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New Unigate Inverter control panel

SEA UK is pleased to launch its latest addition to its control panel range. The new Unigate Inverter control panel is still 230VAC mains powered, however it uses an inverter board designed and built for SEA to supply the motors with 230V three phase. This means the motors have full power at all times, even in slowdown. The speed of the motors can be adjusted electronically without loss of power for the first time on a 230V system. For more information on the Unigate Inverter control panel visit the product page here.

The Unigate Inverter control panel will work with any 3 phase wound motors, i.e. any SEA industrial motors past and present. For more information about this control panel, contact our technical sales and specification team on 0121 433 3348. To be put in touch with a local SEA installer fill in our contact form here. 

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Super Full Tank steps in were others have failed

The SEA Super full tank hydraulic gate motor was fitted as a replacement to the following gate.

The gate is 5m wide and as you can see, it is solid boarded so acts similar to a giant sail. The gate was previously fitted with a different manufacture’s electro-mechanical motor. When the gate opened, a gust of wind caused the motor to snap in half; the owner was standing behind the gates and was lucky to escape injury.

Now with the SEA Super Full Tank fitted to the gate,  the motor has the power to control the gate in all weather conditions.

A non-locking motor has been fitted to prevent internal damage to the motor in high winds, it acts as a hydraulic damper and ensures that the gate will never be out of control. The SEA Super Full Tank has a  25mm stainless steel piston, 500 mm stroke and 25,000N  force. This motor has at least 4 times the pushing force of most standard gate operators.  

The perfect match for large wind affected gates.

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New Block Rising Bollard

SEA UK is pleased to launch the new upgraded and redesigned hydraulic rising bollard. The latest version of SEA’s rising bollard has been redesigned to make maintenance and replacement of parts quicker and easier. The bollard is still manufactured to the highest quality and uses SEA’s proven hydraulic  system. For more information on the block rising bollard visit the product page here.

Block Rising Bollard

As a nationwide wholesaler we have formed strong partnerships with local tradesman across the country. If you are searching for the ultimate deterrent for ram raiders or require high security parking we can help you find a qualified local fitter, contact us to find an installer. Alternatively if you are a gate engineer or installer who would like more information on this or any of our products contact us today for a quotation.

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Christmas Opening Times

This year our Birmingham and London offices will be closing from the 21st December until 2nd January 2019. 

We would like to wish each and everyone of you a wonderful Christmas and happy new year! 

If you need to contact us through the Christmas period our out of ours contact number is: 07855390197.

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Traffic Management Case Study Featuring the Sprint Traffic Barrier

Here at SEA UK we work with some of the most talented installation companies in the country. Today we are on site with Richard the owner of Garage Door Restore West Midlands (GDR) and his team. They have  recently completed a traffic management system for a Casino in Birmingham. GDR’s customer required an entrance and exit barrier that could cope with the 24 hour demands of the Casino, located near to Birmingham City centre.

The Entrance

It was decided that a vehicle detector would activate the traffic barrier, allowing free entrance to the site. Richard, in consultation with our specification team and the Casino, chose a Storm traffic barrier system. The Storm is the perfect traffic barrier for this site with up to a 7.5m beam and 24V high intensity usage motor, capable of near continuous operation.

Richard has set the traffic barrier back from the road to make room for the loop detector and added new railings with brick pillars to further control traffic flow. The 24V motor on the Storm provides in built current sensing safety and low heat build up when in continuous use. In this case the 7.5m beam was not needed and a 6m beam was used instead. Finally a pair of Photo 60 anti vandal photocells were added for additional pedestrian safety. Security was increased by fitting a magnetic lock at the end of the barrier, securing the beam against the fork support when in the closed position.

The Exit

For the exit traffic barrier a Sprint system was installed instead of the Storm, as the barrier length required did not exceed 5m. The Sprint Electro-hydraulic system allows for continuous operation with built in current sensing and limit switches for automatic learning. Anti vandal photocells and a magnetic lock were chosen again for added vehicle/pedestrian safety and security. A token reader has been sited near the exit barrier preventing unauthorised vehicles from using the car park and leaving unhindered. Car park users now need to obtain a token from inside the Casino to leave the premises.

Richard from GDR West Midlands says, “Our customer needed an automatic gate system to prevent unauthorised use of their car park and the SEA traffic barriers are the ideal solution.” He goes on to say, “The support SEA have provided has helped keep our costs down and get this job finished on time and on budget.”

For more information about this automatic gate system or one like it, contact our technical sales and specification team on 0121 433 3348. To be put in touch with a local SEA installer like Richard fill in our contact form here. 

