The following outline provides
critical points to address any time the feasibility
or applicability of an automated parking system
is under consideration. It serves as a comprehensive
fact gathering form to ensure a thorough and
accurate comparative study between various
systems.
If you have any questions or would like
more details for your particular application,
feel free to contact us at 1-888-ROBOPARK
or e-mail us at: info@roboticparking.com.
General Information
Manufacturer's Name: _____________________________________
Headquartered:
_____________________________________
Manufacturing Location:_____________________________________
Background of Co.:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Installations:
_____________________________________
Contact Person:
_____________________________________
How Long in Bus.:
______________________________________
PROJECT DATA
Product
Name:
____________________________________
Lot Size (ft. x ft.):
____________________________________
Access Points:
____________________________________
Height (above ground): _____________
feet
(below ground): _____________
feet
Parking spaces needed:___________________________________
Peak traffic per 30 mins. (number
of cars in / out): _______________
Soil Conditions: __________________________________________
Mixed use or stand alone facility:
_____________________________
Operating times of the garage:_______________________________
Owner of the garage: _____________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________
Phone: _______________________________________________
E-Mail: _______________________________________________
SYSTEM DESIGN --
General
Origin: ________________________________________________
Patents: _______________________________________________
Models: _______________________________________________
System design sketch:____________________________________
Origin of components:____________________________________
Component manufacturer for:
Bearings: Type_________
Make________ L10 lifetime_________
Motors: Type__________
Make_________L10 lifetime_________
Gearboxes:
Type_______ Make_________L10 lifetime_________
Couplings: Type________
Make_________L10 lifetime_________
Rollers: Type___________Make_________L10
lifetime_________
Sensors: Type__________
Make_________L10 lifetime________
System design:
Metric? ____________ English?
______________
With Pallets? _________ Without Pallets?________
Size of slot / max. size of car:____________________________
Terminals / entrance-exit bays:
Size: (ft. x ft.) ________________________________________
Number of terminals: _________________________________
Type of doors: Make: ___________________
Size: _________
Speed: ______________
L10 lifetime: _________
Turntables: No: ______Yes: ______
(If so, how many:_________)
Mechanism Details
Method for transporting cars:__________________________________________________________
How are movements performed in x, y, &
z direction: _______________________________________
Describe if different machines are used to
perform this: _____________________________________
Number of different machines installed:_________________________________________________
If pallet system, machinery used to transport
empty pallets: __________________________________
Number of movements for transporting cars
that can be done simultaneously:____________________
What happens if one or more machines fail
simultaneously: __________________________________
Can the system still store / retrieve cars
in the case of a failure: ________________________________
Average time to repair: _______________________________________________________________
Where are spare parts coming from? ___________
U.S._____________Foreign:_________________
Average power needs in kWhr to store and
retrieve a car:_____________________________________
Systems used: Hydraulics___________Pneumatics__________
Electromechanic________________
Maximum size of cars which can be stored:_______________________________________________
Maximum weight of vehicle to be stored:_________________________________________________
Structural Details
Outside dimensions (ft x ft x ft):_________________________________
Materials used for storage support:______________________________
Construction:_______________________________________________
Rebuildability: _____________________________________________
Back-up generator: No______Yes ______
(If yes, size:___________)
Accessibility for service and repairs: _____________________________
Queuing accommodations:____________________________________
Sprinkler heads installed: No_____
Yes ______ If yes, how many:__________________________
Drainage:___________________________________________________
Storage System
Arrangement of parking rows: Single______Tandem_______Triple______
Number of parking spaces that can be created
(SL):__________________
Cubic feet per parking space:___________________________________
Number of machines installed that can transport
cars simultaneously in x, y & z (ST):________________________________
Ratio between ST/SL = R:______________________________________
If empty pallets transported by main machinery,
create R’ = R x 0.5 = ____________________________________________
How many Terminals are implemented (T):_________________________
Ratio between SL/ T = RT: ______________________________________
If pallet system, are there pallet rollers:
No______ Yes _______(If yes, how much per
pallet:__________________________
Do pallets have other mechanical devices:
No_____ Yes______ (If if yes, what?:____________________________________
