Driving a car provides comfort of movement, so car owners try to automate as much as possible the processes associated with the movement and maintenance of the vehicle. One of the nice options that allows you to drive into a yard or garage without leaving your car is automatic gate opening. And if the process of manufacturing the structure itself is not very difficult, then the control system is not implemented by every car owner. Therefore, we will look at the basic principles and details that will allow you to make automatic gates with your own hands.
Design and principle of operation of automatic gates
The design and operation of automatic gates is determined by their type. And the doors located on the territory of the house are:
- lifting (sectional, lift-and-turn and roll);
- retractable;
- swing.
Sectional doors
Automatic sectional doors look like a structure with a leaf that, when opened, goes up, that is, along special guides it is retracted under the ceiling of the room.
Sectional doors are absolutely safe to use, because when opened, the door leaf is retracted upward
The main advantages of sectional doors include:
- compactness, because when open, the doors do not reduce the area of the garage or other building;
- safety of operation, since the lifting canvas cannot damage the hood of the car, which sometimes happens when using a swing structure;
- security against hacking is at the proper level;
- reliable thermal insulation.
But automatic lifting sectional doors also have a rather significant disadvantage - they can be installed only in rooms with a small area.
Up and over gates
Automatic up-and-over gates differ from sectional gates in the design of the leaf. It is a single piece that covers the entire opening space. Such a sash moves up along the guides and changes its position from vertical to horizontal. Gates with a solid leaf are characterized by the same advantages as a sectional design, but are considered the best option, since they do not release any heat and are more effective at protecting the room from intruders.
Up and over doors allow less heat to pass through and are more vandal resistant than sectional doors
Rolling gates (roller shutters)
For automatic rolling gates, the main element is a soft leaf made from aluminum plates, a drum onto which the material is wound, and a box to protect the entire structure. Among the advantages of such gates it should be noted:
- wide size range (permissible width of the canvas is 12 meters, and height is 10 meters);
- compactness (compressed);
- Possibility of installation in any premises, not excluding garages and shopping malls.
True, rolling gates cannot be called reliable, since their strength is very questionable.
Rolling gates can cover large openings, but they are not strong enough
Sliding gates
Automatic sliding gates of the cantilever type consist of a leaf that provides access to the room, going to the right or left side of the opening to the building wall or fence. This design is equipped with roller supports, partially hidden in the foundation and responsible for moving the sash. The rollers are protected by a beam that protects them from moisture.
When the sliding gate is closed, the door leaf is located above the opening - at a distance of a centimeter from the ground. Special guides attached to the fence supports or to the wall of the room are responsible for opening the gate.
The sliding gate leaf moves along a special rail fixed to the foundation
Owners of buildings with sliding gates usually point to the following undeniable advantages of the design:
- installation in an opening up to 12 meters wide;
- the ability to easily open the gate both automatically and manually;
- impeccable thermal insulation;
- ideal strength.
Swing gates
Swing gates with an automatic drive are a design with two reliable leaves, which are supported on hinges and attached to both sides of the opening. To open such gates by pressing a button, you need to install two electric drives. A hinged structure can provide access to a room by retracting the doors both inside and outside the building.
Swing gate leaves can open both inward and outward
The main advantages of automatic swing gates include:
- ease of construction;
- ease of installation work;
- Possibility of use in any conditions.
The only thing that is not in favor of swing gates is their relatively inconvenient operation.
Automation of the gate movement control process
The manufacturer includes instructions for each package. Any automatic drive is installed based on the nuances of the door leaf. All actions must be carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.
When choosing an automatic mechanism, always consider the following nuances:
- Sash dimensions;
- Weight and windage of the canvas;
- The canvas is installed strictly vertically and horizontally;
- Adjustment of smoothness of movement;
- Opening direction: outward or inward.
When installing automatic drive elements, it is important to turn off the power supply. Disconnect all external cables and communications. The reconnection of the power supply elements is carried out upon completion of the installation of all parts.
Receiver installation, remote control programming
The owner controls the gate using a remote control. Commands are sent from the communicator, which are received by the receiver in the form of signals. This device is placed in a prepared connector on the surface of the control board.
Several jumpers are attached near the receiver. With their help, the installer will be able to test the drive device after completing installation work.
There are two main jumpers. 2-1 is used when there is no need for the Stop key. A 2-C1, when photocells are not used.
Photocells are connected to power last. This is due to the fact that a jumper is mounted on their wires. When the installation of the receiver is completed, we begin setting up the communicator.
We'll tell you the process of registering the control panel. There is a key on the control unit that needs to be pressed. It is called “PU Programming”. After this, a similar button is pressed and held on the communicator. This starts the programming process.
