A new generation of door solutions restores the balance between security and accessibility

The market is imposing increasingly stringent requirements on doors—for example, regarding air and sound tightness, as well as burglary and fire resistance. In addition, we are increasingly dealing with larger door sizes and weights, notes Ronald van Driel, Head of Sales at GEZE Benelux. “This creates a growing imbalance between safety and accessibility, which remains the essence for users.”

To address this imbalance, GEZE’s door solutions are continuously being refined. “Following in the footsteps of the TS 5000 door closer and the Powerturn automatic door operator, our new TS 7000 door closer is a prime example of this. Thanks to this solution, we can offer a solution at various levels that harmonizes safety, accessibility, and user comfort.”

GEZE is a German family-owned company with more than 160 years of experience in manufacturing solutions for door, window, and safety technology. In light of these stricter requirements, Van Driel notes that perceptions regarding safe escape routes are changing. “It’s wonderful to see that accessibility in buildings is becoming an increasingly important issue,” he says. “Furthermore, the definition of a safe escape route is becoming more precise—both in our standards and in building specifications—which calls for specific technical solutions.”

Physical strength on trial

Van Driel emphasizes that accessibility and user comfort must not be overlooked in these technical solutions. “As a result of new requirements regarding airtightness, soundproofing, burglary protection, and fire safety, users” physical strength is increasingly being put to the test. For people with disabilities, the elderly, and children, for example, opening doors in emergency exits can be a real challenge. We’re changing this by continuously evolving our portfolio and by harmonizing safety, accessibility, and user comfort at various levels.” These efforts have led, for example, to a robust lineup of mechanical door closers, such as the TS 5000, with which GEZE has been a technical leader in the market for thirty years.

Door Closers for Sophisticated Control

Thanks to the TS 5000 SoftClose, the door’s closing action can be precisely controlled, says Van Driel. “Even in challenging air pressure conditions. The opening damping, closing speed, and final stroke can all be fully customized. Furthermore, the door’s closing speed can be accelerated or slowed down during the final moments of closing. This makes the TS 5000 SoftClose ideal for ensuring peace and quiet (no noise disturbance) and peace of mind (guaranteed closure) for hotel guests, for example.”

With the development of the TS 7000, GEZE takes this a step further and elevates user convenience to the very highest level. “Our new TS 7000 combines effortless opening with reliable closing,” says Van Driel. “Thanks to our new and highly efficient Easyflow technology, the doors move extremely smoothly and close reliably—even in safety-critical situations. Although it is a mechanical solution, the door’s operation will adapt to the surrounding conditions. Through the SensiLatch, the closer will only close with greater force if there is resistance. And the SensiStop also intervenes only when necessary: the opening motion is slowed down only if the door is opened too forcefully. In this way, these functions are activated only when necessary and are not perceived as uncomfortable when they are not needed.”

Easy installation, no adjustments required

The SNAPnFIX installation aid makes installation exceptionally easy. “Furthermore, optimal temperature resistance ensures consistent closing performance between -10°C and +40°C. This eliminates the need to readjust the door closer after installation.” A demo of the TS 7000 was already presented at Polyclose and Fensterbau Frontale, where it drew considerable interest and numerous positive responses. The door closer will be available soon.

Simple, lightweight, and without compromise

“With the TS 7000, we’re getting the most out of a mechanical solution,” Van Driel emphasizes. “But there are also situations in which even the very limited resistance of a mechanical door closer is too much. We developed the Powerturn specifically for these situations and/or for use in combination with, for example, access control systems; thanks to its Smart Swing function, it completely eliminates resistance. Of course, this is achieved without compromising on secure closing, as one has come to expect from a mechanical door closer. Simple, lightweight, and without compromise, the automatic door operator can be used as a mechanical, servo-assisted, or fully automatic solution. In doing so, we comply with the revised EN 16005 standard, which governs the safety of automatic doors, and we create a new balance in which safety, accessibility, and comfort are no longer at odds with one another, but rather come together.”