How are drippings of cars handled?_______________________________________________________________________
What drive-in guidance is provided in the
terminals?__________________________________________________________
Computer System
Processors provided:_________________________________________
Hard drives: RAM________________ RAID_______________________
Operating System: ___________________________________________
Computer Back-Ups: _________________________________________
Describe how fail-safe switchover works:
____________________________________________________________________
Length of time in seconds: ____________________________________
Algorithm (scripts written by): _____________________________________________________________________________
Software platform: __________________________________________
Software designer: __________________________________________
24 / 7 hotline: No_______ Yes ________ Response
Time ____________
Recommended staffing on garage: ______________________________
Efficiency
Maximum speed of machinery in x, y, &
z? : x = ________ft / min, y = ______ ft/min,
y = _________ft / min
Approximate retrieval time of one single
car? : ____________sec average
Number of cars which can be handled at once
? :______________________
Throughput: how many cars can be stored in
a ONE WAY TRAFFIC in 30 min:
Assuming a dwell time of 20 seconds :_______________________________
Increase in throughput facilitated by one
additional set of machinery? :_______
User Safety
How many handicapped accessible Terminals
available? :______________
What safety features on the doors?
:________________________________
How is motion detected in terminal?
:_______________________________
How is motion detected inside vehicles? :____________________________
What system installed to make sure car is
inside the envelope? : __________
Security Features
CCTV monitors installed? :__________, where?
:________________________
Required on-duty staffing level
:____________________________________
Interior lighting system :____________________________________________
Car images captured? :_____,If yes how and
where? :_____________________
How many digital cameras in each terminal
installed? :____________________
Facility Management
Graphical User Interface (HMI or GUI)
Does HMI exist? :_________________________________________________
Does it show real time movement? :__________________________________
Does it cover entire geometry of garage?
:_____________________________
Does it report any alarms? if yes how?
:_______________________________
Can sectors of the garage be separated for
maintenance :
While the remainder operates?:_____________________________________
Does HMI show actual occupied spaces?
:____________________________
What reporting features of HMI exist? :________________________________
Does GUI show all installed components?
:___________________________
Access Control
RF tag hands free access? , if yes, manufacturer?
type:___________________
Ticket issuing station installed?, if yes,
manufacturer? type:________________
Credit card-reader access installed?
if yes, manufacturer? type:____________
Handle in the event of a lost card?
:__________________________________
Vehicle Documentation
Short-term record on disk :________________________________________
Long-term record on disk:_________________________________________
Reports
What reports can be generated? :___________________________________
Can this be done on-line? :_______________________________________
Will alarms be reported?:_________________________________________
If yes, what type of alarms? :______________________________________
Is alarm paging system installed? :________________________________
Operational Support
Parts
Origin : ______________________________________________________
Off shelf parts? :_______________________________________________
Special order parts? if yes, which
:_________________________________
Does the on-site spare parts package cover
all critical parts? :____________
Off site storage where? : _________________________________________
Availability in hours on site? :_____________________________________
Repair
Who performs necessary repairs? :________________________________
How is an alert, for example at night time
received? :____________________
From moment of alert, how long does it take
for a technician to be on site?:___________________
What is average time to exchange any (worst
case) motor ? :______________
What is average time to exchange any
(worst case) gearbox ? :____________
What is average time to exchange any sensor?
:________________________
Maintenance Contract
Terms and coverage:______________________________________________
Description: all parts included? (renewal
and replacement) labor included? :
_______________________________________________________________
24 / 7 availability? :______, response
time ? :___________________________
Does it cover the items listed in 'repair'
above? :__________________________
Cost per space / month? :___________________________________________
Is maintenance requirement reported? :_______
how? :____________________
Hot Line Support
For what times does hotline support exist?
:______________________________
What is the response time? :_________________________________________
What can be troubleshot via the hotline?
:________________________________
Cost of hotline per month? :___________________________________________
Diagnostics
What diagnostic tools exist? :__________________________________________
What type of errors will be reported?
