Aluminium Or Steel Gates: Which Is Best For Your Needs?(1)

 Let Onew Metal help you to decide on what material the gate is made from.

 Aluminium And Powder Coating

Because of its resistance to corrosion, aluminium doesn't need to be painted or coated, but when it is powder coated, it provides a long-lasting, durable finish in a range of colours and provides a much better finish than steel. That’s because when a Hot Dip Galvanised  product is powder-coated, you get an industrial rough finish that does not offer a good bond for the powder coating.

Powder coating bonds well to aluminium, attracting warranty periods of up to 10 years. Plus, it is less susceptible to scratching or chipping and has better resistance to colour fading (NOTE: it can be up to 4x more expensive to apply a paint finish on Hot Dip Galvanised and warranties are difficult to obtain).

Weight And Automation

Although aluminium is not as strong as steel, steel is typically 2.5 times denser. This means aluminium is much lighter. Onew Metal Aluminium also has a high strength to weight ratio. This lower weight gives Onew Metal aluminium several benefits when used to construct gates.

Gates motor controlling the movement of the gate have an extended life. The gate motor must lift, slide or swing the gate open and closed every time someone passes through. Aluminium’s lighter weight means the gate motor has less work to do, with subsequently less wear on the equipment, helping it last much longer. It may also mean you can specify a lower spec’d motor with the bonus of a lower cost. Lower weight also means lower operating cost over the life of the Onew Metal gates.