What to Look for in an Industrial Gate Closer

Tired of rusty, corroded warehouse gate closers? Frustrated by misaligned factory gates that never seem to close right? The problem isn’t just wear and tear—it’s often the wrong design or material in your industrial gate closer.

Then how can you pick the right one? What should be the specific features for the industrial gate closer?

First Things First, 3 Must-Have Industrial Gate Closer Characteristics:

1. Heavy-duty

Built for extreme durability to handle high impact use and demanding conditions. These gates are typically larger, taller, and far heavier than standard gates. Commonly are heavy metal gates made from steel or aluminum. So, they must use a strong heavy-duty industrial gate closer to ensure the functionality.

2. Frequent use

Warehouses, factories, or any industrial area gates must endure repetitive operation, opened and closed dozens even hundreds of times per day. This frequent use puts stress on the industrial gate closer, requiring components that won’t wear out quickly.

3. Exposed to harsh environments

Industrial gates are exposed to extreme weather conditions, including scorching sunlight, heavy rain, humidity, dust, and strong winds. Without durable materials, these factors can quickly cause rust, corrosion, and premature failure of gate operation. To ensure long-lasting performance, it’s recommended to choose an industrial gate closer made with weatherproof materials.

Why is Traditional Gate Closers not a Good Option?

Traditional gate closers often fail in industrial applications due to their limited durability, lack of weather resistance, and poor adjustability. They are not built to withstand outdoor conditions—rain, dust, snow and humidity can cause rust, freezing, and corrosion over time.

With frequent use, these regular door closers wear down quickly, leading to misalignment and inconsistent performance. And without adjustability, they can’t correct these issues, which compromises long-term functionality.

Industrial Gate Solution: Waterson Heavy Duty Gate Closer

What sets Waterson heavy duty gate closers apart from other gate closers is that they offer reliable functionality, weather resistance, durable strength, and code compliance. They are designed to perform with advanced features:

• Durable material: Made with 304 and 316 stainless steel that maintains structural integrity even under unstable outdoor conditions.
• Rust free and corrosion resistant: Withstand harsh weather environments, like rain, strong winds, and humidity. Guaranteed by the warranty, ensure long term outdoor use.
• Marine grade: chlorine resistance, longer lifespan that withstand degradation better, suitable for near ocean area industry applications.
• Load bearing capacity: Efficiently supports significant loads – three hinges can bear over 260 lbs, and four hinges up to 440 lbs – suitable for high-use industrial gate use.
• Self closing feature: With built-in spring mechanism, Waterson gate closers are self closing ensuring a controlled closing, providing safety and security for industrial settings.
• Adjustability: Designed with a numerical panel that allows users to adjust to the desired closing force, helping to prevent and resolve misalignment.

Check out our case study of our self closing door closer in the American Embassy on Ivory Coast here.

Waterson Industrial Gate Closer Outdoor Application

Waterson spring gate closer for metal gates previous applications have proven its strong quality in the seaside area. After three years, only minimal surface staining while still functioning perfectly. They durably withstand the harsh environment and don’t need to add lubrication or any readjustment.

Weld on Gate Closer for Industrial Gates

Now, what if you want to be more assured that your industrial gate closers are strong enough and will not sag? Weld on gate closers are the answer.

A weld on gate closers are gate closer that is permanently attached to the gate and its post through welding. Why do gate closers for industrial gates often are welded on?

• To provide strength – Industrial gates, which are much heavier and endure frequent, rough use, welding creates a permanent bond between the closer’s mounting plates and the gate/post.
• Resistance to Dynamic Loads – In industrial environments, a welded closer resists vibrations from heavy vehicles, machinery, or strong winds, preventing the progressive loosening.
• Maximum Durability and Longevity – Welding also helps gate closers resist wear from friction, vibration, and harsh industrial environments, extending their operational life and reducing maintenance.

Waterson weld on gate closers deliver more strength and consistency in the application, a solution for high use harsh industry environments.

Which Waterson Gate Closer is the Right One for the Industrial Gate?

There are 4 main types of Waterson heavy duty gate closer, each with their own specific functions.

• K51P: Full Surface Clamping Style – Outdoor gate hinge surface mounted on the metal gate square posts. Check out the current application for the PickleTile court project here.
• K51PS: Full Surface Screw-on Style – Outdoor gate hinge surface mounted on the metal gate square posts without back plate.
• K51MP: Butt Hinges Style – Outdoor gate hinge installed between metal gate square posts. Read about a major application in the BIM Group project in Vietnam.
• K51W (no cap) & K51WP (with cap): Side Mount Style – Outdoor gate hinge installed on uneven planes.

Waterson Heavy Duty Industrial Gate Closer

Waterson exterior spring loaded gate closers combine the function of an overhead closer and a hinge into a single, sleek component—complete with optional hold-open and door-stop features. Designed for commercial openings, gates, and glass doors, these hinges are easy to install and adjust to meet ADA and ICC A117.1 standards for opening force, while ensuring quiet and secure closure. Crafted from durable stainless steel, they are NFPA 80 compliant, UL 3-hour fire-rated, and built to perform reliably in both interior and all-weather exterior environments. See all our features.

In addition to these performance advantages, Waterson offers flexible customization services. As a direct manufacturer, we can tailor hinge sizes, finishes, and especially hinge leaf designs to meet the specific structural needs of your doors. This makes our hinges an ideal solution for door manufacturers seeking custom options that integrate seamlessly with their existing frames.

Request For Quote

Please note that Waterson closer hinges start from a size of 4″x4″. If you’re in need of smaller self-closing hinges, we’d recommend checking out some other resources! Also, we only provide single acting closer hinges. Thank you.

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