info@cobianchi.ch 26.–28.

June 2019
www.cobianchi.ch Hall A, Booth no E6
Cobianchi Liftteile AG Cobianchi Liftteile AG Cobianchi Liftteile AG
Weststrasse 16, Postfach 177 Weststrasse 16, Postfach 177 Weststrasse 16, Postfach 177
CH - 3672 Oberdiessbach / Switzerland CH - 3672 Oberdiessbach / Switzerland CH - 3672 Oberdiessbach / Switzerland
+41 (0)31 720 50 50 Telefon +41 (0)31 720 50 50 Telefon +41 (0)31 720 50 50 Telefon
+41 (0)31 720 50 51 Fax +41 (0)31 720 50 51 Fax +41 (0)31 720 50 51 Fax
JOGP!DPCJBODIJDI
t
XXXDPCJBODIJDI JOGP!DPCJBODIJDI
t
XXXDPCJBODIJDI JOGP!DPCJBODIJDI
t
XXXDPCJBODIJDI

PC11GA / PC11GO / PC11GU PC13GA / PC13GO / PC13GU PC24GA / PC24GO / PC24GU

Q & P max. 1‘500 kg va max. 2,16 m/s Q & P max. 2‘600 kg va max. 3,5 m/s Q & P max. 5‘498 kg va max. 3,5 m/s

NEU mit Doppelgleitbacke NEU mit Doppelgleitbacke NEU mit Doppelgleitbacke

NEW with easy release mechanism NEW with easy release mechanism NEW with easy release mechanism

DIN EN81-20/50 DIN EN81-20/50 DIN EN81-20/50

Cobianchi Liftteile AG
Weststrasse 16, Postfach 177
CH - 3672 Oberdiessbach / Switzerland
+41 (0)31 720 50 50 Telefon
+41 (0)31 720 50 51 Fax
JOGP!DPCJBODIJDI
t
XXXDPCJBODIJDI

PC100E / PC100U   

  
Q & P max. 13‘000 kg va max. 2,63 m/s

Q & P max. 6‘951 kg va max. 3,5 m/s

PC100ES
Q & P max. 5‘000 kg va max. 5,06 m/s

NEU erhöhte Auslösegeschwindigkeit

NEW for higher speed

  

  

DIN EN81-20/50   

  
Cobianchi Liftteile AG
Weststrasse 16, Postfach 177
CH - 3672 Oberdiessbach / Switzerland
+41 (0)31 720 50 50 Telefon
+41 (0)31 720 50 51 Fax
JOGP!DPCJBODIJDI
t
XXXDPCJBODIJDI

PC100X / PC200X
PC300X / PC400X
Q & P max. 75‘872 kg va max. 2,0 m/s
  
Q & P max. 52‘000 kg va max. 2,63 m/s    

 
 




Contents ELEVATOR WORLD
May - June 2019 Issue 3 Volume 1

Cover
Sto ry e n t s
Ev
80 A Remarkable Milestone in
Stockholm 26 ELA Conference 2019
by Kaija Wilkinson by Angela C. Baldwin

32 Big Success

Featu by Yasin Eker

res 39 World Stage

by Yasin Eker

44 Tradition, Modernity Meet at

84 Escalators and Moving Walks for
Heilbronn Lift Days
Amsterdam's North-South Metro
by Undine Stricker-Berghoff
Line
by Koos van Lindenberg

90 Meet the Tulip: London’s Most

m n s
Controversial Tower
by Matt Irvin Co l u
64 The Impact of Pre-Stretching on
Elevator Ropes
by Konrad Stahr and Dr. Andreas Franz

26 68 Elevator Ride Quality Adjustment

With a VFD
by Sher Xiong

72 How Suspension Means Affect

Cost-Effective Design and Space
Efficiency
by Dr. Nicola Imbimbo

32 95 Lift Safety Revolutionaries

by Jonas Tomasson

2 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

 G-200

G-300

G-100

G-400

G-180

Gearless Alberto Sassi a complete range of machines

able to fulfill the most various installation requirements.
Innovative design and aluminium casing granting
perfect heat exchange and light structure. Gearless
machines from G-100 up to G-400 are
equipped with brake DF manufactured
by Alberto Sassi. All machines have
brakes complying to A3 amendment.
Please visit www.sassi.it G-500
for further information.
Contents ELEVATOR WORLD
May - June 2019 Issue 3 Volume 1

Focus
& Sta on Codes
ndard
s
50 The Role of Risk Assessment in
Innovative Product Development
by Lou Bialy

58 Does Installing Elevators in 39

Conformity with Standards
Guarantee Safety?
by Erol Akçay

61 Globalization in Standardization
Moving Forward
by Koos van Lindenberg

44

e n t s
rtm
Depa
80

8 Editor's Overview

10 Calendar of Events

12 International News

99 Product Spotlight
84 104 Advertisers Index

4 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

 LIFT YOUR EXPECTATIONS

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6 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

Editor's Overview
by Ricia Sturgeon-Hendrick
Editor
ricia@elevatorworld.com
EUROPE RISING
“There are over 15 million elevators all over the world, 6.2
million are in Europe.”
. . . Robert Zappa, ELA president
The news from Europe is clearly positive. New offices
are opening; partnerships are growing; seasoned managers
are moving into new positions; and, of course, skylines from
Cyprus to Paris and London are going up.
The European lift industry gathered, as they often do in
the spring, in Germany, Greece, London and Turkey. There
were overlapping events in Turkey, both exhibitions. Each
bolstered attendance at the other. Eurasia Asansör Fair
was the smaller of the two events but not by much. There
were 160 exhibitors and more than 30,000 visitors. Ali Bulut,
president of CNR Holdings, said, “It is impressive to see
Turkish companies competitive after 20 years where Western
companies have had 100 years.” The second event, Asansör
Istanbul, is in its 16th year. It welcomed 288 exhibits and
more than 28,000 visitors. In Germany at Heilbronn, the
36th conference, reported on by Undine Stricker-Berghoff,
was held to a packed auditorium with topics concerning
standards and regulations. In addition, a women’s group met.
Ascen.tec in Greece, the country’s first industry exhibition
in 10 years, proved successful and a second exposition is
planned for May of next year. Just before we went to press
our managing editor, Angie Baldwin, traveled to the UK to
attend the ELA Conference in London. The European Lift
Association explored lifts and escalators in a digital world.
The papers covered predictive maintenance, the use of
artificial intelligence and much more. A panel on A Skilled
Workforce for the Future was well received.
The focus topic for this issue of ELEVATOR WORLD
Europe is Codes and Standards, and it was a topic of
conversation in most recent European venues. With Brexit
in the offing, many were relieved to hear that the UK plans
to continue adherence to the EN81 standard. We offer three
excellent papers on Codes and Standards:
8 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
• The Role of Risk Assessment in Innovative Product
Development by Lou Bialy. The author explains how risk
assessment is used for standards around the world.
• Globalization in Standardization Moving Forward.
Koos van Lindenberg speaks on acceptance of EN 81 20/50
by ISO, an important step towards globalization.
• Does Installing Elevators in Conformity with
Standards Guarantee Safety? Erol Akçay notes that
requirements are the minimums with no protection for the
unanticipated. Constant change has to address emerging
risks.
Technology articles this month are: The Impact of Pre-
stretching on Elevator Ropes by Konrad Stahr and Dr.
Andreas Franz. The authors, after much testing, conclude
that in pre-stretching rope no significant difference in
elasticity could be discerned. How Suspension Means
Affect Cost-Effective Design and Space Efficiency by
Dr. Nicola Imbimbo. The author states that the use of wire
rope goes back almost 200 years and steel-based suspension
means is used around the world now in ropes and belts. He
focuses on inspection and predictive maintenance. Quality
Adjustment with a VFD – a powerful adjustment tool from
KEB for a mechanic to control rollback and speed.
The feature articles this month range widely from
London to Amsterdam to Stockholm:
• The Tulip in London’s historic area near the Tower of
London continues to be very controversial.
• Escalators and Moving Walks for Amsterdam’s North-
South Metro Line – met the energy efficiency demanded.
• Urban Escape – A Remarkable Milestone in
Stockholm. thyssenkrupp delivers largest-ever order to new
mixed-use city block.
There is so much more to this issue – skylines are rising
all over Europe. Please enjoy!
THE
ELEVATOR
BUILDERS
w w w . a s c e n s o a r e . r o

CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR PROJECT

Calendar of Events

2019 July
Indonesia Lift & Escalator Expo
July 10-12
Surabaya, Indonesia
www.ina-liftescalator.com

August
Global Lift & Escalator Expo Africa
August 27-29
Johannesburg, South Africa
www.gleexpo.com

September
NAEC 70th Annual Convention and Exposition
September 16-19
Grand Rapids, MI, U.S
www.naecconvention.com

10th Symposium on Lift &

Escalator Technologies
September 18-19
Northampton, U.K.
www.liftsymposium.org

October
Interlift
October 15-18
Augsburg, Germany
www.interlift.de
CTBUH 10th World Congress
October 28-November 2
Chicago, IL, U.S.
www.ctbuh2019.com

December
International Elevator &
Escalator Symposium
December 3-4
Las Vegas, NV, U.S.
www.elevatorsymposium.org

10 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

2020
February
IEE Expo
February 27 -29
Mumbai, India
www.ieeexpo.com
10th International Symposium on
Elevator & Escalator İran
February 27
Tehran, Iran
www.kt-uast.ac.ir.

May
World Elevator & Escalator Expo 2020
May 6-9
Shanghai, China
www.elevator-expo.com
Ascen.tec-Elevator Technologies 2020
May 22-24
Athens, Greece
www.ascen-tec.gr

July
Indonesia Lift & Escalator Expo
July 11-13
Jakarta, Indonesia
www.ina-liftescalator.com

September
NAEC 71st Annual Convention and Exposition
September 13-16
Houston, TX, U.S
www.naecconvention.com
The Elevator Show
September 7-9
Dubai, U.A.E.
www.elevatorshowdubai.com/en

October
Eurasia Asansör Fair
October 21-24
Istanbul, Turkey
www.asansorfuari.com

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 11

International News
Transitions
New roles are filled in India, Europe and Australia
Mehan Named thyssenkrupp
Elevator (India) CEO
Manish Mehan has been appointed as
new CEO of thyssenkrupp Elevator (India),
thyssenkrupp announced in April. Mehan
has been the company's chief financial
officer for the last 12 years, where he led the
financial and related functions for the Indian
Manish Mehan and Bangladeshi operating units. In his new
role, he will drive all strategic, operational
and financial goals for Operating Unit India with focuses on sales
and productivity growth, organization streamlining, talent
development, and overall safety and quality improvements.
Ravi Kirpalani, CEO, thyssenkrupp India, said he is confident
Mehan "will be an asset to the company. His vast experience and
leadership skills will further enhance the performance of the
organization. . . ." Mehan added, “With strong talent expertise
and global experience, my focus would be to further accelerate
the growth and deliver best results aligned with the company’s
vision.” He is a chartered accountant with a Bachelor of
Commerce from Delhi University.
thyssenkrupp Elevator France Names New
President
Emmanuel Paris became the new president of thyssenkrupp
Elevator France on May 1. He succeeds Emmanuel Altmayer,
who served as president from February 2016 to April 2019. Paris
spent 10 years as manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers and four
years as head of Etna France before joining thyssenkrupp
Elevator Home Solutions in 2011. Paris also worked for Drieux-
Combaluzier, a company that specializes
in custom elevators and the maintenance
and modernization of multibrand
elevators. He later became district
manager for the Paris Ile-de-France area
of thyssenkrupp before becoming
director of sales and marketing
operations. In addition to
Emmanuel Paris, thyssenkrupp
Elevator France is also joined by
Jérôme Py, who will serve as
chief financial officer France.
12 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
Manager for Germany's Cibes
Lift Group
After founding Cibes Lift Deutschland
GmbH last fall, Cibes Lift Group has hired
Jaschar Mahmoudian as country manager
for Germany. He also serves as managing
director of Cibes Lift Deutschland and has
already spent several weeks at the Cibes
Jaschar Mahmoudian Lift Group head office in Gävle, Sweden.
Mahmoudian has served in top management positions at such
companies as thyssenkrupp and Schindler. He holds a degree in
Business Communication from HTW Berlin - University of
Applied Sciences. Mahmoudian will be based in Berlin, where
Cibes Lift Group plans to establish a new office soon.
Seasoned VT Professional for
Australia's LML Lift Consultants
LML Lift Consultants, headquartered
in suburban Melbourne, Australia, has
appointed longtime industry member
Gary Brown to its growing team of
national consultants. Brown will monitor
the performance of lift companies, with a
Gary Brown focus on safety. Brown began his vertical-
transportation (VT) career as a lift technician, going on to
various roles with Otis and Schindler. He has overseen projects
and led service, construction and safety departments. "Gary's
focus has always been on ensuring that the lift equipment
placed into service is finished to a high standard and safe to
operate," LML Director Richie Lobert said, estimating that
bringing Brown to the team means LML has roughly 280 years
of combined industry experience.
Managing Director for U.K.'s
Pickerings
Paul Brooks has succeeded Ian Bowers
as managing director of Cleveland,
U.K.-based Pickerings Lifts. Bowers has
retired, which has initiated further
changes within the company’s executive
board, with former Service Sales and
Paul Brooks Marketing Director Gary Rains having
been promoted to service director. In his new role, Brooks
will be responsible for the strategy, growth and direction of
Pickerings, as well as taking responsibility for key customer
accounts. Brooks joined the company in 2014 as head of
divisional operations before being promoted to service
director in 2018.
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your pocket
Let us guide you through the changes.
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International News

Business
OEMs and independents see shakeups
around the world.

IGV Names CEO/General

Manager
Michele Suria has been named Milan,
Italy-based IGV Group SpA's CEO and
general manager. Citing "extensive
experience in management consulting and
general management of small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)," Suria
Michele Suria said his most recent position was chief
financial officer at Implanta SpA. Prior to that, he was CFO and
chief operations officer for Driade, a home design specialty
company. He has served as a consultant for Deloitte
Consulting, Accenture and BIP. He also worked for
ItalianCreationGroup, Athena, Telecom Italia/Tim, Vodafone,
Siemens, Ferrari, Coin, Camozzi Group, Ansaldo, Biasi and
several other SMEs in finance management, marketing,
customer care, business development and process
reengineering. He holds an MBA from Bocconi University in
Milan with a focus on Strategy and Finance.
(l-r) Invertek Drives Ltd. Global Key Account Manager Andy Whalley with
EPS CEO Nemanja Milentijevic
Invertek Partners With Balkans' EPS, Expands
Invertek Drives Ltd. of Welshpool, U.K., has appointed
Electro Pneumatic Solutions (EPS) as its sales partner for
Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro. Belgrade,
Serbia-based EPS will be adding Invertek's variable-frequency-
drive (VFD) products to its automation and industrial process
line, providing sales and service of the Invertek Optidrive
range.
Invertek also announced the completion of a new 5,500-m2
global manufacturing and distribution center at its
headquarters. It said the new facility will allow it to increase
production to more than 500,000 VFDs a year.

EHC Global Opens Spain Facility to

Support EMEA Growth
Escalator handrail, component and services
provider EHC Global recently opened a facility in
Seville, Spain, to support growth in Europe, the Middle
East and Africa (EMEA). Located in the La Negrilla
district, the three-story facility houses sales, project
management, customer service and administrative
offices, as well as provides space for production,
assembly and storage. It joins EHC facilities in
Santander and Madrid. EHC Global President and
CEO Jeno Eppel and Managing Director, Central
Region Norman Rosnersky presided over a ribbon
cutting in May. Miguel Chías González-Blanch, general
manager, Spain & Portugal, observed, "Our new facility
will enable us to meet the growing demands and future
needs of our customers in the region." Ribbon-cutting ceremony in May for the new EHC Global facility in Seville

14 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

 thyssenkrupp Elevator: IPO
on the Way; Canada
Investment
A New Path Forward
The executive board of
thyssenkrupp AG has proposed to the
supervisory board its elevator business
be launched in an initial public offering
(IPO), rather than splitting the
company in two as thyssenkrupp
Industrials and thyssenkrupp Materials
(ELEVATOR WORLD, April 2019).
The move is part of what the executive
board described on May 10 as a
"fundamental strategic realignment."
The move had been expected to end
antitrust proceedings of the European
Commission related to thyssenkrupp
Steel Europe AG's alleged role in
suspected cartel agreements.
thyssenkrupp and India's Tata Steel
assume the planned joint venture will
be blocked by the commission in light
of concerns not resolved by a market
survey done in the wake of several
concessions by the steel giants.
thyssenkrupp plans to reintegrate its
Steel Europe business back into the
group in the third quarter of this fiscal
year. "The economic downturn and its
effects on business development and
the current capital market have led to
the separation not being able to be
realized as planned," the company said.
"Instead, thyssenkrupp will
fundamentally realign itself to
significantly improve operating
performance."
thyssenkrupp Elevator Canada celebrated its
Engineering Centre's two-year anniversary in May.
Expansion, Centralization in as well as one branch, are under one
Canada roof. More than 30 employees
relocated there, bringing their number
thyssenkrupp Elevator Canada's
at the center to 87.
Engineering Centre at 270 Finchdene
In further investment in Canada,
Square in Scarborough, Canada, was
the company centralized multiple
expanded earlier this year. The
locations into its new shared services
company says the CAD3-million
facility at 2075 Kennedy Road in
(US$2.23-million) facility is the only
Toronto. The modern 17,000-ft2 space
one of its kind in the country and
is home to its finance, procurement,
features new-installation and
information-technology, payroll, HR
modernization engineering, Canadian
and safety departments. Its design
board repair, elevator simulators, a
mirrors the Finchdene facility, which
customer showroom and a parts
the company said creates "a synergy
warehouse. Hundreds of service
throughout locations where open
technicians and sales personnel are
collaboration and vibrant spaces
trained there annually. Now, its
inspire employees to achieve more."
construction and modernization teams,

CEO Title, Duties for Marks as WORLD, February 2019). At the same time, David L. Gitlin was
Otis Readies for Spinoff appointed president and CEO of Carrier. As Otis CEO, Marks
has greater responsibility and is confirmed as the company
Otis President Judy Marks was appointed
leader. She said:
CEO of the company by United
"I'm privileged to lead our 68,000 Otis colleagues into the
Technologies Corp. (UTC) in early June as
future. We're the world's leading elevator and escalator company,
UTC's air-conditioning and building systems
moving more than two billion people a day. The largest portfolio
company Carrier, aerospace and defense
of service contracts, our global presence, and our ability execute
supplier UTC and Otis prepare to split into
Judy Marks to scale enable Otis to deliver superior returns to shareholders
three independent companies (ELEVATOR
through economic cycles."

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 15

Orona Holds AGM, Approves Consolidation
Project
In April, Spanish manufacturing cooperative Orona held its
annual general meeting (AGM), in which it approved the first
phase of the "Orona EU" project, aiming, it said, "to consolidate
the company as the only European lift operator capable of
competing with the world's four major lift multinationals." This
phase will run from 2019 through 2022 with the objective to
boost its revenue to exceed EUR900 million (US$1.01 billion)
and its headcount to above 6,000. It will focus on the challenges
of digital transformation and innovation, which it sees as
widespread throughout Europe. The following phases are
planned for 2022-2026 and 2026-2030, respectively. By the end of
Schindler, Telefónica Partner on IoT
Connectivity
Telefónica Business Solutions will be the
Internet of Things (IoT) and network connectivity
partner for Schindler's cloud-based digital
platform Schindler Ahead, the companies
announced on May 27. Using artificial intelligence,
Schindler Ahead provides predictive maintenance
by analyzing cloud-based data from connected
elevators and escalators to improve diagnostics
and equipment reliability, as well as providing
passengers with interactive and personalized
services. Operating in more than 40 countries,
Telefónica provides a range of communications
solutions for the business-to-business market.
"Offering customers network connectivity
through a single provider is increasingly important
Andre Kütt, Adduco business
as digitization advances in the building- customer removals manager, with
management sector," Schindler observed. KAPOK 88 drapes
16 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
the project, Orona expects to be present in more than 14
countries (three more than currently) with 8,000 employees
(5,151 currently) and annual revenue near EUR1.2 billion
(US$1.35 billion).
Priorities in the plan are Orona's technological independence,
transformation for a digital world and job creation. It expects
approximately 350 jobs to have been created at its corporate
headquarters. Another topic covered at the AGM was the
company's growth of 5.1% in 2018, marking a revenue of EUR741
million (US$833.3 million). International sales accounted for 57%
of that number, with year-on-year growth of 3.13%. More details
can be found in its 2018 annual report, available as a PDF here:
bit.ly/2KLM6SK.
U.K.-Based KAPOK 88 Gains a
Distributor in Estonia
Long Bennington, U.K.-based KAPOK
88, which provides custom and modular
protective drapes for elevators, has gained its
seventh distributor: Adduco OÜ of Tallinn,
Estonia. Adduco became an official KAPOK
88 distributor after receiving positive
feedback from private and corporate
customers. Richard B. Annable, managing
director of KAPOK 88, said:
"The Adduco team is forward-thinking and
committed, and this has led to their becoming
the second-largest removal company in Estonia,
with ambition to continue their growth
domestically and internationally. Becoming a
KAPOK 88 distributor adds real value to their
brand and, I hope, will contribute to their goal
of becoming number one."
 (l-r) Technical-Training Director Erol Akcay, Director of Sales and
Marketing Yavus Kayag, Middle East Regional Director Süleyman Özcan
and Liftinstituut Holding Managing Director Marco Waagmeester cut
the ribbon for the new Dubai offices.

