• All Commercial Doors & Grilles
  • Industry Applications
  • Parts & Services
  • Customization
  • Inspiration
  • Architect Portal

 

Cornell Logo_250_WebsiteTop

National Accounts & OEM | Find a Dealer | Regional Support | Blog
800.233.8366

All Commercial Doors & Grilles

Explore Our Product Lines

New Products

Check out our latest innovations and see what's new!

New Products

Rolling Service Doors

Choose our Service Door when you need an interior or exterior closure option that is secure, durable, customizable and compact.

Standard Door

High Performance Products

Whether you need advanced performance for security, productivity or air protection at the opening, we can suggest the right door or grille to meet your performance needs

High Performance

Max Protection Doors

Whether you need doors that can withstand hurricanes and high winds, or protection from the threat of riots and looters - our Max Protection Doors can meet your needs.

Max Protection

Insulated Doors

We didn't invent the insulated door – but we perfected it. Choose our market-leading energy-efficient insulated doors in extreme environments or anywhere you want to save on energy costs and go green.

Insulated

Fire Rated Products

Our Fire Rated Products provide the highest level of life safety and fire protection available with the lowest cost of ownership in a modern, easily integrated package.

Fire Rated

Security Grilles

No matter if you need it side folding or vertical coiling, our grilles provide both security with visual access for interior and exterior openings.

Security Grille

Rolling Counter Door

Commonly utilized in cafeterias, concession stands and ticket booths, Counter Shutters, also known as Counter Doors, provide accessibility and security in interior and exterior finished wall openings

Counter Door

Side Folding Doors and Grilles

Easily and quickly transform a large room into two or more sections for security, privacy or unparalleled sound control with our Accordion Partitions. Secure storefronts and more with our Side Folding Grille options that blend effortlessly into any design.

Side Folding

View Operator Information

There are many factors to consider when choosing how your door will operate. How fast you want it to open, how many times a day will it cycle and if there is power available are just a few of these factors. Here, you will find information on each of our available operators.

Operators

Quick Access Download

Experience the convenience of downloading all your essential documents in one place!

Quick Downloads

Custom Commercial Doors

Regardless of the size, scope or scale of your project, we'll create a door made to your precise dimensions and specifications.

Custom

Loading Dock Doors

If you have a shipping and receiving area of any size, your loading dock doors have a significant impact on your business.

Dock Doors

Finishes, Colors and Options

From stainless to galvanized steel, or daffodil yellow to ruby red – our materials and finishes options are sure to complement your design.

Colors and Finishes
  • New Products
  • Rolling Service Doors
  • High Performance Products
  • Max Protection Doors
  • Insulated Doors
  • Fire Rated Products
  • Security Grilles
  • Counter Doors
  • Side Folding Closures
  • Operator Information
  • Quick Access Download
  • Custom Commercial Doors
  • Loading Dock Doors
  • Finishes, Colors and Options
Industry Applications

Explore Applications

Learn About Our Roll Up Grilles

Roll Up Security Gates keep areas safe, can be customized for special design projects, and require almost no maintenance.

Parking Garage

Auto Dealerships

Keeping auto dealerships safe and secure

Auto Red

Learn About Bar and Restaurant Closures

Protecting your bar or restaurant is crucial. We take off some of the stress with the SteelWeave™ Metal Mesh Grille.

Bar Restaurant

Cannabis Industry

In the cannabis industry, keeping your staff, facility, and products secure is a make-or-break task. You know the importance of designing a building that’s secure for high value manufacturing and distribution, and we’re here to help.

Cannabis No Circle

Fire Station Industry

Every second counts when there is a fire that needs to be fought.

Firehouse

View Our Healthcare Closures

Choose from a selection of Fire Doors, Overhead Doors, Insulated Garage Doors, Rolling Counter Shutters, and more! Find the best safety solution with our products.

Hospital

Government Operations

No matter the operation, government facilities should always be fitted with the best security measures.

Government Red

Learn About School and University Solutions

Choose from a selection of convenient solutions such as Accordion Folding Doors, Fire Doors, Security Doors, Side Folding Grilles, and so much more! Contact our design specialists with design ideas.

School

Learn About Our Retail Closures

Learn what type of Rolling Door and Security Door is right for your security needs.

Retail

Learn about our pharmacy closures

We provide custom security solutions to protect your pharmacy and preserve your medications against forced entry and theft.

Pharmacy

Warehousing

We're here to help you find the perfect doors for your needs, whether you're building a new warehouse or outfitting an existing space.

Warehouse
  • Parking
  • Auto Dealerships
  • Bar & Restaurant
  • Cannabis Industry
  • Fire Station Industry
  • Healthcare
  • Government
  • Schools & Universities
  • Retail
  • Pharmacies
  • Warehousing
  • Heavy Equipment Storage
Parts & Services

Explore Parts & Services

Installation & Maintenance Manuals

Installation and maintenance manuals download library.

Install Manual

Dealer Services

You focus on taking care of your customer. We focus on taking care of you.

Dealer Services

Operators & Motors

Check out our wide selection of overhead door operators designed for use with our rolling doors, shutters and grilles.