At the same time, the LED light on the control board lights up uniformly. This indicates successful registration of the remote control.
There is one button on the control unit to control a specific design. She is responsible for managing all processes. They mean opening, closing and stopping. Other keys can be used to control other gates.
IMPORTANT! If the setting was carried out incorrectly, then one of the gate leaves may open in the wrong direction. The solution may be the following: just swap the wires on the control unit. If the problem is that you need the other flap to open first, swap the fixation of the first and second gearboxes.
Connecting photocells and signal lamp
Safety elements are photocells and a warning light. Do not try to connect all systems to power at once. This way you can detect the problem if you do not configure and connect correctly.
When the swing gate mechanism is fully configured, photocells can be connected. For this you need PVS cables. One is for the transmitter, the second is for the receiver. Use two completely different wires to avoid mixing them up. Otherwise, you may burn the lamp or photocells.
A photocell acting as a transmitter is attached to one pole, and a receiver to the other. The location of the parts of the receiving and transmitting system does not matter. Afterwards you can connect the blocks and put on the housing covers.
Photocells are mounted at a height of 50-70 cm. Their main function is to ensure safety for the car. The photocell prevents the gate from closing if the car remains parked in the opening for certain reasons.
It is recommended to install four photocells: one pair operates during the opening process, the second - during closing. This ensures 100% reliability when the doors move.
To connect the antenna and create a stronger signal, you need to run a coaxial cable. It increases the range of communicators. After connecting all the parts, you can safely check the functioning of the entire system.
Programming automatic gate closing
Closing the door leaf in automatic mode is the case when the product closes spontaneously without human intervention. This occurs after 20 seconds of inactivity in the open position.
By following the instructions in the instructions, you can configure this function. It is available in semi-automatic mode.
Preparation for construction: drawings and diagrams
When planning to build a gate, be sure to make a drawing that reflects the dimensions and location of the main parts of the structure. If you plan to build swing gates - the most popular option - then before drawing up the diagrams they think about what the length of the gates will be. In this case, the width of the roadway and the type of car are taken into account (in the case of constructing a garage door).
The length of the swing gate leaves should be selected taking into account the width of the entrance area
Typically, for swing gates, the doors are 1.5–2 meters long. And the standard height of the canvas, regardless of the type of structure, is considered to be about two meters.
The frame and leaves of swing gates are usually made of a metal profile or square pipe
Installation procedure
Tools for installing automation: welding machine, tape measure, hammer, electrical tape, corner.
To install automatics for swing gates you will need:
Before installing the drive, you must make sure that the gate leaves move easily and smoothly. They should move when pressed with your finger. If movement is difficult, it is necessary to find the cause and eliminate the problem. Usually these are distortions or poor lubrication of the hinges.
The next step is to check that the gate opening angle matches the movement of the mechanism. If obstacles arise, increased stress will be placed on the mechanism and it may burn out.
In cases where the gate supports are brick pillars, it is necessary to check their condition. The drive mount on a crumbling brick may simply fall off. If the reliability of the pillar is in doubt, it should be scalded with metal.
The actual installation of the automation begins with welding special mounting plates to the supports. Pre-arranged embeds will make the job easier.
Then the electric drive is unlocked and the brackets are welded to the doors. The work should be carried out in such a way that when the gate is fully open, at least 1 cm is left for the free movement of the rod.
Upon completion of this installation stage, it is necessary to check the timing of the opening of the valves. If a non-parallel movement of the drives is detected, the defect should be corrected. Then the opening and closing stops are installed.
At the next stage, the motors are connected in accordance with the attached instructions. It happens that during a test run of the system, the gate leaves move in different directions. This error can be easily eliminated by swapping the wires on the engine.
The electronic control unit allows you to set the desired operating mode of the gate.
You should not set the maximum closing force: this will shorten the service life of the mechanism.
It is better to limit yourself to the minimum force at which the drive operates correctly.
Installation of warning lamp and photocells is optional. The installation of photocells should not begin until all the gate operation settings have been completed. Do-it-yourself automatic gates are ready.
Often, inexperienced craftsmen manage to make a lot of errors in the connection diagram, and upon startup the system refuses to work. It takes a lot of time to identify and eliminate the causes of a failure. To avoid this, installation of automation must be carried out sequentially, in strict accordance with the instructions, and checks at certain stages of installation should not be neglected.
Material selection
When thinking about a project to create automatic gates, you should pay attention to the choice of material for the door leaf. The doors of a structure that opens automatically must be lightweight, which means that it makes more sense to construct them from corrugated sheets, polycarbonate or sandwich panels.
