When investing in automatic doors for restaurants, hotels, hospitals, or shopping malls, many project owners focus primarily on the initial installation cost. However, a more important question is: How long can an automatic door system continue to operate reliably? In reality, automatic door lifespan is not determined simply by the number of years a system has been in service, but by its ability to maintain consistent performance after millions of opening and closing cycles. This is also one of the key criteria used by leading manufacturers such as NABCO to evaluate the durability of their products. So, what factors determine the lifespan of an automatic door? And what do real-world projects that have been operating for more than a decade tell us? Let’s explore the answers with Sonha Auto in the article below.
Factors that determine automatic door lifespan
Many people believe that choosing a well-known brand is enough to ensure a long-lasting automatic door. In reality, while equipment quality provides a solid foundation, it is not the only determining factor.
There is no fixed lifespan for an automatic door system because every project operates under different conditions. However, the service life of an automatic door is generally influenced by the following four key factors:
- Equipment quality: This is the primary factor. An integrated system consisting of a high-quality automatic door operator, motor, controller, sensors, and mechanical components enables stable and reliable operation over many years.
- Operating frequency: Daily usage has a direct impact on automatic door lifespan. A door installed in an office building may complete only a few hundred opening and closing cycles each day, while a restaurant or shopping mall entrance may operate continuously from morning until night.
- Installation environment: Humidity, dust, salt-laden air in coastal areas, and ambient temperature all affect the long-term performance of the system.
- Regular preventive maintenance: Routine inspection, cleaning, lubrication, and adjustment help minimize failures, maintain optimal performance, and significantly extend the lifespan of the entire automatic door system.
Is automatic door lifespan measured in years or operating cycles?
In the automatic door industry, the number of years in service reflects only part of a system’s lifecycle. More importantly, engineers evaluate automatic door lifespan based on the total number of opening and closing cycles completed during operation.
Every time the door opens and closes completely, one operating cycle is recorded. During each cycle, the motor, controller, guide rail, drive belt, rollers, and safety devices work together as an integrated system.
An automatic door operating 500 cycles per day will have a very different service life from one operating 5,000 cycles per day, even if both systems were installed at the same time.
For this reason, when evaluating the durability of an automatic door system, actual operating cycle data provides far more meaningful insight than simply considering the number of years the door has been in service.
The real-world automatic door lifespan of NABCO systems
Rather than relying solely on catalogs or technical specifications, the durability of an automatic door is best demonstrated by projects that have remained in continuous operation.
The NABCO automatic door at Cha Ca Gia Nguyen exceeds 5.7 million opening and closing cycles
Installed by Sonha Auto in 2013, the NABCO automatic door at Cha Ca Gia Nguyen is equipped with a NABCO TELE automatic door operator serving the restaurant’s main entrance. According to data recorded during the most recent maintenance inspection, the system has completed 5,735,905 opening and closing cycles after more than 13 years of operation.
This figure is particularly significant because every opening and closing cycle represents a complete operating cycle for the entire system. After more than 5.7 million cycles, the door continues to operate reliably, accommodating constant daily customer traffic without requiring a complete system replacement.
This provides compelling evidence that the durability of an automatic door depends not only on the quality of the equipment itself but also on selecting the right solution and following the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance procedures.
More than 3 million operating cycles with reliable performance
In addition to the Cha Ca Gia Nguyen project, Sonha Auto currently maintains numerous NABCO automatic door systems that have each recorded more than 3 million opening and closing cycles. One notable example is at Terminal 2 of Noi Bai International Airport, where a NABCO automatic door has completed 3,634,939 operating cycles.
This significantly exceeds the manufacturer’s recommended service interval of approximately 2.5 million operating cycles or seven years of use, whichever comes first, demonstrating the exceptional durability of NABCO automatic door systems under real operating conditions.
According to Sonha Auto’s maintenance records covering 112 NABCO automatic door systems installed throughout Terminal 2 International, Terminal 1 Domestic, and the VIP area at Noi Bai International Airport, most systems have accumulated nearly 3 million operating cycles while continuing to operate reliably under heavy daily passenger traffic.
Data collected using NABCO’s PDA diagnostic device during maintenance inspections also records the operating history of each door, including the total number of opening and closing cycles along with other technical parameters. Besides supporting system configuration and adjustment, the PDA stores operational data throughout the product’s service life.
These real-world operating records demonstrate that automatic door lifespan can extend well beyond many years when the system is properly selected for its intended operating capacity and maintained according to the correct maintenance procedures
Many projects continue to operate reliably after 15 – 20 years
Today, Sonha Auto continues to provide maintenance services for numerous NABCO automatic door systems installed in the early 2000s at major projects across Vietnam. These include the Ministry of Industry and Trade Headquarters (2008), Terminal 2 – Tan Son Nhat International Airport (2007), IPH Xuan Thuy Shopping Center (2012, now The Loop), Star Tower (2013), as well as many hotels, hospitals, and shopping malls.
Although these systems have been in service for more than 15 to 20 years, many continue to operate reliably thanks to regular preventive maintenance and the scheduled replacement of wear components. These long-term projects provide compelling evidence of the quality, durability, and long service life of NABCO automatic doors under real operating conditions.
What contributes to the long lifespan of NABCO automatic doors?
The durability of NABCO automatic doors is not the result of a single component but of the seamless integration of the entire system. The motor, controller, guide rail, drive belt, urethane rollers, and safety sensors are engineered to work together as a fully integrated system, reducing stress on individual components and minimizing wear during continuous operation.
In addition to equipment quality, regular preventive maintenance is the key factor in maximizing automatic door lifespan. Each maintenance visit includes system cleaning, sensor inspection, guide rail adjustment, evaluation of the motor, controller, and drive components, as well as the early detection of wear before it develops into a failure. As a result, the system continues to deliver reliable performance while extending its overall service life.
From an investment perspective, the cost of an automatic door system is incurred only once at the time of installation, while its value is realized through millions of opening and closing cycles over 10 to 20 years of operation. Every reliable operating cycle contributes to a smooth user experience, minimizes operational disruptions, and reduces unexpected repair costs.
This is why many project owners evaluate more than just the initial purchase price. Instead, they focus on the total cost of ownership throughout the building’s lifecycle. An automatic door system that operates reliably, experiences fewer failures, and receives proper preventive maintenance delivers lower long-term operating costs while maintaining consistent performance for many years.
This is precisely what has been demonstrated by numerous NABCO automatic door projects, where many systems continue to operate reliably after more than a decade and millions of opening and closing cycles.
>>> See more: Automatic folding sliding door system for high-end apartments achieves over 1 million cycles/year at Times City
Conclusion
Automatic door lifespan cannot be defined by a fixed number, as it depends on equipment quality, operating frequency, installation environment, and maintenance practices. However, real-world projects—including the NABCO automatic door at Cha Ca Gia Nguyen with more than 5,735,905 opening and closing cycles, projects that have recorded over 3 million operating cycles, and numerous door systems that have continued operating reliably for 15 20 years demonstrate that automatic door durability is measured not only by technical specifications but also by years of proven performance and real operating data.
If you are looking for a highly durable automatic door solution backed by long-term preventive maintenance services, contact Sonha Auto for expert consultation. Our team will recommend the most suitable solution for your project, helping your automatic door system operate safely, reliably, and efficiently throughout its entire service life.
