Door type

High speed fold-up door

A high speed fold-up door, also called a stacking door, is a vertically opening high-speed door whose curtain is divided into sections by horizontal profiles and folds into a stack above the opening via lifting straps. It is built for large, wind-exposed openings.

On a high speed fold-up door, the curtain is not coiled onto a shaft but folded. Horizontal stiffening profiles made of aluminium or steel divide the PVC fabric into sections; lifting straps pull the bottom edge upwards, the profiles stack one on top of the other, and the fabric between them folds into a compact pack. This way of gathering the curtain gives the type its names: high speed fold-up door, fast folding door or stacking door.

The profiles make the door rigid. They engage in the side guides, take up wind pressure and wind suction and transfer the forces into the side frames and the wall. As a result, high speed fold-up doors achieve high wind resistance classes to EN 12424 even at large widths – typically class 3 to 4, and more depending on the system. They are used as large industrial doors in manufacturing and logistics, particularly on exposed façades – see high-speed doors for loading bays and access.

The price of stability and size is speed. As a guide, a high speed fold-up door opens at around 0.5 to 1.2 m/s – considerably faster than a sectional door at around 0.2 m/s, but slower than a wind-resistant coiling high-speed door at around 1.5 to 2.5 m/s. This makes it the type for large, frequently used external openings, not for the fastest possible indoor door.

This page does not cover the conventional side-folding door, whose leaves fold to the side against the wall. Nor does it cover horizontally folding access gates that secure the entrance to a site as part of a fence system.

Key features

• PVC fabric curtain with horizontal stiffening profiles made of aluminium or steel
• Opens via lifting straps that stack the curtain into a folded pack above the opening
• Opening speed as a guide approx. 0.5 to 1.2 m/s
• High wind stability, typically wind resistance class 3 to 4 to EN 12424, more depending on system
• Designed for large sizes, depending on system over 10 m wide
• Optional vision panels, double-skin versions depending on system
• For very large doors, two synchronised drives depending on system

How it works

An opening cycle starts with a signal from an induction loop, a radar detector, a pull switch or a radio remote control. The drive turns a shaft above the opening, onto which the lifting straps wind. The straps are attached to the bottom profile and pull it upwards; in doing so, the bottom edge picks up one stiffening profile after another, and the fabric between the profiles folds away to the front and back. In the upper end position, the door sits as a pack of stacked profiles below the shaft.

When closing, the shaft releases the straps in a controlled manner, the weight of the bottom edge and the profiles lowers the curtain, and the profiles run back into the guides one after the other. A frequency inverter controls starting and braking so that the heavy pack reaches the end positions without impact. A light curtain and a safety edge monitor the closing plane throughout.

When closed, each profile acts like a wind bar: it braces the panel between the guides and transfers wind pressure and suction into the side frames via sliders or rollers at its ends. Because the load is distributed over many profiles, the curtain stays steady and sealed in the guide even at large widths.

Design and components

A high speed fold-up door consists of two side frames with guides, the drive shaft with strap drums above the opening, the geared motor with frequency inverter, the curtain with stiffening profiles and the bottom profile with safety edge. The side frames are usually made of galvanised or powder-coated steel, and for wet and hygienic areas also of 304 stainless steel.

The curtain is made of tear-resistant PVC fabric, in heavy-duty quality for external use, and can be fitted with vision panels at eye level. The profiles sit in pockets in the curtain or are bolted to it; their spacing and strength result from the door width and the required wind resistance class. Double-skin versions with two fabric layers improve thermal and sound insulation compared with a single layer.

The lifting straps made of high-strength synthetic webbing carry the entire weight of the curtain and run over the drums with every cycle; they are the most important wear parts. Side brush or lip seals, a header seal and a flexible floor profile close off the opening, with the floor profile compensating for minor unevenness.

Technical data

Feature	Guide value
Opening speed	as a guide approx. 0.5–1.2 m/s, depending on size and system
Closing speed	approx. 0.5–1 m/s, matched to the safety equipment
Size range	typically approx. 3,000 × 3,000 mm to 10,000 × 8,000 mm, special sizes depending on system
Wind resistance class to EN 12424	typically class 3–4, up to class 5 depending on width and system
Curtain	PVC fabric with horizontal aluminium or steel profiles, optional vision panels
Thermal insulation	single-skin low, U-value over approx. 5 W/m²K; better when double-skin
Headroom	approx. 600–1,200 mm, depending on door height, profile spacing and system
Side room	approx. 200–400 mm per side, more on the drive side
Service life	typically designed for several hundred thousand cycles; straps and seals as wear parts

Guide values – exact figures depend on size, curtain and design.

Advantages

• Very large sizes possible, even where coiling doors reach their limits
• High wind stability thanks to many horizontal profiles in the curtain
• Many times faster than a sectional door or a conventional roller shutter
• Robust construction for continuous operation at external openings with lorry and forklift traffic
• Tight closure against wind, rain and dust thanks to rigid profiles in the guides
• Damaged profiles and straps can be replaced individually

Limitations

• Slower than coiling high-speed doors at around 1.5 m/s and more
• The folded pack needs headroom or reduces the clear passage height
• Lifting straps, strap drums and profiles require regular checks
• Usually no self-repair after an impact; deformed profiles are replaced
• Single-skin versions offer only low thermal insulation

Typical applications

• Large doors on logistics, production and storage buildings with lorry traffic
• Maintenance and storage hangars for aircraft, buses and rail vehicles
• Wind-exposed façades, port and transhipment facilities
• Heavy industry and recycling halls with dust and harsh conditions
• Machinery and storage buildings in agriculture
• Passages between buildings for large vehicles or components

What to consider when choosing

A high speed fold-up door is the right choice when a large opening has to be opened frequently and must also withstand high wind loads. As a rough guide: up to around 5 × 5 m, wind-resistant coiling doors and spiral doors cover many cases; the wider and higher the opening and the more exposed the façade, the more the fold-up door plays to its strengths. All door types are compared in the guide to high-speed doors.

