The horizontal rolling door design is very simple to look at; it’s a single or set of vertical leaves moving horizontally on steel tracks. Now imagine there’s considerations such as the number of tracks, or number of door leaves and motors that will impact your building design, budget costs, and the success or failure of the door when people begin using it day to day.

In this article we’ve provided a video example for each of the 4 hangar door configurations available on horizontal rolling doors and hope it provides ignition to the design of your next aircraft hangar, dry storage or commercial building.

Unidirectional Door Configuration

(Also known as one way, single slide)

  • Requires a minimum of 1-door leaf.
  • Requires a pocket on one side of the opening or outrigger.
  • Can be manual or motorized.

A single or series of interconnected leaves which slide one way into a pocket.

The motor and pushbutton station are positioned on the inner side of the leading-edge leaf.

You can stop the door at any time by releasing your hand from the push button. If there’s a power failure the door can be moved manually.

There are no limitations on the number of door leaves that can be employed in a unidirectional configuration. In our demonstration video, we feature a setup with four leaves on four tracks. If your building lacks sufficient width for a pocket, our Outrigger Design Options article offers solutions for enhancing existing aircraft hangars with limited space. Alternatively, if outriggers are not desirable, we suggest considering the “floating group configuration” or “independent configuration” detailed further down the page.

The bottom rail and top guide rails are typically spaced 14 to 18 inches apart at the center. Preliminary drawings can be found in the submittals page, or feel free to reach out to us for the most accurate dimensions and recommendations.

Specifications:

Bi-Parting Door Configuration

  • Requires a minimum of 2-door leaves.
  • Requires pocket on each side of the opening or outriggers.
  • Can be manual or motorized.

One pair or a series of interconnected leaves which open from the middle.

The motor and pushbutton station are located on the inner side of the two leaves that converge at the center.

You can stop the door at any time by releasing your hand from the push button. If there’s a power failure the door can be moved manually.

There is no restriction on the number of door leaves that can be utilized in a bi-parting configuration. In our demonstration video, we showcase a setup with four leaves on two tracks, but a bi-parting door can also feature six leaves on three tracks, eight leaves on four tracks, and so forth.

If your building lacks sufficient width for a pocket, our Outrigger Design Options article offers solutions for enhancing existing aircraft hangars with limited space. Alternatively, if outriggers are not desirable, we suggest considering the “floating group configuration” or “independent configuration” detailed further down the page.

The bottom rail and top guide rails are typically spaced 14 to 18 inches apart at the center. Preliminary drawings can be found in the submittals page, or feel free to reach out to us for the most accurate dimensions and recommendations.

Specifications:

Floating Configuration

(Also known as floating group, stacking group, smart rail)

  • Requires a minimum of 2-door leaves
  • No pocket space required to the left or right of the opening.
  • Must be motorized.

The floating configuration consists of interconnected door leaves, allowing the operator to move the door from either the first or last leaf. There’s no set rule for the number of leaves in a group or the quantity of groups you can have.

The crucial aspect of the floating configuration is the control panel as explained in each video.

One Group of Leaves

Specifications:

Two Groups of Leaves

Specifications:

Independent Configuration

(Also known as; individual door operation, all moving)

  • Requires a minimum of 1-door leaf.
  • No pocket space required to the left or right of the opening.
  • Can be manual or motorized.

The configuration known as “Independent” allows the door leaves to move separately, as the name implies. Each leaf is equipped with its own motor and control panel.

Consider the cost implications when opting for additional leaves, as the motor operator and control panel are expensive.

Each added leaf contributes significantly to the overall cost of the door, and it’s crucial to factor this into your design budget. AeroDoor is available to assist you with this aspect.

The bottom rail and top guide rails are typically spaced 14 to 18 inches apart at the center. Preliminary drawings can be found in the submittals page, or feel free to reach out to us for the most accurate dimensions and recommendations.

Specifications:

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Paul Blake Author
Director of Sales , View My Profile

Paul has over 14-years of sales and marketing experience in the hangar door industry. Prior to this, Paul spent 8 years working in a sales division of Apple Inc, where skills in supply chain, selling and customer service were taught at a multinational level.