ELSCO received calls from an elevator consultant and a major elevator contractor, who worked on a high-profile luxury condominium development in Boston. Both consultant and contractor reported very poor ride quality in the newly-installed 1,000 fpm, 3,500 lbs. capacity (5.0 m/s, 1,600 kg. capacity) passenger elevators. Condo owners in the building had begun to complain, feeling that the ride quality was not commensurate with the multimillion-dollar prices of their homes.
The Root Cause: Poor Rail Alignment
ELSCO personnel visited the job site to assess the problem, and determined that the root cause of the ride quality issues was poor rail alignment, caused by a rushed installation schedule. DBG (distance between guide rails) measurements varied at different points in the hoist-way by nearly one full inch (25mm). The root-cause fix to this problem would have been a thorough rail re-alignment. Unfortunately, such re-alignments in occupied buildings are expensive, time consuming, and logistically problematic – taking new elevators out of service is never popular with building owners. Both contractor and consultant needed a cost effective solution with minimal downtime.
The ELSCO Solution: Express-3 10-inch Roller Guides
ELSCO proposed replacement of the existing roller guides with ELSCO Express-3 roller guides. Express-3 guides incorporate patent-pending, shock absorbing elastomeric pivot bushings, 10inch (254mm) neoprene roller wheels, and high-quality construction to dramatically reduce the effects of misaligned rails – at a fraction of the cost of rail re-alignment. Furthermore, the simple mounting and comprehensive instructions included with all ELSCO roller guides make for quick and painless installation. Contractor and consultant agreed to try ELSCO Express-3 roller guides, and together with ELSCO technicians, they took ride quality readings to measure the results.
The Result: Dramatic Improvements in Ride Quality
ELSCO Express-3 guides improved the ride quality in dramatic, measurable fashion. With the help of ride quality analysis instrumentation, ELSCO was able to determine that maximum peak-to-peak lateral accelerations and A95 “average” lateral accelerations were reduced by 50% or more. Both consultant and contractor were pleased with the ease, low cost, and effectiveness of the ELSCO solution.