Viking chasis corrosion resistance

Corrosion is a chemical reaction between a metal and its surroundings during which the metal is oxidized, creating gradual disintegration of the material.

UL325, which sets the standards for gate operator safety, stipulates in section 11 the necessary Protection Against Corrosion in a gate operator or systems as follows; “UL325 11.1 Iron and steel parts shall be protected against corrosion by enameling, galvanizing, plating, or other equivalent means, if corrosion of such parts could result in a risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons.

The steel chassis of the Viking Access Systems Gate operators comply and surpass the requirements set by UL325. Viking Chassis have a zinc coating uniformly applied to an average of 0.00061in or more on each surface. Besides the zinc plating provided, Viking Chassis have an extra coat of organic finish in the form of powder coating. Viking Access Systems has invested in extra protection not just for the reliability and durability of the equipment, but to present an aesthetic gate operator that sets new standards within the industry. Viking has tested the corrosion resistant chassis in special laboratories where the units are submitted to salt-spray vapor. After the test we can say that not only do we comply with UL325, but also ASTM B 117-07a the military’s standard for the salt spray test.

Viking Access Systems is committed to providing a quality product. For more product information feel free to call. (800) 908-0884

USER DEFINED SETTIGNS, pin headers. why?, and what's a Pin Header anyways?- Written by Mark Bernal STE

 

 

 

 

 

"Auto Open" is just 1 of 2 options the VFlex board provides you as an alternative to battery backup operation when there is a loss of primary power.

·         Installing a shunt or pin jumper here will Automatically Open the gate when incoming AC power is loss.

·         How does it work? It simple!

1.      The VFlex board monitors the 24VAC that it is receiving from the Power Harness green and white wires.

2.      When that power drops out, the board has no choice but to pull power from the batteries.

3.      This feature uses the batteries to open the gate and keep it open, until the board is supplied 24VAC again.

 

"Last Open" is the other option that the VFlex board provides you as an alternative to battery backup operation when there is a loss of primary power.

·         This option is my favorite of the two! Allows the gate to operate on the battery backup, but when the batteries become critically discharged, the Last operation will be to automatically Open the gate.... Last Open

·         Just like the Auto Open, the board is monitoring the 24VAC supplied to it.

How do we send 24VAC to the control board if you are supplying 110 or 230VAC to the operator??Well, that question will be answered in this blog sometime in the future. So keep checking back here.

 

"Pre-Warning" is a feature often used on industrial applications that require an audible or visual warning that starts 3 seconds prior to the gate moving.

·         Installing a shunt or jumper here will Initiates two triggers for an audio or visual warning, 3 seconds prior to gate motion, and will continue:

1.      Until gate reaches the closed limit: the “Magnetic Lock” terminals provide a contact between “COM” and “N.O.”.

2.      Until gate reaches either limit: the “AUX. PWR” terminals provide 24VDC to power an accessory.

 

“Sync” If you are not going to Synchronize a barrier arm with your Viking gate operator, then don't worry about it. But, for those of you that are, will or do, then this feature will make the task simple.

·         Once you activate this feature, with a shunt or jumper on the pin header, it's as simple as connecting four wires between the barrier arm control board and the VFlex control board.

·         Works perfect with the Viking B-12 Barrier operator and the Mega Arm with their K1 relay.

·         FYI, the Viking B-12 has been temporarily discontinued.

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“EXT” Stands for Extra. It has been left open for future developments.

VFlex adjustable dials. What do they mean and what do they do?- Written by Mark Bernal STE

Adjustable dials... what do they mean and what do they do?

"Timer" is our Hold Open Timer

·         Also commonly referred to in our industry as a Close Timer or Timer to Close....

·         Tip: if you want the gate to close immediately after it opens, DO NOT set this dial right at the "0" mark... that is too close and sometimes may be Off and other times may work the way you want depending on atmospheric conditions. That's not because of the component quality; it's just way temp and humidity affect adjustable contacts.

·         It is important to know that this feature will directly affect the way the gate responds to an input from a radio receiver. Check back later to this blog for more information regarding this!

 

"ODS" is our acronym for Obstruction Detection Sensor

·         Also commonly referred to in our industry as EDR or Reverse Sensor.

