...IT'S NOT
Find out what you're getting when
you order your hydraulic door...
Restrictors / Orifices
The door will not stop if a hydraulic component fails.
The door is coming down on whatever is underneath it.
Slowing the door as it comes down isn't good enough.
Velocity Fuses / Counter Balance
Stops the door immediately! Standard from Schweiss.
velocity fuse and counter balances are a better safety feature
THE SCHWEISS WAY!
Bifold Safety
Lift Points
Multiple lift straps rated for 29,000 lbs.
Wider the door the more lift straps that are used.
More lift points evenly distributes the weight of the door.
More lift points increases the doors safety factor.
Lift Mechanism
Motor - GearBox - Electric Brake.
Jackshaft Assembly - Dual Chain & Sprockets.
Stresses on the Building Structure
Hang straight out off your building
Hydraulic doors lay in a flat 90° position
when fully open.
Hydraulic doors and subframes attach to the building
structure and exert considerable horizontal and vertical
loads to it. The building must be prepared to support
the forces of your door in all positions.
The longer or further a door frame sticks out from the
building at a 90°, the more torque and stresses it adds
to the building structure and header.
Hydraulic doors swing out when opening and cantilever
out from your building, pulling away from the building
structure at the hinge line and exerting additional
forces on building header.
Hang out almost half the distance
Bifold doors have a 1:12 natural slope when
in the open position.
Bifold doors fold in half when opening, putting
less stress on the building structure
Bifold doors fold in half when opening and
create a slight slope to allow water to run off.
Bifold door frames attach to the building
structure, exerting forces and vertical loads to
the building structure.
The building must be prepared to support the
forces of your bifold door in all positions.
A One-Piece Door Hangs out twice as fas from the building as a bifold
Wind Effects... on a door in the open position
Is it Safe To Leave The Door Open In Windy Conditions?
Here are some facts to consider...
All doors attach to the building and exert forces onto your building structure.
A one-piece hydraulic doors has more surface area protruding 90° off the end of your building structure
Adding windy conditions to a door in the full open position will cause it to act like an airplane wing
or a parachute, carrying the powerful wind forces back into the building structure.
No matter what size door you have, all the weight and forces are transferred back to your building.
Hydraulic doors are more susceptible to wind problems when open
than a bifold door. More surface area for the wind to catch.
SCHWEISS doors will hold up... but will your building?
Schweiss has recommended safe operating parameters.
Door Truss Comparison
External Truss
DOOR TRUSS'S can be placed on the exterior of the door or on the interior . . .Customer's choice
EXTERNAL TRUSS - STANDARD
An external truss is located on the outside of the One-Piece® hydraulic doorframe three inches off the floor/ground level. The external truss is pre-built to provide added strength and rigidity - very important in high-wind conditions. Hydraulic doors are manufactured with a support truss to provide strength and proper wind loading to the door. It also minimizes the door sagging in the open position.
EXTERNAL Trusses - DESIGN Options
Custom painted external truss - to match your building.
Custom enclosed and wtih flashing will give the external truss a neat appearance.
Custom designed trusses to match the look of your building structure.
Raised external truss: Keep people/equipment/snow away from bottom truss
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNAL Truss
Internal trusses are available on your hydraulic door, but you sacrifice headroom space!
Advantages of an interior steel truss is it will not be exposed to the weather elements.
No place for the leaves, debris or snow to collect or for the snowplow to hit!
When you go with an internal truss you lose headroom unless you mount your door higher.
NO Truss
"No Truss" on smaller size doors. The "No Truss" look gains valuable headroom and gives you a clean look both outside and inside the doorframe.
Internal Truss
Internal Truss - (Standard on Bifold Doors)
Bifold doors are manufactured with an internal truss for support to provide strength and proper wind loading on the door. Bifold doors come standard with an interior truss that mounts to the inside of the door frame.
Nice clean look outside the door.
Located on the inside of the doorframe.
Located out of the weather elements, protected.
No lost headroom.
