Automatic sliding doors, South Woodford
New automatic sliding doorsets for the entrance lobby of a public building in South Woodford, East London, linked to the fire alarm and set to open if the power fails.
A new entrance for a public building
We were brought in as a specialist subcontractor on a larger building project to supply and install new automatic sliding doorsets for the entrance lobby of a public building in South Woodford, East London.
A public entrance is used by everyone: people with pushchairs, wheelchair users, older visitors, children and staff. The doors needed to open smoothly for all of them, work with the building’s fire alarm, and let people out if the power failed.
The equipment
The kit used on this job, as recorded at installation and commissioning.
Automatic sliding doorsets
Sliding doorsets in new aluminium frames, forming the building’s entrance lobby.
Record sliding system
A Record automatic sliding door system, with an agtatec ATE 20 drive with brake.
STM 20 control unit
The agtatec control unit that runs the doors.
Programme selectors
Selectors that let the building’s staff choose how the doors run.
Fire alarm interface
A relay connection from the building’s fire alarm to the door control.
Battery back-up
Back-up power so the doors open if the mains power fails.
Released by the fire alarm
We connected the door control to the building’s fire alarm through a relay and programmed it so the doors release when the fire alarm is triggered.
Commissioning was planned with the fire alarm engineer, so both systems could be tested together. The fire release was tested and then demonstrated to the main contractor’s site team.
Opening when the power fails
An entrance that is also a way out has to keep working for people when the mains power is lost. We carried out a battery test to check that the doors open when the power fails.
Planning how a door behaves in a fire and a power cut is part of every installation we do. See automatic doors with access control and fire alarm links.
Commissioning and completion
Our director started commissioning on site at the end of October 2026, working with two of our apprentices under a site-specific risk assessment and method statement. The job was completed in early November, after snagging.
We prepared operation and maintenance information for the building’s files, including the manufacturer’s user manual for the door system and instructions for the controller.
What happens next
New automatic doors need regular checks to stay safe and reliable. BS EN 16005 recommends checking a door’s safety functions at least once a year. See automatic door maintenance and servicing.
Planning a new automatic entrance? See automatic door installation, or our main automatic doors page. For gate and barrier work, see our other projects.
Planning automatic doors for a public building?
Talk to us about installation, fire alarm links and maintenance.