Hydraulic Gates

Vertical Lift Gate
Flexibility:
Our vertical gate systems are available in many configurations to meet your
specific requirements. Having built vertical gate systems over 30' tall and over
130 feet in width, with wind loads (while closed) up to 200mph, we are
confident that we can build a system that will meet your requirements or your
imagination.

Design:
Doors are designed using CAD and structural engineering software. Door
frame structure and connection designs are certified by an independent
engineer. Door frames are engineered using structural steel and cold formed
members per AISC and AISI codes. Wind loads are calculated using your
location and building size for the most accurate structural loading possible. We
don't make an assumption on the wind load by using an arbitrary standard, we
check every time.

Construction:
Door components are manufactured to the highest standards and designed to
be completely bolt together, avoiding costly delays due to welding inspections
and the availability of certified welders in the field. Door components are also
designed to have as few connections as possible, simplifying and increasing
assembly speed on the job. This lowers the total installed cost for your door
system.

Lift System:
There are three systems available for lifting. The premiere design we use for
lifting doors is the hydraulic lifting unit. By utilizing a hydraulic cylinder to control
door movement a large safety factor is gained. Hydraulic fail safe valves are
used to lock the cylinder in place if a control valve should fail or a hydraulic line
is ruptured or damaged. (We became real believers in this system and the
components we use after another company's careless employee ran a piece of
equipment into the hydraulic lines of a large canopy door while the door was
open and construction personnel were working directly underneath it. Other than
some hydraulic oil that spilled out of the broken pipe there was no further
damage to the door system and more imporantly the door didn't fall. So no one
got hurt, or worse. This particular door weighs over 14,000 lbs. After settling
about 1", which is the fluid volume necessary to activate the fail safe valve, the
door maintained it's position for over a week before we were contacted and
repairs could be made). The closing speed can be easily tuned by adjusting the
factory installed speed control valve. The lifting winch system offers simplicity in
design and installation. The lifting winches are directly mounted to the gate
frame, so no lift unit is necessary. No pulleys need to be added to the building.
All this adds up to very few moving parts, which equates to lower maintenance
costs over the life of the gate. The third lift system available is the tried and true
counterweight system. The counterweight system has been used on countless
doors and gates for as long as they have been built. The main drawback with
this system is the space required for the counterweight tower and the cost of
the counterweight material.

Supporting Cables:
Vertical Lift gates are supported by galvanized cables using a safety factor of
at least 5-1, stainless steel cables available upon request.

Fall Restraint Safety System:
We offer our fall restraint safety system as a highly recommended option on
every vertical lift gate we manufacture. This sytem uses a spring loaded pin to
arrest door movement if the lifting cable(s) lose tension. The pins are rated for
1.5 times the weight of the door panel to account for the increased energy of
the door panel as it begins to fall. The maximum amount the door can fall under
complete lifting cable failure is 12". This spacing can be reduced if required,
12" from support block to support block is standard. This design was submitted
and approved by the Army Corp of Engineers for use on a large vertical lift
doors we built for the U.S. Airforce. A demonstration video was made at our
facility with the engineers present while we disconnected the lifting cables on
our vertical lift door in the rear of our shop. To see the video click here.

Door Supporting System:
The cables are supported by solid steel pulleys that are machined in house
and installed with roller bearings for a long service life. Pulley axles are drilled
and tapped for grease fittings for ease of maintenance.

Electrical Controls:
Gate control panels are manufactured in house using only the highest quality
UL listed components. Door control systems utilize electromechanical relays
that are highly resistant to electrical interference and have no programming that
can become corrupted requiring service. Door control systems also utilize solid
state proximity sensors for limiting door travel. These sensors are water proof
and have no moving parts to wear out. Door control systems can be supplied
ranging from 12VDC to 600VAC. Variable frequency drives are available for
custom tuning or varying of gate lift speed. Variable frequency drives come with
variable speed buttons with 3 adjustable speed settings standard, 5 speeds as
an option.

Standard Options:
Timer delay with safety noisemaker and/or strobe light, safety edge with delay
and/or auto reverse, personnel door frames and safety interlock sensors,
explosion proof drive system, air drive operating system, hydraulic drive
operating system, 12VDC backup hydraulic pump system, engine driven
backup hydraulic pump system. Door drive motors and control panels are fully
assembled, wired and tested at our facility prior to shipping.

Please call with your custom option requirements, we are here to create the
system that meets your needs and your imagination.