Operators

Parts

We provide stocked and custom parts to get your rolling doors back to their peak performance.

Parts

Accessories

Enhance the performance or aesthetics of your rolling door, grille or counter shutter.

Accessories

Installation Videos

Rolling door and grille installation videos.

Video Gallery

Roll-Up Door Installation

Before getting to work on your Cornell roll-up door installation, view our process.

RollUp Door Install
  • Installation & Maintenance Manuals
  • Dealer Services
  • Operators & Motors
  • Parts
  • Accessories
  • Installation Videos
  • Roll-Up Door Installation
Customization

Explore Customization Ideas

Learn About Our Materials & Finishes

From stainless to galvanized steel, or daffodil yellow to ruby red – our materials and finishes options are sure to compliment your design.

Finishes

Check Out Our Product Options

Standard offerings are, well, standard. And we know you spend most of your days creating designs that are decidedly not standard. That’s why all of our doors and grilles are built to order, so you can build a door that is as unique as your design.

Options

See our RAL Colors

See our full range of standard RAL colors available for powder coating onto the different components of our doors.

Colors and Finishes
  • Materials & Finishes
  • Options
  • RAL Powder Coat Colors
Inspiration

Gain Inspiration for Your Next Project

Check out the Project Gallery

See some projects that contain our products and learn why our customers are happy they chose us.

Project Gallery

Watch our Videos

Learn more about our products and our company - watch our videos!

Video Gallery
  • Project Gallery
  • Video Gallery
Architect Portal

Explore Architectural Tools and Services

Technical Assistance

Contact us for technical assistance.

Technical Assistance

Frequently Asked Questions

Check out our Top 10 most asked questions.

Questions

We Draw For You

Looking for help? Upload your drawings or specifications and one of our Design Specialists will deliver standard drawings for you.

Draw for You

Check out our Custom Door Solutions

Is your project far from standard? Fearful that your design can't be achieved? Our team of Design Specialists are experts when it comes to customized projects.

Custom

Design Tools

Choose from a variety of tools available to you to assist with your design needs.

Design Tools

Download Library

Experience the convenience of downloading all your essential documents in one place!

Downloads

LEED Information

Find out how Cornell's product components measure up on the LEED rating system.

LEED

Product Codes and Listings

Find out what building codes and listings our products meet and gather the necessary documentation for your project.

Codes and Listing

Meet the Team

With over 100 years of experience combined, our Architect Design Team and Products Representatives are here to help you choose the perfect door for any application.

Meet the Team

Operator Manuals

View all of our operator manuals in one convenient place.

Operators
  • Technical Assistance
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • We Draw For You
  • Custom Door Solutions
  • Design Tools
  • Download Library
  • LEED Information
  • Codes & Listings
  • Meet the Team
  • Operator Manuals
  1. Home
  2. Blog

Find Out What's New with Rolling Doors and Security Grilles - Welcome to Cornell's Blog!

When it comes to Overhead Rolling Doors and Grilles, we are the experts in innovative door solutions!

Subscribe

Get updates on new blog posts to your inbox!

Why the #$!@ is My Roll Up Door Breaking All the Time? (Part 1)

February 15, 2018 by Siva Davuluri

https://www.cornelliron.com/images/default-source/blog-page/blog-images---cornell/high-speed-roll-up-doors/high-performance-overhead-door-bob.jpg?Status=Temp&sfvrsn=4c33566d_2Meet Bob. Bob is a brand new maintenance manager at a widget factory, Awesome Widgets. They make more widgets in less time than any other widget manufacturer – so materials are constantly trucked in, and manufactured products are constantly trucked out.  Awesome Widgets is based in the northeast – with snowy winters and hot summers.  Because of this, and for security reasons, they close their rolling steel doors after every truck enters or exits the facility.

Six months in, Bob is frustrated. He’s had to pay for several service calls because parts on the overhead roll up doors at the facility keep malfunctioning, and now the spring that drives the overhead coiling door open and closed has snapped on one of his most-used openings. Bob is convinced that rolling steel doors are pieces of garbage. Bob is wrong.

Bob reached out to a high performance roll up door company to find what he can do to fix his situation. He found out it’s all about choosing the right product for the job. Just like you wouldn’t enter your four-cylinder Ford Taurus into the Indy 500, you can’t expect a standard rolling steel door to do the job of high performance or high speed roll up doors. 

To make sure you have the right door for the job, it needs to:

  • Identify what separates a high performance rolling steel door from a traditional rolling steel door.
  • Identify when you should use a high performance rolling steel door.
  • Highlight the challenges that arise if a standard door is used in place of a high performance one.

high speed roll up doors model 1024 with Vision Windows

In short, you’ll want it to be a no brainer for you to determine when high performance overhead doors or high speed roll up doors are what you need. When it comes to high performance overhead door companies, Bob found out a good overhead rolling door company with a proven track record, long history of high quality and a top staff of professionals will help walk him through what he needs and what overhead door product is best for him.




What is a High Performance Overhead Door?

high speed roll up doors forkliftThe Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA) defines high performance doors as follows: “A power-operated rolling, folding or sliding non-residential door, generally characterized by either 100 or more cycles per day or 20 or more inches per second opening speed, and typically made-to-order and/or designed for higher durability, and/or designed to break away due to equipment impact”.

