I need some help, most likely from Schindler employees. Schindler is proposing modernizing the elevators with their new FMM 200 machine with "Suspension Traction Media" (Steel Belts). Does anyone have any experience with this type of elevator or does anyone have any opinions on this type of equipment?

Your help is greatly appreciated

Get some other quotes, a non proprietary solution would leave you with service options should you want to change service providers down the road.

why do people INSIST on getting non proprietary stuff....how many times on here is someone asking a question of a company that went out of business with NO backup etc....MOST of the major companies have been around or 100 years so that must mean something!!!!...and nowadays anyone can get the info if they know where to look or who to ask on the proprietary stuff anyway.

Unfortunately not every company creates products that are equal, at the end of the day it is the quality of service provided that matters most. One really need to take a long look at what best suits the customer, not what best suits the company.

In general the bigger companies provide a superior product,and the non props provide a cheaper product. In general going with the OEM means you are stuck with them as your sole option for service. So like I said it ultimately comes down to how well the company you choose treats you as a customer.

Sorry traction I disagree with the comment of "at the end of the day, its the quality of the service that matters most". I give you a piece of junk, service it, with a master service technician, its still a piece of junk, serviced superbly. Now take a work horse Like a DMC, service it with a cheap imitation tech, its still a great product, damn near bulletproof. If that scrub can keep his hands off it, and clean the sills, might run for 15-20 years.

To the OP, ALL PRODUCTS have gremlins and kinks to work out when they are brand new. Otis gen 2 governor, Thyssens Crisis, oops I mean ISIS. If you are comfortable being a bit of a guinea pig, go for the belt drive. There is always a bit of a risk being on the cutting edge of technology...

Rumor is that the Schindler belts only have a million run lifespan and then the car is shutdown for repair. So make sure you have a rock solid service/repair contract. That being said the Otis Gen2 belts have many millions of runs on them with very few issues. Both of which will probably last far longer than the State mandated replacement period. The government agencies are afraid of change and technology so they are putting very stringent conditions on a lot of new products.

...The Gen2 is by far one of the best engineered elevonic equipments by far..am told the Belts will dur five million runs before they have to be changed..

Is the Gen 2 the system with the crappy governor?

A couple of facts about the Gen 2-

-The belts are conservatively rated by Otis. 25 years is the median they will quote. I have spoken with engineers that rate them WAY higher
-The belts are monitored by a proprietary system that constantly scans for internal breakages. This makes Otis the only manufacturer that does not have to replace the suspension means after a set amount of runs.
-The governors on the overslung Gen 2 units had problems early on with sheave degradation. Otis fully stood behind them and replaced them and continues to replace any of these units that show abnormal signs of wear.

Schindler's steel belted unit has a 1 million run limitation (pretty sure about that number). Per ANSI code, they must then be replaced. The 3300 has a maximum rise of 98 feet- Otis's is 300'. Per Schindler's website, the max speed is 150 f/min, a max of 8 stops, and a max capacity of 3500. Otis's is 5000 pounds and a max speed of 500 f/min.

These elevators aren't really in the same category as far as use. Otis does make some smaller, underslung units that compete more directly with the 3300, but once you compare apples to apples, a builder would be forced to move to a 400A model from Schindler with steel cables as the suspension means (thus losing the primary benefit of a machine room-less, low maintenance 'belted' type of unit) to match speed and load.

Having worked on both quite comprehensively, the Otis and Schindler units (in my opinion) aren't in the same ballpark with regards to features and overall quality, even when comparing both the 400A/3300 versus the Gen2 line-up.

All of the above is just my opinion, by the way (aside from the load, speed, rise, and belt info.

Options are always better for customers. Non-prop equipment gives costumers the best options. The big 4 collude to keep prices high. The big 4 make little if any money in construction but make up for it in the maintenance department. Funny enough most don't even use the term maintenance anymore in their contracts because that would imply maintenance is what they should be providing. Ask any maintenance man if he even does maintenance anymore. They just put out fires. This leave the costumer holding the bag when they find out they are now being held hostage in a elevator contract that gives them know-thing and leaves them with all the liability. If your want to change the industry start by telling the truth and stand up for whats right and be honest to yourself and your costumers. Just my two cents

I agree with SEC REJECT!