How Do Hermetic Doors Differ From Conventional Automated Doors?

There are significant differences between hospital/medical hermetic doors and conventional automated door in terms of function, design, application scenarios, etc. The following is a detailed comparison for you from multiple dimensions .

1. Core Functional Differences

A. Airtightness Requirement. Hospital/medical hermetic door has high sealing performance, which can effectively block air, bacteria, dust, etc. It achieves sealing through the design of sealing strips and door frames to meet the requirements of sterile environments in medical places (such as operating room, ICU, etc.). 

Conventional automated door only has basic sealing functions, mainly used for space separation, with weak air blocking effect and unable to meet the needs of high cleanliness environments.

B. Radiation Protection/Sound Insulation Function. Some medical hermetic/airtight doors (such as those used in X-ray rooms and nuclear medicine departments) need to be attached with radiation-proof materials such as lead plates, and they also have good sound insulation effect to reduce external noise interference.

Conventional automated door generally does not have radiation protection function, and the sound insulation effect depends on the door panel material, mostly ordinary sound insulation (such as in home and office scenarios).

2. Structural and Material Design

A. Door Panel Materials. Medical airtight door uses corrosion-resistant and easy-to-clean materials such as stainless steel and electrolytic steel plates, with a smooth and pore-free surface for disinfection and sterilization (such as wiping with alcohol or chlorine-containing disinfectants). It may be filled with thermal insulation and sound insulation materials (such as polyurethane foam) inside, while ensuring the strength of the door panel. 

Conventional automated door has various materials, including wood, aluminum alloy, glass, etc., focusing on aesthetics and daily use needs, with weak corrosion resistance and anti-disinfection ability.

B. Sealing Structure . Medical airtight door's frame and the edge of the door panel are provided with multiple layers of sealing rubber strips (such as silicone rubber strips), which are matched with the groove design of the door frame to form a tight sealing surface when the door is closed. Some high-end products also have a pressure compensation function (such as automatically adjusting the sealing pressure when the air pressure changes). The door and the ground may be equipped with a lifting sealing device, and the bottom rubber strip is automatically pressed down when the door is closed to enhance the airtight effect. 

Conventional automated door only sets simple sealing rubber strips on the edge of the door frame, with low sealing precision, easy air leakage and dust entry, and unable to meet the airtight requirements.

C. Track and Pulley System

A.The track design for medical airtight door is more precise, the pulley has strong load-bearing capacity and runs smoothly, reducing the vibration when opening and closing the door (to avoid affecting medical equipment or causing sealing failure), and some are equipped with damping buffer devices to reduce noise.

The track and pulley for conventional automated door are mostly basic models, and long-term use may cause running jams due to wear, and the sealing performance will also decrease with wear.

3. Differences in Application Scenarios

Medical Airtight Door is mainly used in places with strict requirements for environmental cleanliness, airtightness, and radiation protection in hospitals, such as operating rooms, delivery rooms, infectious disease wards, sterile laboratories, pharmacies, and radiology departments. For example,operating rooms need to maintain a positive pressure environment through airtight doors to prevent external polluted air from entering. Infectious disease wards need to block the spread of viruses through airtight doors.

Conventional automated door like automatic sliding door is suitable for ordinary places such as homes, office buildings, shopping malls, and hotels, and its main function is to separate spaces and facilitate passage, with no special requirements for environmental control.

4. Installation and Maintenance Requirements

To the medical airtight door, the installation accuracy requirement is high. It is necessary to ensure that the door frame is horizontal and vertical, and the sealing rubber strips are tightly attached, otherwise the airtight effect will be affected. It usually requires professional teams for installation and passes airtightness testing (such as pressure testing). The maintenance frequency is high. It is necessary to regularly check the aging condition of the rubber strips, the cleanliness of the track, and the sensitivity of the control system to ensure the normal sealing performance and automation function.

To the conventional automated door, the installation is relatively simple, with low accuracy requirements, and can be completed by conventional construction teams. The maintenance cost is low, mainly dealing with basic problems such as pulley lubrication and door panel cleaning.

5. Cost and Price

Medical airtight door. Due to special materials, complex structure, and high degree of automation, the price for the complete door or the spare parts are much higher than that of ordinary sliding doors. 

Conventional automated door. The price is affordable. According to different materials, the price for the complete sliding door or spare parts of sliding door are suitable for public consumption scenarios.