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The smarter doors guide - choosing the right doors for your aircraft hangar

In a previous article we covered the 6 reasons why you might need to replace your aircraft hangar, commercial or industrial doors.

You can review this article here: https://openxdoors.com.au/6-reasons-to-replace-your-doors

In this article we are going to help you decide the best door solution for your aircraft hangar to ensure productivity & accessibility, security, suitability to your environment, health & safety, durability & longevity and regulatory compliance.

This guide suits anyone looking for a aircraft hangar door solution for a brand new hangar or door replacement to an existing hangar. 

To find the best aircraft hangar door replacement solution, you must first consider 6 key factors:

1) The size of your aircraft/s that you need to move in and out of your aircraft hangar

2) The existing building structure – width and height allowances between your structural bays

3) The amount floor space you currently have – do you need to increase the usable floor space or do you have surplus floor space that can accommodate certain door options

4) The usage intensity – low, medium or high frequency of use

5) Are you comfortable with manual opening doors or do you need the convenience of automated opening doors

6) Your environment – level of security required and weather conditions

With these factors in mind, we are going to review the types of aircraft hangar doors.

Option 1 – Sliding Doors

A sliding door system is the most commonly used option and is widely regarded as the easiest and most cost-effective solution for private and commercial applications and can be fitted to brand new aircraft hangars and as a replacement option to existing aircraft hangars.

Sliding door systems can be tailored to the height and width required. These can also be mounted internally, flush mounted or externally mounted – the choice of mounting option will depend on your existing building structure and how much room you have on each side of your hangar for the doors to open sufficiently to allow access for your aircraft.

Sliding doors typically feature bottom roll with a tracking system either mounted to the floor surface or can be recessed into the floor itself – doors are kept stable with the use of a top guide rail. This type of roll and tracking system design also removes any load bearing on your hangar structure.

Multiple sliding doors can be designed to stack back onto one another to provide a virtually limitless opening width or multiple opening options along various sections of your hangar

Sliding doors offer minimal intrusion on your floor existing floor space, and the design, engineering and manufacture of the doors can be tailored to your usage application; from light use to extreme heavy duty.

Generally, due to the load of the door being carried on the OpenX high-quality bottom rollers and the top and bottom tracking/guides, sliding doors can be opened manually, usually by one person. If you require the ease and practicality of automation, certain sliding door models can be motorised – to find which types can be motorised, check out our product selection guide here: https://openxdoors.com.au/our-products/

OpenX stacking sliding doors feature an integrated smart locking system, which means, as you pull the doors closed they will lock together once they reach the locking mechanism – this provides more rigidity and increased security. This stacking sliding door formation can also allow you to open as wide as necessary to get your aircraft in or out, without needing to open to the full door width – a great option if you have a number of aircraft in your fleet.

OpenX proprietary door seals can minimise any water, wind and dust ingress to the sides and and base of the doors, without which, you may find some environmental element ingress . Also your surface mounted or sunken tracks will require some maintenance to keep them free from debris to ensure optimum sliding performance.

If you are considering a sliding door system for your aircraft hangar we recommend that you take a look at the OpenX Xslide range and product gallery here: https://openxdoors.com.au/product-category/xslide-doors/

Option 2 – Tilt Opening Doors

A tilt opening door system is another option that caters to both new hangar door and existing hangar door replacement and is a great option where site constraints and/or shed size and structure limit the use of a traditional sliding door panel system.

Tilting doors can be tailored to heights up to 9 metres and widths up to 24 metres, making it a great option for aircraft hangar. This door type will require some headroom for the top section of the door (above the pivot/hinged location) to tilt back into the hangar but does not take up any usable floor area. You will need to consider the distance you have available for your approach as unlike sliding, bi-fold or shutter door options; tilt doors will require you to allow distance for the base of the door to swing out on opening.

The design, engineering and manufacturing of tilt doors allows for them to be suited to all private and commercial applications and all manner of intensity applications – low, medium and high intensity usage.

Just like bi-fold doors (more on these below), tilt hangar doors also offer a higher end luxury look. Tilt panel doors open faster, close tighter, look awesome and can be either manual or fully automated opening with the push of a button – tilt doors are an excellent way to add some aesthetic zing to your hangar and make accessibility super easy.

Another benefit of tilt opening doors is that they can be fitted with a full seal kit, offering great protection from weather, dust and rodent ingress.

Like any door system, maintenance is recommended for optimum performance and longevity however this will not be a significant hindrance to your time or wallet given the low complexity design of tilt door system.

