Electric Gates

[Farleigh]

Evening all,
My electric gates seemed to have packed up. Not sure whether it’s the motors, capacitors or relays but am going to troubleshoot the relays first. For a while when the gates worked and main power was switched on to the system you would here clicking and also clicking when you activated the system. As of today no clicking. Is there any easy way of testing the relays. They are on a PCB and I can’t easily get to the back of the board.
Thoughts much appreciated.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Untitled

• Taylortwocities
• 17 Apr 2008
• 30

There are a number of reasons that could cause this ranging from simple loss of power (have you checked that?) through to a less likely relay failure.

You need to get an electric gates company to examine this

 

[flameport]

Of all the things that could have failed, the relays are the least likely.
If the motor or capacitor has failed (you only appear to have 1 connected), the relays would still click.

Do any of the LEDs on the board illuminate (the 5 coloured ones to the lower right side)? If not, then either power to the whole thing has failed, or the voltage regulator on the board has failed (it's a ultra low end cheap-o-matic board and the regulator is undersized).

The photocell inputs and the stop inputs have been wired together permanently, which implies this gate has no safety devices. If that is true, these gates should NOT be used until such devices are installed.

Electric gates are not DIY items. They are easily capable of causing serious injury or death when installed incorrectly.

 

[Farleigh]

Thanks both,

The gates still get power as I rewired and have a new intercom system up and running. The attached photo shows the board with power mid way through wiring both motors up. However I am sure the motors have failed but I was as you suggest still expect the relays to click which made me wonder maybe the motors haven’t failed.

You are correct about the safety devices there are none which is very strange although the gates themselves. If I get these up and running adding those will be next.

 

[bernardgreen]

Electric gates are not DIY items.

You are correct about the safety devices there are none which is very strange

Not strange, just very dangerous.

Who installed the gates and the control system ? People have died due to gates not being installed correctly.

quote
Cheshire Gate Automation, which fitted the gate, has pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter and is due to be sentenced. Its sole director, Kriston Kearns, 43, was cleared of manslaughter.

The court was told that safety measures intended to prevent a crush – the obstacle detection and force limitation features – had not been implemented by the company. As a result, the gate failed to detect Semelia’s presence and “continued to drive into her with enormous force” pushing her against the slamming post and crushing her to death after the gate locked up.

LINK

 

[ericmark]

@bernardgreen has beat me to it, after that case I think many companies either stopped doing electric gates and garage doors, or specialised in it. It was all the rage, and many small firms started to fit them, and we saw a load fitted which fell very much short of safety requirements, and in many cases to make them comply would cost more than the gates cost to start with. Plus makes them useless as a security device, if you can open them by pressing some emergency button then often they are no longer fit for purpose. I see nothing for the company after 2016 so assume it went bust?

I am sure the LED's mean something, and if you find the instructions it will have a trouble shooting section, but the large chip is likely a programmable chip and so without the instructions for that gate it will be near impossible to fault find, likely you will find something like this.

Definitions of Optical Signals
LD6 – Photo-cell led (yellow)
It signals the optical barrier’s state. The led goes off when the photo-cell is covered by persons or vehicles
LD4 – Photostop led (yellow)
It signals the optical barrier’s state. The led goes off when the photo-cell is covered by persons or vehicles
LD5 – Stop led (red)
It signals the gate’s block state. The led goes off when the stop control is operated (emergency).
LD2 – Start led (green)
It is lit when the start control is operated.
LD3 – Pedestrian start led (green)
It is lit when the pedestrian start control is operated.
LD1 – Power supply led (green)
It is lit when the electronic card power supply is present.

Once you have the instructions with information like that, there is also likely something like "Note 2 – The electronic unit must be installed by qualified personnel only. The installation engineer must have the necessary technical and professional qualification." it is today not considered a DIY job to repair electric gates.

Google is your friend likely some one like this company can help, the board looks very similar to yours.

 

[flameport]

The attached photo shows the board with power mid way through wiring both motors up.

There are no motor capacitors, neither motor will work without them.
The board should not be powered until all wiring is complete.

If I get these up and running adding those will be next.

No.
Electric gates are designed and installed as a complete system, which is then powered and tested to ensure all the devices are working correctly in each operating phase.

I don't understand the circumstances here - your initial post implied these had been working for some time and then stopped.
However it now seems this is a dangerous DIY lashup which never worked properly or at all.

Until it's all installed correctly, the only safe option is to leave the gates open and disconnect power from the whole lot.

 

[Farleigh]

Thanks for all the advice. Still not clear though how you can go about testing the relays. Even if the motors are decommissioned and they system just powered for the intercom, I’m still keen to learn how relays like this can (if it’s at all possible) be tested.

Will put my mind to rest.

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

It's not the relays.

 

[bernardgreen]

Still not clear though how you can go about testing the relays.

Remove them from the board.

Apply the rated voltage to the coil and check the armature moves and the contact(s) move to open circuit the Normally Closed contact and to close the Normally Open contact

Remove the voltage to the coil and check the contact(s) restore to the un-energised state.

Measure voltage across closed contacts when passing the rated current. Compare this measured voltage to the value on the data sheet.

And a lot more checks such as time to operate, time to release, insulation resistance, shorted turns in coil etc etc.

Do you really think that all the relays failed at the same time.

I think the controller may have tested the safety devices, found they were missing and then in the interests of safety refused to operate the motors.

If you refuse to accept the advice given here than perhaps this from the Health and Safety Executive might convince you that DIY installation of powered gates is not sensible.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/powered-gates/safety.htm

 

[ericmark]

As you can see for link I very quickly found the board you seem to have, and the list of what the LED's do was actually taken from a PDF which seems to be the instructions for the board, I say seems because I have had it before where there are small variations and what seems to be the correct instructions is in fact not.

A google for CTR17/PM 8000 gate control instructions will find instructions and if you can't follow these instructions I would say then you should not be trying to repair it yourself, you have not got the skill required.