Know your specs: domestic, light industrial and industrial

Know Your Specs: Domestic, Light-industrial and Industrial

This is a very exciting time for you. You’ve just downloaded a copy of the CENTSYS Mini Product Catalogue, and you’re ready to say goodbye to pulled muscles, drenched clothes and overly-friendly neighbours who want to make idle chit-chat every time you stop to open your gate, forever. Yes, you are about to buy your first gate motor, and the impressive-looking automatons staring back at you from the glossy pages of the catalogue promise years of sweet, sweet convenience. It’s a special occasion. Maybe you’ll buy a bottle of bubbly. Have a little soiree. Who knows?

But then it hits you: you have no idea which operator to choose. It’s easy enough to determine whether you’ll be needing a swing or sliding gate motor but, even within those rather broad categories, there are different models with unique specifications and intended applications. Don’t panic! We’re here to help and, to help you make an informed decision, we’ll be discussing the three main gate motor categories, namely domesticlight-industrial and industrial.

Domestic

The word ‘domestic’ is derived from the Latin domicilium, meaning ‘home’ or ‘place of residence’, and this is exactly where domestic operators are most at home, if you’ll pardon the pun. It’s important to remember that ‘domestic’ doesn’t merely refer to the fact that it’s intended for the automation of lighter gates, but it also means that it’s suitable for typical household usage. A gate weighing around 250kg, operated 10 times a day, would constitute a domestic application.

Light-industrial

Small complexes or homes with gates that are in frequent use will generally require a light-industrial gate motor, like the famous D5-Evo, to be installed. The gate may also be somewhat heavier, around 500kg, and be operated in the region of 150 times per day.

Industrial

Right, it’s time to bring out the heavies. If you’re planning on automating a very heavy gate, for example the entrance to a factory or business park, a domestic operator just won’t cut it. Not only will the battery charger not be able to cope with the power demands, but its gearbox and motor brushes will have a shorter lifespan than a TV sitcom. Industrial operators like our very own D10 and A10 sliders come with heavy-duty chargers capable of supplying the batteries with enough juice to perform up to 750 operations per day, and its beefy aluminium gearbox is capable of moving gates weighing up to one ton. If your gate is heavier than a Scandinavian death metal band, you need to go industrial.

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