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Industrial Doors & Shutters an opening remains accessible, helping to improve physical security and maintain the internal environment. Keeping doors open for less time can also help reduce heat loss and energy use.
The gearbox and inverter are mapped at the factory, allowing the installer to set the required speed on site. The system follows the same plug-and-play approach used across GfA’ s wider range of drives and control panels, making it familiar to engineers already working with the products.
Sealed Against Water and Vapour Ingress
Water, weather, and exposed environments bring a distinct set of demands. For waste transfer, waste processing, composting plants, and other challenging environments, GfA developed IP65i, an enhanced IP65 model range.
Where standard IP65 drive units protect against limited water ingress, IP65i goes one step further, preventing the damage caused by water vapour that later condenses. It is only available with mechanical limits that are totally encapsulated, so although vapour can still enter the box, condensate cannot reach the individual switches or short them against a neighbouring switch.
The drives are finished in a corrosion-resistant coating, with stainless steel or coated shafts and foot mountings, and a stainless-steel hand chain. Where temperatures fall below-5 ° C an optional thermostatically controlled gearbox heater keeps the drive within its permissible range.
Connected Control Across the Site
Once the right drives are in place, the next challenge is keeping them operating across sites that may be remote, distributed, or difficult to access.
GfA’ s TS-C Control Panel and evodo digital ecosystem provide that additional layer of visibility. Built-in WLAN and Bluetooth connect the panel to three applications:
• evodo-Sync- supporting on-site software updates.
• evodo-Toolkit- allows engineers to access panel parameters and diagnostic information from a mobile phone while on site.
• evodo-Web- gives operators and service companies remote visibility across installed door assets.
Together, these tools can help developing faults to be identified before they result in a callout or operational disruption. Engineers can also access more information before travelling to site, making servicing more focused and efficient.
A built-in clock enables accurately timestamped event records, with up to five years of history stored for each door. This can support maintenance and compliance records, as well as site security. An unexpected door movement during the night, for example, can be identified and investigated rather than going unnoticed. For engineers familiar with GfA’ s existing control panels, the operating logic remains recognisable. The additional capability does not require an entirely different way of working.
The panel has also been developed with the requirements of the EU Machinery Regulation, which comes into force in 2027, in mind.
Built for the Long Term
What ties the range together is the combination of product choice and technical knowledge that GfA can provide. A hazardous area, a high-traffic opening and an exposed coastal site may all require very different equipment. The value comes
from understanding those differences, selecting the right solution, and supporting it throughout its working life.
For contractors and door companies, this breadth of knowledge creates a practical advantage. Different applications across the same site can be specified through one supplier, with one point of technical support and a more consistent approach to installation and servicing.
On infrastructure projects, that support often continues long after installation, where doors may remain in service for decades and need ongoing maintenance, inspections, emergency response and documented service records. Connected controls and remote diagnostics strengthen that relationship, giving door companies and their customers a clearer view of performance across the life of the asset.
These are long-term projects, and the equipment and support behind them need to be designed with the same outlook.
Supplying doors for a challenging infrastructure environment? Talk to our sales team about the full range of solutions from GfA- call 01926 452452.
www. gfa-elektromaten. co. uk
Door Industry Journal Autumn 2026
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