Gate motor guide: choosing the right operator for a sliding or swing gate

Updated September 2026 by Florin Ristea, General Manager.

Size the motor to the gate, not the other way round. Robo Door fits the operator during fabrication, once the gate's mass, travel, daily cycles and power conditions are known, so the brackets, cable routes and safety devices are built in. Sliding and swing gates need different motors. The written quotation names the motor, battery, backup and warranty.

Start with the gate

Four numbers decide the operator class. The mass of the leaf. The travel, in metres for a slider or in degrees for a swing leaf. The number of open-close cycles on a normal day and on a busy one. The slope and wind exposure of the entrance, because both add load. A gate that is hard to push by hand before automation will wear any motor out early, which is why Robo Door checks the running gear first.

Sliding or swing

A sliding gate motor drives a rack along the bottom rail and needs a clear side run for the leaf to park. A swing gate uses one motor per leaf and needs clear travel through the arc. Robo Door builds the motor mounting, the rack or the arm brackets into the gate frame at the factory, so the automation is not an afterthought bolted on at the site.

Battery backup and load-shedding

Robo Door fits Centurion motors: the D5-Evo or D5 SMART on gates up to 500 kg and the D10 SMART on heavier gates. Centurion's specification for them includes battery backup, so the gate keeps working through an outage (D5-Evo SMART, D10 SMART). How many cycles the battery gives depends on gate mass, battery capacity and battery age. Batteries are consumables and should be tested on the maintenance schedule rather than discovered flat during a power cut. Every user must know where the manual release key is kept and how to re-engage the gate afterwards.

Safety devices

Obstruction detection, safety beams and a manual release are specified with the motor, not added later. Which devices apply depends on the gate, the operator and the site. The quotation lists them.

Access control

Intercoms, keypads, tag readers and remotes are planned with the gate so that conduit, lock pockets and brackets are cut at the factory. Retrofitting them means drilling a finished, powder-coated gate, which also breaks the paint warranty conditions.

Warranty

Driveway gates carry a two-year manufacturing warranty. Motors, controls and access-control equipment carry their own terms, which are stated on the quotation. Installation workmanship sits with Robo Door.

What the quotation must state

• Gate mass and travel the motor is rated for
• Motor, battery and charger
• Backup runtime basis and manual release
• Safety devices included
• Access-control preparation
• Installation, commissioning and the warranty on each part

Next step

Tell us the gate's length and roughly how many times a day it opens, and we will size the motor on the quote. Request a free quote, WhatsApp +27 82 888 1919 or call 082 888 1919.