Boom gates like everything else come in varying degrees of build quality
designed for different parts of the market. For instance we would not
for one moment suggest that any of our standard boom gates would be used
on a toll way but then again nothing you buy off the showroom floor will
do that job. So what are the things we need to consider when selecting
a boom gate?
- WIDTH OF THE OPENING - Obvious we know but this is
the starting point. The boom gate needs to cover the area you are trying
to restrict access to. Now lets say you have a 5 metre opening. Then
you must choose a 6 metre boom gate and reduce the length of the boom
but you cannot take a 4 metre boom gate and increase the length of the
boom. With large openings the most common method is to have two boom
gates although we can order purpose made industrial boom gates that
will cover up to 12 metres.
- NUMBER OF DAILY OPERATIONS OR "DUTY CYCLE"
- In general terms we consider even 500 operations a day to be a small
number assuming that the 500 operations were spread evenly over an eight
hour period. If however the boom gate performed 250 operations for an
hour in the morning and the other 250 during an hour period in the afternoon
then this would be considered medium to high duty cycle. Some operators
are designed to work all day long whilst others like a more laid back
lifestyle and prefer a home with lazy usage. In general terms a though
all boom gates expect a relatively high duty cycle but it is worth considering
just how hard the life will be.
- LOW VOLTAGE VERSUS HIGH VOLTAGE - Put simply you
can expect to pay more for a low voltage (12 or 24 volt) motor than
a comparable high voltage (240 volt) motor. A low voltage motor will
run cooler and therefore have a higher duty cycle rating than a 240
volt motor. Low voltage can also be equipped with battery backup which
is much more difficult with 240 volt systems. You can read more about
the pros and cons of low voltage versus high voltage in an article written
by one of our suppliers.
Click here for this
article.
- PRICE - I wish we could tell you you can be guided
by price but it simply isn't so. Some of our lowest priced operators
have been our best performers time and time again. It is however fair
to say that price will be an indication of the quality of build of the
motor.
Ok! Armed with all this information you need to pop back up the page
to our chart and choose a boom gate. Start by choosing an operator to
match your width and function (commercial or industrial). Click on the
chosen operator name to be taken to the page, then check your duty cycle.
Happy hunting. |
