DORMA 8956 EMF/PT Push Side Su...
IN STOCK (leaves warehouse same day if ordered before 3pm ET)
$1,165.00
$944.35
Dormakaba DORMA 8956 EMF/PT Push Side Surface-mount Electromagnetic Holder/Release Track Closer (No Detector) DOR-8956 EMF/PT

DORMA 8956 EMF/PT Push Side Surface-mount Electromagnetic Holder/Release Track Closer (No Detector)

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Model: 8956-EMF-PT-689
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$1,165.00
$944.35
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DORMA 8956 EMF/PT Series

Holder/Release Devices with Integral Door Closers

The EMR Series holder/release device incorporates a photoelectric detector and can control the spread of smoke and fire in a specific location or throughout the building if wired into a central alarm panel.

Holder/release devices ANSI/BHMA certified.

  • Three models included
  • Interfaces with new or existing fire/smoke control systems
  • Can be wired for concealed or surface wiring
  • EMR can control one EMF unit for pair of doors
  • Patented hold open design
 

Product details

Features

Three models included

The EMF/EMR Series includes three models for price and door closer feature/function considerations. The TS93 in Contur Design, with the extra efficient cam and roller technology, can be used on larger doors, while the 8900 rack and pinion closer offers a narrow projection for less cost. When value engineering is a concern, the 8600 meets the need.

Patented hold open design

The EMF/EMR Series’ patented hold open design prevents damage to the door, frame, holder/release device, or other installed hardware. This design enables initial hold while allowing the door to be manually opened beyond the hold open point.

Compatibility and wiring

The EMF/EMR Series is compatible with new or existing fire/smoke control systems and can be wired for concealed or surface wiring.

Door shuts in case of an alarm state or power failure

In the case of an alarm state signaled by the central control system or main power failure, current to the electromagnetic hold open device is interrupted, thus allowing the door closing mechanism to take over and shut the door.

Product downloads

Instruction sheetsTechnical BrochureTechnical drawings CAD PDF

Manufacturer Resources

Product Specs

Product Group:
Door Controls
Series:
8900 EMF Series
Grade:
Grade 1
Duty Level:
Heavy Duty
ADA Compliant:
No
Warranty:
25 Year Mechanical, 2 Year Electrical
Closer Size:
5 to 6
Product Subgroup:
Door Closers - Electromechanical (Fire and Life Safety)
Product Type:
Fire and Life Safety Closers
Subcategory:
Fire and Life Safety Closers
Track Type:
Rack and Pinion Track
Commercial/Residential:
Commercial
Electronic:
Yes
Mounting Detail:
Push Side
Product Model:
8956
Door Hand Direction:
Non-Handed
Product Category:
Door Controls
Department:
Door Hardware

