Barrier Selection Guide: Arm Length, Speed and Usage Intensity
Published:
Publisher: Alkur Kapı Sistemleri A.Ş.
A barrier looks like a simple arm standing alone at the entrance; yet chosen wrongly, it becomes the reason for the queue at every shift change. The right choice hides in the answers to three questions: how wide is the passage, how fast must the flow be, and how many vehicles will pass per day?
How wide is the passage? Arm length
In the r-tec barrier family, arm length is graded by passage width. The Dinamix 4000 / 5000, with 4.25 m and 5.25 m arms, is the solution for standard single-lane entrances. For wide passages and dual lanes, the Dinamix 6000 / 7000 steps in with 6.25 m and 7.25 m telescopic arms. For narrow entrances where no post can be installed, the DinamixBar WM 3000 mounts on the wall — its 3.25 m arm is optimised for single-lane vehicle passage.
Arm length is not the same as passage width
The common mistake is taking the arm length as equal to the passage width. The barrier body sits at the edge of the lane, and the arm must leave some allowance on the far side when closed; without it, the arm cannot rest on the opposite kerb or its support post. When measuring, assess the distance from the centre of the base the body sits on to the far edge together with the point where the arm comes to rest.
The Dinamix 7000 arm gives flexibility here: a 1 m telescopic extension takes the 6.25 m main arm to 7.25 m, and the extension is set to the length needed during installation. One product therefore adapts to openings between 6.25 and 7.25 m.
How fast must the flow be? Opening time
At peak hour, every second is written onto the queue. The LED-bar DinamixBar 4000 – 5000 pair runs at 3.5 – 4 s and 3.5 – 5 s opening times; the multi-mode traffic light on its top cover tells the driver, in colour, when to pass. The speed record of the class belongs to the WM 3000: opening in 3 seconds. At site and plaza entrances this difference means visibly smoother flow in the morning rush.
Why does opening time grow with arm length?
All three models use a 24 V DC brushless motor at 190 W, and yet where the Dinamix 4000 raises its arm in 3.5 – 4 seconds, the 6000 and 7000 take 4 – 7. The reason is the moment of inertia growing with arm length: accelerating a longer arm with the same force takes longer, and because the linear speed at the tip is higher, the load at the moment of stopping is greater.
The practical consequence matters: if you want to shorten total passage time, adjust the auto-close delay rather than forcing arm speed. That delay is adjustable between 5 and 90 seconds and, at peak hour, affects real waiting time more than arm speed does. Forcing arm speed, by contrast, creates fatigue at the arm mounting and in the gearbox.
How many vehicles a day? Intensity and integration
The family-wide shared platform — 230 VAC input, 24 VDC motor — is the foundation of endurance under heavy use. On the access-control side, KGS, OGS, RFID and remote-control integrations are supported; a loop detector senses the vehicle’s presence. The WM 3000 holds one more surprise: thanks to the G24 control card’s multi-product mode, the same motor platform can also serve applications such as a sliding gate when needed.
Vehicle detection: installing the loop
On most barrier projects vehicle detection uses an induction loop set into the floor, and that has to be planned during construction. The channel cut into the floor is 3 cm wide and 5 cm deep; the cable is 1 × 1 mm² water-resistant NYY copper wire, wound 5 turns and laid one over another. Typical frame sizes are 100 × 200, 100 × 250 and 100 × 300 cm, chosen by lane width.
Two points cause trouble on site. The first is cable left loose in the channel; moving as vehicles pass, it produces frequency drift. The second is placing the detector box too close to the control unit — it must sit at least 25 cm away.
Where entry and exit lanes run side by side, the four frequency options (dip switches 3 and 4) must be used; two loops on the same frequency interact and the detectors produce phantom detections.
The safety and visibility layer
A barrier arm is a mass moving within pedestrian and vehicle traffic, so the safety equipment is part of the installation rather than an option:
Photocell — stops the movement if a vehicle or pedestrian is on the line the arm will descend onto; runs on 12 – 24 V DC into the board’s safety input.
Edge protection — the last line, acting on contact; in the pneumatic strip solution the detection is entirely mechanical, with no electricity on the strip side.
LED bar — makes the arm conspicuous at night and in poor visibility. DinamixBar ships with it; Dinamix is the industrial variant on the same mechanics without it.
Traffic light — signals right of way by colour and makes queue management easier.
Installation and durability
The body is powder-coated galvanised steel, produced in RAL 7015 grey or RAL 2004 orange (most of it 7015 grey), the top cover is impact-resistant hard plastic and the gearbox is stainless steel; with an IP44 rating it is used outdoors. On post-mounted models the concrete base and anchors are prepared before installation.
The wall-mounted WM 3000 needs no base cast, but it is a precondition that the wall can carry the leverage load of the arm; on hollow brickwork a load-bearing surface must be prepared for the anchors. Its second characteristic is the G24 control unit with its modular card slot: the same card family supports barrier, sliding gate, swing gate and sectional door modes, which reduces both stock and the number of interfaces a dealer has to learn.
Short decision table
| Scenario | Suitable model |
|---|---|
| Single-lane standard entrance | Dinamix 4000 / 5000 |
| Wide passage, dual lane | Dinamix 6000 / 7000 |
| Prestige site/plaza entrance, night visibility | DinamixBar 4000 – 5000 |
| Narrow entrance, post-free mounting, indoors | DinamixBar WM 3000 |
The table usually settles the decision; the sticking point tends to be access-control integration. That layer needs a project-specific conversation — that’s what our contact page is for, and the product details live on the barrier systems page.
What to establish, in order
- How wide is the passage, and what allowance is there on the far side when the arm rests?
- Single lane, or two lanes for entry and exit?
- How many vehicles pass at peak hour (peak, not average)?
- Can a base be cast, or is wall mounting required?
- Will detection use a loop, and has the floor concrete been poured?
- Which access system governs (card, remote, plate recognition, toll transponder)?
