Automatic gate motor – which gate motor to choose?
Welcome to our guide describing gate automation solutions available on the market. It is worth considering the selection of the appropriate solution at the stage of planning the place of the gate and its type, because each automation system has different requirements regarding, for example, the space needed for installation. By planning Your gate installation early enough, you’ll have more options to choose the type of gate and how to open it. In case you haven’t thought about an automatic gate motor before – don’t worry! Fortunately, the manufacturers of gate automation meet customer requirements, offering a very wide range of solutions, including those that can be installed where there is little to no space at all!
Types of gates
There are mainly two types of enterance gates on the market, swing gates and sliding gates. There are other solutions, such as folding or lifting gates, but we will write about them another time. The above gates differ in the way they open. Swing gates usually open to the inside of the property [in some countries law restrictions prohibit installing gates which open to the outside of the property, be sure to check Your local laws or You might have to dismantle Your gate at Your own expense!] and are available in single-leaf and double-leaf versions. Sliding gates open as they move along the fence. It is worth remembering that when choosing the type of gate, you should provide enough space to open it. In the case of a swing gate, it is worth considering, for example, whether we will park the car in the driveway. When choosing a sliding gate, remember that the open gate will take place along the fence, keep it in mind, f.e. when planning the arrangement of the hedge.
Each gate has its own drive
When choosing a drive for a swing gate, the following parameters should be taken into account:
– Weight and length of the gate leaf
Manufacturers describe in detail the capabilities of their drives. Specifying both the maximum permissible weight of the gate leaf and its length. As a rule, the shorter the gate leaf, the heavier it can be. Taking into account the parameters of the gate, it is always worth leaving a reserve of power so that the drive does not work with maximum effort. A correctly selected and installed actuator will ensure reliable use for many years.
– Number of gate leaves
In addition to such an obvious thing as the fact that a single-leaf gate requires one actuator and a double-leaf gate requires two actuators, we will be able to choose between gate drives with a built-in control unit in one of the drives [if it is a pair] and drives requiring a purchase of a control unit. Some of the drives are universal [they can be mounted both on the right and left leaf], but there are also drives intended for the leaf on a specific side of the gate [left-hand drive, right-hand drive].
– Space for assembly [width of the posts, position of gate hinges]
Each drive has its own size and method of assembly, manufacturers provide assembly requirements, which are worth reading before purchasing in order to avoid additional work when adapting the gate to the installation. What matters is the width of the posts and the distance between the door hinge and the edge of the post. Most of the leading entrance automation manufacturers offer solutions for almost every gate, even for those with limited space. Where there is not enough space for a standard installation, underground drives will work well.
– Frequency of use.
When choosing a automatic gate motor, we should plan how often we will use such a drive. The devices available on the market are characterized by various efficiency, usually expressed in the number of cycles per day or hour. A drive for home use with an efficiency of 10 cycles a day will not work well on a frequently used entrance to a housing estate or a company.
– Drive power supply voltage [24V, 36V, 230V, 400V]
Among gate motors, we can choose between four types of power supply: 24V, 36V, 230V and 400V. Drives powered with 24V and 36V voltage will prove themselves primarily for home use. As a rule, they have a lower frequency of use, but they make up for it in the number of additional functions, such as anti-crush systems (when the opening gate hits an obstacle, changes the direction of movement or stops), the soft start/stop function (extends the life of the drive) or the possibility of powering such a drive with a battery [with less effort]. Drives powered with 230V voltage will prove themselves much better in the case of heavier gates or gates with a higher frequency of use. They will also perform better in winter, when our gate is covered with ice. Lastly 400V are the most powerfull, robust drives intended for heavy industrial gates, or gates which operate constantly.
As many opinions, so many gates!
The advancement of technology in the field of enterance automation has resulted in the presence of a wide range of available solutions on the market. Therefore, the most important thing is that we determine our requirements for the operation of our device before purchasing the automatic gate motor.
Home Automation Mateusz Wojtulewicz
Regardless of whether you need a smart 24V gate drive on your property or a powerful 400V drive for an industrial gate, you will find it in our Home Automation Mateusz Wojtulewicz online store. We work with renowned manufacturers of brands such as: Somfy, Bft, Came, FAAC, Genius, Simu. We look forward to working with you!
