The process of parking a vehicle for drivers in automated parking systems remains the same, regardless of the technology used; it’s the methodology of moving the vehicles to and from the parking module that differs. Each technology has advantages and disadvantages over one another. The selection of one technology over another largely depends on the project site, building codes and the client’s needs in terms of budget, throughput, density and redundancy. The types of technology used in automated parking systems can be divided into five main categories:
Crane System
Crane parking systems utilize a single mechanism to simultaneously perform the horizontal and vertical movements of the vehicle to be parked or retrieved in the parking system. The simultaneous horizontal and vertical movements allow the vehicle platform to move to and from one parking spot to another very quickly.
Puzzle System
Puzzle systems offer the densest form of automated parking, typically utilizing around 95% of the floor area, and are often used in smaller applications. Puzzle Systems offer flexible layout options as the system configuration is highly adaptable as a pallet can be maneuvered from one support frame to an adjacent one in any direction. This means the system shape can vary greatly.
Shuttle System
Shuttle systems utilize autonomous shuttles and elevators to park and retrieve vehicles. The number of shuttles in the system is flexible and is based on the client’s throughput requirements.
Silo System
Silo systems are cylindrical systems with a single, centrally positioned mechanism used to park and retrieve vehicles. The central mechanism moves vertically and rotates simultaneously allowing the vehicle platform to move to and from one parking space to another very quickly.
Tower System
Tower systems consist of a vehicle elevator with a parking space on either side of the elevator shaft. This configuration is repeated over a number of levels to complete the parking tower. There is a parking module located on the ground floor, where the vehicle is turned, and the vehicle elevator raises to one of the parking levels of the tower and deposits the vehicle sideways into a parking space.