:___________________________________
Is remote reporting possible?:_________________________________________
Can components be detected before they fail?
:____________________________
If yes, how?:________________________________________________________
Is remote monitoring possible? if yes how?
:_______________________________
Is remote operation possible? if yes how?
:________________________________
Warranty
Please describe the warranty for the system
with building : ____________________
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Time to deliver
system turnkey
Please describe the time for entire construction,
implementation until successful start-up operation
(Calculated from the day the permits are
available)
DEFINITIONS
Automated Parking:
All the steps necessary to initiate, perform
and control the process of parking or retrieving
a car is self-operated via computer instructions
to the different machines. No human intervention
needed.
AVI:
Automated Vehicle Identification; a radiofrequency
using reader mounted stationary at the facility,
which reads the tags in the approaching cars
or patrons, thus enabling handsfree access
to the system
Carriers: A
certain type of apparatus in a M/A system
performing horizontal movements in x directions
Controls: The
part of a system which is comprised of computers,
sensors, PLC’s; in short the entire electronics
Credit Card Access:
To allow patrons to use the M/A system
via the use of a regular credit card
DTO: Dynamic
Traffic Operation
DVO: Dynamic
Valet Operation
Dwell Time:
the time it takes a Patron to drive into the
Terminal and walk out to the point of system
activation
GUI: Graphical
User Interface; a graphical dynamic demonstration
of the entire system on a generated computer
screen which generally allows to view the
garage operation and to interfere with it
in different modi of operation as fully automated,
maintenance and manual mode.
HMI: Human Machine
Interface, another word newer date for GUI
or MMI ( Man Machine Interface)
Lifts: mechanics
used in M/A systems to perform vertical movements
of cars (not to compare with elevators)
Lobby: the designated
area in an M/A system where patrons go to
request their car for retrieval
Machine: another
word for the M / A System in general; it is
not one single apparatus as there are specific
words
M / A: mechanical
/ automated
Mechanical Parking:
Method of parking cars that involves a person
(garage attendant or driver of car) to take
necessary steps to initiate/perform mechanical
movements, using different machines, which
are triggered by electrical pushbuttons, not
electronics
Pallets: A platform
with the size of one entire slot in a M /
A System on which the car is transported and
stored as long as it is stored inside the
facility.
Patrons: Persons
driving a car and using the M/A System for
parking their vehicle
PLC: Programmable
Logic Controller; an industrial computer performing
tasks written on the so called inherent Ladder
logic ( a software program written like a
ladder, line by line in sequence following
logical commands)
POF: Pay On
Foot; A station at which patrons present their
parking ticket and validate it by different
means of payment; either cash, credit card,
debit card or RF tag
Rack: The compartment
in which one car is stored inside the M/A
System
Rail: fixed
runway for a single or multiple machines in
a M/A system; similar to train rails
Retrieval time:
The time measured from the moment of the activation
of the retrieval process by the patron until
the patron can access its car to drive out
of the M/A system
RF: Radio Frequency;
a means of communicating signals without wires
but airwaves on certain frequencies
RF Tag: a card
similar to the size of a credit card which
transmits a defined signal to a reader which
in turn communicates this signal to the main
computer of the M/A system
Shuttle: a horizontally,
in x and y direction moving machine in a M/A
system
Slot: another
word for ‘rack’, it simply means a storage
space for one car inside a M/A system
Spaces: the
amount of parking slots a M/A system can hold
/ park for a certain configuration of the
system
Storage time:
The time measured from the moment a patron
activates the system to store its car after
proper positioning of the car in the Terminal
until a next patron can use one free terminal
to enter with its car for another store
System: The
entirety of the M/A facility including structure,
mechanics, electric, electronic and software
with hardware
Terminal: the
drop-off and pick-up point of a M/A system
Throughput:
The amount of cars in any one way flow, which
the system can perform in a specified time
frame
Ticketing Station:
A form of access to the M/A system which dispenses
a ticket to the patron. Located at the left
outside of the outer door of the Terminal.
top
of page