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6 Quick troubleshooting tips

Here are some basic trouble shooting tips to help speed up any electric gate repair. However, before we start, please remember that electric gate system can be dangerous to you and dangerous to other gate users.

Any changes to the electrical system should be carried out by a qualified electrician or gate engineer. If you make any changes or adjustments always consider the dangers that you may create.

If you ever feel out of your depth, stop, contact us or find an installer. With that warning out the way let’s get started!

1. Look at the warning lights

Many systems will have a warning, or a flashing light fitted to visually indicate what the gate systems is doing. Warning lights can be set up in several different ways, often giving a slow steady flash when the gates are operating normally. If you see your light flashing followed by a long break, count how many flashes there are between each pause. This number will correspond to a troubleshooting table on some Control Panel PCB’s, such as the Gate 1 and Gate 2.  Once you know where the problem lies take a closer look at the affected part of the system.

2. Check for power failure.

A common problem is simply that the mains supply feeding the gate has tripped. Check all the attached devices like intercoms and code pads for any lights that will indicate they still have power. On accessories like photocells you can wave your hand in front of the photocell beam and listen for a click. If there is no response a power supply problem is possible, check your fuse board to see if the power can be turned back on.

3. Is the Gate stuck open or closed?

If the gate is stuck open it means the gate was closed, responded to a start signal and drove open before having a problem. This situation often indicates a problem with the safety equipment, typically the photocells which allow opening when they are broken but prevent closing. With sliding gates this could indicate a failure of the limit switch.

When a gate is stuck halfway it will be down to one of 3 things. A power cut as mentioned in tip 2, a point of high physical resistance as in tip 4 or an interruption from a safety edge or rotation sensor reacting to an impact. If a safety edge is activated they can sometimes become jammed. Clicking or squeezing the edges can often cure a failed system.

On the other hand, if the gate is stuck in the close position it means it is not receiving a start signal or cannot drive open. This is a little harder to solve. Normally, it will be either a problem with the start device not linking to the main PCB, a safety device preventing operation or an issue with the gate operator. For example, the gate being forced, which brings us to tip 4.

4. Check for signs of damage.

Check for any signs of damage on the gate or motor. Often problems with an operator not moving can be traced back to an accidental hit by a vehicle or an act of vandalism. Damaged brackets, motor cables, and scuffed paint work all point to the gate being forced. Sometimes the signs are subtler so when in doubt try tip 5.

5. Manually open and close the gate.

If the gates look ok and you can hear the motor trying to run but nothing happens wait until the system stops and then put the motors on to manual and slowly push each gate leaf open and closed using the minimum force possible. On you can try to move sliding gates with just a finger, but swing gates will need a little more force. If the gates run free the problem could be electrical but if you encounter one or more points of resistance do some more investigation in these areas.

For example, on sliding gates it is not uncommon for the wheels which support a sliding gate to wear out over time. Often the gate motors are powerful enough to keep going. However, if the wheels wear enough the gate will drop and begin to bind on the toothed drive rack the gate motor pushes against. Meanwhile on swing gates a similar situation caused by wear in the hinges can lead to the gate dropping, sometimes even to the point where it will drag on the floor. If you are finding it hard to put your system into manual mode, his can show that the gate is mechanically jamming. Binding issues like this can cause a gate to work perfectly well in certain positions and not at all in others.

6. Check the start inputs.

If you are clicking away with a key fob, nothing is happening, and the gates will not open, try using the code pad, a neighbour’s key fob or an intercom to give a start signal to the gate in a different way. This will tell you if there is a problem just with your key fob, with all key fobs or with all start devices.

Finally, an often over looked source of annoyance for many gate installers is the unknown hold open switch, timer, intercom latch or ground loop. Check with the home owner to see if they have any way of holding the gates open for deliveries, or if the gates open automatically at certain times of day. After all there is nothing more infuriating than finishing your work on site only to see the gate open and stay open for seemingly no reason at all. When the home or business owner isn’t available double check the system for time clocks and hold open switches. If none are found and you are Electrically competent, you can open the main control panel check the control panel and check for signs of a permanent start (as per the control panel instructions).

Open the control panel and look at the digital display or LED’s if a safety device has failed or a start signal is permanently applied this can be ascertained here. We can then advise you where to look next.

In the end

Gate systems are sophisticated, often complicated pieces of technology. They are exposed to driving rain, flooding, freezing temperatures and scorching heatwaves, year after year. Needless to say, this is by no means an exhaustive list of troubleshooting strategies. We would urge end users to seek the help of a qualified electric gate installer sooner rather than later. We would also urge gate installers not to feel embarrassed about contacting a technical help line as there are hundreds of minor issues which could potentially cost you days on site and our technical team is ready to help!

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How to read a gate operator label

One question our technical team gets asked constantly is “What kind of gate operator do I have?” Today we are going to answer that question once and for all.

Before we start to describe the labels we recommend always following these steps when arriving on site:

  1. Take a picture of the label.
  2. Measure the operator length if its an above ground swing gate system.
  3. Call us from site (if you are at all unsure).

These first thing many people wonder is where are the operator labels? Where do you look to find them? Well when you know what you are looking for they become very easy to find. The operator label will be silver, with black writing and will be placed on the top or side of an operator. Look at these examples below where we have highlighted the operators label.

Label on a Field system
Compact Label
Old Libra Full Tank Label

For the next step you need to look at the label and try to find the bar-code. This will be visible on all modern systems. Just beneath the bar-code you will see an 8 digit number and this is the product code needed to identify the model.  Old operators will not have a bar-code. In that case look for an ‘X’ mark in the squares to find the motor information. For example in the Old label below there is an X on the FT, AC and 1.5 l/min box, signifying that this is a Full Tank AC 1.5 litre/minute operator.

Look for numbers under bar-code on newer labels
On old labels look for the ‘x’ to find information.

Sometimes for the old operators we will need additional information such as the piston stroke of the operator. This is because SEA’s oldest systems can date back 30 years and at the time an operator might have been made in only one size.

On new operators If the label is scuffed or damaged information about the operator can still be found else wear on the label. In the example below the operator information is found on the top line next to the word TYPE and on the second line under L/min. The final piece of information is the serial number and can be found next to S/N; the serial number provides a date of manufacture for a gate motor and also shows who assembled the operator in the factory and who tested the operator.

Other useful information on a Compact label.
Where to find a Serial Number on a lablel.

Remember if you are ever unsure take pictures of the label, measure length of the operator, and contact our technical team from site. We are always on standby to help out, you can reach us Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm on 0121 433 3348.

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Five Counties Automation Close Permanently

We are sad to report that earlier this year Five Counties Automation decided to close their operation.  If you have been trying to contact Five Counties on 01827 717555, sales@fivecountiesautomation.co.uk or are no longer getting a response from their website www.fivecountiesautomationltd.com this will be the reason. SEA UK was a long term supplier for Five Counties and we have extensive knowledge of the products they supplied.

Formally located on Unit 20 Innage Park, Abeles Way, Holly Lane Ind Estate, Atherstone, CV9 2QZ. Five Counties Automation where experts in fitting a variety of electric gate systems. Throughout their 30 year run Five Counties provided SEA automated systems to Rock Stars, major businesses, government institutions and of course many private households across the country. At every stage SEA UK and Five Counties shared their experience and expertise in tackling every challenge associated with the installation and maintenance of automatic gate systems.

In fact SEA UK and Five Counties have more in common then just their equipment, as SEA UK’s Managing Director Jof Reynolds was a joint owner in Five Counties for nearly 20 years, before leaving to take over ownership of SEA UK. Today Jof and the rest of the team at SEA UK wish everyone at Five Counties Automation the very best for the future.

Once again, if you have been trying to contact Five Counties on 01827 717555, sales@fivecountiesautomation.co.uk or via their website www.fivecountiesautomationltd.com and have a Five Counties Automation installation, we can offer you assistance; please feel free to contact us. Although SEA UK is a trade wholesaler we have a wide network of expert installers nationwide who are ready to help you maintain any gate or intercom installations.

Contact us today for help and information. 

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NEW Slim Profile Safety Edges

SEA UK is pleased to introduce the MiniCND and the PiccoCND 8K2 resistive safety edges to our range! Both edges provide advanced stop and reverse safety to new and existing gate systems, but now with a much smaller profile.

The MiniCND is similar in appearance to the CompactCND but is in fact around 20mm thinner with a total profile size of only 43mm. This narrow profile makes the edge ideal for swing gate systems. As with other edges in the range the Mini can be cut down to the correct size quickly on site, making installation of this edge very quick. Like other safety edges in our range the Mini and Picco can be cut down to any size in a matter of minutes, on site. Allowing installers to quickly retrofit an existing gate with an EN12453 compliant safety system on the first visit.

The PiccoCND is the ultimate slimline safety edge with a profile of only 15mm. The Picco’s small size means it can be inserted into hinge gaps, attached to the bottom of gate leafs or fitted to walls and posts. This makes the Picco an excellent choice on swing gates, for use in tandem with the MiniCND. For sliding gates, we recommend using the existing CompactCND, MultiCND and MaxxiCND edges, which have more foam to absorb fast moving, head on impacts.

All our safety edges have been designed from the ground up, to help you reach EN12453 compliance standards on any electric gate system you install. More over our edges can be cut to size on site and fitted in a matter of minutes. If you are a gate engineer or installer contact us today for a quotation!