Liftinstituut Solutions Opens Middle

Eastern Office in Dubai
Joined by a select group of architects, developers,
property owners and government officials, Liftinstituut
Holding Managing Director Marco Waagmeester inaugurated
Liftinstituut Solutions LLC's new Middle Eastern
headquarters in Dubai on May 29. The offices of the elevator/
escalator safety consultancy are on the 22nd floor of Tower 2
of the Boulevard Plaza building. The inauguration included a
seminar about optimizing engineering in vertical-
transportation (VT) system design. Liftinstituut Solutions
Managing Director Süleyman Özcan said the team provides
advice on VT design, modernization, maintenance and
inspection. Waagmeester said Liftinstituut's presence in the
U.A.E. is vital: "We are now able to service our customers in
the region on a much more personal level." The new office
may be reached at phone (971) 4524-7855, and more Liftinstituut Solutions' new Middle Eastern headquarters is on the
information is available at liftinstituutsolutions.com. 22nd floor of Tower 2 of the Boulevard Plaza building in Dubai.

Residential Tower, Cyprus' Tallest Building, Opens

Bank of elevators in 360 Nicosia; rendering from Cyfield Group
The first apartments in a residential tower named for 360˚
unobstructed views had been set to open in August in 360 Nicosia,
at 135 m and 34 stories, the tallest building in the island country of
Cyprus, according to the Greek Reporter. Designed to have a
minimal carbon footprint and rising from a new pedestrian plaza
on one of the capital city's busiest streets, 360 Nicosia has 27 floors
for residential use, with its 33rd and 34th floors reserved for a
restaurant and "Sky Club." The property was developed by Cyfield
Group and offers customizable, high-end finishes and views that
include the Troodos mountain range and Morphou coastline.

18 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

International News

France
Thyssenkrupp lands metro contract; big
changes on the horizon for Paris skyline.

Escalator Modernization Order for thyssenkrupp

thyssenkrupp won a contract to modernize 53 escalators on
Line 2 of the Lille Metro in northern France, the "successful result
of a longstanding customer relationship and a meticulously
prepared offer," according to thyssenkrupp Head of Media
Relations Dr. Jasmin Fischer. Public transport operator Transpole
awarded the up-to-six-year contract to modernize the
approximately 30-year-old units on Christmas Eve 2018. The
contract builds on an existing relationship with Transpole, which,
in spring 2018 extended a 350-unit maintenance agreement with
thyssenkrupp for the Lille Metro. Fischer observed thyssenkrupp's
relationship with the customer reaches back to 2010, when
thyssenkrupp took over the Lille section of the system from
CNIM.

"Transformative Development" Design Selected

for Paris
Youssef Tohme, Buzzo Spinelli, Hardel Le Bihan and Adjaye
Associates are part of a team of architects that conceived the
winning design for the Brunesceau development on the Seine
River in southeast Paris, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban
Habitat reported, citing the Architects' Journal. To be built on a
10,000-m2 former brownfield site, the development will include
skyscrapers and 25,000 m2 of office space, 800 housing units and
20,000 m2 of retail. Architect David Adjaye, who designed a
100-m-tall (or roughly 30-story) residential tower for the project,
called it "truly transformative," featuring massive public terraces
and using mostly renewable or reclaimed energy.
The Brunesceau development planned for the Seine River in southeast Paris;
image from Hardel Le Bihan, Youssef Tohme, Adjaye Associates and Buzzo Spinelli
180-m-Tall Triangular Tower for Paris Proper
The first 100-m-plus-tall tower approved in 46 years by the
Administrative Court of Paris is a 41-story, 180-m-tall
triangular tower designed by Herzog & de Meuron. To be
located in the Porte de Versailles neighborhood, in the south of
the city, Tour Triangle was approved with modifications by the
Council of Paris in mid 2015. The Urban Developer reported it
was first unveiled in 2008 and "was quickly met with fierce
criticism" due to its size, height and design, leading to its
rejection in 2014 and delays by opponent groups. It would
become the city's third tallest structure, after the Eiffel Tower
and the Montparnasse Tower. Five thousand construction
workers would be employed, with another 5,000 employee
occupants upon completion. Construction is expected to begin
late this year to target wrapping up in 2024 for the Paris
Olympics.
The Tour Triangle would be the first building exceeding 100
m tall since the Montparnasse Tower, completed in 1973, to be
built in Paris proper; rendering by Herzog & de Meuron via
The Urban Developer

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 19

International News

U.K.
London, Birmingham see tall construction
and more.
SafeLine Opens Crayford Office
Swedish lift safety company SafeLine Group opened a U.K.
office in the Crayford area of London, where it says "the heart of
the U.K. lift business" lies. Led by Stuart Garcia, CEO of
SafeLine Group UK, the office will offer same-day collection
from its trade counter in Crayford and next-day delivery to
customers anywhere in the country. Customers will also be able
to use the supply and fit service from SafeLine's in-house lift
technicians. Located at Unit 47, Acorn Industrial Park,
Crayford, Kent, it is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The company supplies lift emergency phones, with more
The new design of the bridge is more monolithic than the previous than 250,000 installations across Europe, and has manufactured
design's finned look. It is expected to be L-shaped, New Civil Engineer more than 100,000 units of its SL6 phone system. It also sells
revealed in November 2018. CANopen Lift products, and its local-market product experts
"World's Tallest" Vertical Lift Bridge for London are also lift engineers.
The Architects’ Journal reported on details of a proposal to
construct the world’s tallest vertical lift bridge in southeast
London. It mentions Transport for London documents seen by
New Civil Engineer that show plans for a 90-m-tall, 180-m-span
vertical lift bridge to connect Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf.
These dimensions would make it both the longest and tallest
vertical lift bridge in the world. It would also be 15 m wide, and
its deck would lift to a height of 60 m.
Bridge specialist Knight Architects of Buckinghamshire won
a key design role for engineering and architectural support on
the project, in what Architects’ Journal called "a controversial
procurement." The latest proposal features a bridge 10 m longer
than the Arthur Kill bridge in New York/New Jersey, which is
currently the world’s longest lift bridge. A Transport for London
"The U.K. lift industry, in particular, is a very demanding one. With that in
spokesperson said "We are still working on the designs and mind, we decided to open the very first Swedish-owned U.K. office," said
plans," which had yet to go to public consultation as of April. Stuart Garcia, CEO of SafeLine Group UK.

Housing-Led Tower Plan Greenlit in London Despite Reservations

A plan to redevelop a retail center at 520 Old Kent Road in South London into a
development including a 48-story residential tower designed by London-based Brisac
Gonzalez has been approved by the Southwark London Borough Council despite concerns
of the impact it could have the surrounding historic environment, the Council on Tall
Buildings and Urban Habitat reported. The skyscraper will contain 1,113 apartments
mixing for-sale, for-lease and affordable units. Also on the drawing boards are 5,000 m2 of
office space, more than 2,000 m2 of retail space, restaurants, a cinema and a public square
and park. Historic England and Southwark's design-review council were among those
concerned about the tower's impact on the views, but the need for housing won out. Brisac Gonzalez's plan for Old Kent Road

20 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

Derelict Site to Be
Transformed by
Residential Tower
A derelict site in
Birmingham that once
housed a well-known rock
club will be transformed by a
42-story tower housing 481
EFESME Manifesto
rental apartments, thanks to
developer Moda reaching an
agreement with John Sisk &
a Call to Action
Son to start construction in On May 17, the European Federation for
April, Construction Elevator Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Enquirer reported. The (EFESME) released “Manifesto EFESME
Broad Street development, 2019-2024 — 5 Proposals to Grow Together,” a
which will have a 60,000 sq. document drafted to bring attention to and action
ft. podium with a lounge, on the needs of elevator SMEs as the 2019
fitness areas, co-working European elections loomed.
space and a dining area, is The document describes commitments
expected to be complete in EFESME intends to make over the five-year
2022. Moda Director of period and lays out the path it intends to follow
Projects Andrew Parker when working with the new European
called it a "landmark project" Commission (EC) and Parliament to promote the
that is the company's largest work of SMEs in the lift sector. It also notes five
within its pipeline of 7,000 Moda's tower on the site of the former ideals EFESME will pursue with EC leaders
apartments in 10 U.K. cities. Click Club in the heart of Birmingham during the period:
1) A more entrepreneurial society
Project to Bring Tallest Building to London's 2) More appropriate and SME-friendly
standards
Brent Borough
3) A true implementation of the European
Developers are planning a high-rise project that would bring Single Market
251 affordable homes, affordable workspaces and an incorporated 4) Safer and higher-qualified personnel
supermarket to the Alperton neighborhood of London's Brent 5) Support for digitalization
borough, construction-oriented website pcbtoday.co.uk reported Brussels-based EFESME said the manifesto “is
in April. Known as Minavil House, the 27-story tower would be the intended to be a declaration of both political and
tallest building in Brent and would "make a significant contribution practical intents.” It enumerates numerous actions
to addressing the capital's affordable housing crisis," the source to be taken toward attaining the five ideals. More
said. The project will also include a café next to the adjacent Grand information can be found at www.efesme.org/
Union Canal and is expected to be complete by 2022. press-release-manifesto-efesme-2019-2014.

Artist's rendering
of Minavil House;
image from FAL

22 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

International News

London
Tall-building completion and other Tweaked "Cucumber"
important skyline-changing updates Gets the Green Light
in West London
After being in the works
Twentytwo Office for at least seven years, a
Tower Tops Out 46-story residential tower
PLP Architecture's nicknamed the Paddington
Twentytwo, the latest Cucumber won approval in
high rise in the city, April from city planners in
became the district's west London, Building 1 Merchant Square, also known as the
tallest building when it reported. Designed by Apt Cucumber; rendering by Apt
recently topped out, and officially known as 1
the Council on Tall Merchant Square, the tower will be the tallest in developer
Buildings and Urban European Land's six-building Merchant Square project north of
Habitat reported on Paddington Basin. The original plan was tweaked to omit a
May 16. Located at 22 seven-floor hotel element in lieu of more homes and to increase
Bishopsgate, the the height of an adjacent building from 15 to 21 stories. The new
62-story office tower plan, which still requires approval from Mayor Sadiq Khan, will
being codeveloped by bring 426 new homes to the market.
French investment
manager AXA IM-Real
Assets and Lipton Luxury Residential Skyscraper Gets Boost
Rogers now stands at From Loan
its official height of A US$226-million loan has given a boost to developer Damac
278.2 m, higher than its International for Damac Tower or Aykon London One, a
neighbors the 50-story luxury residential tower designed by Kohn Pedersen
Cheesegrater (122 Fox (KPF) in the Nine Elms district
Leadenhall Street, 224 near Battersea Power Station, the
Twentytwo; rendering © Riverfilm Martin m) and Salesforce Council on Tall Buildings and Urban
Richardson Tower (110 Habitat reported, citing Architects'
Bishopsgate, 230 m). Journal. With the façade
Though the tallest in the Square Mile, Twentytwo does not approaching the 20th floor this past
overtake the Shard, across the Thames, which is 27.8 m taller. The spring, the Jenga-like tower is slated
planned 1 Undershaft, not yet under construction, will also be for completion in 2021. It will
taller, at 290 m. contain 450 homes with interiors
Once complete, the 118,451-m2 building will house 12,000 inspired by fashion designer
workers and some amenities, such as a fresh food market and Versace. Describing the financing as
London's highest free public viewing gallery. Vertical "a vote of confidence in the U.K. and
transportation includes 67 units from Otis (18 Gen2®, 13 SkyRise® Damac's track record," Damac
single-deck and 26 SkyRise double-deck elevators, and 10 Chairman Hussain Sajwani said the
escalators), plus three SkyBuild elevators used during construction developer is seeking further
(ELEVATOR WORLD, March 2017). According to the source, investment opportunities in Damac Tower or Aykon London
Twentytwo may have the fastest elevators in Europe. London. One; rendering by KPF

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 23

International News

Galataport Construction: Construction

continues on Istanbul's Galataport project,
which is expected to open in 2020; image
courtesy of thyssenkrupp Elevators.

thyssenkrupp Providing
123 Units for Istanbul
Cruise Ship Dock
When cruise passengers are welcomed at
Istanbul’s new Galataport harbor dock for the first
time next year, they will access the facility on
vertical-transportation equipment manufactured and
installed by thyssenkrupp Elevator, the company
announced in April. Galataport, serving as a cruise-ship
gateway to Turkey’s largest city and world-renowned cultural
and heritage center, will offer amenities such as a terminal,
offices, shops and food courts. Once completed, the facility will
have 123 thyssenkrupp units, both elevators and escalators, to thyssenkrupp Elevator Turkey CEO İsmail Polat expressed
ease the flow of people. his company’s pleasure at being a part of the Galataport
During the first phase of the project, thyssenkrupp will project, saying:
install 66 elevators and 21 escalators. A second phase will “As thyssenkrupp Elevator Turkey, we have proven success in
include the installation of another 36 thyssenkrupp units. large-scale projects. We are getting ready to prove our success once
Galataport is being built on a 1.2-km stretch of coastline again with our products to be used in the Galataport Project,
from Karaköy to Tophane, currently known as Istanbul which will be a new symbol of Istanbul, a world metropolis with
Salıpazarı Cruise Port. When it opens in 2020, it will employ its historical and cultural wealth. Just like Istanbul Airport, we
5,000 people and will be able to berth ships carrying more than will deliver several units in the shortest time possible and surely
6,000 passengers. With a capacity to dock three large ships at a will satisfy our business partners. We will facilitate the lives of all
time, the Galataport will serve about 15,000 passengers a day, visitors of Galataport by offering safe and comfortable
and up to 1.5 million passengers and crew members per year. transportation.” c

24 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

BEST PRODUCT RANGE EXPERTS IN WORLD CLASS RECORD FAST DELIVERY
IN THE WORLD SPECIAL PROJECTS DESIGN FOR STANDARD PRODUCTS
Events

ELA
CONFERENCE

2019
The European Lift Association explores "Lifts and
Escalators in a Digital World" at annual conference.

This year's ELA Conference attendees listened attentively

to presentations on the theme of digitalization.

26 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

The afternoon speakers answer questions from the audience.
Jeroen Bazuin and Harold Bussing
by Angela C. Baldwin
The 2019 European Lift Association (ELA) Conference
took place on May 14 at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London
City in London. The annual event was organized around the
general assemblies and board meetings of the ELA and
European Elevator Association (EEA), which took place on
May 13, culminating in a gala dinner that evening aboard the
Dixie Queen. Attendees enjoyed dinner, drinks and
conversation while cruising along the River Thames.
The following morning, conference attendees gathered
for a full day of speakers who presented on the theme of
"Lifts and Escalators in a Digital World." In his opening
remarks, ELA President Roberto Zappa said, "ELA has
recognized that digitalization is having a big impact on the
movement of people. It is a challenge, but it is also full of
opportunities. I hope you enjoy the speakers and the rest of
the conference."
The first speaker of the day, Zhang Lexiang, secretary
general of the Chinese Elevator Association (CEA),
discussed the recent collaboration of the CEA and ELA and
its benefits, saying, "It paves the way for the prosperous
future of the global elevator industry." The collaboration
Onelia Angelosanto
Jonathan Berte Dan Charlesworth
serves as the foundation for the World Elevator Federation,
the goals of which, according to Zhang, include:
• Promoting the usage of elevators to improve quality of
life, while preserving the environment for a sustainable
society
• Establishing a new model of international cooperation
that will produce a win-win result
• Building a global community of shared prosperity for
the elevator industry
• Establishing common values and standards for the
elevator industry for such things as digitization,
cybersecurity and privacy protection
• Ensuring product safety and quality
• Protecting brands and intellectual property rights
• Promoting innovation in technology, design and
business
• Promoting business ethics and codes of conduct
• Ensuring a global social responsibility standard
Following Zhang, Carine Lucas, lead expert of innovation
for Agoria, Belgium's largest employers' organization and
trade association, discussed "How Digitalization Changes the
World." Lucas asked the audience to think about this
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 27
 question: "What kind of impact do I want to make with my
company using digital technology?" She said the digital
economy is essential to overall economic growth, and there
are three main impact areas for most businesses:
organization (processes and operations), offerings
(products, services and solutions) and business model
(revenue streams).
Kari Suihkonen of KONE angled the day's topic toward
customers' changing needs and expectations and how
technology is presenting opportunities for adding value to
them in new ways. In his presentation, "How Digitalization is
Changing the Buildings," Suihkonen discussed how KONE's
technology analyzes maintenance needs and predicts faults,
allowing technicians to get "the right information at the right
time." He said analyzing equipment data helps predict the
most common failures, including those from elevator doors,
signalization, emergency phones, control systems and cars.
Following a coffee break, Harold Bussing and Jeroen
Bazuin of VLR (Dutch Association of Lift and Escalator
Engineering) discussed "The Lift Book in a Digital Era,"
stressing the need for a digital version of the still-typically-
paper lift book. They gave an update of the progress and
process toward a digital lift book in The Netherlands and
touted its eventual benefits, including its sustainability,
28 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
accessibility, efficiency, traceability and ability to be updated
to the latest standards quickly.
Jan König of VFA-Interlift followed and talked about the
"Traceability of Safety Components," discussing the legal
requirement, along with a recommended system, for
achieving this objective, including recommended content for
labeling.
The topic of "Digitalization (Smartification) of Existing
Lifts" was covered by Dr. Paolo Riva of the University of
Bergamo, who discussed the different approaches to
maintenance, including corrective and preventive. He delved
deeper into preventive maintenance, analyzing the classical
approach to maintenance versus the predictive, which he
said allows for maximum efficiency.
Before lunch, the morning speakers gathered on stage for
a question-and-answer session. Several topics were opened
back up for further discussion before the conference broke
to enjoy the buffet lunch arranged at the hotel's restaurant.
The lunch hour allowed for relaxing conversation among
attendees and, in the case of your author, a quick walk
outside to view the Tower of London a short distance away.
Upon reconvening after lunch, Jonathan Berte, general
manager of Robovision, took to the stage to speak about
"Artificial Intelligence." He focused on what he called "the
new wave of AI," which can continue to program itself after
Attendees had opportunities to
visit with colleagues throughout
the day during conference
breaks.
 ELA has recognized that digitalization is having
a big impact on the movement of people. It is a
challenge, but it is also full of opportunities.

-- ELA President Roberto Zappa

Achim Hütter Stefan Kaczmarczyk Jan Konig

Zhang Lexiang Carine Lucas Nick Mellor

Morning speakers gather for a question-and-answer session before lunch.

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 29

 its initial programming. "You can give it an example," Berte
explained, "and then it continues from there."
Following Berte, speaker Paul Waide, director of Waide
Strategic Efficiency, answered the questions, "What is a
Smart Building and the Smart Readiness Indicator?" He
explained that "a greater uptake of smart technologies is
expected to result in significant energy savings in a cost-
effective way, while helping to improve comfort and
occupant satisfaction and enabling buildings to play a key
role in smart energy systems."
The June 19, 2018, revision of the Energy Performance of
Buildings Directive requires the development of an optional
scheme for rating the smart readiness of buildings: the
“Smart Readiness Indicator." Waide said the indicator is
intended to raise awareness about the benefits of smart
technologies in buildings (from an energy perspective, in
particular), motivate consumers to accelerate investments in
smart building technologies and support technology
innovation in the building sector.
Following the afternoon coffee break, a five-person panel
discussed the important topic of "Skilled Workforce for the
Future." The panel was composed of moderator Nick Mellor,
managing director, Lift and Escalator Industry Association
(LEIA); Stephan Kaczmarczyk, University of Northampton;
Dan Charlesworth, LEIA; Tadeusz Popielas, Polish
Association of Lift Manufacturers; and Achim Hutter,
VFA-Interlift. The wide-ranging discussion touched on
Tadeusz Popielas Paolo Riva
Paul Waide Kari Suihkonen
30 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
workforce shortages, skills mismatch, education and training
programs, technology, safety, future plans and more.
The day's final presentation, "Perspectives on Brexit and
its Implications for the Lift Industry," was delivered by
Mellor and Onelia Angelosanto, director of the Global Trade
Team for Ernst & Young. "Uncertainty is the new constant,"
Angelosanto succinctly stated, "and the U.K. remains
divided." While Angelosanto focused on the possible trade
implications of Brexit, Mellor discussed what it could mean
for lift regulations and standards, stating:
"As an industry, we don't want to see a change in regulations
and standards in the U.K., either by lowering safety standards
or a divergence from European norms. There is agreement in
the U.K. to keep European Union standards. Names might
change, but nothing else."
Afternoon speakers gathered on stage for a final question-
and-answer session following Mellor and Angelosanto's
presentation. Discussions continued until the conference
was officially adjourned. Attendees your author spoke with
complimented the conference's theme, saying it inspired
important presentations and timely subject matter for the lift
industry. For his part, Mellor said, "This is one of the best
conferences I've ever been to. Congratulations." It doesn't
get much better than that.
For information regarding next year's ELA Conference or
to access presentations from this year's event, visit
ela-aisbl.eu/. c
ELA President Roberto Zappa welcomes attendees to the 2019 ELA Conference.
 Events

Big Success
Nearly 300 vendors and thousands of visitors
pack exhibition halls for Asansör Istanbul Fair’s
16th iteration.
by Yasin Eker
The 16th International Asansör Istanbul, held at Tüyap
Beylikdüzü in Istanbul, was deemed a great success, as the
nearly 300 vendors who filled booths connected with
thousands of visitors interested in learning about the latest
in vertical-transportation (VT) products and services. The
fair, organized by Tarsus Turkey with the support of
AYSAD (Turkish elevator association), took place on
March 21-24.
Asansör Istanbul, among the largest international
elevator exhibitions, played host to 288 companies,
including an international slate of brands from 24
countries and top Turkish manufacturers. New products
launched by various companies, including complete
elevator packages, residential and commercial building
units, hospital elevators, home lifts and personal carriers,
boom lifts, goods lifts, escalators, moving walks and
hundreds of components across a range of categories were
exhibited. The event covered some 50,000 m2 of floor
space across five halls at the huge Tüyap facility. The
official crowd count for the four-day fair recorded 28,868

32 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

 A ribbon was cut to officially open Asansör Istanbul; (l-r) Zekeriya Aytemur, general manager of event organizer Tarsus;
Seda Bozkurt; ELA President Roberto Zappa; SEDEFED Chairman Ali Avcı; and AYSAD Chairman Sefa Targıt.
visitors from 96 countries. In addition to the huge expo,
conferences focusing on the state of the VT industry and recent
developments were organized by AYSAD and the European Lift
Association (ELA).
Increased Interest
Of the visitors, 5,780 came to Turkey from foreign countries.
This figure represents a 15% increase over the last fair, in 2017. The
event opened the door to new trade markets and resulted in
millions of dollars’ worth of sales agreements. Organizers indicated
Asansör İstanbul had a booming effect on Turkey’s VT industry,
boosting its global brand identity at a difficult period marked by
shrinking domestic markets and trade-war impediments within
export markets.
Leaders of several organizations —
SEDEFED (Federation of Trade
Associations), ELA and AYSAD — joined
organizers for an opening ceremony to
welcome participants.
Zekeriya Aytemur, general manager of
event organizer Tarsus Turkey, noted the
Zekeriya Aytemur difficulties — economic and political — the
host country has faced in recent years. “Despite these
circumstances,” he said, “we have managed to open a bigger and
more glamorous fair. We take pride in organizing such a fair with
the support of our industrialists. We will continue making efforts to
help our manufacturers reach every region of the world — not only
Eurasia — and will create new channels for this purpose.”
Maturity Attained
AYSAD Chairman Sefa Targıt said
organizers have proved the maturity of a
sustainable event and international fair:
“We are in a bottleneck in parallel with the
construction sector; however, everything
will absolutely turn for the better. I rely on
the dynamic structure and export
Sefa Targıt capabilities of our sector.” Noting the latest
book published by AYSAD, he continued:
“Associations may also exhibit their products in fairs. AYSAD is
exhibiting two products this year. We have translated the 2014/33/
EU elevator regulations into Turkish, which you may see at
AYSAD’s stand. It is a very important publication that we believe
will make an important contribution for our industry in terms of
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 33
security. As there is a huge amount of information ‘pollution,’ we
really care about publications such as this. Such materials are
published only by AYSAD in Turkey.”
The AYSAD chairman concluded by praising the role non-
governmental organizations have had in improving the world.

