Major Modernisation Project of Our US Partner, TEI Group
美國合作夥伴TEI Group 取得大型現代化項目

Over the years, ATAL strives to expand our lifts and escalators business and have created our own brand Anlev whose lifts, escalators and moving walkways are serving millions of users in Asia, the Americas and Europe. Through the strategic partnership with TEI Group, one of the largest independent lifts and escalators companies in New York, we will further extend our global presence in the US market. In addition to providing new construction, repair and maintenance services in the vertical transportation sector, TEI Group provides expert lift modernisation services that deliver a range of benefits for both users and building management, starting with a complete set of safe, modern, energy efficient equipment. Designed for performance, and eye appeal, modernisation jobs at TEI Group incorporate the latest technology available to improve the experience of the building tenants, residents and visitors. Generally, lift systems require significant updates every 20 years to maintain safe and reliable operation, and to take advantage of improvements in energy efficiency, safety codes, and technology. TEI Group has estimated almost 25% of all the lift systems in New York City are now due for major upgrades.

Utilising Destination Dispatch
New technologies make it possible to increase lift capacity by as much as 33% while reducing passenger trip times by as much as 25% — without physical expansion. This innovative solution, called Destination Dispatch, provides a highly efficient lift management system that improves the rider experience and saves energy at the same time. TEI Group is already implementing this technology at buildings throughout metropolitan New York, including what promises to be the largest single deployment of the solution to date, 1166 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan. It is also the latest trend in modern facilities and luxury buildings with multiple lift banks. With Destination Dispatch, buildings can offer their users multiple methods to select their destination floor, like touchscreens, smartphones, immediately assigning them to an lift bank.

TEI Group installs only non-proprietary destination dispatch systems, giving owners more freedom of choice on service partners. The improved efficiency and service supports higher rents, while saving operational costs by reducing the number of lift cab starts and stops required. This system can be implemented throughout a building, or only in the lobby or select floors to meet the specific goals of each building.

Major Project at 590 Madison Avenue
In January 2020, TEI Group started a modernisation project at 590 Madison Avenue, the 603-foot, tall skyscraper with 41 floors. This present building (formerly known as the new IBM building) was originally designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes and Associates and completed in 1983. It was sold to Odyssey in May 1994. Today, this building is revered as one of the most monumental buildings and well-known open spaces in New York City.

This expansive project entails a 20-car modernisation with a couple of door lock monitoring installations. The overview of the project includes new machines, swing fronts, door equipment, wiring and a full destination dispatch. The building had their choice of a range of user interfaces, from simple keypad entry interfaces to sleek touch screen interfaces that can be surface mounted, flush mounted, or integrated into wall surfaces. Behind the scenes, the intelligent control system plans the most efficient use of the available lifts to serve all the users at any given time. As a result, passengers going to the same floor are grouped together, allowing the lift cab to stop on fewer floors. The impact on passenger experience will be significant, with shorter travel times to their destination and less crowded lobbies.

As of July 2021, they are approximately 70% complete with the modernisation, poised to finish on time and within budget. TEI Group has encountered a few challenges, such as two of the three machine rooms are located on tenant floors, and the high-rise bank offer difficulties in hoisting.

While there are always difficult logistical complications that arise with a Class A building project, TEI Group has been able to successfully coordinate efforts with the team and the building management to overcome challenges. Also, our on-site team took the learnings from 1166 Avenue of the Americas and applied the best practices to this project with some minor adaptations as no two jobs are identical. Fortunately, 590 Madison remained open throughout the pandemic, which allowed for the job to progress nicely in a timely fashion.

“For a job to be successful, all of the parts need to come together and fall into place. This is 590 Madison,” said Mr. Paul DiPaola, Modernisation Superintendent of TEI Group. “With plenty of upfront planning and similar jobs under our belt, we were able to attack the job with a solid game plan. No game plan can be successful without the personnel to execute and our field teams do so without question. 590 Madison is another example of a top tier management team that allowed us to do what we do best and that’s install safe, quality lifts.”

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