Setting up a new system.

Sometimes I might get called back after replacing an old system with a new one, because the new arms don’t open or close fully. This probably just needs an adjustment on the control board. There is a feature of most modern gate systems on the control board which detects if there is an obstacle in the way of the gate (by monitoring motor current). It is hard to get the balance between obstacle detection and providing enough force to overcome variations in operation, such as wind, or rain washing away lubricant. I try to adjust the gate so that the motors aren’t pushing any harder than they need to because of two reasons- safety and mechanical reliabilty. Safety is obvious- if the gate detects an obstacle while closing it should stop and reverse. Mechanical reliabilty is enhanced by the gate not pushing hard on the stops which can strain the brackets, arms and gate unnecessarily. Gate automation seems simple and it could be, but safe gate automation is more complex which is why these settings might need adjusting occaisionally after installing.