By Timothy LEE
As the mechanical car parking system industry grows slowly but surely, our niche product is appearing in many development projects in Australia. However, many authority figures such as city council, traffic engineers, and body corporates are still unaware of how these systems work. Therefore, I was approached by Brimbank City Council, One Mile Grid Traffic Engineers and Turnbull Cook Body Corporate to further learn about mechanical car parking systems.
I organised to visit a site which was convenient for all parties to attend for a simple demonstration on the system operation, and after a brief use of the machine, we proceed to a Q&A session. Some important questions were raised. Here are the main questions and the answers.
“How do we solve the issue of making sure most cars are able to be fitted in the machine after installation?”
As standard, all of our systems are suited to the B85 vehicle. This means that 85% of car lengths can fit into our system. Where possible, we try to recommend that builders allow enough space for our extended model, so they may have peace of mind that 99% of car lengths will be able to fit into the system, complying with B99 vehicle requirements.
“What are the essential notes that builders have to be aware about every time specifying a car stacker?”
There are quite a few points to keep in mind to avoid any problems with the stackers.As long as the minimum dimensions are achieved, we are able to fit the system without issues. We always prefer if the pit is slightly larger than required. Crucial dimensions are:
- Pit Depth
- Pit Width
- Pit Length
- Ceiling Height
- Services on Ceiling (Possible Obstruction)
- Car Height
- Weight Capacity
“Do users get training on how to park onto the stackers without damaging it?”
Yes, we provide inductions for every car stacker machine that we install. As the machinery is designed to be a private car parking system, we need to educate the end user to prevent any damage to the system or their vehicle. Without an induction, the user would be liable for any damages caused.
“What are the lead times we should be looking at?”
Put simply, we usually allow six months from the time of signing the contract. However, to be accurate, only after dimensions of as built pit are confirmed, we can put the order into 10 weeks of manufacture, and then 10 weeks of shipping, plus, two weeks of customs and delivering to site. We have two weeks of contingency for unexpected delays such as delayed payments, shop drawings and longer custom clearance.
After a few Q&As, I proceed to end the meeting by offering help to every organisation that need assistance in selecting the right Klaus product for their needs, and explained that this is a standard service that we provide by analysing the architectural drawings of the development. Each organisation was happy and decided to endorse Klaus products to make their planning easier in the future.