Sandwich panels provide good thermal insulation of the interior and are lightweight
Often, when constructing automatic gates, profiled sheets are used, which has earned popularity due to its many advantages:
- light weight;
- a large and interesting selection of colors (for example, coating with imitation of natural stone or wood);
- reasonable cost;
- long service life;
- easy installation.
In addition, when preparing to build automatic gates, you need to take a serious approach to choosing an electric drive mechanism. You will have to decide which automation is more suitable for the doors or the door leaf - lever or linear.
Linear actuators are more compact and are installed on metal poles
If you evaluate drives by appearance, then a linear mechanism, which is compact, will seem best. True, it is not customary to install it on wide pillars and for automatic opening of doors that are retracted inside the room.
Lever drives are used on gates with wide stone pillars and leaves that open inward
To decide on the choice of electric drive, you need to measure the distance between the inside of the post and the loop. When this value is no more than 1.5 cm, a linear drive is used. If the indicator is different, then the gate is equipped with a lever-type mechanism, the cost of which is slightly higher.
Application
Automatic swing gates can be installed anywhere. This type of construction is used by owners of private houses at the entrance to industrial zones. In apartment buildings, this type of fencing is installed directly in the arch to prevent strangers from entering the area.
In order for the automation to serve for a long time, you should take into account the weather conditions of your climate zone
If there is severe frost in the region, pay attention to the characteristics of the device. The gearbox is prone to freezing, so direct drive is more reliable
However, if you lubricate the gearbox, it will not freeze.
Using the resistor of the control unit, you can set the operating period and speed of the gate. The drive force can be set by setting the transformer indicator to the required value. If you choose automation to control simple shutters, the minimum position will be sufficient. Stoppers are required so that after the gates stop, a signal is received to close the gate.
Solid shutters have a high level of windage, so you should choose a powerful electric drive for them. Direct windage can damage equipment. Even if the gate is small in size, a significant level of load is generated, which breaks the automatic system.
With a small gust of wind, mechanisms with low power are not able to open the doors. Strong wind can damage the mechanism. For wired doors, you should purchase a device whose power reserve is five times the required value.
Plastic and silumin gearboxes are not reliable, so you should purchase products with metal gears. Experts recommend purchasing a combined version, which contains a steel worm and a brass gear.
If you want to install a linear device, but cannot install it due to wide pillars, you need to dismantle part of the masonry and cut out the bricks.
Material calculation and tool preparation
Swing gates, which are installed much more often than sliding or lifting structures, are assembled from the following components:
- bolt;
- support pillars on which the doors will be supported;
- frame made of metal elements;
- doors;
- garage hinges;
- door handles;
- two electric drives.
In addition, you will need various materials and fasteners:
- reinforcement rods with a diameter of 1.4 cm;
- two iron pipes with different sections (60x40 mm and 40x20 mm);
- sheets of material for lining the doors;
- 2 pipes, the cross-section of which is 10x10 cm;
- mortar of cement and sand;
- solvent, primer and alkyd enamel;
- electrode;
- three-wire cable;
- self-tapping screws for fastening metal parts;
- mounting plates (for drives);
- brackets and dowels;
- polyvinyl chloride tubes with insulating material inside.
For the manufacture of the frame and leaves of swing gates, metal pipes of various sections are needed
To mount the gate and install automation, you need certain tools:
- angle grinder;
- shovel;
- welding machine;
- drill;
- screwdriver;
- measuring tape, building level and ruler;
- brush for metal processing;
- paint brush;
- indicator screwdriver;
- insulating tape;
- hammer and pliers;
- residual current device.
Preparing the doorway
After preliminary preparation of working tools and calculation of dimensions, prepare the doorway on which the sectional doors will be installed. For people who have not worked with openings before, it is better to entrust the preparation to experienced builders who can do everything efficiently.
First, you will have to cover all the walls with a thin layer of plaster, which will protect the walls from moisture and mold. Builders advise plastering before installation, since after installing the guides, the wall surface will become inaccessible.
Then a level is used to check the evenness of the wall in the opening. If it is uneven, it will not be possible to install the gate, and therefore it is better to level everything in advance. Even minor errors greatly complicate installation work. Experienced builders can install the structure on a curved surface, however, due to unevenness, the density of fasteners will be low.
At the end of the preparation of the doorway, the ceiling and walls are finished with protective metal corners.
Tips for using gate drives
There will be no problems with the operation of automatic gates if you use them following certain rules:
- ensure that nothing interferes with the operation of the gates, that is, clear the gate movement area;
- if necessary, carry out structural repairs, that is, replace worn parts, lubricate moving parts and adjust the mechanism;
- In case of any malfunction of the drive, contact specialists, because any equipment can unexpectedly fail.
Photo
In the photographs you can clearly see the options for manufacturing automatic gates:
