Automated gates remain a hugely popular solution for securing single homes, gated communities, and apartment block parking. As well as giving residents the peace of mind of better security, automated gates also offer ultimate convenience. For residents, having smooth and easy access to their homes eliminates one of the small, repetitive stresses of modern life.

Security

What’s more important than keeping automated gates fully secure? If they aren’t robustly locked when not in use, their purpose is negated. The most common locking solution for gates is electro-magnetic locks. This type of lock is ideal for outdoor gate projects. They’re reliable and hardy, with no moving parts that could change shape or size with changing weather. Moreover, maglocks are fail safe. That means that in an emergency with a power cut, they’ll immediately unlock and allow safe egress.

I Series Electro-Magnetic Locks

The I Series of maglocks by CDVI is specially designed for outdoor applications. The I Series comes in surface or mortice mount, from 180kg to 500kg holding force. They’re rated IP68 and IK10 – both the highest possible ratings.

Convenience

Transmission Solutions

Radio transmission is the unsung hero of gate automation. This technology is simple, effective, and above all, convenient. All you need is a receiver, and corresponding transmitters. The receiver is wired into your gate automation mechanism, and hidden somewhere out of sight. The transmitter could come in many different forms:

• Hand-held model on your keyring
• Keypad mounted on a post
• Photocells with infrared trip-wires
• Card stuck to the inside of your car window.

Whichever form it takes, the transmitter’s job is to send out the signal that triggers the gate to open. When a resident presses a button, enters a correct code, or drives into the right zone, the transmission begins.

Visibility

When residents can’t see the perimeter of their property directly, it’s important for them to have good visibility of visitors. If someone knocks on your front door, you can judge for yourself whether to allow them access or not. If your gate is down a driveway or an underground carpark, that’s much more difficult.

Video entry systems are the solution. Video intercoms add significant value to automatic gate projects, for installers and residents alike. Typical systems consist of a door station located outside the gate, and a monitor inside each home on the secure side. Visitors use the door station to make a call to the internal monitor. The resident picks up the call, and can see and speak to the visitor. The resident can then decide whether to grant entry and unlock the gate, or not.

With CDVI’s 2EASY video entry solution, both single properties and multi-home developments can be managed through the same system. With two-way audio and one-way video, 2EASY offers visibility and peace of mind for residents. The free smartphone app also lets visitors answer calls and unlock gates remotely, to allow deliveries or contractors to enter.

A Complete Commercial Solution

As well as private homes and apartment blocks, automated gates are becoming increasingly common for businesses. Many companies are now committed to controlling access to their building with online systems. Only authorised individuals can gain access to the building, to each floor, to individual offices. Why shouldn’t the carpark be part of that too?

ATRIUM is an online access control system for securing buildings up to 500 doors and 10,000 users. By creating a seamless access environment throughout buildings, users can be granted entry rights depending on their job role. With the ACPR add-on licence, that seamless environment is extended to the carpark. In the ATRIUM admin portal, individuals are issued cards, fobs, PIN codes, or mobile credentials. With ACPR, you simply add a car numberplate to the same user. It’s that easy!

ACPR works with any smart numberplate recognition camera with a 26-bit Wiegand output. When a car approaches, the camera detects the plate and sends it to ATRIUM. There, the database is searched for a matching plate. If a user has the plate registered against them, they are granted access and the automated gate is triggered immediately.

ATRIUM and ACPR keep all your user information together. Nobody comes into the carpark or into the building without an event logged in the system. Better visibility means better reporting and, ultimately, better security.