Premier™ Aluminum Bi-Fold Door to incorporate Ascent AC-Drive

August, 2003, Elkhorn, Wis.--Wilson Doors Inc., the leading manufacturer of vertical bi-fold and large sliding doors for aviation, marine and commercial applications, announced its Premier aluminum bi-fold door will now include, as a standard feature, the Ascent AC-Drive and three button control box. The Premier product is the first bi-fold door to be offered with an AC-Drive.

"Constructed of 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum, Wilson's Premier aluminum bi-fold door is the highest quality bi-fold door on the market today," remarked Scott Blue, Wilson's President. "Adding an AC-Drive to the Premier door, along with the now standard auto-locks and radio control, further underscores the product's overall value and superior performance."

The variable speed Ascent AC-Drive provides for a very smooth, soft start and stop, minimizing wear on the motor and components, while significantly decreasing the opening and closing time of the door. "Initially, the door operates slowly, but once it reaches a certain height, it smoothly accelerates. It really moves. When the door is at the top of its stroke, however, the door slows down and softly stops. The benefit is the overall opening and closing time has been dramatically reduced, while providing a soft start and stop that is less taxing on the motor and components," noted Blue.

Other manufacturers have developed mechanical means of accelerating the opening speed. However, there's a jarring stop at the top of the door's opening cycle because of the acceleration. The brake engages suddenly and a shock is sent through the motor and components. This creates undue stress and greatly reduces the life expectancy of the door. In addition, the closing speed is subject to deceleration—so the door closes at a much slower speed.

Wilson is the first to apply this technology to vertical bi-fold doors. "Wilson intends to continue to innovate to meet the needs of our customers. The Ascent AC-Drive is the most recent example of Wilson's industry leadership and new product development intentions."

Founded in 1956, Wilson specializes in the design and construction of lightweight aluminum and economical steel vertical bi-fold doors, as well as large exterior sliding doors. The doors are used in a variety of scenarios including industrial, commercial, agricultural, aviation and marine applications. Known for their high quality and durability, Wilson has thousands of installations nationwide and manufactures each door to order. Wilson works closely with the end-user, contractor and architect to manufacture every door to the exact specifications of the customer.

Upon completion, the doors are shipped on company trucks and, with the doors' modular construction and installation supervision, are quickly and easily erected.

For more information on Wilson Doors, check out the company's comprehensive web site at www.wilsondoors.com.