Will the detector alarm on phones and keys?

That depends on where sensitivity is set, which is a decision made with you at calibration. Most entrances settle on a level that ignores everyday pocket items and reacts to larger metal objects, because a detector that alarms constantly is one guards quickly learn to wave people through.

Is it safe for people with pacemakers or for pregnant women?

Walk-through detectors use a low-intensity magnetic field rather than radiation. Manufacturers publish guidance on medical devices, which we hand over with the unit, and most sites also keep a hand-held scanner so anyone who prefers not to walk through can be screened separately.

Does it need its own power supply?

It needs a mains connection at the entrance, which is part of the installation. Battery backup can be specified so screening continues through an outage, which matters where the detector is the only thing controlling entry.

Security Systems

Metal detectors

Supply and installation of walk-through metal detector archways and hand-held scanners for building entrances, for premises that screen people on the way in - offices, schools, places of worship, banks, hotels and event venues.

What this is

A walk-through archway is only as useful as its sensitivity setting. Set too high and it alarms on belt buckles and phones until the guard stops reacting to it, which is worse than having no detector at all. Set too low and it misses what it was installed to find. We calibrate on site against what your entrance actually sees, and set the zone indicators so a guard is told roughly where on the body the metal is rather than simply that something is there.

Placement matters as much as the unit. A detector needs a queue that forms in one direction, enough space before it that people are not still holding bags, and a position away from large steel structures or vehicle traffic that can trigger false readings. We work that out at the survey, because moving an archway after the power and the floor fixing are in is an expensive correction.

What is included

Walk-through archway detectors with multiple detection zones
Hand-held scanners for secondary screening
On-site calibration against the traffic your entrance actually sees
Counter and alarm logging for screening records
Battery backup so screening continues through a power interruption

A card reader mounted beside a controlled door in a stairwell

How it works

From first call to handover

Site survey of the entrance, queue direction and surrounding structures
Unit specified for the throughput and the level of screening required
Installation, floor fixing and power connection
Calibration on site and guard briefing on responding to alarms
Handover with settings recorded so they can be restored after servicing

Pricing

How this is billed

Quoted per unit and per entrance after the survey. The variables are the number of detection zones, the throughput required and whether backup power is included. Hand-held scanners are quoted separately, since most sites want them alongside an archway rather than instead of one.

After installation

Support and servicing

Detectors drift out of calibration with use and should be checked periodically rather than only after a complaint. Settings are recorded at handover so they can be restored exactly after any service visit. Units carry the manufacturer warranty, and faults - false alarms, dead zones, or an archway that has stopped detecting on one side - are reported to the support line.

Questions

What people ask before booking

Will the detector alarm on phones and keys?: That depends on where sensitivity is set, which is a decision made with you at calibration. Most entrances settle on a level that ignores everyday pocket items and reacts to larger metal objects, because a detector that alarms constantly is one guards quickly learn to wave people through.
Is it safe for people with pacemakers or for pregnant women?: Walk-through detectors use a low-intensity magnetic field rather than radiation. Manufacturers publish guidance on medical devices, which we hand over with the unit, and most sites also keep a hand-held scanner so anyone who prefers not to walk through can be screened separately.
Does it need its own power supply?: It needs a mains connection at the entrance, which is part of the installation. Battery backup can be specified so screening continues through an outage, which matters where the detector is the only thing controlling entry.

Ask about metal detectors

Send us the building, the distances and the problem you are solving. We will come back with a survey date and an honest view of what it takes.

Request a site survey