DIY sliding gates: design, drawings, diagrams

Recommendation points

• Advantages of sliding gates
• Types of structures
• Choice of fittings
• Completeness of a set of purchased accessories
• Comparison of sliding gate fittings from different manufacturers
• Drive selection
• Gate automation
• Do-it-yourself gate drive
• Gate leaf manufacturing and installation steps
• Materials and tools
• Sash manufacturing
• Concrete works
• Installation of the structure

Sliding gates, or, as they are also called, sliding gates, are very convenient, save space, and when the automation is connected, they also become comfortable – you do not have to leave the car to open them. Let’s look at the design of a sliding gate that you can do yourself.

We will consider the advantages of various designs of sliding gates, the criteria for choosing fittings and a drive. We will show the stages of manufacturing and installation. Examples are accompanied by comparative tables, drawings and diagrams.

Advantages of sliding gates

The main advantages of sliding gates are:

• saving the area of ​​the site;
• structural rigidity, high resistance to wind loads;
• strength and long-term operation;
• the possibility of covering a wide opening;
• ease of control and comfort (for automatic models);
• modern, status look.

Disadvantages include the relatively high cost of components and dependence on electricity to power the drive.

Types of structures

Structurally, sliding gates are divided into cantilever (the door leaf moves along the upper guide) and monorail (the leaf slides along a rail located above the ground level).

Monorail gates are recommended in the following cases:

• mild climate without significant winter precipitation;
• the need to pass oversized vehicles or special equipment, which can be interfered with by the console.

When passing through such gates, you will have to accept the obstacle when crossing the rail located just above the “0” mark.

Cantilever gates are better protected from precipitation, and for regions with snowy winters, their design is preferable.

The gate leaf can be moved manually or automatically. The question of choosing from these options is in the price and requirements for the comfort of the vehicle owner. Additional convenience is provided by the equipment of a wicket door equipped with its own locking device. Also, the gates differ in the way they are covered:

• corrugated board (one- and two-sided sheathing);
• rolled products – sheet or bar;
• forged metal;
• lumber.

Before choosing a cladding, it should be taken into account that the materials have different weights. The greater the weight of the cladding, the more metal-intensive the sash frame should be, the higher the drive power, the more expensive the hardware and engine. The lightest is sheathing with corrugated board, especially one-sided. The weight of a sheet of steel sheet depends on its thickness, but it is not recommended to use too thin rolled products. Wood cladding can be quite massive due to the thickness of the material. Structures made of welded bar or openwork forged may not be too heavy, but in this case, the site remains in plain sight of passers-by, which not everyone likes. Forged cloth with backing is the heaviest. Moving such a mass may require industrial fittings and a drive.

Choice of fittings

Completeness of a set of purchased accessories

The fittings are selected according to the weight of the door and the width of the passage. It is desirable that the set of fittings consists of the following elements:

• bearing beam (guide profile);
• roller carriages (roller support);
• end roller;
• upper supporting rollers;
• upper and lower catchers;
• plugs.

Components of sliding gates: 1 – electric drive; 2 – roller bearings; 3 – adjustable stands; 4 – guide; 5 – end roller; 6 – lower catcher; 7 – toothed rack; 8 – upper roller catcher; 9 – supporting rollers

The length of the supporting beam should be 1.35–1.5 of the passage width (a smaller figure is acceptable for the lightest gate). In this element, the exact geometry of the profile and the absence of curvature along the length are important to avoid jamming of the rollers. The gates move along the roller carriages. The rollers can be made of plastic or steel. In this unit, you need to pay attention to the bearings used – the reliability of the structure depends on them.

The end roller is designed to partially unload the roller bearings. The upper rollers support the door leaf. Their frame must be made of steel with a thickness of at least 3 mm. Experts recommend choosing rubber rollers as they are more gentle on the frame paint. In the case of plastic rollers, it is recommended to install an aluminum plate under them. The lower and upper catchers fix the gate leaf in the closed position. A set without a top catcher for high gates is not very convenient. Plugs protect the rail from moisture and dirt.

Comparison of sliding gate fittings from different manufacturers

The market offers fittings of various price categories of domestic and foreign manufacturers. To get your bearings, we will consider some options, and for a correct comparison, fittings with approximately the same gate mass were taken – from 400 to 500 kg.

