Setting Suitable Opening Times

Setting Suitable Opening Times

An empty trolley can clear a doorway much sooner than a loaded pallet truck. Setting the hold-open time from the easiest journey can leave staff feeling they must hurry on the next one. For an automatic sliding cold room door, the setting needs to suit normal working traffic, including slower loads.

Hold-open time is the waiting period before automatic closing under the selected control logic. It is separate from opening or closing speed. The timer’s starting point, and what restarts or suspends it, depend on the controller and operating mode.

Watch the Whole Load Pass

During commissioning, observe representative journeys in both directions. Follow the rear of the load and any trailing equipment, not just the person or vehicle at the front. Allow for normal turns and controlled handling, with enough time for operators to pass without rushing.

Have the installer explain how activation signals and protective devices affect the closing sequence. A stopwatch reading alone cannot establish a safe setting. Safeguards remain necessary; a longer delay cannot compensate for faulty or inadequate protection.

There is no single hold-open time suitable for every cold room. A doorway used by staff carrying small containers has different operating needs from one serving loaded pallet trucks. The setting should reflect the actual passage, rather than being copied from another installation.

Separate Passage From Preparation

A pallet being wrapped beside the doorway is different from a pallet passing through it. Increasing the everyday delay to cover wrapping, picking or paperwork leaves the opening exposed after shorter journeys too.

Where practical, prepare loads before requesting entry and keep the receiving space clear. For a planned period of continuous loading, use an approved operating mode if the door provides one, with someone responsible for restoring normal operation afterwards. Never block a sensor to hold the door open.

Reducing avoidable open time limits warm, moist air entering the cold room. However, a shorter programmed delay will not help if repeated activation signals keep the door open or an unresolved fault prevents closure.

A new trolley, longer pallet or revised delivery route can change the time needed to cross. Review the setting when those conditions change, with adjustments made by authorised personnel following the door instructions.