Dormakaba 8956-EMF-PT-689 – Frequently Asked Questions

1) Will the DORMA 8956 EMF/PT close the door automatically if the fire alarm goes off or the power drops?
That's exactly what it's built to do. The 8956 EMF/PT holds the door open electromagnetically, and when the central control system signals an alarm state or main power fails, current to the hold open magnet is interrupted and the integral closer takes over and shuts the door. Fail-safe by design, so a power loss closes the opening rather than leaving it propped. Note the /PT suffix means no detector is built in, so the release signal has to come from a fire/smoke control system or alarm panel it's wired into.
2) Does the DORMA 8956 EMF/PT include a smoke detector, or do I need to tie it into a panel?
No detector on the 8956 EMF/PT. It's the EMF unit only, which means it takes its release signal from a building fire/smoke control system or alarm panel. If you need a self-contained unit with its own photoelectric detector, that's the EMR model in the same family, and one EMR can control one EMF unit for a pair of doors. So a common setup is EMR on one leaf, EMF on the other.
3) Is the 8956 EMF/PT a push side or pull side mount closer?
Push side only. The 8956 EMF/PT is a surface-mounted push side track closer, so it goes on the face of the door opposite the swing, with the track on the frame soffit. If your hardware schedule calls for a pull side or parallel-arm-on-the-other-face arrangement, this isn't the unit for that opening.
4) Do I have to specify handing when ordering the DORMA 8956 EMF/PT?
Yes. Handing is a required selection, right hand or left hand, even though the closer body itself is listed as non-handed. The track and hold-open assembly has to be built for the swing, so get the door hand off the schedule before you order. Finish is the other choice you make: 689 aluminum, 690 dark bronze, 691 light bronze, 693 black, 695 dark bronze, and 696 satin brass.
5) Is the 8956 EMF/PT strong enough for a heavy exterior or large corridor door?
It's a size 5 to 6 closer, heavy duty, Grade 1 certified. Sizes 5 and 6 are the top of the standard range, so it's spec'd for wide and heavy doors rather than light interior leaves. If the opening is genuinely oversized and you want cam and roller efficiency instead of rack and pinion, the TS93 Contur unit in the same EMF/EMR family is the one built for the largest doors. The 8956 uses a rack and pinion track, which buys you a narrower projection.
6) Does the DORMA 8956 EMF/PT meet ADA requirements for opening force?
No. The 8956 EMF/PT is not ADA compliant, and at a size 5 to 6 spring that follows: it's a heavy duty commercial closer sized for large doors, not a low-force barrier-free application. If the opening is on an accessible route with an opening force limit, this isn't the unit, and you'd be looking at a lower-size closer or a power operator instead.
7) What is an equivalent Grade 1 door closer with an electronic hold-open track arm to the DORMA 8956 EMF/PT?
The Cal-Royal CR441EHO is a Grade 1 door closer with an electronic hold-open track arm, the same core arrangement as the DORMA 8956 EMF/PT, which is a Grade 1 electromechanical holder/release track closer. Both put the electromagnet in the track so the door is held open until current is interrupted and the closer takes over. The 8956 EMF/PT is the 8900 EMF Series rack and pinion track version, ordered push side, non-handed in the closer body with right hand or left hand specified at the track, and in finishes including 689 aluminum, 690 dark bronze, and 693 black.
8) Does the DORMA 8956 EMF/PT or the Cal-Royal CR441EHO include a smoke detector in the unit?
Neither is specified with a detector. The DORMA 8956 EMF/PT is the EMF configuration without an integral detector, so it takes its release signal from a fire or smoke control system it is wired into; the EMR configuration is the one that carries the photoelectric detector, and one EMR can control an EMF unit on the opposite leaf of a pair. The Cal-Royal CR441EHO is described as a Grade 1 closer with an electronic hold-open track arm, so on either unit the detection lives in the building system rather than in the closer. Both are the right choice where a central alarm panel already exists to drop the hold.
9) Can a standard track closer be used in place of the DORMA 8956 EMF/PT on a fire or smoke barrier door?
No. A plain track arm closer holds the door open mechanically and keeps holding it in an alarm. The DORMA 8956 EMF/PT is an electromechanical fire and life safety closer: the hold is electromagnetic, so an alarm state from the central control system or a main power failure interrupts current and the closing mechanism shuts the door. If a substitute is needed, it has to be an electrically released hold-open device such as the Cal-Royal CR441EHO, a Grade 1 closer with an electronic hold-open track arm, not a mechanical hold-open arm.
10) Will someone break the door or the hold-open if they pull it open past the hold point?
No. The EMF/EMR hold open design is patented specifically to prevent damage to the door, the frame, the holder/release device, or other hardware on the opening. It holds at the set point but still lets the door be pulled manually past that point without tearing anything out. That matters in a corridor or a dorm where the door gets shoved daily.
