BFT LUX Hydraulic Swing Gate Motor

The BFT LUX is the only swing gate motor in our range with a solenoid lock. A solenoid lock uses an electromagnet to release and engage a locking bolt electrically rather than mechanically. When the gate is in the closed position and the motor is at rest, the solenoid engages to hold the gate firmly shut without relying on the hydraulic fluid pressure or a physical mechanical pawl. When an open command is received, the solenoid releases the bolt before the motor activates to open the gate. This provides a powered electric lock built into the motor housing, eliminating the need for a separate external electric lock on the gate leaf — a meaningful installation simplification for Abu Dhabi gates where security is important but space for additional lock hardware is limited.

The BFT LUX carries an IP57 rating — the only motor in our range with this specific classification. The first digit 5 means dust-protected: some dust may enter but not in sufficient quantity to interfere with operation (less than the fully dust-tight IP6X class). The second digit 7 means protected against temporary immersion in water up to 1 metre for 30 minutes. This places the LUX between IP55 (GIUNO ULTRA, which is dust-protected and water-jet resistant) and IP67 (ELI underground motors, fully dust-tight and immersion-protected). For Abu Dhabi outdoor installations, IP57 provides strong water immersion protection relevant to heavy rainfall events or irrigation overflow, while the dust-protection level is adequate for standard pillar-mounted surface installation with reasonable shelter.

The BFT LUX uses a hydraulic clutch for obstruction detection — an internal valve within the hydraulic circuit that limits the maximum pressure the system can generate. When the gate encounters an obstruction and the required force exceeds the clutch’s set pressure threshold, the valve bypasses fluid flow, causing the motor to stall without mechanical damage to the gate or operator. This is fundamentally different from an electronic clutch (which monitors motor current draw electrically) and D-Track (which uses encoder data to calculate expected load at each position). The hydraulic clutch is mechanically self-contained with no electronic sensor — it responds to force regardless of speed or position, making it robust for very intensive use cycles where electronic detection components could degrade over high cycle counts.

The BFT LUX has no electronic slowdown function and uses work-time limit switches — the motor runs at constant speed throughout its 17-second cycle and stops when the programmed run time elapses. The hydraulic mechanism itself provides natural deceleration at end-of-travel because the fluid pressure builds as the gate reaches its stop position, cushioning the impact far more effectively than an electromechanical motor stopping abruptly without slowdown. This is why the LUX can operate safely without electronic slowdown — the hydraulic cushioning is inherent to the piston design. The work-time limits on the RIGEL 6 control unit are set during commissioning to match the gate’s geometry and must be recalibrated if the gate leaf or bracket positions are changed.

The BFT LUX carries a 24-month manufacturer warranty from purchase covering material and workmanship defects under normal conditions. The -10°C minimum operating temperature is the warmest cold limit of any motor in our range — all other models go to at least -15°C, most to -20°C. This narrower cold tolerance is because the LUX’s hydraulic oil viscosity increases significantly below -10°C, slowing fluid flow and reducing the operator’s ability to generate consistent force — not a concern in Abu Dhabi where winter temperatures rarely drop below 10°C. Warranty is voided by incorrect RIGEL 6 work-time calibration causing the motor to run beyond the hydraulic stop, solenoid lock wiring faults, or substituting the hydraulic oil with an incompatible fluid. Contact POWERgate Abu Dhabi on WhatsApp (+971 50 884 4933) or at sales@powergatead.com for warranty support.