Digital Transformation
SEDEFED Chairman Ali Avcı said the
sustainability of success depends on the
vastness of imagination, adding:
“We are in a transformation era. We have
the power to change the flow of things
through digitalization. Transformation
begins with humans, is managed by ideas,
Ali Avcı
and is supported by technology. We at
SEDEFED attach great importance to this
fair, for it provides an opportunity for the adaptation of the elevator
and escalator industry to this process.”
Avcı also spoke of goals for Turkey’s manufacturing industry:
“Our target is to increase our global competitive power through
the manufacture of high-technology products and creation of high
added value. I believe digital solutions will create a leverage effect
for our economy. We believe that the main agenda of our country
should be to achieve an A-to-Z digital transformation. We may
reinforce the foundations of the transformation in our economy
only through qualified production. The most important capital of
the digital world is human. In order to create value in Turkey, we
need to combine our powers. In this sense, we fully believe that the
elevator and escalator industry will write a new story in its
contributions for our country. I also believe that this fair will bring
an intellectual infrastructure, both for the sector and for the
economy of our country.”

“Elevator Sector Not Well

Known”
ELA President Roberto Zappa addressed
the gathering by offering some numbers to
ponder:
“The elevator sector is not well known.
To this end, I will give you some interesting
figures. For example, there are 457,000
Roberto Zappa elevators in this country, and 25,000 new
elevators are installed each year.
Approximately 30,000 people are employed in the field. One million
of Istanbul's population of 15 million people use an elevator every
day. There are more than 15 million elevators all over the world,
and 6.2 million of them are in Europe. In Europe, 135,000 elevators
are installed each year. All over the world, there are two important
players in the elevator sector. China is the leader in the world in
terms of number of elevators, and ranked second is Europe.”
After the speeches, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held.

34 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

VIP Visit
Hasan Büyükdede, deputy minister of Turkey’s Ministry of
Industry and Technology, paid a visit to the fair, during which he
spoke, attended AYSAD and ELA conferences and, along with
Ministry of Industry and Technology İstanbul Provincial Director
Ümit Ünal, AYSAD Chairman Sefa Targıt and Tarsus Turkey
General Manager Zekeriya Aytemur, visited vendor booths.

Conferences Draw Attention

International Asansör Istanbul 2019 provided an information
platform where the sectoral agenda, including issues related to lift
safety standards that were topics for conferences presented by
AYSAD and ELA, was discussed. A domestic panel, hosted by the
fair and moderated by Targıt, focused on the formula for being a
Turkish brand on a global scale. The discussion was met with
great interest, owing in part to the panel members: Halil İbrahim
Çetin, general manager of the Ministry of Science and
Technology Industry and Productivity; Tunç Timurkan, AYSAD
past chairman and honorary member; and AYSAD board
members Fevzi Yıldırım, Sedat Yıldız and Can Mutlu.
Other seminar topics included the "MAE-Maestro Integrated
Lift Controller" by Melih Aybey, general manager of AYBEY
Elektronik; "Occupational Health and Safety in the Elevator
Installation Sector in Terms of Working on High Buildings" by
Hakan Adem Doğan, occupational safety master specialist;
"Pre-Registration Periodical Controls and Loaded Tests" by
Aydın Arat, elevator technical officer from the Chamber of
Mechanical Engineers; and "Disabled Access in Elevators" by
Mustafa Kemal Köken, an instructor with the Chamber of
Mechanical Engineers.

Merih Displays MARS Brand

MARS Elevator, the international brand of the Merih Asansör
group of companies, introduced new products and shared the
latest information on elevator technology, innovations, sectoral
experiences and services. Berna Ökmen, MARS Elevator deputy
general manager, said smarter, safer and faster elevators were on
exhibit at the fair. “We are proud to be a part of Asansör Istanbul
Exhibition, which has hosted the industry leaders for the 16th
time,” she said.

Arkel Introduces Monoblock Control Unit

Arkel, a leading brand in the manufacture of elevator control
systems, introduced a new product, the Monoblock Control Unit,
during the exhibition. The product, combining motor drive and
controller, is compliant with EN 81-20 standards. It can be used
with synchronous and asynchronous machines, and works with
systems up to 16 stops and speeds up to 1.75 mps. It comes in 4-,
5.5-, 7.5- and 11-kW versions, and includes contactorless drive
with safe torque off function, serial or parallel connection options
with lobby and car operating panels, duplex group control, the

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 35

ability to work open and closed loop, enhanced rollback
prevention, quick door opening through door-bridging relays,
battery backup options, cloud connection through Arlift, and
system update via secure digital card.

Three New Mikrolift Products

Mikrolift Mühendislik, which operates in manufacturing, sales
and technical support of elevator electronics, introduced three
new products. In addition to the MLDRIVER inverter, which was
released to the market in recent years, full serial-communication
integrated lift control device MLCOMBO-50 and parallel wiring
integrated lift control device MLCOMBO-40 were introduced.
MLCOMBO-50 and MLCOMBO-40, which are certified by
Liftinstituut, gained the appreciation of visitors due to their ease
of use and compact structure. Mikrolift, which has been
producing lift controllers, printed circuit boards and more for
many years, exerted its authority on control units through its new
ML drive.

Aybey Device Wins Liftinstituut Certificate

Aybey Elektronik, a manufacturer of control systems, received
a European Union certificate of compliance for the first
contractorless integrated elevator controller designed and
MLDRIVER MLCOMBO-50 MLCOMBO-40
manufactured in Turkey, the AE-MAESTRO. The certificate was
presented by Liftinstituut during a ceremony at the fair.
The controller operates quietly, thanks to a contractorless
system compliant with EN 81-20/50, 81-1, 81-28, 81-70, 81-72,
and 81-73 standards. It was designed for electric lifts and offers
car serial or full-serial shaft communication, operation support
for simplex, duplex, triplex and groups of up to eight lifts, a
built-in radio-frequency interference filter and choke coil, an
integrated access control with VIP access support, real-time
clock and smart thin-film transistor hand terminal.

Company Dinners
Many companies in attendance at the fair hosted their guests
at dinners. On the first day of the exhibition, Italian companies
organized a dinner attended by many foreign and domestic guests
at the Kaşıbeyaz restaurant in Florya. On the evening of the
second day, Prolift celebrated its 17th anniversary with a large
crowd of guests, both from abroad and from Turkey, at the Florya
Chamada. Prolift Chairman Bahtiyar Karakoç made a brief speech
and expressed his gratitude for the support of the guests who
contributed the company’s success and talked about its global
projects. Following the speech, a video showing new production
facilities and new products was presented. The same evening,
GRAVIT greeted guests from abroad and from Turkey with a
pleasant dinner in the Florya La Chateauer restaurant,
accompanied by Turkish music and dances.
The next Asansör İstanbul will be held on March 25-28, 2021. c

36 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

Members of the audience listen to an address during the opening ceremony A bouquet of flowers marks the chair of former AYSAD President Ercüment
for the fair. Hizal, who died in 2018.

Booths

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 37

Events

Vendors, visitors and guests attend

opening ceremonies.

38 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019


WORLD STAGE
Turkish manufacturers push for global recognition at Eurasia Asansör Fair.
by Yasin Eker
With a large crowd of international visitors on hand,
Turkish elevator component manufacturers flocked to the
International Elevator, Escalator Industry and
Technologies Exhibition (Eurasia Asansör Fair) on March
20-23 at the CNR Expo Istanbul.
The fair, organized with the aim of contributing to the
development of the sector and international trade, drew
30,478 visitors, including 5,726 from 83 foreign countries,
who browsed, examined and made deals among the 160
manufacturer booths set up inside the fairground. Of
those, 134 were Turkish brands, with the other 26 being
foreign exhibitors representing several countries, mainly
Dignitaries and special guests cut
the ribbon to open the 2019 Eurasia
Asansör Fair in Istanbul.
China, India and Germany. Products on display ranged
from elevator cars to automatic door systems and from
electronics to safety systems and accessories.
Various presentations and panels were held during the
four-day event. Buyer committees from several countries
had the opportunity to meet participant brands and make
new business connections. It took place in Halls 1 and 3
of CNR fairground in Yeşilköy Istanbul and was organized
by Istanbul Trade Fairs, an institution of CNR Holding, in
cooperation with the Federation of Elevator Industrialists
(ASFED) and the All Elevator Industrialists and Business
People Association (TASİAD).
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 39
 Ali Bulut, chief executive and president of CNR Holding,
greeted visitors and exhibitors during an opening address in which
he highlighted the advances of Turkey’s domestic elevator
industry. Said Bulut:
“We are pleased to see that the Turkish companies have been a
competitive force, especially in the last 20 years, in the elevator
market, where Western companies, which have more than 100 years
of experience, have been dominant for many years. Today, the
Turkish elevator sector constitutes one of the important dynamics of
our economy, with its more than 3,000 establishments, employment of
nearly 50,000 people and its foreign trade volume, which is close to
US$500 million.”
The CNR chief offered his belief that Turkish products are less Ali Bulut, chief executive of CNR Holding, greets visitors to the fair.
expensive than Western products and are of higher quality than
many of the offerings from Asia. He continued:
“Thanks to technological developments, Turkish products have
been in a rapid transformation process in recent years. Although the
shrinkage in the construction sector caused a decrease in demand,
Turkish manufacturers will meet the deficit through export-oriented
growth. Turkish constructors have a great share abroad, especially in
the Gulf market, North African countries and Middle East market.
Our aim is to increase the share of Turkish elevator products in the
projects conducted by Turkish constructors.”

Domestic and National Industry

Next, TASİAD Board Chairman Ahmet Fikret
Gökhan took to the stage to urge on Turkey’s
elevator manufacturers. Emphasizing that
elevators carry more people than any other type
of vehicle, Gökhan stated, “The elevator sector
started its journey in Turkey in the 1950s. Today,
we are capable of competing with Western
companies easily.”
He said domestic and national industrialists should receive what
they deserve in public procurements, but also pointed out that
$US60 million of the country’s foreign trade deficit belongs to the
elevator sector.

Importance of Fairs
ASFED President Yusuf Atik spoke next, on
the importance of trade fairs. He said the aim of
these events is to ensure unity and solidarity, and
that they are the greatest factor for the
development of the country and industry. He
continued:
“Today, Germany is one of the leading exporter
countries, and one of the most important reasons of this is the [trade]
fairs. Fairs open up the horizons of the visitors and the participants.
They are important in order to see what is happening in the world.”
He closed his talk by enumerating branding actions ASFED
launched in 2018.

40 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

 Industrial Transformation
Ümit Ünal, manager of the Istanbul office
of the Ministry of Industry and Technology,
presented a speech in which he talked about
domestic and national transformation
within the industry, increasing the export
share of the industry and the current surplus
status. He reminded his audience that a
program was begun in January 2018 to promote localization
of imported industrial products:
“Domestic and national transformation of industry is crucial
for increasing the export share. I am contented to observe this
same mindset in this fair. We carry out intensive efforts and have Visitors stroll among the booths lining the CNR facility floor.
big targets to replace imported products with domestic products.
Last year, 42 products were matched. Foreign industrial
products with a volume of US$20 billion in imports have been
replaced by Turkish industrialists’ products. Now, we are in the
second phase. Our slogan is, ‘978 main products and
intermediate goods.’ Core products and intermediate goods that
total a current deficit of US$105 billion will be nationalized.”
Ünal stated that the ministry encourages the purchasing of
domestic products, both in TOKİ (Turkish housing
development administration) and other public tenders, which
brings added value of domestic and national transformation
for the country. He emphasized it is obligatory to increase
the rate of domestic manufacturing to 80%, particularly in
industry, across a range of sectors from elevators to motors,
software to chemistry and other horizontal sectors.

Match Construction Sector

Success
Tahir Tellioğlu, president of the
Construction Contractors Confederation
(İMKON), emphasized the need for Turkey
to attain the same success in the elevator
sector as it has in the construction sector, as
the world’s number two, and said:
“The elevator sector should grow in parallel with the growth
of the construction sector. We built 200,000-300,000 houses in
Algeria and the Middle East. If we cannot buy elevators from
our country, then there is a problem here. High state officials
should also support this fair.”
Stating they had very important brands making elevator
components, but that the public is insufficient in making the
shareholders of the sector meet, Tellioğlu emphasized that
more incentives should be given for using domestic elevators.
The İMKON president said this was a strategic fair:
“Domestic elevator manufacturing should be encouraged in
Turkey. The government should also take the responsibility here.
I think requesting at least a 50% incentive for domestic
production, will not be too much.”

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 41

 CNR Eurasia has proved to be an efficient platform for raising
awareness within the industry, and this year’s event included
seminars designed to carry the industry further. One such session
was “Lift Tech Academy” by Aydın Arat, İbrahim Özçakır,
Nurullah Pireci, Mustafa Kemal Köken, Mustafa Görmüş and
Muzaffer. The seminar included detailed discussion on several
topics: technical innovations in the sector, legislative
amendments, periodic controls and handicapped access in
elevators.

Genemek Unveils Mega 7

Gen Elektromekanik, a manufacturer of car and landing
operating panels, buttons, LCD monitors, digital and segment
displays, and other subsidiary products, introduced “Mega 7,” a
new-generation, large indicator module for car operating panels.
This product attracted the attention of many domestic and
foreign visitors.
Genemek hosted guests for a dinner at Florya Develi
restaurant on the second evening of the fair, giving a big-screen
presentation detailing Mega 7, as well as its new manufacturing
facilities.

Merih Makes a Splash

Merih Asansör, a major exhibitor at the fair with 42 years of
business experience, introduced its latest products on an
international scale, particularly its complete elevator systems, but
also products from several other categories, including cabins,
automatic cabin doors, home lifts, personal carriers and goods
lifts. Anti-Vandal, L-Fit, H-Max and a fire-resistant glass-panel
landing door model attracted a lot of the attention, as did the
company’s cabin designs.

Government Official Visits

Turkish Republic Industry and Technology Deputy Minister
Hasan Büyükdere visited the expo on the last day of the event.
After addressing the exhibitors and visitors, he toured the
fairgrounds and booths, taking in information from exhibitors on
the products and services they had on display. c

42 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

 TO Bally's Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

December 3-4
2019

Submit a Paper:
Organized by: paper@elevatorsymposium.org
Attend and Book a Booth:
& info@elevatorsymposium.org
www.elevatorsymposium.org
 Events

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44 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

The trade exhibition was popular and busy.
After a welcome address by conference host Prof. Georg
Clauss of TAH, Klaus Dietel of TÜV Nord, conference chair
for the seventh time, told ELEVATOR WORLD Europe
(EWEU) that digitalization is driving innovation in the lift
industry: "All interested parties have to learn to live with it.
We will support them on their way."
Legislation and Standardization
Dr. Gerhard Schiffner of thyssenkrupp presented his
traditional report on "European Directives, New European
Standards." He reviewed the guidelines accompanying Lift
Directive (LD) 2014/33/EU May 2018. He noted the paper
provides interpretations and statements; e.g., when a lift is to
be considered new and must fully comply with the directive.
According to the European Commission, no revision of the
LD is planned, but a call by the commission for proposals for
the revision of the Machine Directive (MD) 2006/42/EG
runs until mid-2019. The European Lift Association (ELA)
has contributed the alignment of the LD to the discussion. A
study on a Product Legal Ordinance for lifts for the
Ecodesign Directive runs until October 2019. Two reports of
seven subtasks were presented in the first quarter of 2019.
To better understand the work on various European lift
standards, Schiffner explained in detail which deadlines of
standards exist and which are set. At the moment, the final
vote is on for a new Annex ZA for/to EN 81 Parts 20, 22, 50,
72 and 73. According to the European Union (EU)
Commission, existing certificates remain unchanged. There is
a delay in the process and application resulting from flaws in
some EN 81 parts that were uncovered during a legal review.
Some new standards in 2018:
♦♦ EN 81-26, Remote Emergency Call Systems
♦♦ EN 81-70, Accessibility of Lifts
♦♦ EN 81-77, Lifts in Earthquake-Prone Areas
♦♦ EN 81-80, Rules for Improving The Safety of Existing Lifts
Schiffner stated upon request of EWEU that ISO 8100-1/-
2 would be published in coming weeks, being 99% congruent
with EN 81-20/-50. An acceptance as EN ISO under the
Vienna Agreement is planned, when the running revision of
A1 of EN 81-20/-50 will be taken into ISO 8100-1/-2. Its
publication is not expected before 2022. Further information
on the convergence process to CEN/ISO was expected after
the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
plenary session in the first week of April 2019.
Ulrich Nees of Ulrich Nees Lift Systems and Consulting
dealt with the "new DIN 8989 Noise Abatement in Buildings
With Lifts." As residents and users react sensitively to noise,
this paper receives high priority in construction. Many
objections from acousticians and builders had been noted. As
critical contributions in the media have shown, the
discussion of this topic is ongoing. Generally, the German
Federal Pollution Control Act regulates the protection of
humans when "e.g., trains or planes are thundering by." DIN
4109-1 Noise Abatement in Buildings Part 1: Minimum
Requirements of January 2018 calls for maximum allowable
A-weighted sound pressure levels; for example, for living
rooms and bedrooms less than or equal to 30 dB(A). VDI
4100 Noise Abatement in Buildings - Dwellings has three
grades: less than or equal grade I 30, grade II 27, and grade
III 24 dB(A). These requirements are usually found in
contracts and represent a challenge to lift builders. DIN 8989
now demands to secure these values, among other measures,
by a wall thickness of 2,400 kg/cbm of normal concrete in
specific areas.
The noise measurements in rooms requiring protection
are made for all building services systems in the building
according to DIN EN ISO 10052. The structure-borne sound
measurement is carried out according to DIN 52221. Nees
pointed out that, according to the standard, the result of a
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 45
 measurement is not the final result. As primary measures for the
reduction of airborne and structure-borne noise, he mentioned,
among other things, the selection of the lift machine,
construction and guides of the counterweight, design/
construction of the rail brackets, construction of the machine
frame, as well as vibration isolation. Secondary measures
include location of the machine room/shaft relative to the area
requiring protection, area-related mass between the shaft wall
and the room in need of protection, avoidance of openings in
the lift shaft to the staircase, as well as adequate shaft
dimensions.

Smart People Play It Safe

Attorney Hartmut Hardt spoke on the "Legal Certainty of
the Market Players — Dealing With the New German Data
Protection Ordinance DSGVO." His example: according to the
Industrial Safety Ordinance, the expertise of the employee
must be proven when maintenance work is conducted at a
client’s premises. Is it, under the new regulation, legal to
provide the customer with this information about the
contractor’s employees? Hardt said the information can be
disclosed, as it is necessary for the purpose of fulfilling a legal
obligation. But, the employer should have the authorization of
the employee before releasing this information. Hardt also
clarified the question of the ownership of data collected by, and
used in, information technology (IT) systems. § 90 BGB
(German Civil Code) defines only physical objects (except
animals) as objects of legal rights. Therefore, data are not
objects within the regulations of the common law. His
conclusion: there is no ownership of data; thus, its status must
be regulated bilaterally by a contract.
Gerhard Quanz of the County of Kassel Offices for Safety at
Work and Security Technology, spoke on "Lifts in View of
Safety at Work — Accident and Damage Events and
Prevention." His message was that the vast majority of employee
accidents might be prevented. He explained the preconditions
for accident prevention based on examples of accidents at work:
material (e.g., compliant assembly) and organizational (e.g., risk
assessment). Hazards may result from:
♦♦ Environment (e.g., traffic routes or noise)
♦♦ Organization (e.g., instruction or first aid)
♦♦ Work equipment (e.g., railings or ladders)
♦♦ Situations (e.g., lifting loads or the presence of animals)
Stephan Störmer of TÜV Austria spoke about the safe use of
work equipment. For this purpose, the Technical Rule on
Industrial Safety (TRBS) 3121 was revised and the requirements
from the Industrial Safety Ordinance were specified. The term
“employer” and his duties have been defined. Annex 1 gives,
among other things, recommendations on 22 hazardous
situations, including technical and organizational protection
measures. A risk assessment must be carried out for each
Attorney Hartmut Hardt speaks on the German Data
hazardous situation.
Protection Ordinance.

