Samson kingfisher bottom rolling electric steel sliding doors

Samson Kingfisher Electric Straight Sliding Door

The Samson Kingfisher is a heavy-duty, bottom-rolling industrial sliding door system designed for large openings where reliability and robustness are paramount. Manufactured by world-class hangar door specialists Jewers Doors, this system combines traditional, proven engineering with modern insulation and automation technology.

Ideal for spans that exceed the capabilities of sectional or roller shutter doors, the Kingfisher is a straight-sliding system. It offers a solution where headroom is restricted, or where the building structure cannot support the weight of a top-hung door.

Bottom-Rolling Design

The defining feature of the Kingfisher is its bottom-rolling configuration. The entire weight of the door is transferred directly to the floor through precision-machined steel wheels running on a ground track.

• Structural Advantage: Because the weight rests on the floor, there is no heavy load imposed on the building's lintel or roof structure. This makes it ideal for lightweight steel-framed buildings or retrofitting onto older structures with limited load-bearing capacity.
• Top Guide: The top track serves purely as a guide to keep the door upright and secure, preventing lateral movement during wind loading.

Insulated Panel Construction

The door leaves are constructed from a rigid, composite panel system designed for thermal efficiency and longevity.

• Thermal Performance: The panels feature a CFC-free rigid foam core, sandwiched between two steel sheets. This provides excellent insulation, keeping your workspace warm in winter and reducing energy costs.
• Durability: The panel edges are protected by a robust steel channel framework. The external steel skins are finished in a durable coating (typically HP200 Plastisol or similar), offering high resistance to corrosion and weathering in harsh industrial environments.

Electric Operation & Automation

This model is fully automated for ease of use and operational efficiency. The electric drive system is engineered to move the heavy door leaves smoothly and quietly.

• Drive Mechanism: The door is driven by a heavy-duty electric motor and gearbox assembly, typically utilising a chain-drive or friction-drive system depending on the specific size and weight.
• Controls: Standard operation is via push-button controls (Open/Close/Stop). The system can be integrated with remote control fobs, induction loops, or radar sensors for automated traffic flow.
• Manual Override: In the event of a power failure, a disconnect mechanism allows the door to be moved manually, ensuring you are never locked out (or in).

Safety Features

Automated sliding doors are large, moving structures, so safety is built in as standard to meet UK and EU regulations.

• Safety Edges: Sensitive resistive edges are fitted to the leading edge of the door. If the door contacts an obstacle/person, it stops and reverses immediately.
• Photocells: Safety beams across the opening prevent the door from closing if a vehicle or pedestrian is detected in the threshold.

Configuration & Customisation

The Samson Kingfisher is a bespoke product, manufactured to the exact dimensions of your facility.

• Track Layout: Available as a single-track system (sliding one way) or a bi-parting system (two leaves sliding apart to opposite sides).
• Wicket Doors: Personnel access doors can be built directly into the main sliding leaf, allowing staff to enter without opening the main door.
• Vision Panels: Double-glazed windows can be incorporated to provide natural light and visibility.
• Parking Space: Please note that straight sliding doors require "parking space" (sideroom) equal to the width of the door leaf on the side of the opening.

Ideal Applications

• Aircraft Hangars (General Aviation)
• Large Agricultural Barns & Grain Stores
• Heavy Vehicle Maintenance Depots
• Manufacturing Plants with Overhead Cranes (leaves full headroom clear)
• Warehouses requiring extra-wide access

The Samson Kingfisher sliding door is a heavy-duty industrial solution designed for large-scale openings. Its bottom-rolling design and robust construction make it uniquely suitable for environments where traditional roller shutters or sectional doors are impractical or structurally impossible.

1. Aircraft Hangars (General Aviation)

The Kingfisher is the industry standard for small to medium-sized aircraft hangars (GA).

• Full Width Access: Unlike roller doors that often require intermediate mullions for very wide spans, the Kingfisher can cover vast widths in a single or bi-parting run, allowing unobstructed wing-tip clearance.
• Low Maintenance: The simple, rugged mechanics are less prone to failure than complex vertical-lift systems, ensuring pilots can access their aircraft reliably.

2. Agricultural Barns & Grain Stores

Ideally suited for farm environments where machinery is large and conditions are tough.

• Wind Resistance: The solid panel construction and ground-track guidance system offer exceptional resistance to high wind loads in exposed rural locations.
• Durability: The heavy-gauge steel and simple bottom-rolling mechanism withstand the dust, dirt, and rough handling typical of agricultural use better than lightweight sectional doors.

3. Buildings with Limited Headroom

Many industrial units have low eaves or obstructions (lights, heaters, sprinkler pipes) immediately above the lintel.

• Minimal Headroom Required: Because the door slides sideways rather than rolling up, it requires virtually no headroom. The top track is merely a guide, meaning the door can be fitted right up to the roofline if necessary.

4. Lightweight Steel Buildings

Modern portal frame buildings are often designed with lightweight cladding rails that cannot support the heavy dead-load of a large hanging door.

• Floor Loading: The Kingfisher transfers all its weight directly to the concrete floor slab. This removes the stress from the building's lintel and frame, often eliminating the need for expensive secondary steelwork reinforcement.

