Oshkosh is abuzz about Diamond Doors
Innovative bifold doors designed by pilots, for pilots
Bookending a perfect flight are hangar doors that perform flawlessly, protect valuable aircraft, and have innovative and convenient features. North American bifold door manufacturer Diamond Doors offers all this in custom-built, prewired, finish-painted doors it delivers fully assembled to commercial and private clients in the United States, either directly or through its growing U.S. dealer and service network, and in Canada.
Diamond Doors has many fans from EAA AirVenture, having attended the event in years previous. Dan Coffey, from Wisconsin, said to company founder and pilot Dick Suderman at a previous Oshkosh event, “The door works perfectly. I installed it and haven't touched it since. I will recommend it to anyone that is looking for a door.”
Another customer, Ted Zabinski, a pilot in New York State, is enthusiastic about the custom door he purchased from Diamond Doors. “My son and I installed it and the installation went great. Everything fit perfect and love how it operates. Great product!!”
Diamond Doors, founded in 1998, uses materials and components that exceed industry standards, such as a high-strength steel frame, greaseless hinges and specialized CNC cantilevered rollers. The lift cables have a 10X safety factor. A unique UL/CSA-certified electrical box and control panel permit remote troubleshooting.
Options include the very popular wireless keypad for remote operation, pedestrian door, custom trim colors, building-matched cladding, windows, and insulation. Photoelectric safety sensors are standard and prevent the door from closing if they sense an obstacle. If a door is stopped partway through the opening sequence, the electric drive can restart it from any position.
“This is a unique feature. If you did not open the door enough to allow for the plane’s tail to pass, you can continue to open the door. If the building loses power, an electric brake comes on automatically, preventing your door from coming down,” Suderman says.
Diamond also offers solar charging systems for off-grid buildings.
The industrial-quality enclosed gearboxes are oil bath lubricated for long life and sized to each door. (One of the company’s largest projects is the 118-foot by 38-foot bifold door installed this January at the new Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada at the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.)
The doors are strengthened with triple internal trusses that keep the frames from deflecting under high wind loads. Three locking points secure the door tightly to the building. “We engineer our doors to the location’s wind load ratings. Our design is sturdy and secure,” says Samantha Wiebe, marketing coordinator for Diamond Doors.
A large part of the company’s business is building doors for existing buildings, including Quonset huts. Custom retrofit solutions include self-supporting headers, mitered corners to allow for roof overhang, and extended door frames past the roofline,” Wiebe says.
