Tuesday, October 14, 2014

How An Elevator Modernization Company Improves Service

By Patty Goff


In some buildings, calling an elevator becomes an exercise in patience. Inaccurate timing creates lengthy waits, and an overcrowded car may be followed by two that are nearly empty. Units older than a decade may regularly experience service issues, making a timely update of existing facilities necessary to attract and retain good tenants. An elevator modernization company makes that process as efficient as possible.

Crime thrillers use crashing elevators to advance a plot, but that situation rarely happens in real life. More commonly, there is an uptick in user complaints and an increase in service requests. Making the decision to upgrade requires a substantial investment, and is based on financial forecasts as well as actual need. In most cases, the work will increase overall building value, and makes resale values higher.

Long-term system data collection is also important in making the decision to make improvements. Acceptable service meets certain metrics and standards, including the length of time traveling between floors, vibration and noise levels, how long it takes doors to close, and the average wait time for passengers. If there is a gradual decline or deterioration, the problems may require a full overhaul.

Technological obsolescence drives many upgrades in existing older buildings. A system may still perform reasonably well, but repairs may be difficult because replacement parts become hard to locate. Some manufacturers have merged, and discontinued production of parts for older units. New systems today are controlled primarily by microchips that become superseded by the next generation in an astonishingly short amount of time.

If a building was built more than two decades ago, some deterioration is inevitable. The extent can be analyzed by a modernization firm, which is able to assess both acceleration and stopping time, how long it takes doors to close and open, and whether riders are bothered by excess vibration. An assessment relies on realistic, factual data rather than basing recommendations on user ratings alone.

An upgrade evaluation helps prevent unexpected costs during the actual renovation. To meet modern building and seismic codes, updates may also be needed on associated systems such as smoke detection and electrical infrastructure. Arrays that tolerated older types of wiring and backup power may not work as planned when converted to a digital systems, and upgrades may be necessary throughout the structure.

There is more to modernization than faster acceleration, or doors that open and close in a timely manner. Most upgraded cars do not really rise that much faster due to building constraints, but seem to because they are highly efficient due to improved microprocessors. The new chips are increasingly capable of meeting higher peak demand by analyzing when those situations most commonly occur, and compensating for the greater demand.

Newer technology is also more energy-efficient, reducing operating costs. Not only are updated systems seen as faster by users, but they eliminate wasted trips between floors, cut down on noise, and are usually dispatched more quickly when called. Some can change destinations, or group them for quicker response, improving service by as much as 25 percent and creating more user satisfaction while increasing building value.




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