46 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

Bodo Adamus informs about Bosch A Ziehl-Abegg belt drive on display at the exhibition
products and solutions.

Intelligent Technology Leads to Innovative ♦♦ Contemporary hydraulic drives by Michael Ruthenbeck

Solutions of Bucher Hydraulics
♦♦ Inclined Lifts by Stephan Huter of Doppelmayr Cable
Klaus Aengenvoort of eTASK Real Estate Software
Cars
introduced building information modeling (BIM) and its
Helmut Buchwinkler of TÜV Rheinland posed the
benefits to planners, manufacturers and operators. BIM as a
question of what users need to know about software safety
method uses software to create a single model that different
devices. Published in 2005, EN 81-1/-2 A1 deals with the
people involved can access during the lifecycle of a
use of software to be implemented for safety functions.
building. It aims to heal the loss of knowledge in building
Random, systematic and conjunct causes of errors are
operations and to increase knowledge in the early planning
explained in detail in his contribution to enable mitigation
phases 1-3/4, according to the German Fee Regulation for
measures in product development and operation.
Architects and Engineers (HOAI). A prerequisite, among
Stephan Kuss of TÜV Nord Systems presented the
others, for this process is the exchange of digital product
lecture "Digitalization — Networking Needs Security." He
data. According to Hardt, BIM is expected to become
said a mere conformity check is no longer adequate, and
mandatory for public buildings in the German state of
digitalization requires a holistic safety and security check.
North-Rhine Westphalia from 2020 onward.
Therefore, he said, TÜV Nord is already working on a
Four lectures focused on the latest technology:
digital lift test in which a trust center will carry out
♦♦ Innovative control concepts by Philipp Bruessler of
assessments to determine whether transferred data are
Kollmorgen
correct, and to ensure data manipulation is excluded.
♦♦ Intelligent machine systems by Roland Hoppenstedt of
Ziehl-Abegg

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 47

 Conference host Dr. Georg Clauss, standing at right, chats with attendees as they network during the conference dinner.
Traditions of the Setting
The evening before, more than 70 conference participants
met for the Bosch Service Solutions industry dialogue,
"Beautiful New Digital Lift World!?" The host, Bodo
Adamus, presented "Updates to Products & Services" and
"Safety for Solitary Workplaces". Michael Puttrus of SafeLine
Germany assumed that a sound business model for
monitoring lifts involving additional IT stakeholders will be
developed within 10 years. He said he considers the use of
data as the upcoming challenge. Jan König of VFA-Interlift
and Klaus-Peter Kapp of KP Solutions spoke on the topic
"Safe Use Through Visual Inspection?" TRBS 3121 describes
the procedures in detail. Technical solutions, such as remote
monitoring, are in sight. From the perspective of small and
medium-sized enterprises, Kapp stated to EWEU that 80% of
these IT-based solutions are being put on the market by the
"Big 4", with the rest by IT and facility management
companies.
Not a new occasion, but a new location for the evening
event on the first day: the refectory of the University of
Heilbronn. Its modern ambience matched the style and
content of the conference. Four female participants attended
the Women in the Lift Industry of Europe (WoLIE)
48 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
Communal Coffee (CoCo) during the break on the second
morning. With women’s participation in the conference
making up 6% of the total, the event clearly reflects the small
proportion of women active in the lift industry.
The next Heilbronn Lift Days event will convene on March
3-4, 2020.
Undine Stricker-Berghoff is the owner of ProEconomy, a
Luebeck-Travemuende, Germany-based engineering office
through which she works as a coach and consultant for
management and marketing mainly in energy and building
services. From 2008 until 2013, she was the managing
director of VFA-Interlift e.V. in Hamburg, Germany. She
studied Mechanical Engineering at Ruhr-University Bochum,
Germany, and, immediately after graduation, worked as an
energy consultant for ERPAG in Lugano, Switzerland, and
Campione, Italy. Prior to joining VFA-Interlift, Stricker-
Berghoff worked for VDI, the Association of German
Engineers in Duesseldorf, Germany, as secretary for Building
Services, and was in charge of the VDI-Standards
department. She also served one term as director general for
the Luebeck Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She has
operated ProEconomy since 2005. c
Focus on Codes & Standards

The Role of Risk

Assessment in Innovative
Product Development
How this critical component is evaluated and
used for standards around the world
by Lou Bialy

Lou Bialy from his presentation at IEES

50 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

 This article was first presented at the 2018 International
IEES Elevator & Escalator Symposium in Istanbul. For more
information on December 3-4, 2019’s event in Las Vegas
INTERNATIONAL
ELEVATOR & ESCALATOR
SYMPOSIUM
and to participate, visit www.elevatorsymposium.org.
Risk assessment has been utilized extensively for many applications
in the elevator industry for more than 20 years. Due to its importance to
the industry, ISO 14798 Lifts (Elevators), Escalators and Moving Walks
– Risk Assessment and Risk Reduction Methodology was developed by
international experts under the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) umbrella. A principal use of this methodology has
been for the development of innovative products. One of the objectives
of this article is to demonstrate how ISO 14798 and other risk
assessment methodologies have been incorporated in or normatively
referenced in important national and international safety standards, and
how this form of utilization may increase in the future. Another objective
is to illustrate how risk assessment can be used as a valuable aid to
innovative elevator product development. Pertinent examples relating to
the determination of the subject to be studied, the establishment of
viable teams, the formulation of scenarios and the effective mitigation of
risk are described. Moreover, the role and responsibilities of the team
moderator are discussed, and approaches to the building of consensus
among the team members is addressed in some detail.
Innovation is the lifeblood of economic development, and risk
assessment is a vital means of assuring the safety of innovative products
not specifically addressed by prescriptive codes such as CEN EN
81-20/50 and ASME A7.1/CSA B44. This paper elaborates on how risk
assessment may be used to verify that safe, innovative products conform
to the following when applicable: Essential Health and Safety
Requirements of the Lifts Directive 2014/33/EU; the Machinery
Directive 2006/42/EC; ISO 8100-20: Global Essential Safety
Requirements (GESRs) and the ASME A17.7-2007/CSA B44-07
Performance-Based Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators.
Introduction
Risk assessment has been used for many years
in multiple industries as a structured method
for identifying, evaluating and mitigating risk.
There is a longstanding history of the use of
various forms of risk assessment in the
elevator industry for product design
and installation, as well as passenger
and worker safety purposes.
Ultimately, the need for a unique
elevator-focused risk assessment
standard with global relevance became
apparent. This need was emphasized by
the emergence of innovative products
that occurred with the publication of
the Lifts Directive[1] (LD) and its
Lou Bialy
transposition into national regulations in the member states of the
European Union (EU) in 1997.
By way of clarification, the LD and Machinery Directive[2] (MD)
that preceded it were intended to prevent technical barriers to trade
between EU member states. They contained Essential Health and Safety
Requirements (EHSRs), which were essentially written in performance
language. The MD and LD also contained conformity-assessment
processes intended to ensure adherence to the requirements of the
directives. The MD and LD could be met by complying with the
requirements of harmonized standards, such as CEN EN 115[3] and
CEN EN 81-1/2[4]. As an alternative, the MD and LD EHSRs could be
complied with directly, provided that all relevant hazards had been
identified and addressed. Moreover, the conformity-assessment process
had to be followed. The certification process could best be achieved
using a Notified Body.
The fact that the EHSRs were written in performance, rather than
prescriptive, language provided latitude for the development of
innovative products. While the MD and LD were valid only in the EU, it
became clear that the innovative products that emerged would have
global appeal. It, thus, became evident that a globally relevant risk
assessment methodology was an essential part of a portfolio of standards
needed to facilitate the deployment of safe, innovative products
worldwide.
Development of ISO 14798
The need for a risk assessment methodology that could be accepted
worldwide was recognized by ISO TC 178, and a resolution was taken to
develop a suitable document. A team of international experts from
Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America embraced the task under ISO/
TC 178 Working Group (WG) 4. Many different methodologies were
studied, and the document ultimately developed represented a broad
consensus. The document is entitled ISO 14798: Lifts (Elevators),
Escalators and Moving Walks – Risk Assessment and Reduction
Methodology.[5]
The methodology provides a structured approach to risk assessment,
including determination of the reasons for the risk assessment;
formation of the team; determination of the subject of the assessment
and identification of scenarios; and as risk estimation, evaluation and
reduction. Teams were established in Europe,
Asia-Pacific and North America to test the
validity of the methodology.
Each team independently
addressed the same risk
assessment studies. When
compared by WG 4, the results
were very close, thus illustrating
the cogency of the methodology.
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 51
 Use of ISO 14798
The risk assessment process constitutes a versatile
tool that can be applied in multiple situations. The
methodology is particularly valuable for use in product
development if the design is innovative or not covered
by published standards. In such cases, a preliminary
design is subjected to a structured process in which
hazardous situations and causes of possible harm are
evaluated by the risk assessment team. Protective
measures are developed, if necessary, to sufficiently
mitigate identified risks.
Formation of the Risk Assessment Team
The composition of the risk assessment team is vital
to the validity of the risk assessment outcome. It is vital
that the members of the team are knowledgeable and
qualified in the subject of the risk assessment and the
details of the issues under consideration. It is important
that a diverse range of expertise is represented in the
team. In general, the different engineering disciplines
upon which the function and safety of the equipment
depends, as well as manufacturing, installation,
servicing, inspecting and safety personnel, should be
considered for the team. It is imperative that the team
be impartial and empowered to carry out the task
without consequence to or intimidation of any of the
members.
There is no fixed number of team members for any
given risk assessment, and the appropriate expertise is
more important than the exact number of participants.
Purpose* and subject: Moderator:*
* NOTE Purpose, team moderator and members could be recorded in a separetae document
Scenario
Case
no Harmful event
Hazardous situation
Cause
Comments
Comments
Comments
Comments
S- Levels of severity of the harm ( see 5.5.3.):
1- High 2- Medium 3-Low 4- Negligible
Figure 1: Typical risk assessment documentation
52 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
Experience has shown that if there are too few members
in the team, one member may dominate, and the team
may be misled. On the other hand, if there are too many
members, the result is no better, and it can be more
difficult to reach a consensus. As a guideline,
approximately eight members plus the moderator is a
suitable team size for most purposes.
Role of Moderator
The role of the moderator is crucial to the success
and validity of the risk assessment. For the best
outcome, the moderator should be knowledgeable in
the subject matter and experienced in leading and
facilitating teams. The moderator should be capable of
leveraging the talent of the team, and ensuring all points
of view are fully expressed and that due process is
followed.
One of the most important tasks of the moderator is
to assist the group in reaching consensus. Voting can be
used when consensus is difficult to reach but should be
considered only as a last resort. A modified “Delphi
method” can be used. This process assigns numerical
values to the choices only for the purpose of reaching a
decision. The votes are secret, and the average is
calculated. The team is informed of the average, then
votes again in secret until no further convergence
occurs. The choice corresponding most closely to the
final average is declared the decision of the group.
Further descriptions of the role of the moderator are
provided in ISO 14798 Clause 4.2.3 and Annex E1 and
E4.
Date:
Protective measures
Estimation of After protective
(risk reduction Residual risk
risks elements measures
measure)
Effect S P S P
P- Level of probability of occurrence of harm ( see 5.5.4):
A- Highly probable B- Probable C - Occasional
D -Remote E - Improbable F - Highly improbable
Subject of Risk Assessment
It is very important that the subject of the risk assessment
be clearly defined and articulated to the team. This process is
described in detail in ISO 14798 Clause 4.3. The moderator
has the overall responsibility for keeping the team focused
on the subject; however, all team members have a role in
ensuring this. The risk assessment is typically documented as
shown in Figure 1.
Formulation of Scenarios
In formulating a scenario, it is important to clearly
distinguish between the hazardous situation, the causes and
the effects. Identification of the hazards is the first step in the
process, and ISO 14798 Table B1 is a helpful aid to this end. A
hazard is a potential source of harm, and a hazardous
situation occurs when a person, property or the environment
is exposed to the hazard. As a simple example, a lift
suspended or moving in a hoistway is a potential source of
harm, as it may fall or stop suddenly. If a passenger is present
in such a lift, the passenger is exposed to the source of harm.
Thus, a passenger in a lift in a hoistway is a hazardous
situation. A hazardous situation is not harmful in itself, but
harm can occur as a result of a cause. If, for example, the
suspension means fails, the lift would fall, thus endangering
the passengers. The result of such a fall could be harm to the
passengers and damage to the equipment.
Risk Estimation
The risk of harm is dependent on the possible severity of
the harm and the probability of occurrence. The assessment
of these elements is subjective in nature and challenging for
the team. With regard to severity, ISO 14798 Clause 4.5.3.1
defines four levels: high, medium, low and negligible. It is
important the team does not attempt to make medical
Figure 2: Risk profile chart
judgments in assessing severity levels but, rather, use its
expertise to determine the potential seriousness of a
particular event. While reaching consensus can be
challenging for the team, it is more readily achieved in terms
of severity than probability.
ISO 14798 Clause 4.5.4.1 defines six levels of probability,
ranging from highly probable to highly improbable. In
assessing probability, it is essential that the team considers
the frequency and duration of the exposure, the probability
of the harmful event occurring and the possibility of avoiding
or limiting the harm (e.g., if the doors are open and the lift is
not present, users have a chance of not stepping into an open
hoistway).
It is important that the team determines the highest level
of risk for a given scenario, rather than the risk with the
greatest severity. For example, a risk level of 2C or 3B is
higher than a risk level of 1E, even though the latter has the
higher severity level. Sometimes, teams display a reluctance
to assess the probability as level "F." Level "F" is highly
improbable, but it is intended to be used in the risk
assessment when appropriate.
Reaching consensus can be a time-consuming process,
and patience and understanding are key attributes the
moderator and the team need to exercise.
Risk Evaluation
Figures 2 and 3 are very useful in guiding the team in the
evaluation of risk. They illustrate that similar action is taken
in a given risk group in several cases, even though the
probability component is different. Thus, for example, risk
levels 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D are all in the same risk group. This
gives a measure of robustness to the process, as the team
often struggles to reach a consensus on probability levels,
but the required action is often the same, even with differing
probability assessments.
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 53
 Figure 3: Risk evaluation chart

Protective measures are required to address risks that fall
into risk group I, while no action is necessary for risks that fall
into risk group III. Risks that fall into risk group II need further
consideration by the team. Such further consideration should
consider current societal values, as well as the practicality of
additional protective measures.
Societal values are complex and by no means uniform. They
evolve with time and should be reexamined from time to time.
In general, members of society are concerned about safety,
comfort, convenience and value. The expectations of society
regarding safety constitute an evolving process. Early
automobiles had no passenger restraints, and this was
acceptable to society. Over the years, seatbelts, followed by
airbags, became the norm. More recently antilock braking
systems and similar features have become more familiar.
Modern metro stations feature platform doors that prevent
passengers from falling onto the railway track. In the same way,
in the past, lift passengers tolerated lifts not leveling at the floor.
This is no longer accepted. There is now an increasing
expectation that the lift doors will stop before a passenger in
their path is contacted.
Passengers also expect comfort while in the lift. This
includes the temperature and quality of the air, sensation of
motion and pressure changes on the ears, ride smoothness, etc.
Passengers do not expect sudden stops of the lift or entrapment
within the car.
Building owners and passengers expect the lift service to be
convenient and reliable. Long waiting periods are not
acceptable, nor are frequent breakdowns and situations where
lifts are out of service.
Societal expectations are paramount considerations in
assessing whether further protective measures are appropriate.
The feasibility and practicality of further measures also needs to
be considered. Furthermore, the effectiveness of further
measures needs to be evaluated. For example, experience has
shown that certain structural factors of safety and robustness
criteria have led to low probabilities of failure. Increasing such
criteria will not materially improve safety but will add to
weight, energy consumption, etc. Reducing operating speeds of
lifts and lift doors can reduce the effects of impacts but will add
to passage times and inconvenience.
Society is not totally risk averse. Most people understand
that the world is not totally safe and that there is a degree of risk
in everything they do. As times and technologies change,
people continuously recalibrate their tolerance for risk. One of
the tasks of the team is to find the appropriate balance between
the ideal, the feasible and the practical, taking societal values
into account at the time the risk assessment is carried out.
Reduction of Risk
The team should endeavor to follow the following hierarchy
of risk reduction throughout the process of risk reduction.
Eliminate the Hazard, if Feasible
This is the most effective way of reducing risk, but it is not
always feasible. This is particularly true when the hazard is
directly connected to the function of the elevator. For example,
the function of an elevator is to carry passengers up and down a
building. However, the height of the elevator in the hoistway is
a hazard, as the elevator car can fall. Clearly, it is not feasible to
eliminate the elevator car, the height or the passengers without
eliminating the function the elevator provides.
If, on the other hand, the hazard is not directly connected to
the function, it is feasible to eliminate the hazard. For example,
a handrail with a sharp edge installed in the elevator car is a
hazard. Eliminating the sharp edge does not in any way affect
the function of the elevator.
Protect or Guard Against the Hazardous
Situation
When it is not feasible to eliminate the hazard, guarding or
protection should be applied. This action generally addresses
the cause or the harmful event. For example, if an elevator car
carrying passengers is suspended in the hoistway, and the
suspension means fail, this would result in the harmful event.
Ensuring a robust suspension system and inspection protocol
would help address the cause; however, the suspension may still
fail, and a safety device that stops the elevator car would reduce
the severity of the harmful event.
Warnings of Residual Risks and the Use of
Protective Equipment
It is necessary to warn the user of the residual risk when the
identified hazard cannot be eliminated or sufficiently mitigated.

54 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

Such a warning serves to further mitigate the risk, as the user
will normally take precautions consistent with the warning. As
an example, if a passenger boards a downward moving escalator,
the height of the escalator constitutes a falling hazard. This
cannot be eliminated without eliminating the function of the
escalator. If the passenger slips on the steps or loses balance,
this would be a cause of a harmful event. Making the step
surface slip-resistant and providing a handrail that moves
synchronously with the steps are risk-mitigating actions.
However, if the passenger fails to grasp the handrail, or decides
to walk on the moving escalator, he or she could still lose his/
her balance and encounter a harmful event. In this case, a
warning or cautionary sign at the entrance to the escalator is
appropriate to alert the passenger of the residual risk and, thus,
further mitigate the risk.
In the case of personnel authorized to work on elevator
equipment, it is sometimes necessary to remove safety guards
or bypass safety systems to determine the causes of
malfunctions. Such personnel should be trained to perform
these functions safely. Protective equipment, such as fall
protection, hard hats, safety shoes, safety goggles and safety
gloves should also be used to reduce the risk of injury.
Elevator equipment should be designed to minimize the
probability of defeating or circumventing protective measures.
It is important that the hierarchy of risk reduction be
followed. It is imperative that warnings or protective equipment
are used in addition to (and not in place of ) design
improvements, guards and installed protection means.
Determination of Whether Risks Have Been
Sufficiently Mitigated
Once the hazard has been eliminated or protective measures
implemented, the risk should be reevaluated, and a
determination made as to whether a residual risk remains. If
such a residual risk requires further mitigation, additional
protective measures are implemented until the risk has been
sufficiently mitigated. Protective measures can introduce new
risks, and these need to be identified and mitigated, as well. It
should be noted that protective measures usually reduce the
probability of occurrence but may reduce the severity, or both
probability and severity.
Risk Assessment and Performance-Based
Standards
A major trend over the last two decades has been the swift
advancement in technology. This has had major consequences
on all aspects of life, including the elevator industry. The
development of prescriptive standards is, by its very nature,
slow and deliberate, with the result that prescriptive standards
have not been able to keep up with the pace of innovation in the
elevator industry. The MD and LD provided a path to the
development and deployment of innovative products on the
European market, and it was, thus, recognized that a global
approach was needed to extend the European model
worldwide.
ISO TC/178 again took the initiative to develop a suitable
standard. The work was again undertaken by the international
experts of WG 4. Starting from basic principles, the team
applied ISO 14798 to develop the GESRs of ISO 22559-1 (since
renumbered as ISO 8100-20).[6] This document was followed
by three additional documents: ISO 22559-2/3/4 (since
renumbered as ISO/TS 8100-21/22/23).[7-9]
ISO 8100-20 defines 48 GESRs that are written in
performance language and address the safety objectives of
elevators. They are accompanied by explanatory narratives
intended to assist the user in fully addressing the GESR. The
standard also contains guidance on its application, which
includes the use of risk assessment to satisfy the GESRs. A
recent update includes an annex, which identifies specific
EHSRs from the MD and LD that need to be addressed for an
innovative elevator product to be acceptable. ISO 14798 is listed
as a normative reference in ISO 8100-20.
ISO/TS 8100-21 provides a list of Global Safety Parameters
(GSPs) intended to assist the user in providing protective
measures for the mitigation of risks. The GSPs are indexed to
the GESRs of ISO 8100-20 but are not mandatory, as the risk
may be mitigated by eliminating the hazard, or other suitable
parameters may be applied. ISO/TS 8100-21 also lists
anthropometric data to assist in the selection of GSPs related to
body-part dimensions. Examples pertaining to the use of risk
assessment in addressing particular GESRs using corresponding
GSPs as protective measures are provided. ISO 14798 is listed as
a normative reference in ISO 8100-21.
ISO/TS 8100-22/23 provide Global Conformity Assessment
Procedures and general requirements for the certification of
elevator systems, components and functions. These documents
also provide accreditation requirements for Global Conformity
Assessment Bodies. These documents are intended to provide a
global conformity assessment procedure carried out by globally
recognized competent authorities similar to the Notified Bodies
of the EU.
As the demand for innovative products increased in North
America, it became evident that a structured approach to
acceptance would be helpful to both AHJs and manufacturers.
To this end, A17.7/B44.7[10] was developed based upon the
ISO 8100-20 GESRs and ISO 14798 risk assessment
methodology. A17.7/B44.7 describes the process to be used to
establish safety using the GESRs, and it provides a list of safety
parameters consistent with A17.1/B44[11] prescriptive code.
Accredited Elevator/Escalator Certification Organizations
(AECOs) were created to provide independent verification and
certification of equipment developed in compliance with A17.7/
B44.7. These organizations are accredited by the American
National Standards Institute or Standards Council of Canada.
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 55
 Use of Performance-Based Standards and
Risk Assessment in Innovative Product
Development
For innovative products, the simplest approach in all
regions is to basically follow the appropriate prescriptive
code, except where the innovative product differs from the
code. For elevators in the EU, EN 81-20/50[12] would be
followed, and the relevant EHSRs of the MD and LD would
be identified and satisfied where the innovative product
differs from EN 81.
On completion of a comprehensive risk assessment, a
technical dossier that contains complete technical
information relating to the design, as well as the risk
assessment document and a listing of the EHSRs in the MD
and LD that have been addressed in the dossier, would be
created. The dossier would also contain maintenance and
inspection information pertaining to the equipment being
certified. The technical dossier would be presented to any
Notified Body (NB) accredited to certify elevator systems.
The NB may request additional information or reevaluation
of any portion of the dossier, including the risk assessment.
The NB may also request demonstrations of the actual
equipment, witness tests or take any further action
believed to be necessary. The NB is under no obligation to
approve the submittal. When it is satisfied that the MD and
LD have been met, a certificate to that effect is provided. It
is important to note that such certification is valid
throughout the EU.
In the case of North America, the A17.1/B44 code
would be used as a baseline. Deviations from this code
would be addressed by complying with relevant GESRs of
A17.7/B44.7 and conducting a risk assessment. A Code
Compliance Document similar to the technical dossier
described above would be generated and provided to an
AECO. The certification process is similar to that described
above. It should be noted that code approval in North
America is on a jurisdictional basis. It is, thus, necessary to
present the AECO certificates to and gain approval from
each jurisdiction separately.
ISO 14798 and ISO 8100-20 have been referenced in
many standards and adopted in several countries. In many
of these, the process of certification and conformity
assessment is complex. Moreover, these important
standards have not yet been adopted everywhere. It is,
however, evident that using ISO 14798 to demonstrate
compliance with ISO 8100-20 is a strong starting point to
gain approval for innovative products in specific areas. This
is particularly true in areas whose prescriptive codes are
aligned with EN 81 or A17.1/B44. However, local approval
is necessary in all countries, and this can be a challenging
task.
Looking to the Future
Considerable progress has been made in the
development and adoption of risk assessment methodology
and performance-based standards in many parts of the
world. Efforts continue to revise and update these
standards to ensure they represent the state of the art and
continue to serve users' needs. In this context, ISO 8100-20
has recently been revised, and the latest version has been
published. A major revision of ISO 14798 is underway at
present, with the objective of ensuring it represents the
state of the art, addresses the latest technologies (such as
SIL-rated design) and is user friendly.
It is envisaged that, with the passage of time, greater
adoption and usage of ISO 14798 and 8100-20/21/22/23
will take place. Moreover, ultimately, an environment will
be created where a single certification anywhere will be
acceptable everywhere. c

