Auto Blast Gates Australia is Now Open For Business

**Chris Parks** · 1st February 2020, 04:46 PM

Auto Blast Gates Australia is Now Open For Business.

Who are we and the back story. I put a question to Tony Dyer (NCArcher) one day about putting switches on blast gates to automate the control of my Clearvue but we didn't do that and somehow Alan Flett (Fletty) got involved. We started to look at building an automatic blast gate system that is controlled by starting the machine with the gate opening and closing on demand and it had to be simple, inexpensive and plug and play for the average woody. It also had to be usable for those who elect to change their dust extractor inlet from machine to machine on a fixed ducted system.

Today we are opening for business on the forum with the blessing of Neil who has been kept up to date with this and offering a deal that I will get back to later. This system works from the power point that the machine is plugged into so if a different machine is plugged into the power point then the same gate works for it thus allowing swapping from machine to machine and use the same DE line/duct. It can be introduced into the workshop singly or in multiples giving the customer a chance to buy one for instance or a whole system. We see it as an ideal system for just about everyone from the hobbyist to Men's Sheds, small commercial operators etc and it will prevent the single cut and no dust extraction taking place.

As woodworkers we are all aware of the dangers of wood dust and many of us have invested in dust extraction systems but regardless of the efficiency of that dust extractor if it is not used or is not targeted at the machine we are using then it is a decoration and you wasted your money. I've done it and everyone else has if they be honest, it is only one cut so the blast gate on the other machine has not been closed so I don't get full efficiency at the machine I am now using. Having said that this system allows for manual operation on any of the gates if you choose that option and for instance on a floor sweep it can be totally manual.

We will have our website up and running later this week with all pricing and information needed but in the mean time if anyone here wants to place an order please do it by PM and after the website is up do it through that. The pricing for the introduction on the forum is as follows less 5% allowing for different auto/manual configurations + P&P. The 5% discount will also apply to all orders of four or more gates in the future.

	Qty 4+
100mm gate with Manual only controller	$246.00	$234.00
100mm gate with Auto only controller	$276.00	$262.00
100mm gate with Auto/Manual controller	$299.00	$284.00
150mm gate with Manual only controller	$296.00	$281.00
150mm gate with Auto only controller	$326.00	$310.00
150mm gate with Auto/Manual controller	$349.00	$332.00
Upgrade from Manual to Auto	$31.00	$29.00
Upgrade from Manual to Auto/Manual	$54.00	$51.00
Remote control Module	$64.00
Bin Level Sensor	$109.00

Features:

Efficient
Economic to buy
Plug & Play to reduce installation costs
upgradeable
Can be implemented in stages
Distributed Control, not an expensive centralised control module
Suited to smaller workshops where machines that are moved around and share a power point and a dust collection port, only need one system per power point and not a system per machine.

This is being released on the forum before national sales begin and as an indicator of pricing a 100mm BG + Auto Controller will cost $238 & a 150mm BG + Auto Controller will cost $281 and I think that is very reasonable. Once the introductory price expires the price will revert and there will be no further discounting at all. Our policy is a fair price for all and no sales or promotional campaigns will take place.

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**bueller** · 1st February 2020, 04:55 PM

Damn these look nice!

After making just one of these style blast gates myself out of PVC I was pretty determined not to do it again, took forever and was still manually operated. You'll have an order from me soon once I figure out what I need.

**bueller** · 1st February 2020, 04:59 PM

Do the sockets support a 15a plug? Got a couple of 3HP machines in my shop.

**Chris Parks** · 1st February 2020, 05:04 PM

I forgot to mention in my initial post that the gates are made from Birch ply with a laminated coating not melamine and they are absolutely void free and all done on a CNC with zero chipping.

