Glass floor doors are increasingly electrically adjustable. The increasing popularity is not hard to explain. A glass floor door attracts attention, is extremely user-friendly and can be adapted to the wishes of the residents. For example, the choice in materials, shapes and "adjustment systems" is wide.
This wide choice is also reflected in our range. We regularly supply customer-specific gas springs and (electric) actuators for glass floor hatches. This article discusses the application of an actuator for a glass floor door.
Glass floor door to (wine) cellar
This article focuses on a historic mansion and in particular the staircase / access to the wine cellar. The owner of the property was looking for a stylish and practical solution for adjusting the glass floor door to the wine cellar. The hatch is located in the middle of the room, making the ancient wine cellar clearly visible from the room.
BIBUS actuators and gas springs are produced by Bansbach in Germany. BIBUS is a distributor of the producer in the Netherlands and is specialized in customer-specific solutions for height adjustment.
Calculating the right solution is not always easy. Our professional software helps to calculate the desired actuator very accurately. This ensures that you have a solution that works exactly the way you want it to. In addition to quality and accuracy, ease of use is also of paramount importance. The floor hatch is therefore easy to operate via the keypad or via a remote control. The video below shows how the hatch is adjusted.
Customized glass floor door
The frame of the floor door consists of a combination of steel and insulated safety glass. This frame was developed in collaboration with a partner of BIBUS. Based on these collaborations, BIBUS can offer a complete solution for glass floor doors. It is also possible to use tiles or other floor covering in the floor hatch. This allows the floor hatch to be placed unobtrusively in the environment.
Floor hatches are used for many applications, not just for access to the wine cellar. Because the actuators are also available in stainless steel versions, they are excellent for use in outdoor locations, such as a boat hatch or a roof hatch. In addition, stainless steel can be chosen over other materials because of its robust and industrial appearance.
Actuator or gas spring for floor hatch?
For this specific case study the choice for an actuator was made. However, in addition to this option BIBUS also offers another commonly used solution: gas springs. The main difference between these two solutions is in how the adjustments are made. An actuator is electrically driven, while a gas spring is adjusted by gas pressure and manual force. The table below lists the advantages and disadvantages of gas springs and actuators. More detailed information on the subject can be found in the blog "choosing between a gas spring and an actuator".
| Pros of gas springs | Pros of actuators |
| Greater diversity in designs and dimensions | No manual force required for height / position adjustment |
| Higher force range (up to 12,000N) | No progressivity |
| The cycle time has no maximum | Configuration of actuators is more flexible |
| Gas springs last longer and are therefore more sustainable. | Synchronous movements are possible |
| No external power supply is required to use gas springs. | Flexible position determination |
| Gas springs have a wider range of mounting options | Different speed settings |
| An opening angle greater than 90° is possible | Actuator pushes and pulls with the same force |
| Gas springs make no noise | Can be operated remotely |
| Gas springs are relatively cheaper |
Safety of the glass floor hatch
The actuators are constantly being improved by the manufacturer, also in terms of safety. The consistent quality of the actuators is due to the highest quality materials used in production.
In addition, various smart solutions are used, such as the optional "spline" function. The motor of a regular actuator is directly connected to the rod. With an actuator with a “spline" function the rod is not directly connected to the motor, which ensures that the hatch can also be opened manually in the event of a power failure. The video below shows how easy this is.
Complete range of solutions
In addition to actuators and gas springs, the BIBUS range includes other components for a floor hatch, such as external hinges, internal hinges and various U-handles. Click to view the complete range of over 30,000 mechanical components.
Order a glass floor door
Are you looking for a tailor-made total solution for a glass floor door? BIBUS is happy to help you. The collaboration with producers, engineers and our own knowledge combined ensures a final solution that is created and installed according to your wishes. For free advice, please contact our specialists. Would you rather get started yourself? Via the actuator configurator or gas spring configurator you can easily determine the right solution for your glass floor door. This option also makes it possible to download a CAD / STEP drawing of the actuator / gas spring and implement it in your own drawing package.
