- Location
- Wigston Magna, Leicestershire
- Main postcode districts
- LE2 and LE18
- Nearby (straight line)
- Oadby (2 miles), Leicester (4 miles) and Earl Shilton (9 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
A loading bay door automation package is an electric operator, control panel and set of safety devices fitted to an existing manual sectional door or roller shutter so it opens and closes at the press of a button. Once motorised, the door is a power-operated door, so it needs protection against trapping, such as a safety edge and photocells, and a way to be opened by hand if the power fails.
Where does this fit at a dock in Wigston Magna?
Landlords upgrading manual doors across a multi-let estate in Wigston Magna can standardise operators and controls so every tenant gets the same reliable setup. Preparing a site in Wigston Magna for a health and safety review is a good moment to motorise doors with proper trapping protection rather than leave staff on hand chains.
On older units in Wigston Magna where the original doors are still sound, automation keeps the existing door working while removing the effort of hand chains.
Any project involving loading bay door automation at a working site in Wigston Magna takes planning. We survey free of charge, quote a fixed price in writing, and then agree a programme that keeps as much of the dock running as possible. Specialist installation engineers carry out the work under our management, out of hours if that suits you better. On completion we test each item, show your team how it operates and leave the documentation with you.
Is my existing door suitable for automation?
An existing door is usually suitable for automation if it is structurally sound, correctly balanced and runs smoothly by hand. A motor should never be used to make up for a door that is heavy, stiff or damaged.
Signs a door can be automated:
- It lifts evenly by hand and stays put when released halfway.
- Springs, cables, rollers and tracks are in good order.
- Panels or laths are not badly dented or distorted.
Signs it may be better replaced:
- Springs are near the end of their life or have broken before.
- The door is single skin and the building is now heated.
- Parts are no longer available for the door model.
Where replacement makes more sense, we will say so and can quote for sectional loading bay doors supplied with an operator already fitted, so you can compare the two routes on cost.
What safety rules apply once a manual door is motorised?
Once a manual door is fitted with a motor it becomes a power-operated door, and the rules for powered doors apply in full. Automation is more than bolting on a motor.
- Workplace law: regulation 18 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 in Great Britain, and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993, require powered doors to have suitable and effective features to prevent trapping, and to be operable by hand where necessary unless they open automatically on power failure.
- Safety in use: BS EN 12453 sets out safety requirements and test methods for power-operated doors, including how closing forces are limited and measured.
- Product standard: BS EN 13241 covers the door as a product.
- Marking: in Great Britain a powered door may carry the UKCA or the CE mark; in Northern Ireland the CE mark, or CE with UKNI, applies.
Enforcement sits with HSE in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland. The results of the safety checks carried out at commissioning form part of the handover.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What does the free survey cover?
- Asbestos register and any other site hazard information
- Dock height and the mix of trailers you load
- Condition of any existing leveller pit, kerb angles and pit drainage
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- Clear opening width and height for each door
- Headroom above the opening and which track type will suit it
Options to discuss
Remote and drive-through controls
Radio remotes, pull cords and induction loops let drivers and forklift operators open the door without stopping, alongside the main push-button panel.
Safety edge and photocells
A pressure-sensitive or optical edge on the bottom rail plus photocells across the opening, stopping and reversing the door if anything is in its path.
What do the rules in England mean for the work?
Powered doors and dock equipment installed in England may carry the UKCA or the CE mark, and doors are covered by the product standard BS EN 13241. We hand over the relevant documentation for each item fitted in Wigston Magna. Planning and Building Regulations questions are never assumed either way: we check what applies at survey, so you know before work is booked.
Questions about loading bay door automation in Wigston Magna
Do you remove and dispose of the old equipment?
Yes, where it is part of the scope. When we replace doors, levellers, shelters or seals at a site in Wigston Magna, removal and disposal of the old equipment can be included and is itemised in the quote, so it is clear what is covered. If anything should be kept, such as a frame or motor that is still serviceable, we agree that at survey.
How do you price loading bay door automation for a site in Wigston Magna?
Guide budgets for supply and fit are £1,100 to £2,400 per door, excluding VAT. The figure moves with size, insulation, the operator, electrics, access, any pit or groundworks and out-of-hours working. Where levellers are involved, the guide assumes an existing, sound pit. After the free survey you receive a fixed written quote, and that is the price for the agreed scope.
Can you work alongside our main contractor on a new build in Wigston Magna?
Yes. For new warehouses and fit-outs, we can supply and install the dock package as part of a wider project, working to the main contractor's programme, site rules and permits. We will need drawings, dock levels and the programme, and we coordinate pit details, power supplies and door openings with the relevant trades before installation begins.
How long does it take to automate a dock door?
Most automations are completed within a working day per door, once any repairs to the door itself have been done. Larger shutters, or doors that need a new power supply, can take longer. We plan the work so that only the door being automated is out of use.
Can any manual door be motorised?
No, only doors that are sound, balanced and run smoothly by hand should be motorised. Doors with weak springs, damaged panels, bent laths or obsolete parts may need repair first, or may be better replaced. We check this at survey and tell you which applies before quoting.
Loading bay door automation near Wigston Magna
Other towns within reach of Wigston Magna on our coverage list include Oadby (2 miles), Leicester (4 miles) and Earl Shilton (9 miles), all covered on the same terms.
Other loading bay services in Wigston Magna
Full guide to loading bay door automation · Everything we do in Wigston Magna
Have photos of the door, leveller or shelter? Send them with your enquiry and we can give a clearer answer for your Wigston Magna site.