Comparing materials, mechanisms and arm construction with BOLAN Security.

Two tripod turnstiles can look almost identical in a quotation and still have very different prices. The cabinet photo rarely shows the steel thickness, mechanism design, damping system or connection inside each arm. A reader, controller or software license may also be included in one quotation and excluded from another.

The price difference becomes easier to understand when you compare the complete specification. A budget configuration can suit a lightly used, supervised entrance. A busier site may justify more attention to movement, joint construction and replacement parts. The aim is to buy the right configuration and know exactly what will be delivered.

This guide compares component choices buyers may encounter with options offered by BOLAN Security. The examples describe configurations, rather than every product from a particular supplier. BOLAN options depend on the selected model and confirmed order specification.

Start with the stainless steel grade and thickness

“Stainless steel cabinet” is not a complete specification. In the configurations considered here, cabinet sheet thickness can range from 0.7 mm to 1.2 mm, and the material may be 304 or a lower-cost alternative such as 201. These are comparison examples, not a measured price or specification survey of the whole market.

304 and 201 are different purchasing specifications

201 and 304 can look similar after surface finishing. They have different alloy compositions and should not be treated as interchangeable solely because both are called stainless steel. Corrosion performance depends on the exact grade, fabrication, cleaning and exposure. For humid or corrosive sites, confirm the material selection rather than accepting an unspecified stainless steel description.

An openly specified 201 cabinet is a different offer from a 304 cabinet. Substituting 201 for an agreed 304 specification is a material mismatch. Request material documentation when grade verification matters; appearance alone cannot verify the grade.

Thickness affects the cabinet but does not tell the whole story

For equal sheet area and the same material, 1.2 mm sheet contains about 71% more metal than 0.7 mm sheet. This is a material-quantity comparison, not a 71% increase in total turnstile cost or strength. Bends, reinforcement, panel size, welding and assembly also affect cabinet rigidity.

Ask for nominal sheet thickness and tolerance separately for the top cover, side panels and structural sections. A single thickness in a quotation may refer to only one part. BOLAN cabinet thickness should likewise be confirmed for the chosen model, rather than assumed across the range.

The mechanism explains differences you cannot see

The mechanism controls locking, permitted rotation and how the arms reach the next position. Its construction can influence operating feel, consistency and maintenance needs. Compare its actual design rather than accepting labels such as “heavy duty” without supporting details.

These are not five mutually exclusive quality grades. A general-purpose or dedicated-tooling mechanism may be offered with or without damping. “Dedicated tooling” describes how parts are produced; it is not independent proof of longer service life. Similarly, a general-purpose mechanism is not automatically a poor choice.

What an oil damper adds?

On a semi-automatic tripod turnstile, access authorization releases the mechanism and the pedestrian pushes the arm. An oil damper, also called a hydraulic shock absorber, cushions movement and can soften stopping impact and impact-related noise. Its value is often easiest to judge in a side-by-side sample demonstration.

BOLAN offers oil-damped mechanisms for applicable configurations. Compare repeated passage at normal walking speed, observing how the arms settle and whether movement remains consistent. Damping does not make a semi-automatic turnstile motor-driven, and it does not determine reader compatibility or emergency-release behavior.

For a fair quotation, first identify whether the unit is mechanical, semi-automatic or fully automatic. A fully automatic model includes a motor-driven system; its price should not be compared directly with a manual-push unit as though the equipment were identical.

Compare the complete arm assembly

Arm diameter is another visible difference between quotations. Options encountered in the comparison include 32 mm, 35 mm and 38 mm outside diameters. However, diameter is only one part of the specification: tube wall thickness, length, material and the connection to the rotor all matter.

With the same material, wall thickness and length, increasing tube diameter increases bending stiffness. It does not establish the load rating of the complete arm assembly. A larger tube with a weak joint cannot be evaluated from its outside diameter alone.

The end cap and connector are separate details

The original BOLAN component comparison shows two arm assemblies. Their differences extend beyond the tube itself.

These descriptions refer to the two reference assemblies, not all standard arms sold in the market. A welded end cap does not automatically mean the connector joint is welded. Request close-up photographs of both ends of the arm.

Each push transfers force through the tube-to-connector joint. Material selection, joint geometry, weld quality and assembly accuracy therefore deserve attention. Welding alone does not prove a load rating or a fixed number of additional service years. A welded end cap also does not make the complete turnstile waterproof.

BOLAN provides fully welded and press-formed arm options on selected products. Confirm the actual construction, spare-part reference and compatibility with the model's arm-release mechanism before ordering.

BOLAN and other market configurations compared

A useful comparison names the component instead of treating “low price” and “high quality” as complete product descriptions. The table below shows how to evaluate an offer alongside BOLAN's available options.

Where a more complete specification creates value

For an integrator, clear specifications make it easier to explain the quotation to the end customer and inspect the delivered units. For a distributor, identifying the mechanism and arm assembly helps avoid ordering incompatible replacement parts. For the facility, a suitable configuration can improve day-to-day use and make maintenance easier to plan.

BOLAN's role is to help match these component choices to the application. A sample approval should cover the mechanism, arms and control behavior as well as the cabinet appearance, with the agreed configuration carried into the production order.