Hover Doors has introduced a new type of magnetically levitating door, offering customers ultra-smooth openings.
Sliding and bi-folding doors are getting a makeover. Hover Doors, a research and development firm set up by entrepreneur and engineering professional Tony Lam in 2017, is introducing a new type of door that works in a fundamentally different way from any other product on the market.
Lam’s patented idea is to use magnetic levitation technology, previously found on Japanese train lines, to enable doors to open and close more smoothly. The technology could eliminate the need for bearings, pulleys, and other fittings typically found on sliding and bi-folding doors. The technology will enable door manufacturers to deliver cleaner, smoother-opening doors to customers that don’t rely on physical contact with the floor.
Magnetic levitating doors operate via the principles of opposing magnetic poles. When a negative pole of a magnet comes within range of the field of another negative pole, it generates a force of repulsion over short distances. Hover Doors’ idea is to leverage this physical law to oppose the force of gravity, eliminating the need for conventional moving parts in its door sets.
To observers, monorail magnetically levitating doors are visually impactful. Unlike conventional doors which only have the illusion of hovering in space, Hover Doors’ remain levitated without any anchoring or supporting structure.
Thanks to the removal of most of the moving parts, Hover Doors’ Monorail Magnetic Levitating Doors can operate smoothly without the need for maintenance. “Floating is guaranteed for a lifetime,” according to the brand, because “neodymium magnets lose less than 1 percent of their magnetic strength over a period of 100 years.”
* Minimum Friction
* Silent
* No Support Wheels
* No Maintenance
* No Electricity
* No Replacement
* No Waste…Will Save The Planet and Protect Mother Earth
(There are million tons of metal and glass are landfilled each year)
The technology is not miraculous, though. Hover Doors still equips the doors with guide rails to keep the doors in alignment and prevent them from falling either forwards or backwards.
Hover Doors is pitching the new magnetically levitating doors to the luxury market. However, there are clear applications in the office environment, too. The new door will float effortlessly above the floor, improving noise characteristics and giving workspaces a premium feel.
There are also automatic door applications. Reduced friction and moving parts help to cut the cost for periodic maintenance, part replacement and slash energy consumption while providing users of public buildings, retail outlets, and restaurants with an enhanced experience. Any sliding doors you can think of may also see a makeover if the firm can bring its new technology to fruition.
