TÜV Rheinland Automatic Parking System Services Improves Safety

TÜV Rheinland Hong Kong has launched automatic parking system services, covering all aspects of the design, construction, and operation stages. It provides one-stop solutions for various types of parking equipment and parking systems in accordance with relevant standards of the European Union, China, and Australia.

Earlier this year, the Hong Kong Transport Department announced that it was planning to introduce two automatic parking systems (APS) in Tsuen Wan and Sham Shui Po. An automated parking system is equipped with mechanical devices such as an express elevator and a revolving platform for transportation of vehicles, as well as an apparatus that allows for the automatic location and retrieval of parked vehicles.

Hong Kong has limited parking space, while at the same time the trend is toward an increasing number of vehicles, scarcity of land for parking, rising urbanization, growing demand for green & sustainable parking solutions, increasing demand for luxury buildings, and smart city initiatives from the government.

A multitude of studies in recent years has revealed that 30% of traffic congestion in urban areas is caused by people looking for somewhere to park, and that 70% of vehicle owners encounter parking difficulties at least once a day. To cope with the growing number of vehicles, the size of car parks is getting larger. However, when a car park exceeds 1,000 parking spaces, over 30% of vehicle owners may have difficulty in finding their cars. This creates inefficient use of parking space, wasting parking time.

A fully automated parking system can park and retrieve a car from a parking garage automatically. The high demand for comfort and convenience from consumers and rising adoption of fully automated parking systems by construction companies are driving the fully market. A fully automated parking system increases capacity, heightens efficiency, reduces emissions, and increases safety and convenience.

TÜV Rheinland is a notified body under the EU Machinery Directive. We have rich practical experience in the field of parking equipment testing and certification for manual/semi-automatic/full-automatic parking equipment/systems according to the EU standard EN 14010, Chinese standard GB 17907, Australia standard AS 5124, etc. We can provide consulting, training, design review, and analysis of structural and mechanical, electrical and control, and hydraulic and pneumatic systems in the planning stage. During the construction stage, APS manufacturing process inspection, material/component testing, and product conformity verification can be provided. In the operation stage, TÜV Rheinland can offer APS before-use and periodic examination and inspection.

In the EU, Governments are ensuring APS are safe for the public, by enforcing compliance with EN 14010 Safety of machinery ? Equipment for power driven parking of motor vehicles ? Safety and EMC requirements for the design, manufacturing, erection, and commissioning stages. According to the scope of the standard, APS need to undergo rigorous testing to avoid mechanical, electrical, thermal, and other hazards. The verification process covers design review, visual check, functional test, loading test(s), and specific verification/measurements.

An APS increases the capacity of a parking lot, improves parking efficiency, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, prevents theft of cars, and improves safety and convenience. Only rigorously tested and inspected automatic parking systems can withstand long-term applications. TÜV Rheinland's experience and capabilities provide safety guarantees for automatic parking systems, ensuring safety of life and property, including drivers, vehicles, and operating and maintenance personnel.

TÜV Rheinland

TÜV Rheinland is a global leader in independent inspection services, founded nearly 150 years ago. The group maintains a worldwide presence of more than 20,000 people; annual turnover is EUR 2 billion. The independent experts stand for quality and safety for people, technology and the environment in nearly all aspects of life. TÜV Rheinland inspects technical equipment, products and services, oversees projects, and helps to shape processes and information security for companies. Its experts train people in a wide range of careers and industries. To this end, TÜV Rheinland employs a global network of approved labs, testing and education centers. Since 2006, TÜV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact to promote sustainability and combat corruption.

Website: www.tuv.com