**NCArcher** · 1st February 2020, 06:03 PM

Yes we can support a 15A outlet I haven't worked out an additional cost yet but it won't be too much. I'll add the pricing to the website once it's fully up and running.
I'll also point out that we won't sell gates and controllers separately.(I've asked Chris to modify the original post to reflect that) You must purchase a controlled gate. Having said that, I've designed the control system to be completely interchangeable.
The controller plugs into your outlet and the machine plugs into the controller. A 12V power supply and the blast gate are also plugged in to the controller and you are good to go. When you start the machine, the blast gate opens ,and remains open while the machine is running. Once you hit the stop button there is a short delay to clear the DE lines and the blastgate closes. All the plugs are the same for the different controllers so if you want to change from, for instance, an automatic controller to one with manual functionality as well as the auto all you have to do is unplug the controller and plug in the new one. The fully manual controller isn't associated with a machine or outlet so is good for floor sweeps or SCMS where you don't want the balstgate to open and close every time you pull the trigger.

The remote control listed is suitable for switching a VFD on and off. I have another unit on the test bench that will remotely start any DE but it's not ready for sale just yet. It will have a similar plug and play functionality as the blastgate controllers to keep everything simple. This will tie in with a DE controller that we are testing. The DE controller will complete the system automation and turn the DE on and off with the gates. We have a rough system operating but it will be some time before that is ready for sale. Again it will be fully modular and will connect easily with any of our blastgates so can be added at a later date with minimal alteration required.

**qwertyu** · 1st February 2020, 07:56 PM

These look great! Any support for 3 phase machines?

**Pat** · 1st February 2020, 09:38 PM

Having seen a demo of the system at one of the proprietors, I must say that it is very simple to operate.

**bueller** · 1st February 2020, 09:43 PM

That's all my concerns satisfied then, will get an order in once the site is live. Nice work!

**NCArcher** · 1st February 2020, 11:44 PM

Originally Posted by qwertyu

These look great! Any support for 3 phase machines?

Not at the moment. They will work with a 3 phase machine but it needs considerable modification of the machine starter and probably the services of an electrician. It's something I will look at down the track but not right now.
The controller could be modified to have a 3 phase plug and outlet and would work exactly the same but it would be cost prohibitive. There are so many different 3 phase socket arrangements it would have to be custom made to suit each machine.
Not impossible but not high on the priority list atm.

**NCArcher** · 1st February 2020, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by Pat

Having seen a demo of the system at one of the proprietors, I must say that it is very simple to operate.

We've tried to make it so that you can forget it's there. Once it's in place you don't ever have to do anything, besides remove the occasional rag from the system. Ask Fletty about that

. All his rags mysteriously kept disappearing.

**Breezy** · 2nd February 2020, 01:33 AM

Would you have a controller and blast gate that can be switched by G-code on a CNC machine.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

**NCArcher** · 2nd February 2020, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by Breezy

Would you have a controller and blast gate that can be switched by G-code on a CNC machine.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Basically, yes. If your router motor (I'm assuming CNC router) is connected via an ABG controller then the blastgate will be open whenever the motor is running. Tying into G-code

**yvan** · 2nd February 2020, 08:07 AM

All the best for this new venture

Yvan

**Chris Parks** · 2nd February 2020, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by yvan

All the best for this new venture

Yvan

We hope so, this a full Australian innovation that avoids the complication of pneumatics as was previously used by a lot of systems in the past and some have used a small computer as well. This is automatic blast gate control at its most simple for the end user, no high voltage is involved apart from plugging into a normal power point and the rest is low voltage plug and play so to speak. We see it being very useful in Men's Sheds and woodworking clubs because of the raised awareness of dust control as an OH&S issue. The other problem in those types of work shops is that a lot of users do not understand how important it is to manage the dust extraction so that it operates at maximum efficiency all the time.

We will be doing an installation in one Men's Shed in the near future which will be used as a demonstration system for those who are in the Sydney or nearby for anyone interested. I will rephrase that, we won't be installing it they will be and it will have something in the order of 20 gates in it.

**Midnight Man** · 2nd February 2020, 09:34 AM

This is awesome stuff, and for someone like myself who is currently fitting out the work space, I have a simple question - given that my electrics are yet to be wired up, is there a way the controllers can be sold so they're ready to be wired up inside a wall by an electrician, and thus installed inside the wall as opposed to on it as an addition?

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