St Helena of the Holy Cross Catholic Church – Gate Automation Upgrade
11 June 2026
Site Access Challenge
St Helena operates as a shared Church and School site, so vehicle traffic varies throughout the day. There are busy periods during school drop-off and pick-up, along with regular vehicle access for parish activities, events and after-hours use.
The site has two sets of double swing gates. One set was already automated on an existing control system, while the second set was still manually operated.
The client wanted both gate sets automated and operating consistently across the site.
The works also needed to be completed without disrupting normal access for the school, church and visitors.
Standardising the Gate Automation System
Following a site inspection, AGM Automation recommended a staged upgrade so the automation equipment and control wiring were consistent across the site.
Using the same motors, control boards and safety devices across both sets of gates simplifies servicing and allows faults to be diagnosed and repaired faster.
The gates were upgraded using Double Swing Roger Smarty motor kits with matching control boards, creating a consistent automation system across both sets of gates.
Existing DEA remotes were retained, meaning the school and parish did not need to replace remotes already in circulation.
Stage 1 – Upper Double Swing Gates
The upper set of double swing gates was upgraded first to establish the operating setup for the site.
Completing this stage first allowed AGM to confirm the gate operation, remote control setup, safety beam response and locking performance before applying the same configuration to the remaining gates.
- Reliable operation using existing DEA remotes
- Correct safety beam response
- Consistent opening and closing behaviour ready to apply to the rest of the site
Stage 2 – Lower Double Swing Gates
- The lower set of double swing gates required additional electrical and infrastructure works to support reliable long-term operation.
- Installation of a Roger Smarty double swing motor kit
- Dual safety beams for vehicle protection
- Electric locking for secure closing
- Installation of new power and control cabling from the main switchboard
- Coordination of underground boring works to install conduits beneath the driveway without cutting the surface
Using underground boring allowed the conduits to be installed cleanly across the driveway while avoiding surface damage and minimising disruption to vehicle access.
AGM also repaired the gate infill panel to ensure the gate structure was suitable for automation.
Final Integration Across the Site
Once both sets of gates were upgraded, AGM programmed the system so all gates operated consistently across the site.
- Programming all existing DEA remotes
- Programming onsite keypads and controllers
- Removing temporary receiver equipment
- Testing safety systems and gate operation
- Final system demonstration and handover to the client