Is tilt door looking like a good option for your aircraft hangar?
Find out more about OpenX Doors XTilt range including size options and photo gallery here: https://openxdoors.com.au/product/xtilt-panel-lift-tilting-door-system/

Option 3 – Bi-Fold Opening Doors

Similar to our xTilt series, our xFold series of bi-fold doors are suited to new hangars and existing hangar door replacement, perfect for private and commercial usage, and can be tailored to suit a range of height and width requirements.

The xFold bi-fold panel can be tailored to heights up to 9 metres and widths up to 24 metres, making it another great option for aircraft hangar. Bi-fold caters to taller openings; where a single panel tiling door, such as our xTilt series, might encroach too far inside the building while swinging to the open position, and therefore possible impede on any shed internals, storage, accessibility, utilities, etc. Bi-fold doors may result in more headroom loss than a tilting door however, due to the double panel thickness in the open position.

Offering no intrusion to your usable floor area and a reduced approach distance, xFold bi-fold doors are the perfect option where site constraints and shed size and structure limit the use of a traditional sliding door or tilting panel system.

xFold bi-fold doors open faster, close tighter, look awesome and can be either manual or fully automated opening with the push of a button. They can be fitted with a seal kit, offering great protection from weather, dust and rodent ingress.

More moving components can mean additional maintenance to ensure optimum operation and longevity, however a minimal consideration when compared to list of benefits and high-end aesthetic that this system provides.

Need to know more to find out if the xFold is the right solution for you, check out our product selection guide here: https://openxdoors.com.au/our-products/

Or read more about Xfold bi-fold doors, including a photo gallery here: https://openxdoors.com.au/product/xfold-bi-fold-door-system/

 

Option 4 – Fabric Shutter Doors

Hoist-up fabric shutter doors are available in practically any size. They are extremely practical for new hangars and existing hangar door replacement due to their light weight and straightforward design. Whilst you will commonly see these doors more on commercial aircraft hangars they can also be a great private hangar solution.

Available in practically any height and can be made to suit unlimited width with the use of a movable mullion system (more on this below) for maximum accessibility.

Fabric shutters also do not require much space for the door header, so you don’t lose headroom – when raised, the door folds compactly due to its unique and efficient design.

Fabric shutter doors can close very large openings while remaining very light, meaning there are minimum deadloads imposed on the building structure. It is also possible for these to be self-supporting depending on the structural integrity of your existing hangar.

Fabric shutters take up very little to no usable floor space and in terms of approach distance, you can pretty much nose right up to them – making this door option a perfect solution where site area is limited.

The materials used in quality fabric shutter construction means they are light and can be opened manually but can also be fully automated with push of a button or remote.

They are also ideal for use in harsh environments with corrosive air and inclement weather. The doors fit snugly on both sides of the hangar frame and lower beam, offering excellent protection against sand, dust, mould and corrosion, as well as wind, and temperature fluctuations.

Where possible, we recommend dividing a large opening into several smaller sections. This is achieved by using a movable mullion system. This system may be more effective for your building than a single large leaf option. When a higher operating speed requirement exists, or there are multiple different aircraft and equipment sizes to accommodate, dividing the opening is usually a more efficient option. Dividing the opening improves traffic flow while also lowering energy consumption.

Again, like any door system, maintenance is required to ensure optimum operation.

Read more about xShutter fabric shutter doors, including a photo gallery here: https://openxdoors.com.au/product/xfold-bi-fold-door-system/

 

In summary, there are a number of options to choose from when looking for the the right door solution for your new aircraft hangar or to replace an existing aircraft hangar door. We hope that this article has helped to highlight the considerations and make your decision easier, however if you need more information or want to discuss the specifics of your project, please reach out to the OpenX Doors team.

OpenX Doors offer a complete end-to-end specialist solution, from design, engineering and manufacture, installation and commissioning, maintenance, servicing and repair, through to survey and consultancy.

OpenX Doors products are ‘Built to Impress and Engineered to Perform’ and we make it easy to find the best fit solution for your needs with our product selection guide. Research by industry, usage intensity, height, width, features and more.
Click here to find out more.

To find out more specific details regarding OpenX Doors’ range of sliding, retractable, tilt, fold, fabric and high-performance specialised doors, Click here.

With over 25 years experience in delivering seriously big door solutions, you can trust our dedicated team of experts to help you find the best fit solution for your needs.

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