Comparative table of hardware offers from various manufacturers

Manufacturer	Country	Gate weight	Cost for February 2016.	Completeness data
Rolling Center	Italy	500 Kg	13 500 rub.	Carrying trolley – 2 pcs., Carrier beam – 6 m, end roller – 1 pc., End roller trap – 1 pc., Support rollers – 1 set.
Alutech	Belarus	500 Kg	10 800 rub.	Roller support – 2 pcs., Guide rail – 6 m, plug for the guide rail, end roller, bottom catcher, upper bracket with 2 rubber rollers.
Welser Profile	Austria	500 Kg	12,000 rubles.	Roller carriages – 2 pcs., Guide – 6 m, upper and lower catcher, support roller, end roller, guide plugs – 2 pcs..
Doorhan	Russia	400 Kg	12 700 rub.	The set includes: cantilever pipe – 6 m, pipe plug – 1 pc., Trolley with rollers – 2 pcs., End roller catcher – 1 pc., End roller – 1 pc., Guide bracket with rollers – 1 pc..
Deva	Ukraine	400 Kg	7 500 rub.	The fittings are made in China, the guide profile is made in Russia. Knurling roller without metal plug, strong resin roller.
Roltek	Russia	500 Kg	12 700 rub.	Guide rail 6 m – 1 pc., Roller support – 2 pcs., Upper bracket with rollers – 1 pc., Removable end roller – 1 pc., End roller catcher – 1 pc., Upper roller catcher – 1 pc., Plug – 1 PC.
Svit-Vorit	Ukraine	400 Kg	8 500 rub.	Guide – 6 m, roller carriage up to 400 kg – 2 pcs., Upper support rollers, knurling roller with polymer wheel, lower and upper catcher, rubber plugs, there is no bearing inside the wheel.
Came	Italy	500 Kg	RUB 13,700	Trolley S with 8 rollers – 2 pcs., End roller, end catcher roller, rail cap – 2 pcs., FRS 2 guide bracket with 2 rollers, M10x25 screws – 15 pcs. Guide rail S, non-galvanized.
Fratelli comunello	Italy	500 Kg	15,000 rubles.	The recommended width of the opening should not exceed 4.5 meters, the height should not exceed 2.5 meters. Beam dimensions (w-h-d): 65x65x6000 mm, wall thickness: 3.5 mm.
Combi Arialdo	Italy	450 kg	16 800 rub.	Guide rail 6 m – 1 pc., Roller support 2 pcs., Upper bracket with rollers 1 pc., Removable end roller 1 pc., End roller catcher 1 pc..

Drive selection

If you decide to install an automatic gate, you can buy a ready-made kit consisting of an engine and a remote control, or you can make it yourself. For the operation of the drive, one more element is required – a toothed rack, which, as a rule, is not included in the set of accessories.

Gate automation

Since there are a large number of offers from various manufacturers with different characteristics, we have collected the most popular of them in a comparison table for door weights of 400-500 kg. When comparing, pay attention to the drive power and the intensity of use – these are the most important criteria.

Comparison table for drives from different manufacturers

Manufacturer	Country	Gate weight	Cost for February 2016.	Completeness data
Doorhan	Russia	800 kg *	17 475 rbl.	Sliding-800 KIT. Drive kit in oil bath, 230 V, intensity 50%. Opening speed 12 m / min. Set: drive with built-in control unit, 4 m toothed rack, signal lamp with built-in antenna, safety photocells, key switch, remote control.
Came	Italy	500 Kg	28 125 rbl.	Came BX-78 KIT. Main characteristics: 230 V, self-locking, for gates with motion control and obstacle detection (encoder), intensity 30%. Set: electric drive, built-in control unit, 4 m toothed rack with mounting kit, AF43s radio receiver, Kiaro 230N signal lamp, safety photocells, 2 control panels.
Faac	Italy	500 Kg	13 125 rbl.	230 V, intensity 30%. Opening speed 12 m / min. Kit: Actuator 740 E, control unit 740 D, 230 V, Z16, V 12 m / min, magnetic limit switches, grease, with mounting plate.
Nice	Italy	500 Kg	15 825 rub.	Ro 500 KCE. Intensity 9 cycles / hour, speed 0.18 m / s, adjustable speed, effort, pause, acceleration and deceleration at the end points, obstacle detection, wicket function. Set: electric drive, built-in control unit, radio receiver, 2 remote controls.
Sommer	Germany	400 Kg	16 400 rub.	Gator SG1. For gates 6 m. Maximum drive speed 200 mm / s, maximum pulling force 800 N, max. power consumption 51 W, motor supply voltage 24 V. Includes 5 m plastic-coated toothed rack. Built-in receiver and 1 remote control 4-button. Obstacle detection function. Extended operating temperature range. Unlocking with a key.
BFT	Italy	500	11 840 rub.	BFT DEIMOS BT. Motor power supply 24 V, power 50 W, speed 13 m / min, intensity of use – intensive, torque 10 Nm. Set: Deimos BT drive + built-in A600 control unit + built-in 2-channel Clonix-2 radio receiver for 63 users. Self-locking electric drive. Electronic adjustable torque limiter. Built-in 2-channel radio receiver. 2nd radio channel – wicket mode only. Installation requires a toothed rack.
Somfy International	France	500 Kg	18 800 rub.	Somfy ELIXO 500 230 V RTS. Kit: Elixo 500 230 V RTS actuator – 1 pc. Keygo RTS 4-channel radio remote control – 2 pcs. External RTS antenna with 8 m cable – 1 pc. Power supply type – 230 V DC current. Power consumption – 290 W, capacitor – 1 mF, gear ratio – 1/30, travel speed – 8.5 m / min, obstacle detection – mechanical, maximum number of cycles per day – 100, control unit – built-in with microswitches, maximum number of radio transmitters – 36.
FAAC	Italy	500 Kg	10 320 rub.	FAAC 740 actuator with integrated control board and mounting plate (art. 109780) – 1 set. Power supply voltage 230 V, 50 (60) Hz, power consumption 350 W, current consumption 1.5 A, pull and push force 45 daN, motor speed 1400 rpm, thermal motor protection temperature 140 ° C, gear ratio 1: 25, door speed 12 m / min (sprocket Z16).

