Automation Motor Reviews

In short, a gate motor as there to serve you. It is there to take some effort out of your daily tasks and to provide you with peace of mind. However, a gate motor is kinetic system consisting of many mechanical and electrical parts and care must be taken so that these components are not necessarily loaded - and so that you don't end up stranded outside your house one fine evening.

Below are some pre-installation checks you can perform yourself to ensure that you get the most out of your automatic gate system.

1. Check your gate's pull force

This is very important when selecting a gate motor. It is imperative that you choose a motor that will be able to effortlessly move your gate, since excessively loading the machine will result in its gearbox failing. In other words, if you have a one ton industrial gate at your entrance, don't expect a small domestic operator to be able to carry the load. The best way to measure pull force is with a simple fishing scale that you can buy from most angling outlets, then consult your local gate automation expert on which motor will be best suited for your application. Most domestic operators are specified for a push force of about 15 to 25 kgf.

2. Determine more or less how heavy the gate is

This may seem like a repeat of the entry above, but the weight and pull force of a gate are actually totally different concepts. A gate may weigh half a ton, but you may still be able to move it with your little finger if the wheels and guide-rollers are well maintained and move freely. Hence, the gate is heavy but has a low pull force. Or, a gate may weigh a mere 50kg but take two fully grown men to slide open. The point is, always try to determine at least an approximate weight before choosing an operator.

3. Decide on which ancillary equipment you want installed

It is best practice to decide on this before installing a gate motor, so that provision can be made for cable routes, junction boxes, etc. Ancillary equipment refers to devices such as intercoms, infrared safety beams, proximity card readers and GSM modules.

4. How many times a day is the gate going to operate?

Some gate motors are powered via your house's mains supply (AC powered) while others are battery-driven DC units, and the DC units can further be divided into 12V and 24V variants. It is rather important to know the intended duty cycle, i.e. how many times a day the gate is going to open and close, so that you can choose an operator that is able to cope with it. While AC motors will provide you with a more or less unlimited duty cycle, there will be no autonomy in the event of a power failure, which brings us to our next entry...

5. Will you require battery backup?

Battery backup means that your gate motor will continue to operate, at least for a while, after the mains supply has been cut (like in a power failure). If you live in a country or area where brown outs occur regularly, you might want to consider opting for a motor which offers battery backup. Although DC motors don't have an unlimited duty cycle like their AC cousins, there are still operators on the market that offer up to 750 operations per day. For domestic, and even most industrial, applications, this should be more than sufficient.

6. What do you want from your gate motor?

As mentioned earlier, modern gate motors can be used to do just about anything. If you are looking for a device to simply open and close your gate, there are many basic and affordable models out there to choose from. Should you, however, be on the market for something a bit more advanced, you'll be happy to know that there are gate motors offering onboard timer technology, intruder detection alarms, built-in receivers and a host of other features. In the world of home automation you will really be spoiled for choice.

The most important point of all is, of course, to get a competent and qualified installer to fit the unit for you. Ask well-known and trusted manufacturers who they would recommend, and ensure that they provide you with a couple of choices.