References [4] CEN EN 81-1/2:1998 Safety Rules for the Accreditation Requirements Within Global
Construction and Installation of Lifts — Part 1: Conformity Assessment Procedures.
[1] Directive 2014/33/EU of the European
Electric Lifts. Part 2: Hydraulic Lifts. [10] ASME A17.7-2007/CSA B44-07:
Parliament and of the Council of 26 February
[5] ISO 14798:2009: Lifts (Elevators), Performance-Based Safety Code for Elevators
2014 on the harmonization of the laws of the
Escalators and Moving Walks – Risk Assessment and Escalators.
Member States relating to lifts and safety
and Reduction Methodology. [11] ASME A17.1-2016/CSA B44-16: Safety
components for lifts.
[6] ISO 8100-20: 2018: Lifts for the Transport Code for Elevators and Escalators.
[2] Directive 2006/42/EC of the European
of Persons and Goods – Part 20: GESRs. [12] CEN EN 81-20: Safety Rules for the
Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 on
[7] ISO 8100-21: 2018: Lifts for the Transport Construction and Installation of Lifts – Lifts for
machinery and amending Directive 95/16/EC
of Persons and Goods – Part 21: GSPs Meeting the Transport of Persons and Goods – Part 20:
(recast) OJ No. L 157.
the GESRs. Passenger and Goods Passenger Lifts.
[3] CEN EN 115 Safety Rules for the
[8] ISO 8100-22: 2011: Lifts for the Transport [13] CEN EN 81-50: Safety Rules for the
Construction and Installation of Escalators and
of Persons and Goods – Part 22: Prerequisites for Construction and Installation of Lifts –
Passenger Conveyors (1998); latest edition: CEN
Certification of Conformity of Lift Systems, Lift Examinations and Tests – Part 50: Design Rules,
EN 115-1 Safety of Escalators and Moving Walks
Components and Lift Functions Within Global Calculations, Examinations and Tests of Lift
- Part 1: Construction and Installation (2017).
Conformity Assessment Procedures. Components.
[9] ISO 8100-23: 2011: Lifts for the Transport
of Persons and Goods – Part 23: Certification and

56 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

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Focus on Codes & Standards

Does Installing Elevators in

Conformity with Standards
Guarantee Safety?
In this Readers Platform, your author examines
this important question from multiple angles.
by Erol Akçay

External view of a residential elevator in Bruneck, Italy

58 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

 Most elevators are manufactured and installed based on
European or North American standards. Compliance with
these standards is often obliged by local laws, and the
operation of elevators is subjected to various licenses and
permits. Nevertheless, we sometimes hear about accidents or
events that may panic us. How can such expensive machines,
which cost between US$10,000 and 1.5 million, cause
No one knows travelling
hazardous situations even though they are subject to many
rules?
cable like Draka
The standards, which specify manufacturing and
installation of all lifting equipment, including elevators, are
the guidelines prepared considering human safety. All of
these requirements have been determined as a result of
certain risk analyses. However, the requirements for safety
are the minimum requirements, so there is no protection for
unanticipated risks. For example, safety gears and speed-
detection systems are used in elevators that protect the
elevator against freefall due to rope breakage, and the lifting
equipment against any exclusion of suspension elements.
When designing these devices, the risk of freefall is
considered, and the limits are set for acceleration. Because
the sudden stop caused by the activation of safety gears may
also harm the passengers, braking momentum should not
exceed a certain limit (EN 81-1, max 1 G). Safety gears are
manufactured in line with the measurements required for this
rule. However, there is not another protection against any
failure in the speed-detection system. In other words, when a
freefall occurs, there is no protection within overspeed
governors that may detect any failure that can occur in the
trigger mechanism that engages with the increase of
centrifugal force, or in case of hydraulic lifts, there is no
protection that may detect the dysfunctionality of the rupture
valve. Since the related risks are considered low risks or are
ignored, these protections are not available. Therefore, in
lifting equipment there is no protection for situations that are
not seen as risk. One of the reasons for updates in standards is
the necessity to eliminate emerging risks. For example, when
the elevators relevel while the doors are open, but the
releveling continues past the floor level because of failure of Draka’s experience and expertise with travelling cables
the control panel, this is considered risky, and EN 81-1 is allows us to engineer complete solutions, including:
updated, and it is obliged to add a protection against • Hundreds of parallel and unitized flat cable designs
unintended cabin movement. Or, because people have hit the that are HAR certified
doors and fallen down to the well in the past, with EN 81-20, • Super-Flex® cables with a lifetime warranty
it was obliged to eliminate this risk through some • End-to-end halogen-free systems (cables and
mechanisms to prevent landing doors from fall apart upon installation components)
impact. The impact force has been designated at 1000 N. • Superior engineering and customer service
Perhaps this impact force limit may, out of necessity, be Contact Draka at +39 0331 579915, elevator-eu@
increased in the future. prysmiangroup.com, or visit our website at
Unfortunately, installing elevators in conformity with the drakaelevator.com for more information.
standards does not guarantee 100% safety. It is always
possible that new risks will emerge.

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe

EW english 2019.indd 1
59
3/27/19 2:33 PM
 Can’t we prevent risks?
It is not possible to prevent all risks; however, it
is possible to minimize the risk factors. The
standards cannot prevent the risks from emerging,
but are used for preventing the risks from becoming
dangerous to people. It is necessary to maintain a
balance between risk analyses, costs and
technological development. For example, avoiding
electronic mechanisms for the safety of the
elevators, and using some mechanical safety
components that operate through software and
electronic components may prevent the
development of cheaper, lighter and, perhaps, safer
systems.
So, the whole responsibility does not belong to
the standards.
One of the efficient ways to minimize the risks is
to make the correct product selection. The place
where the elevator is to be installed also affects
possible risks during the lifecycle of the elevator.
For example, let’s think about the risks of installing
an elevator designed for houses in a highly crowded
place, such as a hospital. Low-cycle doors will get
worn out earlier and start seizing during opening
and closing. People who rush in a hurry in such
places often will hit the doors, and this will slow
down the elevator and lead to failures being seen.
Because some failures are not directly related to
safety, these are not against the standards, but
frequent failures of the elevators in crowded places
like hospitals may cause panic among the people,
and hazardous situations in extreme cases.
If elevators installed with simple magnet
mechanism landing readers are used at capacity
limits, from time to time the elevator may not stop
at the landing level and the passengers may stumble
at the threshold and fall during entry and exit
(When stopping at the landing level exceeds 2cm,
the control device should activate the motor and
pull the car to the landing level, but the landing
doors are still open and this operation takes a few
seconds).
Or, if low-cycle electronic components are used
in a crowded place where the elevator engages in
frequent stop-and-go use, the components may lose
their functionality and, in extreme cases, cause
failures that may result in injuries due to sudden
stops.
Similar possible scenarios may be held up as
examples to the fact that an elevator installed in
60 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
accordance with the standards may still contain
risks. Therefore, it is important that the design be
made appropriate for the environmental conditions,
and the adjusted products should be used.
Another way to minimize risks is through
preventive maintenance. In many installations,
elevator companies provide standard maintenance
service. However, the components will wear out
and lose their functionalities at different intervals.
For example, there are big differences between the
level of wear that occurs in elevators designed
without calculating the impact of environmental
conditions, which can lead to using insufficient
components, compared to one in an indoor parking
place that is used less frequently. However, standard
maintenance visits provide the same amount of
service for both installations. So, the elevator used
more frequently may generate risks more often.
Preventive maintenance requires intervening
before any risk occurs. For example, in places
where the doors are more frequently used, locks
should be adjusted once a month instead of once
every six months. Overload devices should be
calibrated quarterly, not annually, in order to
preserve the functionality of load devices, which
can be affected by vibration. A protection system,
which stops the elevator when the overload devices
do not function, does not exist in elevators that are
in conformity with the standards. The device should
be monitored at regular intervals, in order to
prevent any accidents.
Additionally, there are some differences between
the American standards and European standards. A
situation that is seen as risky by one of them may
not be considered as risky by the other and may not
require any obligatory prevention. Being satisfied
with the minimum at stages of design, installation
and maintenance is an insufficient way to avoid
accident risks. Proper design, quality installation
and sufficient inspections are
important and necessary to
prevent the possible damages of
elevators and the risk of injury
to the passengers.
Erol Akçay is Technical
Manager – Eurasia for
Liftinstituut Solutions B.V. c
Focus on Codes & Standards

Globalization in
Standardization
Moving Forward
The EN 81-20/-50 standards for lifts, produced by
the European Committee for Standardization
(CEN) international, has been accepted.
by Koos van Lindenberg

Important topics for amendments on ISO 8100-1/-2

include alternative means of suspension, automatic
rescue devices and a review of the requirements for PESS.

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 61

 In Europe, the EN 81-20/-50 standards for lifts have been in
place since August 31, 2017. The International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) standardization committee TC 178
adopted these European CEN standards as ISO standards and
published them on March 12, 2019, which means they are ready to
be used.
The official names are ISO 8100-1:2019 (Lifts for the Transport
of Persons and Goods — Part 1: Passenger and Goods Passenger
Lifts) and ISO 8100-2:2019 (Lifts for the Transport of Persons and
Goods — Part 2: Design Rules, Calculations, Examinations and
Tests of Lift Components). ISO also published ISO 8100-3:2019
(Requirements from other standards [ASME A17.1/CSA B44 and
JIS A 4307-1/JIS A 4307-2] not included in ISO 8100-1 or ISO
8100-2) for America and Japan.
Specification
These standards specify the safety rules for permanently
installed new passenger or goods passenger lifts, with traction,
positive or hydraulic drive, serving defined landing levels, having
a car designed for the transportation of persons or persons and
goods, suspended by ropes, chains or jacks and moving between
guide rails inclined not more than 15° to the vertical. In addition
to these standards, supplementary requirements need to be
considered in special cases (use of lifts by persons with
disabilities, in case of fire, potentially explosive atmosphere,
extreme climate conditions, seismic conditions, transporting
dangerous goods, etc.).
Vienna Agreement
Pieter Schaareman, manager for Codes & Standards at
Liftinstituut, is a member of the European standardization
committee CEN TC 10 Working Group (WG) 1 and a member of
ISO standardization committee TC 178 WGs 4 and 6. He explains:
“ISO's adoption of these CEN standards is one of the results of the
Vienna Agreement. The agreement on technical cooperation between
Pieter Schaareman,
manager for Codes &
Standards at
Liftinstituut and
member of the CEN
and ISO standardization
committees, says the
adoption of EN-ISO
8100-1/-2 is an
important step toward
globalization of codes
and standards.
62 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
ISO and CEN (Vienna Agreement) is an agreement on technical
cooperation between ISO and CEN. Formally approved on June 27,
1991, in Vienna, this ISO standard is basically identical to EN 81-20,
which is prepared by the European CEN TC 10 committee. And, the
same applies to ISO 8100-2, which is similar to EN 81-50. Both ISO
8100-1/-2 and the European standards EN 81-20/-50 can be used by
the industry, because the contents are the same. This also allows a
smooth transition for the industry to globalize international
standards.”
Future
Regarding the future of international standards, Schaareman
stated:
“Standards, of course, are dynamic. Amendments and revisions
are an ongoing process. The result of the revision currently prepared
under CEN lead will be merged in a new version of ISO 8100-1 and
-2. This revision of the standard is planned to be completed by June
2022. This is according to the current planning of the ISO
development roadmap. The ISO standards will be adopted as
EN-ISO 8100-1 and -2; EN 81-20/-50, as planned, will be
withdrawn in this timeframe, so in the near future, only the ISO
standards will be available providing requirements for lifts.”
Upcoming Revision in European and ISO Standards
When asked about the most important topics for the revision,
Schaareman noted:
“The most important topics for the revision include, for example,
rise and fall of vertical biparting doors; alternative means of
suspension, such as belts or coated ropes, which are currently being
used in lifts; the automatic rescue device, as an option, to move the
lift to a specific floor to allow passengers to leave the car safely; an
update of the requirements for programmable electronic safety
systems (PESS) to the latest standards; requirements for freight lifts;
well access in relation to refuge spaces; hydraulic brake release; and
editorial corrections. . . . There also will be a review of well-access
procedures.”
About CEN assessment procedures of the Lifts Directive require
CEN is an independent organization developing involvement of a Notified Body (NB). In addition,
European standards. Members of CEN participate certificates such as EU-type examination issued by an
in standardization work and are obliged to adopt NB are also considered in conformity assessment
European standards as their identical national procedures in many countries outside Europe. This is
standards, regardless of whether they are members a big advantage for the European industry. Some
of the European Union (EU). Many countries NBs, such as Liftinstituut, are also very active with
outside Europe also use European standards as the respect to standardization, at not only the national,
basis of their national standards. The main reason but also at the European and global levels."
for this is that the European standards for lifts and Cybersecurity
escalators are found to be well prepared,
Cybersecurity is not yet covered by any specific
reasonable in their requirements and have a strong
standard for lifts and escalators. However, the
track record on safety. “As long as we provide
installer of a lift must consider all the hazards and
high-quality and up-to-date standards, they will be
risks applicable to the lift, taking into account any
appreciated and used worldwide," said
foreseeable misuse; e.g., depending on how the lift
Schaareman.
system is connected to the outside world and what
Statement to Parties in European may happen if the control system is compromised.
Standardization Activities Regarding the general application of the standards:
“Risks covered by a particular standard are
All stakeholders and interested parties are
listed in section four of the standard, which could
invited and welcome to participate in the
be consulted by installers to check whether a
standardization work. The European
specific risk is addressed. Depending on the
standardization system and process facilitates such
intended use and environment where the lift is
participation. Participation may happen in different
installed, there might be some risks that are not
forms and through different forums. Any
covered by the standards for lifts. An example is a
organization, based on its level of interest or
lift installed in an environment subject to
available resources, may choose from several
explosion, such as a coal mine. In this case, the
possibilities. For many members of the industry,
installer must address this risk using other
whether it concerns small, medium-sized or large
standards or specifications and demonstrate that
manufacturers, complying with the regulations is a
the chosen solution mitigates the risk adequately.
matter of business survival. While not all
In the end, the installer is responsible to address all
companies have the resources or possibility to
applicable risks, and the standards may not cover
delegate a dedicated expert to these forums, they
all those risks."
can give input via national trade organizations that
represent the interests of all members of the
Koos van Lindenberg is
industry at the national level. Many of the national
Communications manager and
trade associations are members of European
a technical engineer with more
federations that are in liaison with CEN or CEN
than 25 years of experience in
Technical Committee 10. Therefore, they have
safety and technics of lifts and
direct access to standardization activities at the
escalators at Liftinstituut. He
European level. Liftinstituut has been participating
has focused on energy savings
in standardization for more than 30 years.
and measuring it for lifts and
Notified Bodies escalators at the organization
Said Schaareman: since 2009 and serves as a
“Notified bodies play an important role within the member of its project team. c
European regulation for lifts. All conformity

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 63

Technology

The Impact of Pre-Stretching

on Elevator Ropes
The authors examine whether factory-
stretched ropes deliver desired results.
by Konrad Stahr and Dr. Andreas Franz

Introduction elevator ropes, and some do not. Others offer low-stretch

This article summarizes the main findings of scientific elevator ropes. But, what exactly does pre-stretching
investigations carried out on different types of elevator mean, and what is the effect of it? Are there alternatives?
ropes regarding their performance in the areas of stretch Methods of Pre-Stretching Ropes
and elasticity considering pre-stretching and sheds a light
According to Draka Elevator,[2] pre-stretching is
on pre-stretching in comparison to the stiffness-optimized
defined as pre-loading ropes in a way that the main rope
and low-stretch product options from the current Gustav
elements, such as core fibers, the core, wires and strands
Wolf product portfolio.
can settle/set under load prior to installation. The process
As your authors showed in Elasticity Behavior of
step of pre-stretching can take place during or after the
Elevator Ropes (ELEVATOR WORLD, July 2015),[1]
rope production process, whereas the effects of pre-
increasing building and traveling heights, high-usage
stretching during rope production are negligible, as the
levels, modern system designs, etc., are increasing the
factor of time involved is too short to get any benefits in
demands on the physical properties of suspension ropes in
terms of the setting process.
elevators. The trend toward saving costs and energy by
Improving elongation behavior by pre-stretching
reducing the size and weight of moving masses with
natural fiber core ropes requires a very high time factor;
regard to dynamic loads (e.g., drive and rotating parts)
for this reason, some producers offer post-production,
and static loads (e.g., the cab or car enclosure) further
pre-stretched elevator ropes. But, even if ropes are
moves the operating point of modern suspension ropes
pre-stretched after the production process, the effect can
into lower load ranges of the rope. An important
be assessed to be little to none. Though the speed is slower
consideration, in addition to the rope minimum breaking
than during rope production, the time to achieve
force and service life (or bending fatigue performance), is
meaningful lower stretch is insufficient, because of a
the stretch and elasticity behavior of a rope under load.
permanent setting of the rope. Natural fiber core ropes for
Rope stretch and elasticity are directly related to the
elevators with effective long-time pre-stretching would be
compressive deflection of the cab under load and thus
too costly. Under realistic conditions, ropes change reels a
have a significant impact on the behavior and performance
few times before they are installed on elevators. First, they
of the elevator installation, as well as the subjective
move from production to master reels and usually from
perception of the passenger on system comfort (e.g., car
master reels to smaller warehouse reels for distribution. At
movement during loading and unloading, releveling of the
the end, they are cut to length and wound from
cab and offsets of hoistway landings/cab sills).
warehouse reels to small reels or coils, ready to be
Furthermore, many designers and users of elevator
installed. During such handling, strands and wires change
ropes are confronted with the choice between pre-
position and tend to lose any benefit of a pre-stretching
stretched and non-pre-stretched elevator ropes, especially
process. This is another reason why the effect of pre-
when it comes to ropes with a natural or synthetic fiber
stretching ropes is extremely small or absent.
core. Some rope manufacturers recommend pre-stretched

