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Electric gates fulfil a variety of crucial roles for businesses – they can serve as a useful security function, a vital safety measure, and of course a beautiful aesthetic feature. We’ve been the UK’s leading supplier of electric gate openers, gate automation kits, and spare parts for 30 years here at Gate Auto. That means if you’re a commercial or industrial customer looking for the best type of electric gates for your premises, you can count on us to know the biggest influences on your decision – including the location of the business, your budget, and the amount of space you have to work with. With that in mind, here are our top suggestions on the types of gates you might want to consider first.
Underground gate kits
Underground swing gate kits are often worthy of consideration for light commercial businesses. They’re extremely secure, due to how discreet they are. As their name suggests, the majority of the hardware that makes these gates work is hidden underground, making them extremely difficult for intruders to tamper with. Plus, being hidden underground makes them resistant to extreme weather conditions like frost, sweltering heat, or heavy rain.
They have a relatively high-spec design that enables them to perform a good number of cycles a day, making them worthy of consideration for light commercial businesses. (If you find it useful, you can even opt for kits with special link arms that can open on a full 180-degree axis.)
However, we wouldn’t recommend them for heavy-duty commercial premises, since they’re not quite robust enough to handle the exceptionally high number of cycles needed by a business that sees a lot of large, commercial vehicles head in and out on a daily basis. Plus, an underground box can easily be damaged if it’s rolled over by a large HGV. It only needs to happen once!
So if you work in an office, or a similar environment that may only see a few small numbers of vehicles coming and going every day, then underground gate kits may well be a viable option for you. However, if you’re working in the trade or industrial sector and you’ve got large vehicles constantly leaving and arriving to make deliveries, or attend callouts, or haul large freight loads, underground gate kits won’t be suitable – so you’ll want to consider alternatives.
Above ground swing gates
Hydraulic above ground swing gates can be used for a variety of applications, from individual homes to heavy traffic industrial zones. These are mounted directly on to your wall posts or columns, and utilise clever rams to open your gates. Their sheer versatility makes them a great choice if you’re a commercial business looking to automate your gates on a budget.
Hydraulic arms are generally amongst the better options to go for in heavy-duty commercial settings, as their inherent robustness enables them to handle the high number of cycles required for these sorts of sites.
(In case you’re wondering, articulated arms aren’t as well-suited to these types of applications; they can handle very few opening cycles per day, and they’re only capable of moving very low-weight gates, which makes them better for less intensive applications, such as residential areas.)
Hydraulic-arm above-ground swing gates provide an excellent way to add a reliable layer of extra security to your business, and they’ll protect you from anything short of ram-raiding attacks (which are exceedingly rare)! Now, if that is something you’re worried about, or if you’ve been a victim before, then the good news is that you do have plenty of options.
Personally, we would recommend a Goliath 400 kit, which is always a solid go-to choice. There’s a reason they’re often referred to as being a ‘fit and forget’ option. They’re self-locking and cannot be pushed open easily, and for extra security you can install additional magnetic locks. If you’d like ultimate peace of mind, you could also choose to use two Goliath arms per gate.
Alternatively of course, you may want to consider cantilever gates.
Cantilever gate kits
Cantilever gate kits are the natural choice for heavy-duty commercial businesses, and for plenty of good reasons. They’re the perfect match for commercial gates, which are usually particularly large and heavy, and built in the palisade style for extra security value. Opening and closing gates of this size requires exceptional strength and durability, as well as the ability to handle a high number of cycles – all qualities that cantilever gate kits have in spades.
What’s more, their self-locking motors make them even more resistant to damage and vandalism than other types of gates, so break-ins are near-impossible. Best of all, their greater elevation from the ground means that cantilever gates can be used on any kind of gradient, and make virtually no noise when in operation. The sheer amount of perks without downsides is the reason that they take top spot on our list of the electric gates to choose for your business.
So, that’s all the essentials covered – if you’ve got any more questions or clarifications, don’t hesitate to let us know!
Here at Gate Auto, we have over three decades of experience in supplying and fitting high-quality gate automation, we provide a wide range of electric gate kits and garage door openers alongside an array of accessories to ensure you get the most out of your investment. Feel free to browse them right here on our site, or give us a call on 01282 677300!