11) Can I run the wiring for the 8956 EMF/PT in an existing frame without cutting it open?
Yes. The EMF/EMR Series can be wired concealed or surface, so a retrofit into an existing frame with no wire raceway can run surface wiring instead of drilling the frame. New construction usually takes the concealed route. Either way it ties into new or existing fire and smoke control systems, so an older panel doesn't rule it out.
12) What's the difference between a closer with an electromagnetic hold-open track like the DORMA 8956 EMF and a plain closer with a hold-open arm?
A mechanical hold-open arm parks the door and keeps it parked until somebody physically pushes it shut. It has no idea the building is on fire. The 8956 EMF/PT holds the door open electrically and drops it on an alarm signal or a power failure, which is what lets you legally hold a fire or smoke barrier door open. If you just want a door to stay open on demand and the opening isn't a rated barrier, a mechanical hold-open arm is simpler and needs no wiring. If it's a corridor smoke door, you need the electromagnetic version.
13) What else does ZenSupply carry as an alternative to the DORMA 8956 EMF electric hold-open closer?
The Cal-Royal CR441EHO is the other Grade 1 door closer with an electronic hold-open track arm we stock, so it's the closest cross-brand equivalent in function. Both carry a Grade 1 rating. The DORMA 8956 EMF/PT differentiates on the specifics we hold on it: push side surface mount, rack and pinion track, size 5 to 6 heavy duty, and six finishes from 689 aluminum through 696 satin brass. If you're standardizing a facility on one brand of door control, that's usually the deciding factor rather than the hardware itself.
14) I need electric hold-opens on a pair of corridor doors. Do I order two 8956 EMF units?
Not necessarily. One EMR unit, the version with the integral photoelectric detector, can control one EMF unit, which covers a pair of doors with a single detector. So the usual pair setup is one EMR plus one EMF rather than two detectors. If the pair is being driven entirely from a central alarm panel, two EMF units work too, since the /PT has no detector of its own and takes its signal from the system.
15) Is the DORMA 8956 EMF/PT certified to an ANSI/BHMA standard?
The holder/release devices in this family are ANSI/BHMA certified, and the 8956 EMF/PT carries a Grade 1 rating. Grade 1 is the highest of the three ANSI/BHMA performance grades and the one institutional and government specs normally call for on commercial openings. It's classed as a commercial, heavy duty unit, not a residential one.
16) I need a hold-open closer for a heavy commercial door - how does the DORMA 8956 EMF/PT compare with the Cal-Royal CR441EHO on duty?
The DORMA 8956 EMF/PT is a heavy duty commercial closer in closer size 5 to 6, which is the sizing range used for wide and heavy openings, and it is Grade 1. The Cal-Royal CR441EHO is also a Grade 1 door closer with an electronic hold-open track arm. Both carry the same grade; the 8956 EMF/PT additionally states the size 5 to 6 spring range and heavy duty commercial classification, which is the figure to check against the door width and weight on the drawing.
17) The opening needs a low projection hold-open closer - what are the options alongside the DORMA 8956 EMF/PT?
Within the EMF/EMR family there are three closer bodies to choose from. The 8900 rack and pinion closer, which is what the 8956 EMF/PT uses, gives a narrow projection; the TS93 in Contur Design with cam and roller technology is offered for larger doors; and the 8600 is offered where value engineering is the driver. Outside that family, the Cal-Royal CR441EHO is a Grade 1 door closer with an electronic hold-open track arm. All of these hold the door in a track rather than on a swinging arm, so the hardware stays tight to the door face.
18) Will the 8956 EMF/PT match the bronze and aluminum hardware already on my building's doors?
Six finishes are offered on the 8956 EMF/PT: 689 aluminum, 690 dark bronze, 691 light bronze, 693 black, 695 dark bronze, and 696 satin brass. Those are standard BHMA finish numbers, so if the closers already on your other openings are marked 689 or 690, you can order to match without guessing at a color name. Note that both 690 and 695 read as dark bronze, so go by the number on the existing hardware rather than the description.
How fast can I get the Dormakaba 8956-EMF-PT-689 delivered?
Most orders ship the same day from our distribution partners, with quick delivery throughout the continental U.S. Need it urgently? Contact Us for expedited shipping options.
Can I return it if it doesn’t work for me?
Yes—ZenSupply offers a hassle-free return policy. If the product isn’t the right fit, reach out to our support team for a return authorization or setup a return by following our return instructions.
Does the Dormakaba 8956-EMF-PT-689 come with a warranty?
Absolutely. The Dormakaba 8956-EMF-PT-689 is backed by a manufacturer’s warranty. For full warranty terms, check the product documentation or Contact Us.
How do I get technical support or installation help for the Dormakaba 8956-EMF-PT-689?
You can call, text, or email our expert support team for fast answers. We’re here to help with product selection, installation tips, and troubleshooting. Contact Us
Why buy the Dormakaba 8956-EMF-PT-689 from ZenSupply?
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