Gate, door and barrier automation manufacturer FAAC (UK) is launching what it describes as a new concept in gate operators.
Domo Line is a range of low-voltage swing and sliding gate automation suitable for residential gates. FAAC General Manager Will Walker explains that, with Domo Line, the company is mainly targeting smaller residential installations not covered by its existing range. ?This is a safe, 12-volt system which offers simple programming and easy installation, with fully adjustable brackets, no welding and only two wires to connect. It is these attributes that enable us to promote Domo Line through a wide market, as well as through our specialist professional dealership.? Suitable for low-usage gates, Domo Line is user-friendly, the makers report, with programming of force, speed, function logic, leaf opening/closing times and deceleration. Thanks to an ?virtual? encoder system with limit switch and obstacle detection functions, it complies with EC standards. Having been programmed, the points at which deceleration and stopping occur are maintained through a self-learning system. The models in the new range are Domo Glide, Domo Link and Domo Swing. All the operators use a 12 Vdc electric motor and feature a treated and powder-painted die-cast aluminium body. All Domo Line automation is in the IP44 protection class.
Welsh application
A harbourside car park near the centre of the holiday resort of Porthcawl, South Glamorgan, has been popular with shoppers. They were however parking there to the detriment of legitimate users ? boat owners, fishermen and the local lifeboat crew. Working on behalf of Bridgend County Borough Council and Porthcawl Harbour Authority, Tremorfa of Cradiff installed a FAAC 642 barrier, specified, says Brian Hodge, Business Development Manager, for its corrosion-resistant stainless steel housing, which made it suitable for the harsh coastal environment. At the harbour car park, the barrier is linked to a dual access control system. Boat owners and fishermen are admitted via card readers, while the lifeboat crew have radio controls, for speed of access in an emergency. The housing also holds the FAAC 624 MPS electronic control unit in a weatherproof container ? an important factor in coastal areas like Porthcawl. This control unit offers a selection of logics to suit site requirements. The 642 operates at speeds of between four and eight seconds and is suitable for beam lengths from 4m to 7m. An integral fan activates automatically to cool the system during heavy use, and a secure locking system ensures the beam retains its open and closed positions, with manual release via a customised key in the event of a power failure. The 642 also has an anti-crush system. Bottom skirts can be fitted to barriers of up to 7m in length, and top and bottom skirts up to 5m. The housing contains the operator, which consists of a hydraulic power unit and two pistons. The latter activate the rotation of the beam through a rocker arm, while a spring mounted on one of the pistons balances the beam.
Disability rule
Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) gives disabled people rights of access to everyday services that others take for granted. From 2004, when the final stage of the Part III comes into force, service providers will be required to permanently alter their premises where physical features make access to their services impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people. This would include fitting automated doors where necessary. Installer Tremorfa, based in Cardiff, is carrying out contracts for bodies seeking DDA compliance, including the Land Registry at Swansea and the Royal Glamorgan Hospital at Llantrisant. For both of these, Tremorfa specified FAAC?s 961 electro-mechanical hinged door operators. The 961 B-E is suitable for operating external and internal hinged doors. It can be fitted to the lintel or to the door itself. Door opening can be directed inwards or outwards as required. In the event of a power failure, the door can be operated manually.
