If you or you are a technician, going through some home renovation and you have been asked to give a technical advice, here’s a complete guideline to be the perfect adviser!
Your customers have asked you information on automatic gate types to install, or you are looking for some pretty good data to make sure you won’t fail a complex projext, we got your back!
With the support of automation experts we have created this guide to help you pick the right gate depending on its use, the type of automation, the complexity of the installation and some other feature for a successful project.
The first assessment: what the client wants and what is really doable!
When you’re working on a project as an installation technician, they will first ask you to give your professional opinion on what they want, the project budget and the info that they already have.
Usually the customers idea comes from a really deep research or from some good advices but sometimes some of their wishes are hardly achievable and you have to be really good at explaining why is better to change your mind.
Mediation is always a little tricky but it’s the key to determine the success of the project and the customer satisfaction as well.
What you need to evaluate first:
• Customer’s spending power
• Use and frequency of use of the automation gate
• Type of gate required (swing, sliding, light, heavy, one or two leaf, materials, position, slopes, presence of water, etc.)
• Ease / difficulty of the intervention and slope characteristics of the point where the Gate will be collocated
• Predisposition or presence for cable ducts
Good general rules for choosing an automatic gate!
Once you’ve acquired all that we have listed in the previous paragraph, you can draw your own conclusions taking into account these general rules:
If the customer prefers a swing gate or the installation space doesn’t allow any other options:
• You already know that a swing gate is more delicate than a sliding one, so if the number of openings for day is high it is worth evaluating other systems.• For heavy gates, the piston motor is better (slower but more powerful) but you need solid attachments and perpendicular to the gate
• The articulated arm is more versatile and is the perfect fit in many cases, the opening is faster than the piston motor but it is definitely more cumbersome
• Evaluate the installation of the underground motor based on the characteristics of the ground itself: the presence of water could play tricks.
If the customer prefers the automatic sliding gate and there is enough space to install it:
• Check the dimensions and weight of the gate and make sure that the automation and the spaces available can
manage the length of the gate if it is particularly bulky
• Check the position of the track and its shape, based on the place where it will be installed (flat or steep ground, presence of leaves / pebbles or asphalt, etc)
• Try to understand what is the minimum power that the gearmotor must have always considering not only the gate weight and its dimensions but also the characteristics of the area (windy area, steep terrain, etc.) that can affect the power required from the engine.
What we have listed for you are the good general rules. It is clear that each project has its own specificities and it is necessary to make some adjustements not only with the customer’s wishes, but also with real problems of feasibility that can impose certain choices.
Sometimes the choice is forced but the best solution can always be found!
There is not always a way to make the choice that would be advisable. Sometimes the position of the gate imposes constraints which can’t be ignored. For exemple, the presece of two structural walls to the right and left of the gate are enough to impose a Swing gate installation.
In these cases, the choice of quality components is even more important than the gate itself: the mechanical parts of the automation of a gate (gearmotors, actuators, arms, pistons, etc.) must require minimal maintenance and last a long time.
These two characteristics together are determined by the quality of the components used and so what really matters is the company that you choose.
VDS Automazioni has specialized in automatic gate systems for over 30 years and continues its history of success thanks to constant research and development on technologies. Automation kits are made entirely in Italy by specialized personnel and with the highest quality raw materials. The whole process, from design to production, takes place within the VDS factories and is strictly controlled to ensure long-term performance and reliability.
Evaluate the assistance of the manufacturer and the availability of spare parts for an automatic gate.
An automatic gate is a machine that can last a very long time as long as periodic maintenance and checks are carried out, but above all by quickly replacing the parts that are most subject to wear out.
This is why it is so important, in order to choose the right automatic gate, to check the speed and efficiency of the
Manufacturer’s customer service along with the availability of spare parts.
VDS Automazioni is close to professionals who choose to recommend and install our machines:
if you are a technician and you are looking for suggestions on the automation kits best suited to your project or instructions on how program the control boards for automations, you will always find us ready to answer your more technical and specific questions. We are present throughout Italy with a homogeneous network of experts.
Specific advice on choosing the best automatic gate?
In the support pages of this site you will already find a lot of useful material such as tutorials that guide you to discover the VDS automation for gates, alongside to catalogs and product sheets and instruction manuals. This material is always at your disposal. If you didn’t find the information you were looking for, contact us!
Fill out the contact form! We will provide you with more detailed information that will best meet your needs.