The decisive factors are the wind resistance class for the site, the cycle rate and the available headroom. The class depends on wind zone, terrain category, building height, position of the façade and door width. With very high cycle rates and medium sizes, a faster coiling door is often more economical, because every second of open time costs energy – see outdoor high-speed door.

Activation is usually by induction loop for lorries or radar for mixed traffic; on wide doors with two-way traffic, traffic lights control the passage. Enter dimensions, location and equipment in the fold-up door configurator and receive a non-binding recommendation.

Planning and installation

Above the opening, the fold-up door needs space for the shaft, the strap drums and the stacked pack. As a guide, allow around 600 to 1,200 mm, depending on door height, profile spacing and system; if the headroom is not sufficient, the pack hangs into the opening and reduces the clear passage height. At the sides, plan for around 200 to 400 mm per side for side frames and drives. How to take the measurements is explained on the sizes page.

Large door areas transfer considerable wind forces into the side frames and lintel, so the fixing must be included in the structural check: with sandwich panels, aerated concrete or lightweight steel buildings, a steel sub-frame is often necessary. The floor around the door must be level and load-bearing and should slope slightly to the outside so that no water stands at the bottom edge. Depending on system and size, a 230 V or 400 V supply is provided for the drive.

In existing buildings, a high speed fold-up door often replaces a slow sectional, roller or folding door at a large opening. Your installer surveys headroom, side room, fixing substrate, installations below the roof and electrics in advance; the door is usually mounted in front of the wall. It is delivered direct from the factory by freight forwarder, and installation and commissioning are carried out by your installer. Notes on specification and planning can be found on the page high-speed doors for planners.

Typical sizes

3,000 × 3,000 mm to 10,000 × 8,000 mm, larger special sizes depending on system. Enter your exact size in the configurator, together with curtain, colour, drive and accessories. Common sizes are listed under High-speed door sizes.

Safety and standards

The high speed fold-up door is a power-operated door under the product standard EN 13241; the declaration of performance states, among other things, the wind resistance class. Safety in use is governed by EN 12453: a light curtain monitors the closing plane, and a safety edge in the bottom profile stops and reverses the door on contact. Depending on the system, a fall arrest device secures the pack against dropping uncontrolled.

In the event of a power failure, an emergency opening by hand crank or chain opens the door, optionally supported by an emergency power supply. A wicket door is usually not possible in a folding curtain; next to large vehicle doors, a separate pedestrian door is generally planned in line with the national workplace regulations in the country of installation and, on escape routes, coordinated with the fire safety requirements.

Maintenance and service life

Power-operated doors must be inspected by a competent person before first use and at regular intervals – according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the national workplace regulations in the country of installation, and more frequently with high cycle rates. On a fold-up door, the lifting straps are the focus: they are checked for abrasion, fraying and stretching and replaced before they affect synchronous running. Strap drums, bearings, profiles, sliders, seals, end positions and safety devices are also checked.

Profiles deformed in an impact can be replaced individually; the curtain usually does not need to be replaced completely. The design is typically rated for several hundred thousand cycles; the service life of straps and seals depends on cycle rate and environment. Inspection and maintenance are carried out by your installer or a maintenance provider – see delivery and installation.

Cost and price factors

The price of a high speed fold-up door is determined mainly by door area and wind resistance class, since these determine the number and strength of the profiles, the side frames and the drive power, up to a second drive. Added to this are curtain quality, vision panels, frame material, sensors, traffic lights and emergency opening. Installation by your installer, including any sub-frame and electrical work, is a separate cost item on your side.

The door pays off through shorter open times at large openings, less waiting time for lorries and forklifts and a robust construction in continuous operation. With large door areas, every second of open time saved has a particularly strong effect. The price factors are shown on the page high-speed door cost.

Compared with other door types

The high speed fold-up door differs from the conventional folding door in direction and construction: the conventional folding door folds its leaves to the side against the wall, needs hardly any headroom but a lot of side room, and opens rather slowly. The high speed fold-up door folds a stiffened curtain upwards, needs headroom instead of wall space and is designed for high cycle rates. Doors with fast-running, side-opening leaves are also sold under similar names; they are a different type.

Compared with the wind-resistant outdoor high-speed door with a coiling shaft, the fold-up door is slower but handles larger sizes and higher wind loads, because each profile braces the surface. The spiral door is faster, quieter and, with insulated slats, better insulated, but becomes heavy and elaborate at very large sizes. Folding access gates in site fences, by contrast, are a separate category of perimeter security and not an alternative for building openings.

Criterion	High speed fold-up door	Outdoor high-speed door (coiling)	Spiral door
Opening principle	curtain folds into a pack via straps	curtain coils onto a shaft	slats run into a spiral without contact
Opening speed	approx. 0.5–1.2 m/s	approx. 1.5–2.5 m/s	approx. 1.5–2.5 m/s
Wind stability	high, typically class 3–4	typically class 2–3 with wind bars	high, typically class 3–5
Size range	also very large sizes over 5 × 5 m	commonly up to approx. 5 × 5 m	commonly up to approx. 5 × 5 m, larger depending on version
Thermal insulation	low, better when double-skin	low, insulated versions available	good with insulated slats
Headroom	approx. 600–1,200 mm	approx. 400–650 mm	approx. 700–1,200 mm
After an impact	replace individual profiles	curtain often re-engages	slat replacement needed

Other door types