64 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

 Related axial Rope Modulus ESL-2-10 (N/mm2)
Number of axial loading cycles z (-)
Nowadays, experienced manufacturers of elevator ropes use
suitable materials and production methods to minimize the
permanent and elastic elongation of elevator ropes and to optimize
the rope stiffness in the loading point. The results are elevator ropes
with the property of "low-stretch," which nominal data in terms of
elongation show an improved performance compared to most ropes
offered as “pre-stretched.” ISO 4344 indicates the maximum tensile
force applied during both the pre-stretching process and the
process steps.
The Effects of Pre-Stretching
The final rope modulus is not a quantitative value constantly
available immediately after installation of the rope. Instead, the rope
structure is subject to a settling behavior; after the settling has taken
place, specific rope stiffness is constantly present in a certain load
range. Figure 1 illustrates a rope elastic modulus between 2% and
10% of the minimum breaking strength as a function of the number
of axial load cycles. All elastic moduli were related to the final
adjusting value of the respective type of rope so that quantitative
differences regarding the modulus of elasticity of the rope types
evaluated at this point are deliberately not considered.
It can be seen that, qualitatively, the fact that a rope has
undergone a pre-stretching process shows only a minor influence
on its behavior in terms of reaching or achieving the saturation of
its axial modulus of elasticity. Although the initial modulus in the
first loading cycle does show an increase of approximately 18% due
to pre-stretching, both curves approach each other very rapidly,
depending on the number of loading cycles. Between several load
cycles from z = 10 to z = 80, a difference in elastic modulus of
approximately 2-2.5% can be assumed. From several cycles of z =
100 onward, no significant difference in elastic modulus could be
detected.
Obviously, the rope’s inherent setting phenomenon, in which
the components of the rope compress under load, has taken place,
Figure 1: Longitudinal
modulus of elasticity in
the work area of elevator
ropes depending on the
number of cyclic
applications of axial load
and rope permanent and
elastic elongation
being shown in the dependence of the adjusting modulus of
elasticity as a function of cycles of axial load. Furthermore, this has
taken place despite any prior pre-stretching processes. However,
this process can be seen as a short-term phenomenon that reaches
saturation soon after installation. When looking at Figure 1, it is
evident that no difference in the final modulus of elasticity could be
achieved by means of pre-stretching, as both samples achieved the
same value in their saturation phase.
The aforementioned laboratory test results could also be
validated in true-scale elevator field tests. As shown before, it
should be noted that for ropes with synthetic fiber cores (SFCs),
the setting behavior can be more pronounced, so a longer setting
period may be necessary.[1] Of course, the results shown in Figure
1 are dependent on the actual cyclic load applied in testing or in the
actual application, and may vary quantitatively but not
qualitatively.
Pre-stretching is sometimes deemed to reduce (but not
eliminate) the amount of permanent elongation of newly installed
elevator ropes, the aim being to eliminate the need for them to be
shortened after installation. Figure 1 indicates that, as regards the
amounts of permanent and elastic stretch, no significant difference
is realized through pre-stretching, aside from the performance in
terms of rope modulus.
Conclusion
As shown before,[1] suspension ropes with natural and
synthetic fiber cores initially exhibit a significantly reduced rope
stiffness and, therefore, modulus (about 50-60% of the final
modulus) and approach their final stiffness slowly, compared to
ropes equipped with mixed or full steel cores, which are naturally
settled due to their construction. However, fiber core ropes may
exhibit advantages when it comes to robustness of elongation and
elasticity, considering rope twist and other installation- or
application-specific aspects.[5] Parallel-laid elevator ropes with
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 65
mixed or steel cores are especially delicate and tend to untwist
easily during installation if not handled correctly. With this
exception, parallel-laid ropes show a fairly good elongation
behavior.
When considering the application of natural fiber core ropes,
particular attention should be given to the actual performance of
the rope in terms of elongation and modulus. This is highly
dependent on the quality of the fiber core, and its components and
manufacturing process.[2] The fiber core supports the strands
when the rope is under load. A good natural fiber core stays firm
and will not get compressed by the strand pressure, thus
preventing excessive rope stretch. A good natural fiber core has a
significant influence on reducing rope elongation and provides a
stable modulus performance. For this reason, rope manufacturers
with in-house core production can integrate and control the
production within their own quality systems.
Often, the term "pre-stretched" is used for a rope that is actually
showing significantly reduced and, therefore, low elongation and
increased rope modulus performance. As shown in Figure 1, it can
be stated that the effects achieved through pre-stretching are
negligible under realistic conditions of use and do not replace the
above-mentioned aspects with regard to a "low-stretch" fiber core.
In fact, investigations have shown that “low-stretch” fiber cores
from well-known manufacturers in all cases had a lower structural
elongation than ropes with the "pre-stretched" predicate.
Ropes with natural fiber cores exhibit commonly a lower axial
modulus of elasticity and stiffness than ropes with a mixed (fiber
and steel) core or a full steel core.[1] However, for ropes with a
fiber core, this characteristic may be increased. On the one hand,
this can be reached by a flattening (compacting) of the outer wires/
strands, as carried out with the Gustav Wolf CompactTrac
Figure 2: Performance of
Gustav Wolf ropes in terms
of ropes' axial stiffness,
minimum breaking force
and bending fatigue lifetime
66 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
(ELEVATOR WORLD, March 2006)[3] or with a substitution of
the natural fiber core by a high-modulus, high-strength synthetic
fiber core as with Gustav Wolf ’s HyTrac (EW, July 2012).[4] Figure
2 summarizes the performance of Gustav Wolf ’s rope types in
terms of the rope’s axial stiffness, minimum breaking force and
bending fatigue lifetime to better provide for application-oriented
use.
With the “Trac” series, Gustav Wolf has developed a new
generation of elevator ropes. They should be considered for the
ever-increasing demands on elevator systems and, in particular, for
high-rise installations.
Konrad Stahr has been employed at Gustav Wolf GmbH since
2013 as chief quality & technical officer. He earned his degree in
engineering at the Clausthal University of Technology.
Dr. Andreas Franz has been employed at Gustav Wolf since 1998
as technical manager steel wire rope. He earned his doctorate in
engineering at the Dresden University of Technology.
References
[1] Franz, A., Stahr, K. "Elasticity Behavior of Elevator Ropes,"
EW, July 2015, Vol. 60, Issue 7, p. 86-92.
[2] Draka Elevator. "Pre-Stretched and Low-Stretch Elevator
Ropes," Tech Tip 16, 2012.
[3] Wolf, E., Franz, A. "Rope Development for Elevators," EW,
March 2006, p. 122-126.
[4] Franz, A. "Development of Hybrid Rope for Elevators," EW,
July 2012, Vol. 60, Issue 7, p. 90.
[5] Gustav Wolf. The Rope Handbook, Revision 2, September
2017. c
Performance related to performance of F 819 S-FC DT (%)
 THE

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Technology

Elevator Ride
Quality Adjustment
With a VFD
Properly used, software functions can
eliminate effects of rollback and increased
speed-control response.

by Sher Xiong
Many people take ride quality for granted when they ride in
an elevator, but a smooth and responsive ride requires precise
adjustment from all system components, such as the controller,
variable-frequency drive (VFD) and brakes. The VFD can be a
powerful adjustment tool for mechanics when properly applied.
This article focuses on software functions available in an
elevator VFD for two main elevator adjustments: rollback and
increased speed-control response.
Rollback
Rollback can occur for a brief moment at the beginning of
the ride when the brake lifts, a speed command has not yet been
initiated, and the VFD has not built up enough holding torque
to prevent the car from moving in the direction of weighting.
This may be felt as a bump by passengers in the car during
takeoff. Rollback is more noticeable on permanent-magnet
gearless motors than on induction geared motors because of the
lower starting friction of gearless machines. Rollback can be
diagnosed visually if the elevator controller is located in the
machine room along with the motor. In machine-room-less
(MRL) applications, however, diagnosing rollback may be more
difficult, because the motor is out of sight. Inverter scoping
software can aid in identifying and adjusting for rollback. Figure

Figure 1: Command speed (red), motor speed (blue), motor torque (green)and motor position (yellow)

68 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

1 provides a visual representation of rollback using a four-
channel scope trace showing command speed (red), actual
motor speed (blue), motor torque (green) and motor position
(yellow).
The motor position (yellow) starts to deviate from zero
before the speed command is given, indicating the brake has
lifted, and not enough holding torque (green) is present to hold
the car at zero speed. Several torque bumps occur in response
to motor movement when the brake is lifted, which can cause a
bump to be felt by passengers on takeoff. There are several ways
to adjust for rollback. For example, brake and speed command
timing may be adjusted such that the car begins to move as the
brake is lifting. While this may reduce the effects of rollback, it
doesn’t address the root cause and still doesn’t provide a
smooth takeoff for passengers. Luckily, depending on the VFD
manufacturer, software can be used to eliminate rollback.
Most elevator drive manufacturers have some method of
providing a torque command — while under brake or
immediately after the brake picks — to eliminate rollback. One
method involves using a feedback control loop, which consists
of both a proportional and integral coefficient that can be used
to provide the motor with adequate holding torque, thus
preventing rollback. When this method is used, movement of
the car is necessary to make the function work properly. This
may seem counterintuitive at first, but the movement is so
Figure 2: Properly adjusted pre-torque settings show no rollback on the scope trace. The illustration shows command
speed (red), motor speed (blue), motor torque (green) and motor position (yellow).
small, it cannot be seen by the naked eye (as the sheave
rotating) or felt by passengers riding in the car. Figure 2 shows
a scope trace of torque buildup in response to movement.
Based on the amount of movement detected from the motor
encoder, the drive will quickly ramp torque (green) to hold the
motor at zero speed. This is done by adjusting the integral
coefficient of the feedback control loop, or gain. The integral
response accumulates error — in this case, non-zero speed —
over time. Higher integral gain values will ramp the torque
faster to accommodate the non-zero speed error until a
steady-state situation is reached (zero speed). All of this
happens very quickly — within 0.3-0.5 s — meaning passengers
do not feel anything. This method of providing torque when the
brake lifts works very well for most elevator applications, but
its basic functionality, a proportional and integral (PI) feedback
control loop, relies on error (motor movement) to function.
Another method of providing torque involves using a load
weigher. A load-weighing device uses sensors to detect the
amount of load in the car and can provide a precise holding
torque response based on different loading conditions.
Depending on the type of load weigher used, it can connect
directly to the VFD and transmit a torque command via an
analog signal, or it can be connected to the controller, where
further filtering can be applied; then, a resulting torque
command can be sent to the drive via serial communication.
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 69

Increased Speed-Control Response
For most elevator applications, the standard proportional,
integral and derivative (PID) gains in the feedback control
loop in a VFD provide adequate speed control-response, but
for some high-profile elevator applications (high-end office
buildings, apartment complexes, etc.), additional tuning may
be necessary to achieve the desired ride quality, such as when
set up for aggressive floor-to-floor times. A traditional PID
feedback control loop relies on feedback from the motor
encoder to make speed control adjustments based on the
difference between command speed and actual motor speed
from the encoder. This difference is called error. The VFD’s
response to this error is adjusted via proportional and integral
speed control gains. While this method of speed control
works well, it relies on the feedback from the motor encoder
for speed control. For some high-performance applications,
Figure 4: Command speed (red), motor speed (blue), motor current (yellow) and
motor torque (green)
70 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
Figure 3: FFTC
block diagram
traditional PI control may not provide the desired speed-
control response. For these types of applications, a more
sophisticated speed-control method can be used.
Feed forward torque control (FFTC) can be used to
provide added speed-control response. FFTC reduces the
dependence on speed feedback from the motor encoder by
predicting what the system will do, based on the system
inertia, and providing the required torque command based on
that prediction (Figure 3).
FFTC can be activated after the system inertia has been
learned by the VFD. By modeling the motor data, ysp, and the
system response, uff, with the system inertia, a prediction of
the response can be made. A pre-correction is made before
the motor encoder feedback is received, reducing the amount
of error. This method of speed control provides a more
accurate response with less reliance on the proportional and
integral gains.
 To show how effective FFTC can be, a detuned motor
with low-speed control gains and FFTC turned off was set up
in a controlled R&D lab setting. No additional adjustments
were made to the motor. Figure 4 shows a scope trace of the
command speed (red), actual motor speed (blue), motor
current (yellow) and motor torque (green) of a simulated
elevator run.
Significant amounts of undershoot and overshoot are
present on both the acceleration and deceleration portions of
the profile (circled). Additionally, these areas of undershoot
and overshoot correspond to large torque bumps that can
negatively impact ride quality.
Next, to show the impact of using FFTC, the system
inertia was learned, and FFTC was activated. The same run
was performed and scoped (Figure 5).
Activating FFTC drastically reduces undershoot and
overshoot that were present in the acceleration and
deceleration portions of the profile. Also, the magnitude of
the torque bumps is much smaller, with smoother torque
transitions providing a much more comfortable ride. While
this is an exaggerated case and done under lab conditions, it
shows the basic principle and impact FFTC can have on
elevator speed control.
A low pass filter can be adjusted to further improve ride
quality. When the speed profile is generated externally by the
controller, increasing the sample time of the low pass filter
can help reduce any unwanted effects caused by
Figure 5: Command speed (red), motor speed (blue), motor current
(yellow)and motor torque (green)
discontinuous inflection points on the speed profile generated
by the controller. Additionally, FFTC also features a gain
value that can be used to strengthen or weaken its response.
In general, activating FFTC makes the elevator system
more responsive. The speed gains will have less effect, and
adequate speed control can be maintained over a wider range
of gains. FFTC works well in applications featuring aggressive
speed-control profiles and applications exhibiting high
starting friction, such as geared induction machines.
The elevator VFD is a powerful adjustment tool that can
provide solutions to two common elevator ride quality
problems. Rollback can be eliminated using a PI control loop
in the VFD. Additional tools, such as load weighers, can also
be used to eliminate rollback. FFTC can provide added
response to achieve desired ride quality in highly dynamic
elevator applications. Additional adjustments, such as low
pass filters and gains, can fine-tune the ride for the best
possible passenger experience.
Sher Xiong is an application support
engineer in the Elevator Group at KEB
America. He has been with KEB since
2018 and has a degree in Automation
Robotics Engineering Technology from
Hennepin Technical College in
Minnesota. c
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 71
Technology

How Suspension Means

Affect Cost-Effective Design
and Space Efficiency
This component is one of the main drivers for the
innovation of a complete elevator package.
by Dr. Nicola Imbimbo

Before the advent of modern elevators, hoist ropes

were made of natural fibers and used to lift materials,
especially into mining areas. Such environments were
very harsh and aggressive against the fibers, causing
them to rot quickly, giving rise to sudden breaks without
notice. For that reason, one of the key factors for
suspension means has always been reliability. The first
metallic wire rope was invented around 1834 by
Wilhelm Albert, a German mining engineer. These were
used to mine in the Harz Mountains in Clausthal,
Germany. At the time, Albert was looking for a more
reliable means by which to periodically inspect ropes
and a type that would last longer than the conventional
fiber ropes and iron mine hoist chains of that era, which
had proven to be unreliable.
The first twisted steel metallic rope was made of
three strands with four wires each, without a core. With Figure 1: The first twisted steel wire rope was made of three strands
this specific construction, all the wires were visible from having four wires each. All the wires are visible from the outside.
the exterior (Figure 1). This would change the users'
perception of hoist ropes. “forecasting” the replacement of suspension means is still
Since then, wire ropes gained quick acceptance due valid today.
to their durability and superiority over fiber ropes and Another element in elevator design is the efficient use of
iron chains. They were not breaking suddenly, as signs of the space inside the elevator shaft, with the request to have
wear would be present if inspections were carried out smaller machines that will provide for a larger cabin in the
routinely. This made it possible to schedule the same shaft dimensions. As the traction sheaves get smaller, the
replacement of the hoist rope before total failure. motor becomes less expensive and lighter. The motor cost
After more than 180 years, the situation is still and, consequently, the weight, are directly proportional to the
unchanged: steel-based suspension means, in the form torque generated. This latter requirement has been hard to
of wire ropes, are still the main element of suspension fight until “alternative” types of suspension media that make it
for elevators around the globe, and the concept of possible to reduce the size of the machines became available.

72 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

Figure 2: Different types of suspension means: dimensions are not to scale but provide an idea of the difference in sizes.

Reducing the bending ratio and covering the suspension
means with a coating of polyurethane (PU) brought with it
another problem: the definition of reliable discard criteria that
was both objective and recognizable.
The aim of this article is to give an overview on the above
subjects without entering a deep analysis but by pointing out the
main concepts by which to understand the application and the
effect on the total cost of ownership for end users.
Types of Suspension Means
Before starting any consideration on different elevator
configurations, it is worth clarifying which suspension means are
available on the market. Beyond conventional wire ropes, there
are: small-diameter ropes, PU-coated ropes and coated steel
belts (CSBs) (Figure 2).
Each type of suspension means has its own pros and cons that
are evaluated here in general terms. There are no strict rules in
the selection of one suspension media over the others, but
considerations must be drawn based on the application of the
elevator, environmental conditions and traffic analysis — all
known elements for elevator designers. Next, attention should
be given to motor size and hoistway space efficiency. There are a
few options to deal with space constrictions while saving on the
motor cost (Figure 3):

Figure 3: The different arrangements available by which to reduce the motor torque and size in combination with the selected suspension means

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 73

 The simplest way to reduce the torque of the motor is
Top view Top view
to switch from 1:1 to 2:1 suspension. This will save on the
motor size, but at the same time create some drawbacks
on the mechanical complexity for the complete elevator
(arrangement I in Figure 3). The second possibility is to
consider suspension media that allow a reduced bending
ratio, D:d < 40 (small-diameter wire ropes or PU-coated
ropes). In this case, the motor size could be sensibly
reduced, and the space efficiency is rather consistent.
However, small-diameter ropes are not currently included
Conventional wire rope Alternative suspension means
within EN 81-20 and would require manufacturers of
small-diameter ropes to perform a risk assessment and Same shaft dimensions
seek a declaration certificate from a recognized certifying Figure 4: Increased cabin dimensions in the same-sized shaft utilizing an
body. On the plus side, small-diameter ropes are under alternative suspension means
consideration to be included in a future update to EN
81-20 (arrangement II in Figure 3). A third option would
be to evaluate CSBs. In this scenario, the smallest traction Definition of Discard Criteria
sheave could be used, bringing tremendous savings both Development of and enhancements to suspension means for
to the motor cost and the increase in space efficiency. The elevators have always been related to the original concept of a
drawback in this case is that this solution is patented visual inspection. When the first applications for small-diameter
(arrangement III in Figure 3). ropes and belts arrived on the market, the key concern was how to
It is also worth evaluating how much the cabin size easily and reliably detect the discard criteria.
could change within the same shaft dimensions when Regarding conventional wire ropes, the discard criteria is to be
opting for one of the alternative suspension means based on visual inspections: checking for diameter reduction,
(arrangements II and III in Figure 3). In Figure 4, counting the number of wire breaks, identifying the points with
considering that all the mechanical parts are allocated to deformations, noticing the appearance of rouging, etc. This
the back side of the cabin, the gain in cabin space is readily reference rule is addressed in Annex E of ISO 4344, where it lists
visible, with a reduction of 30-40% of the original the discard criteria for elevator ropes in service. Figure 5 is an
dimension L. extraction from this rule where it reports the number of broken
The assumption reported above could bring, in certain wires the rope must have to be discarded.
cases, the possibility of installing an eight-person elevator
where it was previously only possible to install a six-
person elevator. Furthermore, where there is a block of
elevators in residential buildings, this could make it
possible to install one fewer elevator, yet provide the same
traffic-handling capacity. The traffic pattern must still be
evaluated in a way to not increase the waiting time in front
of the landing door on the ground floor too much.
Alternatively, with the same number of elevators, and with
the increased cabin capacity, the traffic-handling
capability could be increased sensibly.
All the considerations mentioned here are valid in the
case of low- and mid-rise buildings. When it comes to
high-rise projects or heavy-duty applications, other
elements must be considered and are outside the scope of Figure 5: Discard criteria based on the number of broken wires from Annex E
this article. Depending on the need of the specific low- or of ISO 4344
mid-rise project, one consideration or the other could
bring savings that were not available without the
alternative suspension means.

74 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

 The number of broken wires is one discard criterion but
not the only one. There could be cases in which there are no
broken wires, but the rope must be discarded: for example,
due to a reduction in diameter greater than 6% from nominal.
Additionally, the ropes shall be discarded when there is red
dust protruding from the outer strands, which is a clear sign
of internal damage (fretting fatigue or corrosion).
It is interesting to note the last line of the table from ISO
4344, which reports that a single broken wire in the valley
between one strand and another is a criterion for immediate
discarding. This criterion is very important for wire rope
inspectors to be aware of, since such evidence is a clear sign
that the rope is losing the consistency of the core, and the Ts: Traction sheave
outer strands are severely squeezed against each other. A Dp: Divertor pulley
thorough and deep analysis of the rope should be performed L: Highly stressed portion of susp. means
when this happens.

