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AUTOMATIC GATES - ALLÂ YOU NEED TO KNOW
The basic task of all gate automation systems is to provide the user with the ability to easily operate the entry gate without having to leave the car or home.
We appreciate the possibility of installing automation for gates every day, especially during rain, snow or strong wind. The automatic opening gate is not only convenient but above all safe. Because it is not necessary to get out of the car to open the entrance gate to the property or gate to the garage, especially in the evening or at night, significantly improves the psychological comfort and protects us against assault and, for example, theft of a car.
What is included in the basic gate automation system?
Automation systems for gates, depending on the type of gate, consist of such elements as:​
- actuators (in the case of automation for a swing gate)
- gearmotor (in the case of automation for a sliding gate)
- the main board called the control panel or control module
- security sensors, anti-crushing (usually photocells or safety edges, magnetic loop)
- a warning lamp
- transmitter (remote control) and a radio receiver or many other devices used to initiate gate movements, such as a key switch, keypad, magnetic card reader, magnetic loop, time switches (so-called timers), video intercoms and many more.
- key or manual opening switch (emergency)
Every good quality drive for swing gate, sliding gate and garage doors should be equipped with a manual (emergency) opening mechanism.
It is usually a lever or a switch that releases the lock and we are able to operate the gate manually.
This is very important because in the event of a power failure it is thanks to this mechanism that we are able to manually open the gate and leave the premises or object.
The gate automation system can be integrated with the fire alarm system. In this case, in the event of an alarm, a gate opening signal is sent to the gate, so without pressing any buttons, you can safely evacuate because the gate will open automatically.
If you have any questions, I invite you to contact our specialists at www-ek-automatic.co.uk
What is the guideline when choosing a motor for the gate?
Each type of gate requires choosing the right drive for it. The selection should be made taking into account not only the type of the gate but also its size, weight, the intensity of work, location and vulnerability to atmospheric conditions. The actuator for the sliding gate is a structurally simple geared motor (electric motor with one-stage worm gear) and electronic control module - so-called "central". A gear set mounted on a rotating the output shaft of the actuator, meshing with the toothed rack along the bottom edge of the gate - moves the gate. This solution is simple and reliable, and assembly and adjustment do not cause any problems here.
How to verify if our gate can be automated?
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First, we check the structure of the gate. Is the gate straight and in the place where the toothed rack/actuator is mounted sufficiently solid? The next step is to check the work of the gate, that is, check whether there is no increased resistance in one place, which could cause undesirable behavior of the machine, but the most important are the extreme points (closing and opening). So whether from the extreme position, we can move the gate manually without much resistance. This is important because you have to use more force to move the gate than to continue the movement.
What to remember when choosing a drive?
When choosing gate automation, do not forget to leave the "power" stock. In practice, this means that the weight of the gate should be less than the maximum lifting capacity of the drive. Consideration of this "power" stock is dictated by variable atmospheric conditions. In winter, The temperature can drop to -20 ° C, and in the summer in the sun may exceed
40 ° C. In addition, icing, and freezing of the gate occur. When considering the "power" stock, the material from which the gate is made must be considered. A wooden gate is susceptible to change its weight under the influence of moisture, while a steel gate is usually characterized by a heavyweight.
In EK-Automatic Gates we always take special attention to it because it has a huge impact on the time and quality of the gate's operation. By choosing a reserve of "power" we must consider the construction of the gate. So whether the gate is self-supporting/suspended (steel guide constituting the construction of the gate and two trolleys with rollers attached to the foundation), or driving on the rail (the gate has two or more guide rollers/carriers, and the guide is fixed permanently throughout the entire width of the entrance). This is important because the self-supporting gates have less resistance. Choosing a drive for such a gate, we can assume that the power reserve will not be less than 30%. For gates running on a rail, a much larger power reserve should be used - a minimum of 50% and more. There are larger gates at this type of poor resistance to movement caused by, for example, lying in the rail with sand, mud or snow in the winter. The "power" stock should be selected individually for each gate. The smoother the gate works, the more power it can be smaller, but you can never forget about it, as the smoothness of the gate's operation can change over time,
How to prepare the place of assembly for the drive to the sliding gate?
If we have already checked all the parameters of the gate and the drive, we proceed to the next stage - we determine the installation place of the actuator. For both types of doors, the actuator must be mounted on a raised platform. It can be a concrete or steel foundation. This prevents possible flooding or flooding of the machine. We check the condition of the foundation on which the drive is to be mounted. If the existing one is solid, we avoid additional work to prepare it. Already at the planning stage of the gateway, we must also include additional devices and cabling for these devices. The actuator must be powered (230 V) with a suitable cable (only a cable designed for laying in the ground). In addition, we need to lead a multicore cable for additional devices (photocells, keyboards, lamps).
AUTOMATIC GATES- SAFETY DEVICES
WARNING!!!
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The connection of safety devices - one of the most important elements of the installation ensuring the safe use of the gate. Commercially available safety devices operate on the principle of a photocell or edge strip. Edge strips (rubber strip with built-in pressure sensor) are a much more expensive solution than photocells, however, they provide a higher level of safety because they not only cushion the gate's impact on the obstacle but also detect the signal of gate stopping and reversing the direction of the obstacle.