Internal truss allows you to match your door covering to the building structure. It will appear as one continuous wall - with the look of your choice!
Benefits of an Internal Truss
Up and out of the way of people walking by or in the area.
Snowplows won't run into it.
Won't collect debris or snow.
Provides extra strength to the doorframe.
Allows proper drainage of the door in the open position without a truss to get in the way.
AVAILABLE . . . External Truss for Bifold Doors
Located at the center of the door.
Will not collect snow when the door is in the opened or closed position.
When extra strength is needed, Schweiss also offers an external truss.
Hydraulic Doorframe
HYDRAULIC DOORFRAME
Hydraulic door comes pre-assembled, pre-welded and delivered pre-hung within their own subframe for easy installation, giving the buyer or builder tremendous flexibility as well as saving time and money!
Doorframe
Double push tube doorframe comes pre-assembled, pre-welded and pre-hung to its own subframe header tube.
Schweiss vertical door members are stronger and are spaced closer than others for more strength.
Schweiss does not allow wood on any of its doorframes. Safer!
Hydraulic Door And Subframe Assembly
Attach to the Building Structure
Subframe Header Tube... Horizontal MEMBER
Provides added support for the door and the building structure.
Heavy-duty greasable hinges are pre-located, pre-welded and pre-hung to the subframe header tube.
Mounts to the building structure with heavy-duty mounting brackets and bolts for easy installation.
Subframe Side Columns Legs... Vertical MEMBER
Side column legs come with cylinder brackets that are
pre-assembled, pre-welded and pre-hung at the factory
to secure each hydraulic cylinder.
Comes with pre-drilled mounting holes so through bolts
can be easily attached to the building columns to help secure
the door assembly to the building structure.
PURPOSE OF THE Subframe
Pre-locates the hinges for the doorframe.
Pre-locates the upper hydraulic cylinder brackets.
Provides additional structural support.
Easy installation.
Extra Strength.
Myths That Can't be ignored
when buying a hydraulic door:
Others may lead you to believe that
because of the doors subframe...
Building does not have to be made stronger.
Building does not have to be modified to hold a door.
Building does not have to be engineered with extra
reinforcement to accept a door.
Customer does not need to do anything to the building.
Door does not hang on your building.
Question 1
Will you be attaching the doors subframe header
to our building structure in any way or will it stand
alone by itself?
Question 2
Will you be securing the vertical subframe side
columns legs, that the cylinders are attached to,
to the building structure or will they stand alone?
Schweiss's Statement
With all the myths listed above, it sounds like no one is relying
on the buildings structure for added support... I doubt it!
Here's How it Actually Works
The horizontal subframe header tube is bolted / connected to the building's structural header.
The cylinders are attchaed to the verticle subframe columns and bolted / connected to the
building's side columns.
The cylinders are attached to the moving door frame while being fixed to the subframe side
columns legs, which are directly bolted / connected to the building structure.
The subframe and door rely on the building for support!
SCHWEISS RESPONSE
The subframe is an important part of delivering a pre-assembled hydraulic
door with the pre-located cylinder brackets and hinges for ease of installation!
Telling your customers... "There is no need to do anything to the building
to accept a hydraulic door..." could be far from the truth or even unsafe!
Schweiss spec sheets call out the forces
the door exerts on the building structure
The building manufacturer/contractor/owner is responsible
to ensure that the building's structural design is capable of
handling all the imposed loads that the door exerts to your
door header, end wall, and building.
Your building header/column design must meet standard
deflection and strength criteria, both in vertical and horizontal
directions to support the Hydraulic door in all positions.
Schweiss provides easy-to-read, necessary specs sheets with
each door showing all the forces and building header requirements.
Schweiss Manufactures Both Styles of Doors
You can decide what is best for you!
Schweiss offers both styles of doors
The Choice Is Yours!
IT'S EASY TO SELL A DOOR
But not everyone has the experience
to manufacture a door the right way!
Click here to see more
( Not about a Schweiss Door )
Look for quality, Look for price,
You'll Buy Schweiss!
