Electric gates for commercial use need to be installed to the highest standards both in terms of the equipment used and the level of safety.

Gates

All too often we see unreliable installations where the basic issue is that the gates were not really suitable for automation and should have been replaced. In order to install to existing gates compromises often have to be made which end up affecting the reliability of the installation. Whilst we are happy to automate existing gates where practical we also offer high quality manufacturing of gates to suit the application.

To Swing or Slide?

Sliding gates offer a much higher level of security but are slower to open and more expensive to install.

Swing gates can be up to 7metres long per leaf. There is no practical limit on sliding gates other than overall weight. The biggest issue with swing gates is locking them in the centre. Self locking operators are really only suitable for gates up to about 2 metres long as beyond this they become vulnerable to forcing. You don’t lock your front door at the hinge end!

Various centre locks are available but it is difficult to achieve a good locking solution if the road slopes up into the site as the gate may be too high above the ground. In this situation a sliding gate or a larger single leaf gate might be the better solution.

For commercial applications we normally offer BFT LUX or P range hydraulic ram operators which are rated for heavy gates and frequent usage. The BFT range of sliding gate motors covers gates up to 3.5 tonnes.

Safety

All our installations will meet current safety regulations. We start by designing out danger areas wherever possible – such as in hinge areas and the way that gates are hung. We will use photo-cell beams and/or induction loops in the ground to protect vehicles from the gates closing on them. Safety for people will be by means of compressible rubber safety edges at all trapping or shearing points and protection of hinge gaps with rubber shrouds.

Force Testing

It is a legal requirement that a gate installation has the force exerted by the gate and the time taken to reverse the direction of travel measured and recorded. We have the equipment required to carry out this often neglected part of a gate installation.

Standard of Work

Commercial installations need to be installed to the highest standards. In addition to only using top quality equipment we install the electrical equipment in lockable steel cabinets (not just in the manufacturers plastic boxes) which gives both physical protection and additional weather protection.

This photo shows a typical electrical cabinet layout.