Summit Automation had built a strong reputation in the automated door industry with its innovative “9 in 1” control switch, which consolidated nine essential door functions into a single interface. However, as consumer technology evolved, the company faced a critical challenge: that existing control technology was becoming outdated.
The widespread adoption of smartphones and touchscreen devices had fundamentally changed user expectations. Customers were accustomed to the intuitive tap-and-swipe interactions of their iPhones and tablets. “With the advent of the touch screen and the iPhone, quite frankly, people are used to tapping screens in a different way,” Summit CEO, Patrick (PJ) Gruetzmacher, said. The company’s press-and-depress switch technology felt increasingly antiquated, making the need for modernisation clear.
Beyond user experience concerns, Summit also needed to address regulatory compliance. As a manufacturer of automated door systems handling massive glass panels, some reaching 10 feet wide and 25 feet tall, Summit’s products must comply with UL 325 safety standards. The new control solution would need to seamlessly integrate safety features whilst maintaining ease of use.
Finding the right technology partner proved challenging. Summit required a touchscreen solution that was modern, intuitive, customisable, easily programmable, and simple for installers to implement in the field. The solution needed to support advanced features whilst remaining accessible to both end-users and installation professionals.
The 4D Systems Solution
After evaluating available options, Summit Automation selected 4D Systems, an Australian technology company, as its partner for the next generation of door controls. The decision was driven by 4D’s unique combination of sophisticated technology and remarkable ease of integration.
At the heart of the solution is the 4D Systems 4Discovery-50 HMI, a wall-mounted intelligent display from 4D’s 4Discovery family of building automation solutions. Designed to be mounted directly onto panels, walls, and flat drillable surfaces, the 4Discovery-50 features a high-resolution 480×854 pixel capacitive touchscreen display powered by a DIABLO16 processor and programmed via 4D’s Workshop 4 IDE software.
The device supports micro-SD memory storage, a two-wire RS485 interface, a built-in proximity sensor, and a switch-mode power supply, and is available in a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled configuration, making it well suited to the connected smart home environments Summit serves. The unit’s modular daughterboard design further allows hardware customisation to meet specific application requirements, a capability Summit would put to practical use.
“4D has a platform and a system and software that is so easy to use and so easy to integrate with our system that it was a natural selection for us to work with 4D,” Gruetzmacher said. This flexibility proved essential for creating Summit’s new “12 in 1” touchscreen controller, which would expand functionality beyond the original nine features.
The partnership enabled Summit to implement several industry-first innovations. Working with 4D’s hardware and software platform, Summit developed a groundbreaking control switch to blend seamlessly with its surroundings when in standby. “We’re able to take the switch and through software, been able to basically create a camouflage mode in the switch itself,” Gruetzmacher said. This aesthetic feature addresses a common complaint about smart home technology: intrusive, glowing interfaces that disrupt room ambience.
4D’s touchscreen also included built-in light sensing capabilities, which Summit leveraged to create automatic brightness adjustment. The system intelligently dims or brightens based on ambient light conditions. “The last thing a customer wants to see is this really white hot flashing wall switch when they’re watching a movie late at night,” Gruetzmacher said, highlighting how this feature benefits residential applications.
Key Features and Integration
The technical capabilities of 4D’s platform enabled Summit to address its UL 325 compliance requirements elegantly. The fully customisable touchscreen content allowed Summit to program all required safety settings directly into the interface itself. “Because we can customise the screen contents, we’re actually able to put all of our safety settings that are required as part of UL 325 onto the screen itself to help us be compliant to the standard,” Gruetzmacher said.
The 4Discovery-50’s proximity sensor provided the foundation for wave detection capabilities, allowing users to activate the door controls with a simple hand wave from three to eighteen inches away — an adjustable range that accommodates different installation scenarios and accessibility needs. This touchless activation option adds both convenience and hygiene benefits, particularly relevant in commercial and healthcare environments.
Perhaps most significantly for Summit’s product roadmap, the 4D platform facilitated seamless integration with voice command systems. “The ability to be able to integrate the voice command module into the 12 in 1 allows people to be able to talk to their door. You can use Siri or Google or Alexa, and you can actually communicate with the door through that platform,” Gruetzmacher said. This connectivity positions Summit’s products within the broader smart home and building automation ecosystem.
Implementation and Results
The practical benefits of the 4D partnership extended beyond technical capabilities. Summit found that the new touchscreen controllers were dramatically easier to install than their previous generation of switches. “It’s a big night and day difference between our nine in one previously to the 12 in 1, and we’ve made it so much easier for our customers to be able to install these systems out in the field,” Gruetzmacher said.
The ease of programming and customisation also meant that Summit could rapidly respond to customer requests for specialised features or configurations. Rather than being locked into rigid product specifications, the flexible 4D platform allows Summit to adapt their controls for unique applications or specific market segments.
According to Summit’s leadership, customers have embraced the new 12 in 1 touchscreen enthusiastically. “The partnership that we’ve had with 4D has been fantastic because their product is simple, easy to use, fully integratable, but most importantly, adaptive,” Gruetzmacher said. The combination of intuitive touch operation, intelligent lighting, voice control integration, and touchless activation has set a new standard in the automated door industry.
The Strategic Value of Partnership
The Summit Automation and 4D Systems collaboration demonstrates how the right technology partnership can transform product capabilities. By selecting a platform that balanced sophisticated features with ease of integration, Summit successfully modernised their control technology whilst maintaining the reliability and safety that built their reputation.
“By partnering with 4D, we’re actually able to adapt quite a bit of our latest technology into their latest technology. So collaboratively, we’re supplying a fantastic product to our customers,” Gruetzmacher said. The 4Discovery-50’s adaptable platform, open protocol design, and straightforward Workshop 4 IDE programming environment allowed Summit to focus on innovation rather than wrestling with technical limitations.
The result is a control system that meets current market expectations and positions Summit to continue evolving their products as technology and customer preferences advance. For companies facing similar challenges where existing technology works but no longer meets modern user expectations, the Summit-4D partnership offers valuable lessons about the importance of choosing technology partners who provide both capability and flexibility.