* For gates weighing 300 kg, the price is slightly lower

Do-it-yourself gate drive

If desired, the drive can be made by yourself. We talked about this in detail in the article. “Do-it-yourself sliding gate operator” .

Also watch two videos with different solutions.

Video No. 1: Operator for sliding gates based on a screwdriver

The system is controlled by 6 relays: switching from 12 to 220 V, providing a supply to a screwdriver – 220 V, and to a car alarm – 12 V.

Video # 2: Actuator based on purchased and used elements

For the safe operation of the automation, it is advisable to install a signal lamp and photocells.

Typical wiring diagram for gate automation

We talked in detail about the automation of sliding gates in the articles:

• “Automation for sliding gates. Assembling the electrical circuit “
• “Automation for unwoven gates. Remote control”

Gate leaf manufacturing and installation steps

Before starting work, decide on the size of the gate – width and height. In our example, a variant with a passage width of 4 m, a guide length of 6 m, and a gate height of 2 m is considered..

Materials and tools

The calculation of materials was made for the structure shown in the drawing, with one-sided sheathing with corrugated board, for a climate with soil freezing to a depth of 1.5 m.

Gate drawing

Table. Material consumption for the installation of sliding gates

	Material	Consumption
Concreting the load-bearing frame to a depth of 1.5 m	cement	150 Kg
sand	450 kg
rubble	450 kg
reinforcement, diameter 10-14 mm	~ 20 m
Mortgage	channel No. 16 – No. 20	2 m
Cover strip	square pipe 60x60x2 mm	2.5 m
Gate leaf (4×2 m)	decking	10 m2
rectangular pipe 60x40x2 mm	26 m
rectangular pipe 40x20x2 mm	20 m
paint	1 can
primer	1 can
solvent	1 can
electrodes	1 package
self-tapping screws for metal	150-200 pcs.

Required tools:

• shovel;
• Bulgarian;
• welding machine;
• screwdriver;
• level;
• roulette;
• paint brush or spray gun.

Sash manufacturing

Frame frame – welded construction. Before starting work, you need to organize a place – lay out bricks for the future structure using a building level. Make frame blanks. Clean pipes from dirt and rust.

You will need pipe segments 60×40 mm long: 6 m – 1 pc., 4.4 m – 1 pc., 2 m – 2 pcs., 2.56 m – 1 pc..

And pipe sections 40×20 mm long: 4.32 m – 3 pcs., 1.92 m – 2 pcs., 1.88 m – 4 pcs..

Weld a 60×40 mm pipe 6 m long to the guide (you must buy), closed on both sides with plugs, grabbing it from both sides every 750 mm. Perpendicular to the base, weld (also pointwise) 2 m long 60×40 mm pipes (cutting the edges at 45 °) and connect their tops with a 4.4 m long pipe.

From the free end of the base to the nearest corner, weld a 60×40 mm pipe with a length of 2.56 m. Fill the canvas area with a construction of 40×20 mm pipes according to the scheme. In this case, a narrow pipe must be welded flush with a wide one – with one-sided casing and in the center – with two-sided.

Clean the welding seams with a grinder and treat with an anti-corrosion agent. Paint the resulting frame.

Cut out the corrugated board and sheathe the frame using self-tapping screws.

Concrete works

Prepare the power frame. To do this, from the reinforcement and the channel, you need to weld a structure 2.2 m long and 1.5 m high according to the presented scheme.

Scheme of the frame for concreting the power frame

Prepare a U-shaped pit for the frame as shown in the figure, prepare a mortar based on the calculation of the material (in portions), install the frame and concrete the structure. Curing time not less than a week.

Power frame installation diagram

On the opposite side of the driveway, next to the fence post, install a post for attaching the upper rollers and catchers (strip). It can be concreted, or it can be welded to embedded structures from the corner, mounted in a fence post.

Installation of the structure

When buying accessories, you will be given installation instructions, but sometimes the seller simply does not have it. Consider the general case.

1. Weld the adjustable stand to the load frame (at the beginning and at the end, leaving the required clearance) and install the roller stands on the stand bolts.

2. Weld the drive plate to the power frame.

3. Place the gate on the roller supports by passing the rollers into the slot of the guide rail. Use a spirit level to level the horizontal on the adjustable stand. If the stand is not provided, the roller supports are welded to the embedded (channel) after checking the horizontal position.

4. Weld the frame of the upper rollers to the mortgages on the post from the side of the load frame. Check that the door leaf is perfectly level.

5. First weld the bottom and then the top catcher to the strip. The bottom catcher should be a few millimeters above the end roller of the guide. The upper catcher is welded just below the top of the gate.

6. Bolt the end roller into the guide rail.

7. Install and connect the actuator and, if necessary, remote control.

Your gate is ready for use.