Breaking it down, the industry definition of high performance doors states that they:

  • Must be power operated
  • Are typically used in a non-residential setting
  • Need to cycle (open and close) a lot or cycle quickly
  • Are typically designed for durability and/or quick repair

This is a great general definition, but there are a lot of and/ors that can lead to ambiguity. So if you have an overhead coiling door opening that meets the general definition of cycling 100+ times a day or that you need to open quickly, you know you need a high performance door.  But what kind?  For true high use openings, you need a high performance door that has ALL of the following attributes:


1) Overhead Door Speed

If an overhead garage door opening is going to be open and closed frequently, time is of the essence.  In a scenario where a driver or forklift operator needs to wait until the overhead door has opened to pass through, a slow roll up door can lead to hundreds of hours of lost productivity. 

Let’s say our Awesome Widgets factory has a standard rolling steel door that is 20 feet tall. 

Standard Rolling Service Door:
Height = 240 inches
Opening Speed = 8 inches per second
Door Opens = 30 seconds

High Performance Rolling Door:
 Height = 240 inches
Opening Speed = 24 inches per second
Door Opens = 10 seconds
Savings = 20 seconds/per door opening


So, taking that 20 second saving and extrapolating that across 100 cycles per day in a 24/365 operation, you end up with a total savings of 202 hours per year. That's crazy, right? 

But here's the flip side - once you get past a certain speed, speed starts to matter less, but the cost can go way up.  DASMA defines a high speed door as one that opens at a speed of at least 32 inches per second, and some can go faster. That said, the cost of some high speed roll up doors can be more than double the cost of a high performance product that opens at speeds of 24 inches per second.  You need to consider if the extra cost is worth it for a commercial overhead door that can open in six seconds rather than 10.


2) Roll Up Garage Door Durability


high speed roll up doors 1024 top viewA true high performance rolling door must be built for durability from the bottom up. There is a myth circulating in the industry that springs = cycle life.  If everything about your high performance garage door is the same as a standard service door, but you put high cycle springs on it, you have a high-cycle-spring door – not a high performance coiling door. In fact, the gold standard for high performance rolling doors is actually a springless overhead door design. Springs inevitably wear out and need to be replaced, causing downtime and maintenance fees. So what else needs to be built for high performance? The operator, for one, needs to be able to handle the maximum number of cycles in the minimum amount of time you expect to use it.  A direct drive overhead door operator is a good investment, as there are no chains or sprockets to wear out.  And it should feature a soft start and stop.  On open, the speed of a best-in-class, high performance roll up door should start opening slow, ramp up in the middle, and then slow down before reaching the fully open position.  Why?  To reduce wear and tear on all rolling door components, but especially the operator.  The guides (metal channels that hold the curtain in) also need to be robust enough to handle frequent fast operation.  Look for self-lubricating guides to prolong curtain life.


3) Overhead Coiling Door Safety


Of course, we can’t talk about overhead rolling doors without talking about safety.High performance roll up doors should come with light curtains and photo eyes as standard.  A lower photo eye is very well known – it’s the device on most house garage doors that halts downward progress of the door when something breaks the single beam at the bottom.  It’s very good at making sure people don’t get trapped in the door.  But in a fast-paced, high use environment, there are times when a lower photo eye may not be enough. Picture a full load on a forklift, and for some reason the driver stops to chat with a coworker, parking with the forks in the path of the door.  A photo eye may not see the forks and would allow the overhead door to close - potentially damaging the load and the forklift, not to mention the potential harm to the forklift operator.  That's when a light curtain, which provides up to six feet of continuous protection, is necessary to ensure safety. 

 

Next, Bob finds out when to install a high performance overhead door or a standard overhead rolling door.



high speed roll up doors specify



Click here to read Part 2!

Siva Davuluri 
Siva Davuluri - CornellCooksonSiva Davuluri serves as director of product strategy for high performance doors at CornellCookson Inc. He has been in his current role for five years at the Mountain Top, PA based company, which is the largest coiling door manufacturer in the USA. Davuluri has more than ten years of experience in design, development and commercialization of new products. He graduated from North Dakota State University with a Master of Mechanical Engineering degree and completed his Master of Business Administration degree from Cornell University. He is also a member of the technical committee for high performance doors at DASMA, North America’s trade association for manufacturers of garage doors, rolling doors, high performance doors and access systems.


cornell-logo

Cornell is the industry rolling door, security grille and closure product experts since 1828. to inquire how Cornell's long history of innovation and customer service can help you with your next rolling door project, call 1-800-233-8366!

 

  • Need More Help?
  • CONTACT US
Cornell Logo_200_WebsiteBot
24 Elmwood Avenue
Mountain Top, PA 18707
Phone: 800.233.8366
 

Sitemap

  • Dealer Resource Center
  • Architect Portal
  • Find a Dealer
  • New Dealer Application
  • About Us
  • Career Opportunities
  • Privacy Policy
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Patent Marking
All rights reserved.
© 2022 CornellCookson, LLC.