A DIY Project with Linear Actuators

The gateway is the hallmark of the house. This is the first thing that a person sees when comes to visit somebody. In recent years, automated hinged-type remote opening gateways have become increasingly popular. The owners install them on the garage, house, and various premises. Thanks to the practicality and convenience of swing gates, homeowners cannot be afraid of unauthorized entry into their houses. Homeowners get the opportunity to quickly open the gate without putting any effort.

Electric linear actuator solution is the best way to bring the automated gateway idea into life. 

Selection of Necessary Materials and Equipment

Automation for DIY swing gates is very simple if you have all the necessary tools to realize this project. This automation projects will require the following devices:

  • electric actuator;
  • remote control;
  • rack;
  • signal light;
  • photocells.

To carry out the installation work of automatization equipment, you must have the following:

  • welding machine;
  • pliers;
  • hammer;
  • mounting brackets;
  • set of screwdrivers;
  • electric drill with nozzles of various sizes;
  • several types of electrical wires of different sizes and type.

There are few basic rules to make the DIY automated gateway operate perfectly. Smooth and easy process of opening & closing the valves of the gates guarantees success to the project. A sufficient gap between gates and the road allows unhindered movement. The construction must open freely not preventing people from passing by and moving vehicles. All the welding works must be carried out in a horizontal position. The quality of welded elements should be checked instantly to ensure that the automated system will work for a long period. There must be enough free space to attach a device for the automized gateway opening.

To set up the actuator attached to the gateway the homeowner needs to decide which automated electric relay suitable for the particular conditions will be sufficient to open the swing-type gates automatically when needed, without putting too much effort. The model of the electric actuator is usually selected depending on the following parameters:

  • the mass of the gates;
  • valve size;
  • frequency of electric actuator implementation;
  • wind power

When choosing a design, homeowners should carefully consider each of the factors listed above. If this is not done, sooner or later this will cause the electric actuator malfunctioning or even the breakdown. Before mounting the automated electric linear actuator for swing gates, it is necessary to carefully review the construction plan and prepare carefully – homeowners should examine if swing gates function well and if there are some minor mistakes they can fix as even a little error can be fatal.

The properly-constructed gateway should open easily. If something prevents this from happening it is necessary to understand and eliminate the cause. Usually, the problem is solved by smearing hinges, leveling the pillars, etc.

Steel profile tubes are the best choice for making the gate frame – they have high strength and what is most important, they make the construction as rigid as possible. To fill the frame homeowners can use metal sheets, polycarbonate, decking, boards or picket fence or forge. The last one has one significant advantage when compared with others. As forging does not have a densely closed surface it has the lower wind resistance. Consequently, powerful winds have a lower impact on the whole construction and in particular on the electric linear actuators used to move the gate. In such a case such technical characteristics as force and time of a stroke of the linear actuator can be counted better as the homeowner doesn’t need to install the extremely powerful electric linear actuator. Forging used as the basic material for the construction of the automated gate also has the lower weight so the linear actuator chosen for this material should not necessarily be very powerful and, as a result, too expensive.