Choosing a door operator
Which drive to choose?
We choose gate operator - or what to buy to avoid overpaying and enjoy trouble-free use for many years?
First - What will be the purpose of the drive?
- personal use
- public / industrial facility (regulations for such facilities must be observed) / collective garage
Second - Number of opening and closing cycles?
Not all manufacturers have a certificate indicating the number of operating cycles of the device. Such a certificate is not mandatory, but we can find out from it the mechanical strength of our device. If it is, for example, 50,000 opening and closing cycles confirmed by a certificate, we can be sure that our device will perform 50,000 cycles without failure.
RAL quality certificate
Unclassified 30,000 opening and closing cycles
Class 1 garages with 3 - 15 parking spaces; 50,000 opening and closing cycles
Class 2 garages with 16 - 50 parking spaces; 60,000 opening and closing cycles
Class 3 garages with more than 50 parking spaces; 80,000 opening and closing cycles
Third - What is the efficiency of our drive?
"Efficiency" ("operating time" or "frequency of use") tells us the percentage with which our appliance can operate. For example:
- 20% efficiency - means that the unit can run for 2 minutes continuously during 10 min.
- 50% efficiency - means that the unit can run for 5 minutes at 10 minutes continuously
Fourth - Which drive to choose?
The drives can be divided into:
- garage drives
- property drives (for swing and sliding gates)
Each operator consists of an actuator, control panel, remote control accessories, safety and signalling. In the case of sliding gate operators, the control unit is usually integrated into the operator, i.e. it is housed in the same housing as the operator.
Actuators can have an electromechanical or hydraulic design. They can have solid lubricant or be immersed in an oil bath.
Which cylinders are better? Hydraulic cylinders and oil-bath cylinders are believed to be more durable (trouble-free). To be sure, these actuators are more expensive, but whether the actuator will be trouble-free is determined by the correct choice.
I advise that when choosing the right drive, you should consult directly with the fitting company, who will usually measure and advise you on the right product free of charge.
