After a bad experience with another turnstile manufacturer, Auburn replaced the originally installed equipment with Alvarado’s Supervisor 5000 (SU5000) optical turnstiles and an SW1000 tandem motorized gate. The facility now has reliable equipment that controls access into and out of the facility.
Auburn chooses Alvarado SU5000 optical turnstiles
Thousands of Auburn University students and staff utilize the university’s new $72 million, 240,000 square-foot Recreation & Wellness Center on a daily basis. The recreation center, which opened in 2013, has several notable features including one of the largest indoor tracks in the nation. To control access into the facility, Auburn incorporated barrier optical turnstiles.
After a bad experience with another turnstile manufacturer, Auburn replaced the originally installed equipment with Alvarado’s Supervisor 5000 (SU5000) optical turnstiles and an SW1000 tandem motorized gate. The facility now has reliable equipment that controls access into and out of the facility. Users present ID cards at designated entry only turnstiles to access the facility. To exit, users pass through designated exit turnstiles which open automatically as users exit.
Three SU5000 optical turnstiles are used for entry. Two SU5000 optical turnstiles are used for exit. The tandem motorized gate has a wide 72” passage width that allows large equipment to be moved in and out of the facility and supports the mass entry of large tour groups.
Background
Auburn’s path to the installation of reliable Alvarado equipment was less than smooth. Originally, Auburn installed another manufacturer’s product. Shortly after the Recreation & Wellness Center’s grand opening, however, the original barrier optical turnstiles started malfunctioning. The manufacturer tried several fixes but could never get the equipment to operate reliably. Ultimately the manufacturer quit returning calls, leaving the university in the undesirable position of either trying to operate with the original poor performing products or replacing them outright.
Alvarado Turnstile solution
Auburn sought advice from HOK sports, the well-known sports facilities architectural firm. HOK sports recommended the best course would be to replace the poor performing equipment with reliable Alvarado products.
Auburn, understandably, was very cautious after its bad experience. In addition to seeking advice from HOK, Auburn officials sought references from other universities using optical turnstiles at their recreation center facilities.
The answer that Auburn heard again and again: go with Alvarado – an American company with US based manufacturing, service and support that has been in business since 1956.
Numerous universities use Alvarado optical products, including the
University of Georgia, University of Nebraska, University of Colorado, University of Iowa, Rice University and Florida State University, among many others.
“Our goal is provide our clients with products and solutions that best meet their requirements. We also stress the benefits of working with an established U.S. owned turnstile manufacturer with a fully staffed technical and support department,” said Nick Simon, National Sales Manager for Alvarado.
After a formal bidding process, Auburn chose Alvarado’s SU5000 optical turnstiles and motorized gate. Alvarado assisted during the installation by providing personnel on site to provide oversight and assist with initial configuration. “We offer on site commissioning as a service to our customers and after Auburn’s prior bad experience we wanted to assist them in every way we could to ensure the success of the project,” said Simon.
Alvarado’s SU5000 optical turnstiles and motorized gates are state of the art solutions that provide the very latest in optical detection and operational technology. Alvarado products integrate with any access control system and any card or biometric reader technology. The SU5000 is an architecturally inspired optical turnstile with the slimmest cabinet design on the market. The SU5000 blends with and accentuates any recreation center or corporate lobby environment.
Alvarado has hundreds of optical turnstile installations in the US and worldwide.