Advantages of GDS Operators

The main selling features of our Gate Automation Equipment compared to most other brands are as follows :

SUMMARY

• Speed – Our swing and sliding gate automation equipment will open the gates 3-5 times faster (depending on the model chosen) compared to most other brands. They use a variable speed drive system so the opening speed, closing speed, ramp up and ramp down times are fully adjustable to suit the application.
• Duty Cycle – Our gate operators have a 100 % duty cycle meaning they can open the gates all day long without overheating.
• Durability – Our gate operators use Industrial grade cast iron gearboxes meaning they will last 20 + years in operation. Most chassis are hot dipped galvanized and most covers are stainless steel with the electronic controls in a ABS enclosure with clear plastic lid for greater protection.
• Flexibility – Our sliders come with the choice of the standard rack drive, but also both chain drive and belt drive. Chain and Belt drives are very suited for certain applications such as large gates or those with bad tracks. All our gate operators whether they are swing or sliders use one control board, which makes for a very efficient and easy installation and adjustments.

General details (Relating to all operators)

Australian Manufactured

Using Australian manufactured equipment provides a huge advantage for end users, for the following reasons;

• Support from a close neighboring country
• The ready availability of spare parts, no matter how large or small that part is.
• Technical support from the manufacturer/designer themselves (rather than from a importer who has limited technical knowledge)
• A simple phone call will produce an instant response regarding a query concerning the installation, commissioning, servicing or fault finding of the operator.

Industrial Grade Cast Iron Gearboxes

These gearboxes that we exclusively use are a cast iron heavy duty Industrial grade gearbox which were designed for use in applications such as conveyor systems, concrete batching plants etc where heavy loads are in place and for long periods of time.

Consequently, our gearboxes come with breathers so if the oil does become warm/hot the pressure build up is able to be released

Most (I say most but as far as I know I think its all) other gate operators use either a gearbox that is made from what’s known as a “investment casting” which is a aluminum casting and are unable to handle any significant overhung loads for long periods of time and will also flex under load

The gears in our gearboxes are actually ground to provide a perfect meshing between the worm and wheel. This then has the added advantage of producing high efficiency gearboxes which then means minimal power is lost in the transfer between the motor input and output drive from the gearbox. Many other cheaper gearboxes do not have ground gears consequently they wear much quicker and the efficiencies are poor.

Industrial Grade motors

We almost exclusively use the WEG and TECO brand motors due to the excellent reliability they have

Laser cut 10mm and 6mm steel chassis

The chassis that we use to support the gearboxes are not a cast aluminum housing but rather 10mm and 6mm steel plate which are welded and zinc plated for corrosion protection. (Many are also now hot dipped galvanized for corrosive environments)

Unique mechanical torque limiter on output drive

As a safety backup for both the swing and sliders we incorporate a torque limiter on the output drive. Particularly with swings and possibly with sliders (as the gate opens along the fence) photo electric safety beams/induction loops etc cannot protect all areas from a gate hitting someone or something. At least with our torque limiter there will be minimal damage to the object it hits and the gearbox will be also protected due to the torque limiter slipping rather than damage to the gears etc.

Inverter driven fast opening systems

In conjunction with our inverter drive controls and selected gearbox ratios we have one of the fastest opening swing and sliding gate systems. The inverter drive controls the ramp up, running speed and ramp down rate which minimizes any strain on the gearboxes and therefore provides a much longer service life.

Simple disconnect feature

Both our swing and sliding gate operators have a simple disconnect feature by turning a knob approx half a turn (once the access door has been unlocked via a key) The gate is then able to be opened easily by hand.

Simple, proven control system

The control board which we use has basically all the features you could ever need for the operation of a gate but also is user friendly and relatively inexpensive should there be a requirement for a replacement.

100% duty cycle

All of our operators have a 100% duty cycle meaning the gates can operate all day long without overheating. This feature is quite unique, when compared with imported operators which have motors that have a duty cycle of around 30% (meaning if the gate operates for 20 seconds it needs to “rest” for 40 seconds).

Remote fault finding facility

Due to the fact that the control board has indication lights for each input and output, fault finding is generally simple to do at the site or via assistance remotely. Similarly, the inverter provides a readout of a fault condition to assist in rectifying any problems.

GDSA Flexibility

Due to the fact that Gate Drive Systems Australia are a local Australian company and pride themselves on customer service we have in our range:

• Swing gate operators, up to approx 8m
• Sliding gate operators, for large heavy gates/doors of basically any size
• Cool room/Freezer room operators
• Vertical lift door operators

We also are flexible enough to be able to manufacture custom made and specialized operators to suit basically any purpose

SPECIFIC ADVANTAGES RELATING TO SLIDING GATE OPERATORS

• Most of the above mentioned details relate to the sliders, however I will summarize and provide some more specific details which are as follows;
• Cast Iron gearboxes with breathers. These gearboxes would have an average life span of 20+ years.
• Industrial motors. All our motors incorporate fans and are a quality motor utilizing top grade motor windings and bearings.
• Steel Chassis made in such a way as to provide 8 point fixing for the gearbox (which is the most it can have), thereby providing fall support for the gearbox itself.
• Torque limiter force control on the output drive for safety backup purposes as well as protection for the gearbox.
• Inverter drive system providing smooth ramp up and ramp down control which is fully adjustable for each application. This ramp control and speed adjustment is the ultimate way to operate a gate.
• Steel Powder coated or Stainless steel covers which provide a strong and vandal resistant cover which is not affected by the strong sunlight rays as plastic ones are over time.
• 100% Duty cycle which is almost unheard of overseas.

SPECIFIC ADVANTAGES RELATING TO SWING GATE OPERATORS

All of the above mentioned in the sliding gate operator section, as well as;

• Our swing gate operators open the gate in around 10 -12 seconds. All linear type operators (ie, hydraulic and screw drive units) would normally be twice that long when opening a large gate.
• Due to the articulated arm drive method that we use our operators are high efficient machines and therefore place no direct load on the hinges and mounting plates of the operator, whereas this is not the case with linear actuators.
• We utilize strong tubular arms with self lube brass bearing ball hinges. These arms are set up to operate in the same horizontal plane and therefore do not have a scissor action when moving the gate. These arms also mechanically slow the gate’s leaf speed down naturally when closing which allows the gate to come gently into the closed position with little ‘banging’.
• When closed, the arms are almost straight, meaning that if someone pushes on the gate (and no lock is installed) the load is placed back onto the mounting plates of the operator rather than on the gears in the gearbox