Many customers encounter various problems when purchasing or installing security full height turnstile gates. Based on years of industry experience and understanding of full hiehgt turnstile features, we have sorted and summarized the core questions that customers are most likely to want to know when purchasing “full height turnstiles” and their professional answers. And we will keep updating and improving constantly, hoping to provide a reference for everyone.
Q1: What is a full height turnstile gate? What is the essential difference between it and a regular turnstile gate?
A: A full height turnstile is a fully enclosed pedestrian access control device that extends from the ground to the top, consisting of a vertical center column and rotating arms extending in three directions, surrounded by a protective chassis, allowing only one person to pass through at a time. It completely seals off the entrance space, preventing people from climbing, crawling, or passing through from below, eliminating the risk of tailgating (one person swiping a card and multiple people following). Ordinary turnstiles (such as swing turnstile gates and flap barrier gates) mainly rely on sensors to detect tailgating, while full size turnstile gates relies on a sturdy and reliable physical structure.
Q2: In which places are full height turnstiles usually used?
A: The core application scenario is high security level, unmanned or outdoor environment. Typical cases are as follows:
Specific examples of scene types and locations
High security facilities military bases, prisons/detention centers, nuclear power plants, data center computer rooms
Industrial and construction sites, factory workshops, construction sites, mining areas
Infrastructure subway stations, water treatment plants, substations
Surrounding areas of large-scale sports venues and concert entrances
Q3: How to choose between a full height turnstile gate and a half-height turnstile gate (or tripod turnstile gate)?
A: Two key points to consider: ① How high are the requirements for “anti tailgating/anti climbing”; ② Is the installation environment limited by the floor height.
Choose full body turnstile gate: If eliminating tailgating is a “must-have” and the site does not mind the appearance of the full height gate leaning towards “industrial style”, prioritize the full height turnstile gate. Especially suitable for unmanned outdoor boundaries.
Choose a half-height turnstile/tripod turnstile gate: If you pursue a modern and beautiful lobby with fast traffic speed (such as an office lobby), and the tail wind risk can be controlled through management methods, choose a half-height turnstile gate or tripod turnstile gate.
A real failure case: A research and development center of a certain enterprise installed tripod turnstiles in the core area for aesthetics. Within 6 months, there were 3 incidents of tailgating, one of which resulted in the theft of a prototype equipment worth $80000, and ultimately forced to spend double the cost to renovate it into full length turnstiles.
Q4: How fast is the passage speed of the full height turnstile gate? Will it affect queuing during peak hours?
A: The passing speed of the full body turnstile is about 10-15 people per minute, which is indeed slower than the high-end speed gate (30-40 people per minute). The solution is not to replace the gate, but to “add channels” – if it is expected that there will be a large flow of people during peak hours, multiple full height turnstile channels should be planned and reserved in parallel, rather than sacrificing safety levels for speed.
Q5: What are the mandatory requirements for installing full height turnstiles on the site? What is the easiest pit to step on?
A: The two most easily overlooked but fatal indicators are floor height and ground load-bearing capacity.
Vertical space: Full height turnstile gates require at least 2.5 meters of unobstructed vertical space. If there are suspended ceilings, air ducts, and fire pipes on site, structural modifications may be required before installation, which will significantly increase costs.
Ground bearing capacity: A full size turnstile gate can have a self weight exceeding 200 kilograms, and the weight is concentrated on a small base area. Ordinary commercial flooring (such as tiles+ordinary cement layer) may not be sufficient, and usually requires reinforcement of the flooring (such as driving deeper expansion bolts or installing base steel plates). This will increase the construction period by 2-3 days and incur additional labor costs of approximately 20% -30%.
Q6: How does the full height turnstile solve the problem of wheelchair/disabled access (ADA compliance)?
A: The standard lever channel of the full height turnstile gate cannot allow wheelchairs to pass through. The solution is to install a full height ADA swing gate side by side next to the full height turnstile gate. This door is usually locked and can be opened with authorization when needed (such as wheelchairs or large cargo), ensuring a high level of safety while complying with accessibility regulations.
Q7: Does the full height turnstile gate support two-way traffic?
Support. Unidirectional or bidirectional traffic modes can be configured as needed.
Q8: What is the material of the full height turnstile gate?
The main body is usually made of 304 or 316 stainless steel, and some industrial scenes use galvanized steel plates with spray-coating treatment.
Q9: Is the full height turnstile gate suitable for outdoor use?
Yes. Full height turnstiles are mainly designed for outdoor and surrounding security scenarios, and models with corresponding IP protection levels and corrosion-resistant materials (such as 316 stainless steel) should be selected.
Q10: What is the difference between a full height turnstile gate and a speed gate?
Speedway doors are mainly designed for aesthetics and high traffic (about 35-45 people/minute), suitable for office building lobbies; The full height gate focuses on the highest level of physical security and is suitable for unmanned high-risk areas.
Q11: What is the difference between a full height turnstile gate and a tripod turnstile?
The tripod turnstile belongs to the entry-level security and can be easily skipped or drilled through; Full height turnstile gates provide the highest level of physical protection.
Q12: What is the anti-tailgating ability of the full height turnstile gate?
The physical structure makes tailgating almost impossible – the rotating arm can only accommodate one person at a time, and the fully enclosed cage has no climbing space.
Q13: Can the full height turnstile gate prevent theft?
Okay. The sturdy all-steel structure and locking mechanism give it strong anti-theft capabilities, making it suitable for storing valuable assets.
Q14: What is the channel width of the full height gate?
The standard channel width is about 550- 650 mm, limited to personnel only and cannot be accessed by wheelchairs or large carts.
Q15: Is there a widened full height gate channel?
Yes, Some manufacturers offer wide aisle solutions that are compatible with standard full height turnstile gates, allowing wheelchairs and large carts to pass through.
Q16: What is the price range for full height gates?
A single lane full height turnstile gate costs approximately $2000-8000, depending on the material, driving method, control system, and customization requirements.
Q17: How to evaluate whether the installation site requires a full height turnstile gate?
Evaluate three elements: safety level requirements (whether there are personnel on duty), whether there are climbing or trailing risks, and whether complete physical isolation is required.
Q18: How long does it take to install a full height turnstile gate?
Skilled installation personnel require about 2-4 hours per unit, with 2-3 people cooperating to complete positioning, anchoring, wiring, and debugging.
Q19: What is the weight of the full height gate?
A single unit can exceed 200 kilograms, and the load-bearing capacity of the floor slab needs to be evaluated (the standard commercial floor slab of about 150kg/㎡ may not be sufficient).
Q20: Do we need to reinforce the ground when installing a full height turnstile gate?
Usually needed. It is necessary to anchor it to deep concrete through expansion bolts or disperse the weight by increasing the base, which increases installation time and labor costs by about 20-30%.
Q21: Can full height gates be installed in parallel with multiple channels?
Okay. Provide single channel, dual channel, and multi-channel side-by-side deployment solutions.
Q22: Can the full height turnstile gate be installed on a slope?
Not recommended. It needs to be installed on a level ground to ensure the normal operation of the mechanism, and the slope needs to be leveled.
Q23: What are the power requirements for a full height switch?
Standard 220V ± 10% AC power supply, voltage below 180V or above 240V may cause control abnormalities.
Q24: How to debug the full height turnstile gate after installation?
Need to test one by one: card reading and opening function, infrared sensing sensitivity, emergency mode switching, two-way traffic logic, fire linkage response, etc.
Q25: Can the traffic speed of the full length turnstile gate be adjusted?
Okay. Some models can adjust the rotation speed and passage interval time through the backend software.
Q26: Will full height turnstile gate traffic cause congestion?
Not when the number of channels matches the flow of people. The required number of channels needs to be calculated based on peak pedestrian flow.
Q27: Is it feasible to temporarily deploy full height turnstile gates for large-scale events?
Feasible, but it is necessary to consider the fixed foundation, power supply, and debugging time. Compared to half height gates, full height gates have lower flexibility in temporary deployment.
Q28: How to achieve fire linkage for full height turnstile gates?
It can be linked with the fire protection system through dry contact signals, and automatically unlock the gate after receiving the fire protection signal.
Q29: Is the full height turnstile safe for children?
The full body turnstile gate is designed for single-person access, and it is recommended to set up dedicated personnel for supervision or separate child passages in places where children may pass.
Q30: What access control systems can be integrated into the full height turnstile gate?
Standard dry contact interface, supporting RFID cards NFC、 Biometric recognition (fingerprint/face), QR code, mobile credentials, visitor management system, attendance system, etc.
Q31: Can the full height turnstile gate be connected to the existing access card system?
Okay. As long as the existing system supports Wiegand or RS485 output, seamless integration can be achieved.
Q32: What are the communication interfaces of the full size turnstile gate?
The standard configuration is a dry contact interface, and RS232, RS485, TCP/IP interfaces can be customized.
Q33: How often does the full height turnstile gate need to be maintained?
It is recommended to conduct a comprehensive inspection and maintenance every quarter.
Q34: What is the typical service life of a full length turnstile gate?
Under normal maintenance, it takes about 8-10 years (24/7 high load use) and has a mechanical lifespan of approximately 5 million MCBF cycles.
Q35: What are the daily maintenance contents of the full height gate?
Clean the sensor lens, check for loose fasteners, lubricate the transmission gears and bearings, test for normal emergency functions, and inspect the wiring terminals
Q36: Can full height turnstile gates be customized in color and appearance?
Okay. Some manufacturers offer customized finishes, colors, brand logos, and lighting decorations.
Q37: Can full body turnstile gates be customized in size?
Some manufacturers support customized channel width and overall height, but the standard model size is fixed, and customization requires prior communication.
Q38: Can 316 stainless steel be chosen as the material for the full size turnstile gate?
Okay. It is recommended to choose 316 stainless steel for coastal or highly corrosive environments.
Q39: What are the components of the procurement cost for a full height turnstile gate?
Equipment costs, transportation costs, installation costs (foundation reinforcement costs), debugging costs, and maintenance contract costs.