Small-Diameter Ropes and CSMs Figure 6: Identification of the most stressed part of the suspension
The first task is to identify the most stressed portion of means
suspension means in which to look for discard evidence.
Generally, this portion is near the traction sheave, when the
cabin is on the most frequented floor (typically the ground
floor).
Consider a reeving arrangement in direct suspension (1:1)
with a traction sheave and diverter pulley (Figure 6). In this
case, when the cabin is stopped at the ground floor, there is a
portion of the suspension means, L, that will pass through the
traction sheave and diverter pulley as soon as the cabin starts
its travel upward. Considering that, in a residential building,
almost 80% of trips start from the ground floor, there is strong Figure 7: An
evidence that this portion of the suspension means will be the example of a
most stressed area in which the discard criteria will begin to Up/Down Actuator simple and
reverse
appear. For this reason, the inspection shall start from this bending
point and then be extended to other portions and to the tester
points in which the suspension means enters the sockets. Test sheave
Despite the nature of the suspension element, irrespective
of if it is coated, this principle holds validity and shall be used Simple Bending Tester
in general terms. Obviously, depending on the reeving
arrangement of the specific elevator, the portion in question
shall be shorter or longer, based on the number of pulleys
over which the element will be bent more frequently.
The visual inspection will be first performed at a specific
portion where deformation or surface abrasions could first be
seen and pointed out. Following the initial visual inspection,
it will be time to make a deeper analysis of the points
identified to see if any broken wires are visible and if any Test sheave
wires are piercing the coating. Up/Down Actuator
The care and maintenance instructions provided by the
suspension media manufacturer should be followed, preceded
only by what is reported in Annex E of ISO 4344. When in Revers Bending Tester

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 75

 Axial line flux Detection Coil Rope flaw
permanent magnet Dispersed line flux
Homogeneous signal with "back noise" Signal with a spike indicating the broken wire
Figure 8: Magneto-inductive setup and results of the investigation
doubt, the advice of the manufacturer or a competent person
should be sought.
Suspension Means Residual Life Estimation
For alternative suspension means, some new approaches
have developed: a finite lifetime definition, a monitoring
system with nondestructive technology or a combination of
the two. To define the approach of the finite lifetime
definition, it is important to create a laboratory
experimentation in which a setup for simple and reverse
bending is addressed. Figure 7 shows an example setup.
The suspension media shall be tested in combination with
the expected traction sheave and deflection pulley, including
the details of diameter and groove shape. An expected lifetime
in service is calculated from the lifetime obtained by each
element of the reeving arrangement by using a combination
formula. Based on this calculation, a trip counter shall be
installed on the elevator to monitor how much residual
lifetime will remain for the system in operation. The counter
installation should not be a direct replacement of periodic
visual checks to ensure the system is in proper operating
condition. Environmental factors or other reasons not
anticipated could lead to damage of the suspension means and
it reaching the discard point.
The second method by which to monitor the residual
lifetime is by using a nondestructive methodology such as
magneto-inductive, current flow, visual with webcams or by
other means. As an example, let’s examine the magneto-
inductive test. The selection of this type of analysis is not
because it is more suitable than the others, but because it is
used extensively in similar fields like mining and aerial
76 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
Signal year 0
Signal year 3
Signal year 7
ropeways. The setup consists of a permanent magnet that
brings the piece of rope under analysis into saturation. This
means the rope is immersed into axially oriented magnetic
flux lines. When an interruption of a section occurs, the
magnetic flux lines are radially dispersed and detected by the
detection coils (Figure 8).
The magneto-inductive methodology is an evolutional
type of exam in the sense that the signal will evolve as soon as
the rope is subjected to more wear. The peaks become more
and more accentuated as the fretting fatigue and internal
abrasion continue. Evaluating the signals, some conclusions
could be drawn on the state of the wire rope, and an expert
could judge the situation. More importantly, the most stressed
rope part is, in this case, put in evidence quite easily, and a
visual check of this section should be conducted.
It is important to make an analysis at the time of
installation and then to repeat the analysis year after year to
see the evolution path of the diagram. In some cases, this
device could be permanently installed on the elevator to
monitor the situation in real time and to send notice to the
maintenance company when there is a need for an in-depth
inspection. This brings us to the matter of predictive
maintenance that could be integrated with the suspension
means at this point.
Using Suspension Means to Perform
Predictive Maintenance Tasks
We will see now how to benefit from the sensors installed
around the suspension means to get information to address
predictive maintenance in the field. This will soon be realized
in the industry. A basic set of sensors could eventually be
composed as follows:
♦♦ A triaxial accelerometer: installed on the cabin, this will
detect all the vibration connected with the travel of the
elevator.
♦♦ A load-weighing device: this sensor will detect the load in
the cabin and can also evaluate the vertical variation during
the travel caused by bouncing or guide friction.
♦♦ A nondestructive testing device: installed close to the
traction sheave, such a device can monitor the evolution on
the wearing of the suspension means in real time. This could
be based on any technology (e.g., magneto-inductive,
current pulse, webcams, etc.).
♦♦ A gateway: to transmit the information gathered to a remote
cloud where a specific algorithm will analyze the situation to
NdT device
Gateway
Root causes to investigate:
• Sheave bearings worn out
• Out-of-center sheaves
• Inverter specifications
• Equal tensioning of ropes
• Other abnormalities
Figure 9: Vibration on suspension means and investigation of root causes
draw conclusions on the quality of ride and eventual
anomalies
The case analyzed is one in which the triaxial accelerator
sensor is installed on the cabin and is detecting some vibration
coming from the suspension means, even if the root cause could
be coming from another part of the elevator system. Based on
the frequency analysis and time measurement on the signal
registered, the source of the problem can be determined. The
maintenance company can therefore schedule a visit to the site
knowing where to look, bringing the right spare parts for
replacement.
Developing an algorithm that will understand the root cause
from the vibration detected is a challenging process, but not
impossible if the proper experimentation has been carried out.
Vibration on the
suspension means
Tri-axial accelerometer
Load weighting device
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 77
 Wearing of Suspension Means
Suspension means are subject to progressive
wearing. If the frequency analysis put in evidence
shows the vertical vibration has been slightly
increasing over a specific time period and then
suddenly experiences a peak in correspondence to
the increased level of traffic, a visual check of the
suspension media should be the first task
performed. Visible discard criteria will likely not
be present. By measuring the vertical bouncing
over time, we can understand that the rope is
under fretting fatigue before it contributes to ride
discomfort.
Vibration Caused by the Rotating
Mass
A completely different scenario is if the
frequency of the vibration relates to the periodic
amplitude that is somehow correlated with the
traveling speed. In this case, the sheaves are the
main elements to be investigated to understand if
the phenomena are caused by roller bearings or by
some other uniqueness of the rotary mass.
Equal Tensioning in Suspension
Media
Another possible source of vibration could be
from the set of ropes losing equal tensioning. In
this case, the frequency has some parameter of
causality but in correspondence to a specific
location of the cabin in the shaft.
Effects of Inverter Parameters
Other vibrations affecting ride comfort can be
attributed to the parameters of the inverter in
piloting the motor. In this case, it is evident the
vibrations in the cabin are amplified during
acceleration and/or deceleration. Another element
that could bring some variance here is the level of
loading present in the cabin under such conditions.
78 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
Conclusions on Suspension Media
Effects
As described above, upon seeing the suspension
media vibrating, we could understand that we
wouldn’t need to focus our attention on the
suspension media itself. By analyzing the specific
spectrum of the vibration frequency, we can obtain
more characterization of the phenomena and look
for the root cause from other elements of the
elevator system.
Conclusions
This article should have made it evident how
suspension means can contribute to the overall
design of a complete elevator system, and in which
way they can cooperate with safe operation and
predictive evaluations. Furthermore, in specific
conditions, the selection of the right suspension
media for the right application could influence the
total cost of ownership and the traffic management
of the building.
A smart designer will start their own evaluation,
taking into consideration the options that
alternative suspension means could bring to their
configurations.
This analysis has been limited to only a few
aspects without entering into too much detail of
the engineering cases. There is much more to be
analyzed, and the suspension means are one of the
main drivers for the innovation of a complete
elevator package.
Dr. Nicola Imbimbo is global application
manager for the elevator business unit of
Prysmian Group. Imbimbo is also a member of the
Italian and European Lifts Technical Committee
and is involved in the ad hoc group for the
implementation of “Alternative Suspension Media”
into EN 81-20/50. He has published several articles
relevant to suspension media and elevators in
specialized magazines and presented several
speeches at international elevator forums. He
holds a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from
the Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy. c
 GRAND
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Project Spotlight

The order included two panoramic elevators with a travel The installations incorporate lots of glass and steel and
height of 29 m, capacity of 1500 kg, speed of up to 2 mps provide a glimpse at the systems' inner workings; image
and four stops; image courtesy of thyssenkrupp. courtesy of thyssenkrupp.

A Remarkable
Milestone in
Stockholm
An illuminated cab thyssenkrupp delivers largest-ever
ceiling resembles
deconstructed dominoes; Sweden order to new mixed-use city
photo courtesy of Åhmans.
block, Urban Escape.
by Kaija Wilkinson
That Stockholm, Sweden, is the fastest-growing
city in Europe —with the equivalent of a busload of
new residents added each day — is evident just
looking around the horizon. In the Vasastaden
District near the city center, Norra Tornen is rising
to 33 stories. The tower will house apartments,
public areas, a gym and a movie theater. Southwest
of downtown, the 78-story Tellus Towers are rising
thyssenkrupp Elevator's biggest toward becoming the tallest residential towers in
order to date in Sweden northern Europe.[1]
consisted of 57 elevators, 27
escalators and 15 platform lifts.

80 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

 Urban Escape takes its place on the
Stockholm skyline; image © AMF
Fastigheter.
Meanwhile, the inner-city Brukenkebsergstorg Square
continues to evolve, from being lined with fashionable homes in
the 19th century, becoming "officeized" in the early 1960s to
emerging as a financial center later in the decade when nearly all
the historic structures were demolished.[2] The tide is turning
once again with the recent opening of Urban Escape, which takes
the place of Swedbank operations that moved out in 2014.
The largest-ever project for developer AMF Fastigheter, Urban
Escape consists of five buildings up to 10-stories, four streets, two
squares and a shopping center. Within it are 1,100 m2 of residential
space, two hotels and rooftop gardens. There are also restaurants
and bars, and a reception area where people can sit down and have
an informal meeting over coffee.
AMF Fastigneter wasted no time in transforming the property
after Swedbank moved out in 2014. The developer selected
thyssenkrupp Elevator to provide the vertical-transportation (VT)
system for the "city within a city," resulting in another "largest
ever": thyssenkrupp's biggest order to date in Sweden that
consisted of 57 elevators, 27 escalators and 15 platform lifts. "The
successful completion of the Urban Escape project is a remarkable
milestone for us," Janne Piiroinen, managing director of thyssenkrupp
Elevator Sverige, said. "I'm personally very pleased with how hard
our local team worked and managed to deliver quality products to
our customer on this challenging project."
The OEM started the job in 2015 and completed delivery in late
April 2019. Finished in 2017, the first phase consisted of
installation of 29 elevators, six escalators and six platform lifts. The
second phase consisted of 25 elevators, nine platform lifts and 21
escalators. All elevators are thyssenkrupp EVOLUTION® BLUE
machine-room-less units for the European market, and the
escalators are Velino Xtra heavy-duty units. Both models are highly
customizable. The EVOLUTION BLUE elevators:
♦♦ Have capacities of 320-4000 kg and travel at up to 3 mps
♦♦ Are tested by TÜV SÜD, compliant with EN 81-13 and have
stopping accuracy of +/-1 mm
♦♦ Are equipped with features including a highly efficient drive
motor, energy recovery and LED lighting
thyssenkrupp's E.COR controller was used in all elevators for
Urban Escape,. Now standard with all thyssenkrupp elevator
systems, E.COR
♦♦ Responds optimally to usage patterns to avoid unnecessary
trips and stops
♦♦ Separately stores unused energy during downward motion and
braking, feeding it back into the grid
♦♦ Detects potential disruptions before they occur
♦♦ Uses electronic components that minimize noise
Led by Project Manager Fredrik Allvise and Site Supervisor
Konstantinos Charalampopoulos for the escalators, and Juan Pablo
Villanueva Contreras and Site Supervisor Thobias Hulten for the
elevators, the project incorporates components the project
incorporates components from thyssenkrupp Fartreppen AG and
elevator car interiors from Åhmans, a family-owned company
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 81
 The thyssenkrupp team worked in close collaboration with its
subcontracted fittings company to deliver against tight deadlines and
navigate tenants moving in at different times during construction.
founded in 1860 and headquartered in
Åhus, Sweden. Nearly all Urban Escape
elevators are Åhmans' SUPREME
model, incorporating LED lighting and
providing options such as natural stone
flooring and rear-coated glass walls. The
tenants opted for striking colors like
bright red, and design elements such as
mirrors and ceiling panels like the ones
that resemble deconstructed dominoes.
Rolf Wennerstrom, Åhmans sales and
marketing manager, said the company
provided approximately 30 elevator cabs
for the project from 2015-2018. "By
having the opportunity to participate
early on in the construction process and
meet architects and property managers,
smart solutions were found early,"
Wennerstrom observes, adding:
"SUPREME is designed for conceptual
collaboration with architects and
designers and provides unlimited choice of
materials and colors. The SUPREME
concept is excellent for use with interiors
with glass, mirrors and stainless steel.
Through the model's carefully thought-out
system, it is easy to build in monitors
behind glass or mirrors."
Installation was performed in phases
and came with significant challenges,
including working around a shopping
mall in the heart of the busy city that
was open to the public throughout
construction. The thyssenkrupp team
worked in close collaboration with its
subcontracted fittings company to
deliver against tight deadlines and
navigate tenants moving in at different
times during construction. For example,
three different contractors were
working onsite at the same time at TAK,
Urban Escape's rooftop restaurant and
bar.
The selection of thyssenkrupp
Elevator for Urban Escape was part of
AMF's overarching plan to roll out the
red carpet for the world's top movers
82 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
and shakers in style and technology.
Urban Escape Project CEO Niklas
Haglund said, "This project is creating a
brand-new city block in Stockholm, and it
was absolutely essential that we worked
with the very best partners to make it a
reality."
Urban Escape has had no trouble
attracting tenants and is well on its way
to becoming home to up to 8,000
workers. thyssenkrupp elevators are
now serving the likes of global players
WeWork, the "Airbnb for office
spaces"[3]; Nordic Tech House, a
startup incubator, which moved from
nearby square Stureplan (home to
Versace and Gucci)[4]; and, last but not
least, Microsoft.
After 28 years in a previous
Stockholm location, Microsoft found
that Urban Escape fits its philosophy
and serves as an ideal place to house
roughly 600 employees, as well as
Some elevators, with cabs by Åhmans, incorporate
welcome visitors from around the custom images; image courtesy of thyssenkrupp.
world. The tech giant plans to move in
to its new 3,000-m2 offices in September.
Joacim Damgard, general manager of
Microsoft Sweden, said:
"We chose Urban Escape because it fits
in with Microsoft's vision of the intelligent
workplace, where people, technology and
the environment are in symbiosis. Through
the years, we've had more than 100,000
visitors to our 'open tours' of the office,
and we hope that many will want to visit
our new office, where we aim to create the
most attractive workplace in Sweden."
References
[1] Invest Stockholm "Stockholm's
New Skyline – Exploring Disruptive
Buildings and Rooftops."
[2] sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Burnkebergstrog
[3] urbanescape.se.en/wework-
welcome-to-urban-escape
[4] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stureplan c
Many tenants opted for bright colors and custom stone
flooring; photo courtesy of Åhmans.
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Project Spotlight

Escalators and Moving Walks for

Amsterdam's North-South Metro Line
Liftinstituut demonstrates high-energy-performance requirement of
thyssenkrupp escalators based on a series of measurements.

Not only is energy consumption important for the municipality, durability of the installations is,
as well. For example, the escalators' frames must last for at least 40 years, and bending of the
frames and walking surfaces is not allowed to exceed 1 mm per meter. This is why thyssenkrupp
incorporated additional compartmental constructions in the machine frames.

84 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019


by Koos van Lindenberg
The North-South metro line in Amsterdam, which has
many lifts, escalators and moving walks, recently began
service. Liftinstituut carried out energy-performance-
certificate (EPC) measurements and commissioning tests
for all 91 escalators and the four moving walks. Your author
talked about the measurements with Harry Beukeveld,
project manager for escalators at thyssenkrupp, which held
the contract for the project. He also spoke with Carl van
den Einden, product manager for machines at Netherlands-
based Notified Body (NB) Liftinstituut, who is in charge of
the technical operations involving these measurements.
The municipality of Amsterdam had requested the
measurements in its specification for the project.
Beukeveld explained they are:
“. . . related to the energy performance of the installations
and specify that the maximum total energy consumption of
the escalators and moving walks was allowed to be 1,500
MWh. If this were achieved, the structural contractor would
get a substantial discount on the contract total. Our factory
had to demonstrate this to the contractor beforehand based on
calculations regarding the energy performance for the
escalators and moving walks. These calculations later proved
achievable in practice, too. The energy consumption ended up
even a little lower than the consumption calculated."
(l-r) Carl Van den Einden,
product manager for
machines at Liftinstituut,
and Harry Beukeveld,
project manager for
escalators at
thyssenkrupp, look back
on a successful and
pleasant collaboration
and are happy with the
results.
Beukeveld is proud that:
“This is the highest energy performance level achievable
with the current state of the art, although we might have been
able to save another 8 or 9 MWh. However, at a certain point,
we stopped measuring, as we had met the requirement. All 27
lifts achieved energy label A in the measurements, as well."
Basis for the Measurements
While Liftinstituut received instruction for the EPC
measurements in 2015, work started in October 2017. The
basis for these measurements was standard ISO/DIS 25745-
1:2008. Meanwhile, an update of it had been published, but
the specification dated back to 2011. Therefore, the 2008
version applied, which stipulated the escalators had to be in
operation for some 800 h before the measurements were
taken. All measurements were carried out on empty
upward-moving installations. The duration for each energy
level measurement was 5 min. Van den Einden explained:
“We then converted the results to 60 min, then multiplied this
figure by 20 (20 operating hours per day) and again by 365
(365 days per year). For 91 escalators and four moving walks,
the results came to 1,498.3 MWh — so, nicely below the 1,500
MWh stipulated."
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 85
 “This is the highest energy
performance level achievable
with the current state of the art"
— Harry Beukeveld, project
manager for escalators at
thyssenkrupp

A Few Adjustments Required

Asked whether thyssenkrupp had made any adjustments
to the standard-traffic escalators to reach a lower energy
consumption, Beukeveld indicated each escalator is
provided with a full-load frequency converter. This device is
suitable for starting and stopping the escalators while fully
loaded. As a full-load frequency converter has been
developed further than a regular frequency converter, its
energy consumption is very low.
The emergency escalators have a "slow stop" switch
system, so that, in the event of an emergency, they will
slowly come to a halt when there are people on them. This
will minimize the chance of people falling, and the
nonmoving escalator can then be used as an escape route.
All escalators are provided with energy-efficient switch
systems, too, reducing their speed from 0.65 to 0.2 m/s when
there are no people on them. This saves power while they
are not being used. The escalators are only turned off at
night. Furthermore, the skirt band lighting is not switched
through the escalator but is switched on and off remotely.
However, it still operates as lighting in emergencies, as it is
connected to the metro building's uninterruptible power
supply (UPS). This UPS is an emergency power supply with
several large batteries that kicks in when voltage shuts down
in the event of a power failure. Due to the connection to the
UPS, skirt band lighting stays on for another two hours.

Challenge
Van den Einden remarked that this was Liftinstituut's first
large-scale EPC measuring project for escalators. “So, it was
quite a challenge," he said. "In total, 130 measurements were
carried out." Beukeveld was convinced from the start that
the measuring results would be positive:
“As I knew about this specification requirement, I had
already arranged for a number of escalators to be measured in
the factory during a factory assessment test. The client attended Product Specialist Roy Bahadoer from Liftinstituut carried out EPC
this a number of times, too. The results were really favorable." measurements on 91 escalators and four ramps.

86 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

 “This project has been a true technical highlight,
not just for us, but also for our subcontractor
Mulder Montage, who placed the installations.”
— Beukeveld
Execution
All measurements were carried out by Roy Bahadoer,
product specialist for escalators at Liftinstituut. Van den
Einden indicated why:
“Bahadoer has a lot of experience with this and is familiar
with all the ins and outs. From time to time, his planning
needed tweaking, but, thanks to the operational support from
Liftinstituut colleague Marian Kool, it was possible to get his
availability every time."
Beukeveld is also happy that all the measurements were
carried out by Bahadoer, noting, “Sometimes he had to work
really long days, but he was always flexible and on time. It
was also good to have just one point of contact."
Beukeveld is also pleased with the support received from
Liftinstituut with respect to structural issues and risk
analyses, commenting, “It was definitely an advantage to
work together with an NB."
Looking Back
Beukeveld looks back on the North-South Line project
with pride:
“This project has been a true technical highlight, not just for
us, but for our subcontractor Mulder Montage, too. Compared
with large metro stations abroad, this has only been a small
project, but by Dutch standards, it has been a huge project —
and not always easy, either. In particular, De Pijp Metro
Station, with two lines superimposed, was a technical
challenge. As many as 60 lifting lugs were required to install
just one escalator here. This was complicated further by the
fact that no external machine rooms were possible near the
escalators, as the design did not enable this; the control
cabinet had to be located in the turnaround area. Luckily, a
few design issues were ironed out over time, and some
deviations were allowed, although it took a fair amount of
time and effort to get there. But, the end result is stunning."
Van den Einden also feels positive in retrospect and is
impressed by the way the stations look, remarking, “It is a
clever construction and a major technical achievement. c
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 87
 Everything in the
North-South Line
has been
operationally
tested by Metro
and Tram and GVB's
testing firm, which
began work as
early as January
2018. This involved
not only the trains,
but also the
installations, such
as lifts, escalators,
moving walks,
metro systems and
turnstiles/gates.
thyssenkrupp has
also been
providing the
maintenance to the
escalators, moving
walks and lifts since
that time.

88 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2020
Submit your vertical, horizontal or inclined transportation system
of an innovative design, special application or approach that has
solved a major problem or overcome a unique challenge to the
ELEVATOR WORLD 22nd Annual Project of the Year Awards.

PROJECTS WILL BE JUDGED ON: CATEGORIES:

• Innovation
• Originality and creativity
• Challenges overcome
• Installation methods and techniques
• Use of advanced technology and overall
quality of presentation
• Elevators – New Construction
• Elevators – Modernization
• Elevators – Upgrades + Repairs
• Escalators – New Construction
• Escalators – Modernization
• Escalators – Upgrades + Repairs
• Moving Walks
• Inclined Elevators
• Platforms Lifts + Stairway Chairlifts
• Private-Residence Elevators
• Special-Purpose Lifts

All entries will be judged and categorized as received by an impartial panel

of experienced industry experts and professionals. Winning entries will be
published in the January 2020 issue of ELEVATOR WORLD. Winners in
each category will be acknowledged with an award of recognition.