As a nationwide wholesaler we have formed strong partnerships with local tradesman across the country. If you are searching for help fitting a new gate system or would like to upgrade the safety on an existing system we can help you find a qualified local fitter, contact us to find an installer.

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Electric Swing Gate Geometry

HOW TO FIT ELECTRIC GATES: Rear Bracket Geometry for Swing Gate Motors.

Hello and welcome to a new series of articles published by SEA UK showing you how to fit an electric gate system. In today’s article we are going to discuss how to set up the rear bracket geometry for an above ground electric gate Ram. Our method is simple and easy to follow and can be applied to any manufactures product, so you can get it right every time.

Gate rams are one of the most effective gate systems when fitted correctly, but if you get the rear bracket position wrong you will have a system which either works badly with no power, is dangerous or can be easily damaged.

First steps

There are 3 important elements which we must discuss before we go into detail about how to fit an above ground swing gate system:

  1. Gate/Motor Centre of rotation is the point which the gate or motor rotates around. This will always be in the centre of the gate hinge or at the back of the motor where it is pined or bolted to the rear bracket (see Figure 1 to 3 below).
  2. Stroke length is how much a gate motor can change its total length by, we will talk more about the importance of this later on.
  3. A and B measurements play a crucial role in correct installation. They can be quite hard to explain but the 3 diagrams below will show how to find the A and B measurements. Figure 1 and 2 show examples of standard inward opening gates but Figure 3 shows an example of an outward opening gate, notice how similar it is to Figure 2.




A Basic Installation Example

To successfully fit any piston or ram type automatic gate system you must first know the operators Stroke length. The Stroke determines the A and B measurements which can be used. In order to achieve the most control over each gate leaf you must take the stroke length in millimetres, subtract 20mm and the resulting measurement can then be divided by 2. These become your A and B measurements. Let’s use a the SURF 250 gate operator, which has a Stroke length of 400mm as our example. 400mm – 20mm = 380mm, 380mm/2= A: 190mm & B: 190mm.



Surf 250 Motor

A longer Stroke Length allows for more adjustment when fitting. With the Surfs long Stroke Length you could subtract 15mm from each end of travel giving operator a total piston stroke of 370mm; when split between A and B, this gives 185mm to each. Now there is extra margin to fit the operator comfortably and still have strong leaf locking, as in the figure 8 example below.


When A and B are not balanced?

A lot of problems can arise when the A and B measurements are too different. First let’s look at what happens when there is a relatively small imbalance. Returning to our previous example, what would happen if A is larger than B? In Figure 6 the A measurement is 210mm and the B measurement is 160mm. An imbalance will cause the operator to speed the gate up as it approached the open position and as the gate returned towards the close position it would lose momentum, reaching the close point with very low power (this can cause problems with electric locks).



If the reverse is true and B is large than A the gate operator will be moving faster as it comes to the close position, carrying more momentum but will be slow when opening and sometimes may not fully open. This can lead to unsafe gates, see the example in Figure 7 above. There will be situations where these imbalances cannot be avoided, but if installers are aware of the way a gate will change, measures can be taken to minimise the negative effects.

Extreme problems caused by poor geometry.  

When the difference between the A and B measurements is too high, or when very little of the operator’s stroke length is used you will find that the operator will move very fast but with very low force, or the operator will not move at all. As well as this, operators will be vulnerable to excess forces and could be easily damaged by a person or even the wind.

In figure 8 below a very small A measurement and a small B measurement has resulted in the gate operators having low power and low resistance to excess forces. This is because the combined A and B measurements only uses a tiny fraction of the operator’s total Stroke Length.



However, if the A measurement is still small but the B measurement is extended to use the full piston stroke there will still be a significant problem. In Figure 9 above, the A measurement is still 80mm, but B has been extended to use the remaining 300mm of the 380mm available. Unfortunately, because the front and rear bracket rotation centres are in line, causing the operator to be parallel to the gate, the operator cannot pull back. In this configuration the operator will also be extremely poor at resisting excess forces. Remember for a Ram type operator to move a gate there must be a triangle and in figure 9 the triangle is non existent.

Finally, if the A measurement is large but the B measurement is small, the Motor will hit the gate as it opens. This problem is usually spotted early on site and so very few people report this, but we think it is still worth mentioning here.

In conclusion for perfect geometry and a flawless ram operator installation simply find the operators stroke length, subtracted 10-15mm from each side and divide by 2. The resulting number will be you’re A and B measurement which you can use to find the correct location for the motor centre of rotation relative to the gate centre of rotation.

If you have any questions feel free to contact our technical team, or leave a comment below.