·         There is no typical setting for this dial, as every gate is different, and should be adjusted according to each and every installation.

·         The rest of this feature is pretty much self explanatory.

 

"Overlap" Delay is typically, used on double swing gates that overlap each other while closed due to design or when using a magnetic lock or lock solenoid.

·         Also referred to in our industry as a Delay Timer or Delay to Close Timer.

·         I wanted to say that the name of this feature also explains itself, but it doesn't.

·         What is important to know about this feature is that it will delay the master side from opening, and the slave side from closing, however many seconds it has been set to. The "0" setting is zero or no delay.

·         Which side is the Master and which side is the Slave???
Well, if you have a dual G-5, X-9 or i-8, I'm sure you will figure it out if you don't already know. As for the other operator models, this is a very good question and a whole nother topic that I will discuss later in this blog.

 

"Speed" Control is a very helpful feature that allows you to adjust the gate travel speed. But, use this feature appropriately and thoughtfully, as it can give you grief if not applied appropriately.

·         The factory setting compiles to UL 325 class 1 & 2 applications and should remain at this setting for these applications.

·         For swing gates, decreasing speed can improve control of long and/or heavy gates by reducing the potential for inertia to be created. This is a good thing, but may not be necessary.

·         For slide gates, decreasing speed can reduce motor current (amps) by boosting motor torque. This is also a good thing.

 

Note: The LCD display screen on the VFlex board will show the percentages or seconds of all the settings we have talked about. These can be accessed by pressing the diagnose button until you get to the desired function.

VFlex control board Part numbers and basic overview-Written by Mark Bernal, STE (Senior Technical Engineer)

Since our business is the manufacturing of gate operators, and the heart of the modern gate operator is the control board, it is fitting that the first thing you get to know well is.... our control board. 

One of the common complaints that we heard throughout the industry was that you have to carry so many different boards to service, or supply for, all the various operator models from any given manufacturer. So, about 3 years ago we responded when we released our VFlex control board. One board for all of our current generation operator models!

Please allow me to clarify and be specific regarding this and at the same time provide you some in-depth knowledge about the VFlex board:

·         One Control board layout for all current generation Viking operator models

·         Three control board part #s, depending on the operator model. This is only due to the hardware requirements according to gate capacities.

1.      VFLEXPCB

• Operator models K-2, L-3, R-6, F-1, T-21, G-5, X-9, i-8.
• In almost any case the VFLEXPCB will work just fine on an H-10 operator.
• Includes a 15A motor fuse.

2.      VFLEXPCB-H10

• Operator model H-10.
• Only difference is that this board has a 20A fuse in lieu of 15A.
• In almost any case the VFLEXPCB will work just fine on a H-10 operator.

Q:  Can you use this board part# on the other operator models? YES

3.      VFLEXPCB-Q7

• Operator model Q-7.
• This is specific to the Q-7 operator due to its 7,000 lb. gate capacity.

Q: Can you use this board part# on the other operator models? NO

·         The VFLEX Control Board is not compatible with 1st generation operators

o   Except for the G-5, X-9 and i-8.

• Requires additional items, but not complicated. Call Viking first though.

            Q: Why did you guys call this new board "VFlex"?

o   It's...... Flexible. We wanted to make one board that had the Flexibility to be used on all of our 2nd generation operators.

            Q: What's the difference between the VFlex board and the original 1st gen board?

First of all, the 1st gen board has had a name all this time, its called the GateTor board. It even has it printed right in the board itself.  Anyways, here are some of the advancements:

Built-in LCD Display	Built-in Multi-Meter
Displays Error Messages	Displays Gate Status
Primary Power Supply Data	Anti-Tailgate Feature
Speed Control Dial	Additional Power-Out Option
Built-in Heater	Built-in Thermostat
Added 3 second Pre-Warn Feature	2 Wire Master/Slave Communication
PCB Enclosure Protection	Added Sync Feature
Advanced Lightning Protection	Added Lock Mode Feature
Familiar layout to  GateTor board (1st gen)	Expandable for Additional Features
One Board, all models.... almost	Cool Name

The VFlex control board

We will be continuing to talk about the VFlex this month so check back for more!