Beam Me Up, Scottie!

While all CENTURION gate motors are equipped with state of the art collision detection technology, fitting infrared safety beams dramatically increases the safety of the installation by preventing the gate from moving should a person, pet or vehicle be in its path.  The importance of co-installing beams cannot be stressed enough and, with safety and security ultimately being the purpose of gate automation, we thought we’d take a brief look at a technology that is perhaps not given enough attention.

How it works

The principle behind the working of infrared beams (CENTURION i5 beams in particular) is that a transmitter sends an infrared beam to a receiver, which opens a normally-closed relay whenever the beam is interrupted.  CENTURION operators have a normally-closed beam circuit, so when the relay is opened the circuit is incomplete and the gate cannot operate.

Benefits of fitting beams

Some of the benefits of fitting beams are:

·         Enhanced safety – protection against crushing, shearing and dragging

·         Added security – can be interfaced with D-Series range of gate operators for advanced intruder detection functionality to address security and anti-theft concerns

·         Reduced liability for installers – installation that conforms to safety recommendations as advised by the manufacturer comply with the Consumer Protection Act (CPA).  Fitting beams helps to ensure maximum safety of the installation

·         Extremely cost-effective

·         Quick and easy to install

Installation

Beams are so simple to install that one cannot truly afford not to fit them.  Simply supply power to both the receiver and the transmitter, and connect the receiver’s normally-closed terminal to the beam input on your motor controller.  You may also have to fit a wire link between the common and negative terminals of the beam receiver.  It’s literally that easy!

Availability

CENTURION i5 infrared safety beams are available from Centurion Systems and all leading security outlets.