SIPOS Aktorik’s electric actuators have been included in a dam enhancement scheme designed to protect the township of Captains Flat, 60km South East of Canberra in Australia. The actuators were selected by SIPOS’ Australian partner, Barron GJM who reported to the Council of Palerang.

Located on the Molonglo River, 1km upstream of the Captains Flat township, the existing dam was a 17m high concrete gravity structure built in 1939. Originally designed as a water supply dam for mining operations, the storage facility has been retained as a source of water for the populace of the small town.

Recent revisions of probable maximum floods indicated a need to increase the protection afforded to the local population. This resulted in an upgraded dam construction incorporating a sluice gate motorised for wet weather flow by Barron using SIPOS Aktorik actuators for valve operation.

As part of the actuation commission, a sluice gate valve was automated through re-use of an existing gearbox and installation of a SIPOS 5 Flash actuator. Speed selection capability of the actuator meant it could be set to 80 rpm while simultaneously extending the ramp time to one second: this was a major design benefit as it enabled the actuator to operate the valve without additional gearing or a need to physically change the motor.