How to Choose the Right Sliding Gate Opener for Your Gate Weight

The most common mistake in gate automation is sizing the motor by gate length instead of gate weight and duty cycle. A 6 m steel gate and a 6 m aluminum gate place completely different demands on the gearbox.

Start with the actual moving weight, including wheels and racks. Then estimate daily cycles: a villa gate typically runs 10-20 cycles a day, while a logistics yard may run more than 200. Duty cycle ratings such as S3 50% exist precisely for this reason.

Finally, consider climate. Coastal installations should specify IP54 enclosures and stainless hardware; cold regions benefit from motors validated to -20 C with synthetic gearbox oil.

If you are unsure, send us the gate drawing - our engineers will return a model recommendation with the calculations behind it, free of charge.