5. Workshops with Overhead Cranes

In manufacturing plants where overhead gantry cranes run the full length of the workshop, vertical-lift doors can be a hazard or an obstruction.

• Crane Clearance: The Kingfisher slides horizontally, keeping the roof space completely clear for crane rails and lifting operations.

6. Wide-Span Logistics & Manufacturing

For factories requiring access for abnormal loads, wide manufacturing components, or multi-lane vehicle entry.

• Unlimited Width (Theoretically): By adding more leaves and extending the track, the Kingfisher system can accommodate openings significantly wider than any standard roller shutter.

Dimensions & Size Range

• Maximum Height: 7,000mm (Bottom Rolling) / 6,000mm (Top Hung)
• Maximum Leaf Width: 4,550mm
• Maximum Door Area: 180m² (Bi-parting, electric operation)
• Opening Width (Electric): Limited by maximum leaf size and drive capacity (typically bi-parting pairs).
• Opening Width (Manual): Unlimited (by adding multiple leaves and extending tracks).

Panel Construction

• Design: Flat panelled, single-piece composite construction.
• Frame: 1.6mm cold-rolled galvanised steel dovetail channel.
• Skins: 0.7mm or 0.9mm galvanised steel sheets.
• Core: Pressure-injected, CFC-free rigid polyurethane foam.
• Leaf Thickness: 102mm (for doors <6m high) / 112mm (for doors >6m high).
• Thermal Efficiency: Panel U-value approx. 0.40 W/m²/°C.
• Acoustic Performance: Average weighted SRI, RW Index tested at 29dB (panel only).

Track & Hardware (Bottom Rolling - Standard)

• Bottom Track: 16mm wide bright mild steel bar mounted on steel fishplates (bolted into floor chase).
• Bottom Wheels: Ø120mm machined hardened steel rollers with maintenance-free sealed bearings.
• Top Guide Track: 3mm pressed galvanised 80 x 40mm 'C' profile.
• Top Guide Rollers: Ø72mm Nylatron wheels on Ø20mm steel shafts.
• Deflection Tolerance: Top track system accommodates ±40mm vertical deflection.

Electric Automation

• Power Supply: 415V, 50Hz, 3-Phase + Neutral (TPN).
• Opening Speed: Up to 0.4 m/s (1-way) / 0.8 m/s (bi-parting).
• Drive System: Heavy-duty motor and gearbox, mounted internally.
• Manual Override: Disconnect mechanism allows manual operation during power failure.
• Safety: Compliant with BS EN 12453. Includes safety edges and photocells as standard.

Performance & Standards

• Wind Load: Designed to withstand wind pressures from 0.7 kN/m² (6m high) up to 3.1 kN/m² (3m high).
• Life Expectancy: Designed for 20+ years service life.
• Certification: CE / UKCA marked.

Finish Options

• Standard: HP200 Plastisol (Leathergrain) in a range of standard industrial colours.
• Optional: Polyester Powder Coating (PPC) to any RAL colour.

The Samson Kingfisher is a large-scale, heavy-duty industrial door system. Due to the structural loads, precise groundworks, and electrical automation involved, this product is not suitable for DIY or general builder installation.

Professional Service Required: To ensure safety, compliance, and long-term reliability, Samson Doors provides a complete turnkey service for the Kingfisher range. This includes:

1. Mandatory Site Survey

Before any manufacturing begins, a senior Samson surveyor will visit your site to assess the specific requirements. This is critical for sliding doors because:

• Floor Levels: The floor must be level to within strict tolerances for the bottom track. Our surveyor will check laser levels to determine if shimming or groundworks are required.
• Sideroom (Parking Space): Unlike roller doors, sliding doors require "parking space" to the side of the opening equal to the door width. We verify that this space is clear of obstructions (columns, downpipes, perimeter fencing).
• Structure: We assess the building's steelwork to ensure the top guide rail can be securely fixed.

2. Groundworks & Track Installation

The performance of a bottom-rolling door relies entirely on the quality of the ground track installation.

• The bottom track must be perfectly level and securely concreted into the floor slab.
• Incorrect track installation will cause the heavy door leaves to "drift" (roll on their own) or bind, damaging the electric drive motors.
• We can provide drawings for your groundworks contractor or arrange the track installation as part of our package.

3. Electrical Commissioning

The electric drive system (typically 3-phase 415V) requires specialist commissioning.

• Safety Compliance: Our engineers set the limit switches and calibrate the safety edges and photocells to ensure the door complies with BS EN 12453 (Safety in use of power operated doors).
• Certification: Upon completion, we issue a Declaration of Conformity and a CE/UKCA mark, which is a legal requirement for automated workplace doors.

Installation Requirements (For Your Planning)

While we handle the door installation, you will need to ensure the following site conditions:

• Power Supply: A dedicated power supply (usually 3-phase, neutral & earth) terminated adjacent to the opening.
• Access: Clear access for a forklift or telehandler to offload the heavy steel door panels and track sections.
• Clear Floor: The entire slide-path (opening width + parking width) must be clear of stored materials.

Please contact our Projects Team to discuss your requirements and arrange an initial consultation.