Skip to content
Standard Automatic Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Access Control & Vehicle Barriers/Pedestrian Access Control

Tripod Turnstiles

One person, one authorisation, enforced mechanically.

Three tripod turnstiles in a building lobby, each a stainless cabinet carrying a three-armed rotor, with a card reader on the top surface, a lit green band along the edge and a green direction arrow on the sideAccess Control

Key specifications

Passage control
One person per authorisation
Resistance
Waist height, mechanical
Emergency
Drop-arm release
Specification
Configured per lane at survey

* Final specification depends on door dimensions, configuration, operating environment and project requirements.

01Overview

About Tripod Turnstiles

A tripod turnstile enforces single-person passage: three arms rotate one third of a turn per authorisation, so a valid credential admits exactly one person. It is the most compact and most economical way to make an access decision physical rather than advisory.

03Variants

Available configurations

The same product, built for a different job. Where a specification depends on opening dimensions, selected profile, operating duty or site conditions, the final configuration is confirmed during technical assessment.

  • Drop-arm emergency release

    The arms fall clear on alarm or power failure, converting the lane into open escape width.

  • Stainless steel housing

    For external gate houses and washdown or coastal environments where a painted housing would not last.

10Gallery

Tripod Turnstiles in detail

  • A single brushed stainless tripod turnstile seen three-quarter from the passage side in a lobby: the slim housing on its base plate, the black rotor hub with three polished arms, the green arrow indicator on the side face and the sloped top cap with reader symbol and green LED band
  • Macro of the rotor hub of a tripod turnstile: the black cast hub on the brushed stainless housing face where the three polished tubular arms meet at 120 degrees, with their sockets and the hub cover
  • A tripod turnstile in emergency release: its three stainless arms dropped to hang vertically against the housing beside the black hub, leaving the passage clear, with the side indicator showing an amber arrow, in a lobby with glass balustrades
  • Close-up of the sloped black top cap of a tripod turnstile with its contactless reader symbol and the green LED status band around the cap edge, the brushed stainless housing and the root of a polished arm below
  • Three stainless tripod turnstiles in a row at a factory gate house under a flat canopy, with stainless and glass guide railings between the lanes, the security cabin window alongside and a light-grey clad factory building across the paved forecourt

04Technical specifications

Specification, features and ordering

Technical data is shown first; features, applications, compatibility, installation, safety, ordering and downloads are a click away.

Dimensions5 fields
Clear passage width
Typically 450–560 mm depending on model
Accessible lane width
Provided by a separate swing gate alongside the bank, sized to the accessibility requirement

At least one wide lane is normally required per bank.

Housing length
Typically 700–1,300 mm depending on model
Housing width
Typically 180–240 mm depending on model
Housing height
Typically 920–1,000 mm; arm at about 750 mm
Throughput4 fields
Throughput
Typically 20–25 persons/min, depending on the access control system's response and the users
Opening time
Unlocks on a valid read; the user turns the arm
Closing time
Re-locks after one rotation of the arm
Mean cycles between failure
Manufacturer ratings of up to 5,000,000 cycles with recommended maintenance, depending on model
Construction4 fields
Housing material and finish
Painted steel or stainless steel housing with stainless top cover; full AISI 304 or 316 stainless options for outdoor and coastal sites
Arm or wing material
AISI 304 stainless steel arms
Mechanism
Electromagnetically locked tripod with locking cams; unidirectional as standard, bidirectional as an option; motorised arm assistance on some models
Reader mounting provision
Space in the top cover and the housing for readers, keypads and collectors; integration kits per model
Power and environment5 fields
Supply voltage
100–240 V AC single phase 50/60 Hz; 24 V DC control circuit
Power consumption
Typically under 20 W; up to around 85 W with motorised arms, and higher on some models
IP rating
Typically IP44 depending on model
Operating temperature
Typically -10 °C to +50 °C; heating options extend the range on some models
Indoor or outdoor
Indoor as standard; outdoor versions in stainless steel with a weather-rated housing
Control4 fields
Reader interface
Dry-contact input per direction from any access control reader; optional IP connectivity on some models
Signal type
Volt-free contacts for passage request and passage confirmation
Direction control
Unidirectional as standard; bidirectional and free-exit configurations available
Indicators and counting
Red and green status lights with direction pictograms; passage count output on some models
Safety and egress4 fields
Behaviour on power failure
Configurable per direction: free rotation, or a drop-arm that falls to clear the lane; the arm is reset by hand or by motor when power returns
Behaviour on fire alarm
Set by the building's fire strategy; a fire alarm input releases the lane where required
Emergency release
Drop-arm or free-rotation release on loss of power or on the emergency input
Obstruction and tailgate detection
Anti-return device prevents reverse rotation; jump-over and crawl-under detection available on some models
Compliance3 fields
Product standard
No single product standard governs turnstiles; escape-route behaviour is set by the building's fire strategy and the supplied unit's own documentation applies

Escape route behaviour is set by the building's fire strategy.

Conformity marking
As applicable to the supplied unit and market
Certificate reference
Manufacturer's documentation for the supplied model; available on request

Final specification depends on door dimensions, configuration, operating environment and project requirements.

FAQ

Questions we are actually asked

Which turnstile type suits my entrance?
It follows supervision and throughput. Flap barriers for high-flow supervised lobbies, tripod turnstiles for gate houses and staff entrances, full height turnstiles where the point is unsupervised and has to be genuinely unclimbable.
Do they work with our existing access control system?
In almost all cases, yes. The lane accepts a release signal and returns passage events over standard dry contacts, so the credential technology is your choice.
What happens on a fire alarm?
Arms drop, free-spin or the wings retract so the lane becomes clear escape width. The exact behaviour is specified against the building's escape strategy and tested at commissioning.
Can one lane be used for both entry and exit?
Yes — direction is configurable per lane as entry only, exit only, bi-directional or free passage.

Engineering enquiry

Get a specification for Tripod Turnstiles.

Five answers about the opening are usually enough for us to come back with a configuration and a price.

Loading enquiry form…

Get in touch

Or talk it through with an engineer.

If it is easier to describe the opening than to write it down, call or message us and we will work through it with you.

CallWhatsAppGet a quote