Im with the other guys on this one, if your going to modernize, and are going to choose one of the 4 main guys, Otis, Thyssen, Kone, and Schindler all of which will have proprietary equipment that will make it harder for anyone else to service, I would go the otis route. We have quite a few in service, and they are indeed very reliable. I would stay away from the Schindler and Kone product. Thyssen would be my second choice. Just remember they all make it hard for any other company to service and repair their equipment, this could be problematic in the future. There are a few good non-proprietary elevator controllers on the market that most elevator men can fix, Motion control, Elevator controls etc. They are a little cheaper. We have also had many of these cars in service, and in my opinion are fairly reliable as well, especially in a moderate usage building such as a condo.

one thing that bothers me in your post is the statement that they can not find a "part" to rebuild the generator. What part are they talking about? Sounds to me like the usual, hold the customer hostage with no elevator for a couple of weeks, to eek a modernization out of them. unfortunately i have Seen it more times then i would like to admit. what state are you in

BM
Generators such as the one currently being used is a dated method of using AC power from your building and converting it to DC power.

There are alternatives to generators that supply DC power to modern controllers that feed your current hoist machine.
Or your current hoist may be fitted with a VVVF hoist motor that uses AC power.
The condition of your hoist machines will influence that decision.

Here is a link to an article you may find interesting;
http://www.elevatorworld.com/magazine/elevator-modernization-condominio/

Hello all--once again, thanks for the excellent advice. If I can get the other bored members (yes, I do know how to spell 'board'; it's a joke) to go along, I certainly will follow it. But I've got a long way to go to get up to speed, so I have a couple of followup questions still.

jkh wrote:
>>We are speaking of the control portion of the elevator modernization.<<

Apparently, our big problem lately has been with the A/C generator. It requires a rebuild and a specific part--an armature I believe--was very difficult to source. Apparently there was just one in the warehouse before Sandy hit, and even though our elevator had been out of service for more than a week at that time, the order didn't get placed until after the storm and that part had already been claimed. (The replacement part was due in yesterday; assuming it came in as scheduled, Otis will rebuild that generator today and tomrrow.)

* So that leads to my first followup question: Can we expect good service from a fully rebuilt generator? Or should we go ahead and replace it with a DC model?

* Next: jkh wrote >>we are speaking of the control portion of the elevator modernization<< So, if I understand, there is generic, non-proprietary control systems that can be plugged in to an Otis elevator, they're a little cheaper, they work great, there are companies around that will install them, and then you're not locked in to expensive, proprietary equipment and repairs by Otis or the other big-4.

Do I have that right?

* What about the generator? Will that be an Otis product, or are there generic versions of this as well?

You guys are great. Amazing resourc.e Thanks again!

Bored Member