The Evolution of the Door Buster

December 8, 2021

Learn how the need for a combination boxcar opener resulted in the launch and evolution of the *Door Buster, a single unit designed to open all types of boxcar doors.***

The Origins of the Door Buster Unit

Stored energy in the plug door handle of boxcars, as well as in the doors themselves, poses a serious risk to operators attempting to open boxcar doors manually. After heightened awareness related to this issue was brought to Arnold Company’s attention, their team initiated significant research and development that culminated in the creation of the first plug door opener, the Bully, back in 2006.

The purpose of the Bully Boxcar Plug Door Opener is simple: keep the operator out of danger from the door. The Bully mounts to a forklift and handles stored energy from the recoil in the door’s handle safely. This unit also prevents the operator from falling in the gap between the dock and the door while attempting to turn the handle.

However, customers then alerted Arnold Company to yet another challenge: how to safely open the sliding doors on boxcars. Most of the time it was just plain difficult to accomplish, not to mention quite unsafe when the load had shifted or the door was damaged.

Thus, the DR Winch was born: a unit using two powerful winches that anchor to the boxcar while pulling the sliding door open. The winches use synthetic rope that will not whip or backlash if cut. Since its launch, also in 2006, the DR Winch now includes a remote-control option to help reduce downtime.

One Unit That Does It All

Following the success of these two units, which are still featured in the Boxcar Opener product line, customer requests for a combination unit began to appear quite frequently. Although it became a big undertaking, Arnold Company determined how to combine the best elements of the Bully and DR Winch into one comprehensive unit.

In 2013, the Door Buster Combination Boxcar Opener launched.

This unit moved on to become Arnold Company’s top selling boxcar opener for its ability to truly remove the operator from potentially dangerous areas.

See the Door Buster in action!

More recently in 2018, work went into removing cords to create a wireless version of the Door Buster. This allows the user to operate both the plug door opening power arm and the winches for opening the sliding door, all with one single handheld remote. The wireless version has come out on top for its ease of use and functionality, outpacing the wired version 2:1.