Stainless steel and glass folding gate

The Stainless Steel & Glass Folding Gate isn't something you'll find in a catalog. We build it to order. Its frame and hardware are SS316 stainless, the panels are laminated tempered glass, and the drive sits out of sight inside the column. It folds to the side like our aluminum bifolds, but it reads as part of the building, not as a fence.

One job started it. A high-end marina contractor on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast wanted an entrance that could take salt spray all day and still look like glass, so we designed one from scratch (the story is at Red Sea marina). New orders start from that same specification. Then each one gets sized and detailed for its own opening.

Right for every driveway? No. Pick it when the view matters and corrosion is a daily fact of life.

SS316 structure and hardware

Frame, fixings, hardware: all SS316. That grade carries roughly 2 to 3% molybdenum, and the molybdenum is what fights chloride pitting. The Nickel Institute's guidelines for building exteriors say Type 316 is preferable for coastal regions and polluted atmospheres. On a seafront site like the marina, 316 is the usual choice.

12.76 mm laminated tempered glass

Panels are 6 mm + 0.76 mm PVB + 6 mm, so about 12.76 mm all in. They're specified to EN 14449 and ANSI Z97.1, with EN 12600 impact classification. The glass is rated from -40 to +120 °C and lets 85% or more of the light through. Crack a pane and the PVB interlayer keeps the pieces where they are.

Motor hidden in the column

You won't see the drive. It's a DC 24V motor tucked inside the column, 150 to 200 W, under 3 A, with 500 N maximum torque. Expect 15 to 25 seconds for a 90° fold. It carries an IP52 rating and works from -25 to +45 °C. Nothing bolts onto the glass, and there's no motor box parked beside the post.

Long-range RFID entry

Members' and residents' cars open the gate with long-range RFID (860 to 960 MHz), read at 8 to 10 m in under 10 ms. Nobody stops to lean out at a reader. Prefer something else? Our control system also takes LPR, keypad, app and intercom inputs.

Folds like our aluminum bifolds

It folds to the side, like a bifold. Hinge and guidance details depend on leaf size, so ask us which system suits yours. Curious how a folding leaf carries its load to the ground? Our technology page walks through it.

Salt, sun and looks all count here. These are the sites where it earns its place:

• Marinas and yacht clubs. The Red Sea gate runs 24/7, unattended. After long-term operation on that coast, its SS316 parts and electrics were recorded free from corrosion or oxidation.
• Waterfront villas and resorts. Say your drive looks straight out to sea. Glass keeps that view, while steel bars would slice it into strips.
• Hotel and residence forecourts, where the entrance is really part of the facade.
• Short, tight openings. No room for a swing arc or a long sliding run? The panels fold off to the side. Ask us whether your opening can use a suspended, trackless layout like our aluminum bifolds.

Running a logistics yard with heavy traffic? Go with the industrial folding gate. A forklift lane is no place for a glass face.

Each unit is engineered to order. Before anything gets cut, we run structural verification and load analysis on your size. You'll get CAD drawings and renderings to approve, and building starts only after you sign off. From drawing approval, production typically takes 15 to 20 days.

Want the quote moving fast? Send us these:

• Clear opening width, gate height and the column space on each side
• How far you are from the shoreline, and whether spray or pool chlorine reaches the gate
• The glass look you'd like (clear, tinted or patterned) and any finish requirements
• Access method: RFID, LPR, keypad, app or intercom
• Power at the posts and roughly how many cycles a day
• Site photos, including the ground at both posts

Here's the honest part. IP52 on the motor suits a covered or semi-sheltered column. If your gate will take driving rain head on, tell us, and we'll confirm whether the drive position needs extra protection. Gates ship in full wooden crates. Our engineers guide installation and commissioning on site. Start at contact.