Deadline for Entries: For contest rules & requirements,

September 30, 2019 visit elevatorworld.com/poy
Project Spotlight
Meet the Tulip:
London’s Most
Controversial Tower
A potential new “public cultural attraction” faces scrutiny, sparks debate
by Matt Irvin
Official opposition to the Tulip, a towering
cultural and tourist attraction proposed in the
City of London, continued to build in the
early weeks of 2019, multiple news outlets
have reported.
Website Building.co.uk reported on 6
February that London officials responsible for
the public realm have determined the plan for
ground-level access to the Tulip is inadequate
for the huge number of visitors the developer
hopes to attract.
90 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
Atrium looking down
© DBOX for Foster + Partners
“We have serious concerns about the
capacity of the public realm to adequately
manage the additional number of people that
this development will bring,” Tom Noble, the
city’s group manager for the public realm,
said in a letter to planning officers.
“Furthermore, we believe that the quality of the
public realm will not be of the standard
required to support and advance the
development and the wider City Cluster.”
The Tulip project would consist of a
305.3-m-tall tower offering observation
decks, educational facilities, ‘pod’ rides, a restaurant and sky
lounge. It would sit next to 30 St Mary Axe, a high-rise building
in the City of London known popularly as the Gherkin. The
Tulip has been proposed by the team that created the Gherkin,
owner J. Safra Group and architects Foster + Partners.
Building.co.uk quoted Noble as saying public realm measures
proposed in the design and access statement supporting the
Tulip’s planning application were “unacceptable and would likely
lead to people walking in the carriageway and experiencing
discomfort.” He added, “We do not believe that the current
proposals will be of benefit to the City Cluster and therefore do not
support the proposals in their current form.”
The fears follow concerns from planning officers at the
Greater London Authority, who in a 14 January notice voiced
objections based on design, heritage and transport grounds, and
declared that it would breach the London Plan because its
facilities would not be free to the public and because it would
harm protected views of the Tower of London. A BBC report of
the matter relayed that GLA officers “have significant concerns
with the design approach. The height appears unjustified and the
introduction of significant expanse of solid and inactive building
frontage would appear incongruous in the existing faceted context
of the Eastern Cluster, drawing significant attention in this
heritage sensitive location. The site layout and loss of public
realm at street level is also of significant concern.”
In November 2018, J. Safra Group and Foster +
Partners announced the development, and
said the Tulip would provide facilities for
education, sightseeing, ‘pod’ rides and
more. Deriving its name from its
nature-inspired form — a long,
slender ‘stem’ topped by a bulbous ‘bloom’ — The Tulip would,
according to the development team, “enhance the Gherkin, one of
London’s most cherished and recognisable buildings, and offer a
new state-of-the-art cultural and educational resource for
Londoners and tourists.”
Sir Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman, Foster
+ Partners, praised both the design of the structure as well as its
stated mission, saying, “Continuing the pioneering design of 30 St
Mary Axe, the Tulip is in the spirit of London as a progressive,
forward-thinking city. It offers significant benefits to Londoners
and visitors as a cultural and social landmark with unmatched
educational resources for future generations.”
Jacob J. Safra, of developer J. Safra Group, said, “We are
delighted to benefit from the exceptional talent of Foster + Partners
in bringing to London this world-class visitor attraction. The Tulip’s
elegance and soft strength complements the iconic Gherkin. We are
confident in London’s role as a global city and are proud to offer its
schoolchildren a state-of-the-art classroom in the sky to appreciate
London’s history and dynamism.”
The GLA position, however, was echoed in a letter from the
office of Mayor Sadiq Khan to the City of London Development
Division, which said that if the division opts to make a decision
on the developer’s proposal, it must consult with the mayor
again and allow him 14 days to decide whether to let the decision
proceed unchanged, direct the division to reject the application
or decide that he will “act as the local planning authority for the
purpose of determining the application.”
While developers say the purposes of the structure are in line
with the mayor’s goals for the Square Mile as regards cultural/
heritage attractions and environmental sustainability, the Tulip
was faced with critics as soon as the project was announced,
Aerial view of The Tulip
© DBOX for Foster + Partners
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 91

including such well-placed observers as Historic England and
Historic Royal Palaces.
Despite the criticism, on April 2, the City of London Planning
and Transportation Committee resolved to grant planning
permission subject to entering into a s106 Planning Agreement.
This proposal is now subject to Stage 2 review by Mayor Khan.
Developers’ View
Since the turn of the Millennium, London has seen strong
growth as a global financial hub, growth reflected in a changing
skyline that has seen a number of new high-rise buildings. The
City of London Corporation has been driving proposals to
enliven the Square Mile by creating a “Culture Mile” with
world-class tourist facilities. The proposal for the Tulip reflects
what the developer says is a desire to “build public engagement
within the City and enhance the Gherkin’s public offering.” The
Tulip, it vows, “promises wide cultural and economic benefits with
a diverse programme of events.”
According to the website culturemile.london, the ‘Culture
Mile’is “a new home for contemporary culture in the ancient heart
of London’s working capital.” Its purpose is to inspire people “to
wander winding medieval streets and marvel at architectural
wonders.” Culture Mile collaborators are the City of London
Corporation, the Barbican, Guildhall School of Music & Drama,
London Symphony Orchestra and the Museum of London.
The Tulip developers see their project as fitting in with the
Culture Mile ideals. A key feature would be an education facility
92 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
The Tulip Gondola
© DBOX for Foster + Partners
within the top section, offering 20,000 free places per year for
London’s state schoolchildren. This educational resource would
be provided by the tower’s owner, who promises to “deliver
national curriculum topics using innovative tools to bring to life the
city’s history and dynamism, inspiring the creative young minds of
tomorrow.”
The benefits would not be extended only to children. The
Tulip, the owner says, would also offer an unparalleled vantage
point to view London from a height of around 300 m. The
viewing galleries would include sky bridges, internal glass slides
and gondola pod rides on the building’s façade, experiences
meant to appeal to people across all age groups. Interactive
materials and briefings from expert guides about the history of
London would enhance tourists’ visits, and a sky bar and
restaurants with 360-degree views of the city would complement
the experience.
Sustainability Considerations
When it was completed in 2004, the Gherkin brought new life
to its surroundings, the developers said, adding that the Tulip
would “extend the site’s public realm further.” Among the
proposals are a new pocket park and a two-storey pavilion
offering a publicly accessible rooftop garden. Together with
green walls, the proposal would increase the site’s green surface
area by 8.5 times, supporting the mayor’s goal for London to be
the world’s first National Park City. Public access would also be
 The Tulip skybridge at dusk
© DBOX / Foster + Partners

considerably improved through the removal of more than half of

the existing perimeter walls around the Gherkin.
The development team said the Tulip’s “bud-like form and
minimal building footprint” are incorporated in efforts to reduce
the use of resources. The structure would use high-performance
glass and optimised building systems to reduce its energy
consumption. Zero-combustion technology is planned for the
heating and cooling system, and integrated photovoltaic cells
would generate energy on site.

Economic and Social Considerations

According to the developers, the combination of the Tulip
and the Gherkin would “bring life to the City of London at all
times of the day and evening, seven days a week,” which, they said,
would create opportunities for economic and social benefits for
the local community and for London. “The Tulip will offer an
outstanding venue to host cultural, educational, business and
technology events,” they said.
Vocal Critics
The scheme is not without well-placed detractors, however.
Historic England, an executive public body of the British
Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media
and Sport, criticised the Tulip’s “unusual eye-catching form”
because it would harm views of the Tower of London, The
Architects’ Journal (AJ) reported on 10 December 2018. AJ
quoted a Historic England spokesperson as saying:
“In our view, the proposed building would cause harm to the
significance of the Tower of London, one of London’s four World
Heritage Sites. The visual contrast between the modern City of
London and the historic Tower of London has been established for
decades, but has intensified in recent years as the Eastern Cluster of
buildings becomes taller and denser. This new building is located
towards the edge of the Eastern Cluster and would create a vertical
‘cliff edge’ to it when views alongside the Tower of London from the
east. This, coupled with the unusual eye-catching form of the Tulip,
would reduce the visual dominance of the Tower of London.”
Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), a non-profit that manages
several of Britain’s unoccupied royal palaces, lodged an even
stronger complaint. AJ, reporting on 19 December, said HRP
called the Tulip “extremely damaging” to the setting of the Tower
of London, one of the sites it oversees. According to AJ, HRP is
warning of the “impact on the ‘eminence as an iconic,
internationally famous monument” by the arrival of the “exotic
and consciously eye-catching” tower behind it.”
As the Tower of London is a United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage
site, HRP is urging the City of London to consult with the body
before deciding on whether to approve construction of the
Tulip, AJ added.
Aesthetic considerations are not the only issues being raised.
CNN reported on 28 November that London City Airport is
airing concerns that the Tulip as planned may interfere with air
traffic operations. The airport’s technical operations coordinator
has written to the City of London asking that it delay any
approval “until an assessment has been carried out on the impact of
this development on the radar coverage.”
The airport’s concern, CNN said, was that the moving
gondola pods on the face of the tower may have “a different effect
[on the airport’s radar] than a static element of the building.”
The CNN report also quoted Manuel Kaiser, “a member of the
public,” as writing that the Tulip would contribute to the
“Disneyfication of the area, leading to tourist crowds and
undesirable side effects.”
Subject to the planning approval process, construction on the
Tulip could begin in 2020, with completion projected for 2025.

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 93

The Tulip education
room with children
© DBOX for Foster +
Partners

Features of Tulip’s VT Design

As designed, the Tulip would feature a robust vertical-
transportation (VT) system. Central to the system would be four
double-deck, three-stop, 1600-kg, 8.0 m/s shuttle lifts that would
transport guests from the lift lobbies in the two-storey pavilion’s
mezzanine and ground levels directly to upper sky-lobbies at the
education and observation levels. From there, passengers riding up
to the restaurant and the Sky Bar would transfer to one of a pair of
single-deck, nine-stop (including four emergency stops), 1275-kg,
1.6 m/s, machine room-less (MRL) local lifts. There would also be a
pair of 10-stop, 1600-kg goods/firefighting lifts traveling 5-7 m/s
from the pavilion basement to the kitchen level, just below the Sky
Bar (these lifts would have an additional eight emergency stops
spaced every five floors up the shafts). A platform lift would be
available between the Sky Bar’s two levels. The upper levels would
also be served by two dumb waiters, with the specifications under
development.
The pavilion’s levels would be serviced by three escalators (two
entrance, one exit) between the ground and mezzanine levels. Each
escalator would have 1000-mm-wide steps, a 30-degree rise, no
intermediate support and travel at 0.5 m/s. Lifts in the pavilion
include:
♦♦ Two two-stop, 8000-kg, 0.3 m/s lorry/delivery lifts
♦♦ One MRL three-stop, 1275-kg, 1.6 m/s plaza entrance/rooftop lift
♦♦ One MRL four-stop, 1275-kg, 1.6 m/s shower/service floor lift
♦♦ Two MRL two-stop, 1275-kg, 1.6 m/s entrance/exit lifts
♦♦ Three two-stop, 1275-kg, 1.6 m/s goods and service lifts
The VT consultant was listed as:
Foster + Partners
Vertical Transportation Consultant Riverside
22 Hester Road
London SW11 4AN c
Bird’s Eye view of The Tulip
© DBOX / Foster + Partners

94 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019

Company Spotlight

(l-r) Tomas Jäderberg and Lars Gustafsson

Lift Safety
Revolutionaries

SafeLine, having recently manufactured its 100,000th SL6

emergency telephone, has paved an important
technological road for the lift industry. In this story, an
unexpected meeting became the start of a longtime
partnership that made it possible.

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 95

 Gustafsson at
SafeLine's
production line
by Jonas Tomasson
It all started with an advertisement. In
1993, Tomas Jäderberg was flipping through
the electronics section of the phone directory
when an advertisement for an emulator for
sale caught his eye. Ever since he was a child,
Gustafsson said Jäderberg had been interested in electronics
Jäderberg "has and was always on the lookout for new
gadgets. The ad was signed with a number not
always been the far from where he lived, in the south of
one to make it Stockholm. He decided it was worth a visit.
work in the end, The one behind the ad was Lars "Lasse"
Gustafsson (ELEVATOR WORLD, June
while I have 2019). Gustafsson had worked in the lift
always been business as a technician since he was 15 years
the one with old. When he later wanted to learn about the
theoretical side of electronics, he entered a
the industrial community college and started manufacturing
knowhow and components in his basement. This meant he
the ideas." was always short of space; hence, the ad.
It did not take long for the two to realize
they had many things in common. "We were
both stuck in our jobs and wanted to do
something different with our careers. We
discussed development and shared a passion
for electronics but from different places and in
different ways" over a cup of coffee, Jäderberg
recollects. Gustafsson was more interested in
the practical side of things, while Jäderberg's
interest lay in the problemsolving. One cup of
coffee turned into eight, and day passed into
96 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
night before they finished talking. Though
they did not know it at the time, they had just
laid the foundation of what was to become
SafeLine Group.
It would take years until the two worked
together for the first time. Gustafsson has
always, at least as long as he can remember,
had many ideas, but no one listened to them
at the lift company where he was employed.
He, therefore, quit his job and started his own
company, fulfilling a longtime dream.
Hisselektronik AB was founded in 1995 by
Gustafsson, who sold floor displays and
control systems for lifts he had manufactured
himself in the basement of his house. Things
were going alright but not as good as he knew
it could.
In 1998, a new industrial standard was on
the rise in the European lift business. EN
81-28 set new safety demands for lift
emergency telephones. A lot of the old
telephones could only dream of fulfilling the
new demands. Those available on the market
were technologically old-fashioned and
functioned poorly, something Gustafsson had
experienced firsthand over his many years in
the industry. He saw a gap in the market but
knew he had to act quickly and deliver a
product that was both practical and of high
quality. For that, he needed Jäderberg.
 Gustafsson said Jäderberg "has always been the one to
make it work in the end, while I have always been the one
with the industrial knowhow and the ideas." Jäderberg
had worked with telephony all his career and had just the
right skills Gustafsson needed to deliver a quality product
in accordance with the new standard. Jäderberg had
always wanted to work in development; so, when
Gustafsson approached him with the offer, he was quick
to accept.
The development of what would become the first
SafeLine telephone started at once. Gustafsson knew that
the most important thing was that the telephone
functioned flawlessly but, at the same time, was easy to
install. Put simply: there would be no hassle.
Gustafsson had access to a lift in Stockholm, the shaft
of which was infamous for the static it caused phones
within to have. "I knew if we could get it to function there,
it would work everywhere," he said. He and Jäderberg
rode it all day, trying out new methods, but things went
poorly. They couldn’t get rid of the static, and the exact
placement of the phone equipment largely decided the
reception quality. (This was often the case with the
equipment of that time.)
Static in calls from lift shafts is common due to
electronic cables disturbing the signals, Jäderberg
explained, saying that he then read as much on static
issues as he could. He returned with a simple solution: the
cables from the car up to the machine room should run
through a current loop. This minimized the effect of static
so that wherever the voice station is placed in the lift car,
communication is upheld.
Based on his solution, Jäderberg produced the first
SafeLine 2000 units by hand, and Gustafsson later sold
them to different lift companies in Sweden. The product
was an instant hit, and it did not take long before they
were sold out. Those first units are still in operation, some
25 years later.
The next step was mass production of products to
supply the increasing demand. For Jäderberg to produce
thousands of units by hand in his home was out of the
question, so an external party took on production. As this
presented a risk of lowering the quality standards,
Jäderberg arranged a protocol by which all units had to be
tested. "I knew we needed a high standard of testing to
maintain a high quality of product. Our cornerstone
philosophy has always been to test every step in
production. I had a music room in my house that became
a testing room." He tested the first 50 units manually and,
from that experience, developed SafeLine's fully
automatic testing system. Jäderberg is convinced the
testing systems laid the foundation for the company's
reputation for reliability and, thus, its successes.
In the following years, SafeLine grew and acquired its
own production line, allowing Gustafsson and Jäderberg
SafeLine Timeline
♦♦ 1993: Lars Gustafsson and Tomas
Jäderberg meet, and the first seed of what
will become SafeLine is planted.
♦♦ 1995: Gustafsson starts Hisselektronik AB.
♦♦ 1998: The European standard EN 81-28 is
proposed as a new industrial standard.
The development of SafeLine 2000
begins.
♦♦ 1999: SafeLine 2000 samples are sold to
Gothenburg, Sweden. The first Global
System for Mobile communications
(GSM)-based lift emergency telephone is
developed.
♦♦ 2000: SafeLine 2000 is launched.
♦♦ 2001: Hisselektronik hires its first
employee and moves to Solkraftsvägen in
Tyresö, Sweden.
♦♦ 2002: SafeLine is sold abroad for the first
time.
♦♦ 2004: Jäderberg begins working full time
with SafeLine phones.
♦♦ 2005: SafeLine starts exporting. Success is
had at the first abroad lift fair, Germany's
Interlift, when SafeLine 3000 (the first lift
emergency telephone to combine
landline and GSM in one unit) is displayed.
SafeLine, with its 11 employees, relocates
to its current facilities at Antennvägen in
Tyresö.
♦♦ 2007: SafeLine Europe is founded.
♦♦ 2008: Hisselektronik becomes a
subsidiary of SafeLine.
♦♦ 2009: The company's first lift control
system is launched.
♦♦ 2010: SafeLine Sweden AB is formed.
♦♦ 2011: The SL6 lift emergency telephone is
launched and goes on to be highly
successful.
♦♦ 2015: The holding company J2L acquires
majority shares of SafeLine Sweden AB,
and Hisselektronik becomes an
independent company.
♦♦ 2017: The THOR control system is
launched.
♦♦ 2019: SafeLine manufactures its 100,000th
SL6 circuit board.
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 97
 The 100,000th SL6
to refine the concept with every succeeding
product, while following the European
I knew we standards. When the SafeLine SL6 was
launched in the beginning of the 2010s,
needed a SafeLine became the biggest manufacturer and
high standard supplier of independent lift emergency
of testing to telephones on the market. Of their years of
hard work and, above all, cooperation,
maintain a Gustafsson said with pride, "We have had an
high quality of impact on the level of technology in the
product. Our industry and hardened the competition. If a
manufacturer is going to make a similar
cornerstone product, it looks toward us."
philosophy has In addition to Gustafsson and Jäderberg,
always been to many of SafeLine’s first employees still work
there. Employees talk about decisions coming
test every step from below, rather than from above — a
in production. company in which the technicians can take part
I had a music in decisions. "We have a very positive culture,
and business has always been good," Gustafsson
room in my explained. "Those two things, I think, have
house that contributed tremendously to people remaining
became a testing within the company over the years."
As it is hard for SafeLine to further improve
room. upon its emergency telephones without also
raising prices, the company has shifted focus
from telephony to other segments of the lift
safety market. The independent lift control
system THOR is one example. It has helped
SafeLine become a market leader of open
control systems in Europe, and, for the first
98 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
time in its history, its sales in Germany are
better than its sales in all the Nordic countries
combined. "Before, nobody really knew who
we were abroad, but now everybody knows. It
is a very conservative industry, where things
move at a snail’s pace — something we always
take into account when developing new
products," Gustafsson explained.
There were, however, some missteps along
the way. "There are certain products that we, in
hindsight, could have skipped, but we have
always learned something from those
mistakes," Gustafsson said, continuing with a
smile:
"Usually, those mistakes have originated from
specific customers wanting specific functions.
Then, when you finally launch the product, it
turns out nobody else wanted it. Now, we have
increasingly let sales and marketing decide what
is needed, rather than it coming straight from the
customer to development. Usually, we have let
our gut feeling decide for us.
Generally, it has led us in the
right direction."
Jonas Tomasson is
copywriter for SafeLine
Group. He holds a degree in
Journalism from Stockholm
University. c
Product Spotlight
Contactorless Integrated Controller
Aybey Elektronik of Turkey launched a
contactorless integrated lift controller at Asansör
Istanbul 2019 (ELEVATOR WORLD, June
2019). AE-MAESTRO supports EN
81-20/50, 81-1 + A3, 81-70,
81-28, 81-72 and 81-73 lift
standards, and has been
certified by Liftinstituut as a
safe-torque-off device. Its
output can be connected
directly to the motor without
contactors. This is to make the
controller wiring easier and the
operation of the panel quiter.
The company says it also
extends the lifetime of the
output transistors at the driver
stage due to the absence of a
mechanical switch between the
motor and transistors.
The compact integrated
controller includes the lift controller
itself, a motor driver, an EMC filter, a DC choke
coil and a rescue power supply isolation circuit. It
uses dual microprocessor architecture, and
manages the motor with a digital signal processor
and the lift system by another processor. This
allows the motor processor to be dedicated to
motor signals and helps achieve high precision in
generating motor signals, which it outputs at 250
Hz with a selectable carrier frequency of 4-16 kHz.
Its power range is 4-30 kW. It can be used up to 64
New Incremental Encoder Series
Düsseldorf, Germany-based
TWK-ELEKTRONIK GmbH has
added the FOI series of incremental
encoders to its range of magnetic
encoders. They are compact and offer a
high level of resolution and accuracy,
which the company says were
previously only obtained from optical
encoders. They are also robust like
magnetic encoders. Any desired
number of pulses between one and
16,384 can be obtained. They provide
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe
floors as simplex, as well as in a lift group with up to
eight units.
AE-MAESTRO can drive both syncronous and
asyncronous motors. It supports both closed- and
open-loop operation for geared traction machines.
Therefore, it can be retrofitted to one- or two-speed
geared traction machines directly without an
encoder. It offers three Controller Area Network
buses. Car communication is always serial. Landing
panels can be connected in serial or parallel
connection. It can also use incremental or absolute
encoders for floor selection. In this case, an
intelligent speed system determines travel speeds
depending on the path and manages the travel
curve. It can use also magnetic switches when
open-loop operation is selected.
The product includes a thin-film-transistor
terminal for monitoring and adjustments that can
be used anywhere in the shaft via CAN bus. The
device's two serial ports are used for serial data
communication (such as USB or Ethernet). The
system can be monitored and adjusted directly with
USB or in a local network and via the internet with
Ethernet.
The system supports access-control restrictions
based on floor number or time and VIP travel.
These two systems are managed by the access
control software built into AE-MAESTRO. A
radio-frequency identification card or iButton
device can be used with this function when read by
a reader in landing units or the car operating panel.
www.aybey.com c
outputs A, B, Z and their inverted
signals, available with either Push-Pull
(HTL) or RS422 (TTL) output drivers.
The sensor shaft is designed for axial
and radial shaft loads of 40 and 110 N.
Their operating temperature range is
-40°C to +85°C, and their protection
rating is IP65. The 750,000-plus
versions, including those for elevators,
are available from stock in small
quantities.
www.twk.de c
99
Product Spotlight
Rotary Encoder System
How to correctly measure position and speed
of low-rise residential elevators
by Robert Wachendorff
Ever since Elisha Graves Otis
dramatized his safety device on the
floor of the Crystal Palace
Exposition in NYC in 1854, lift
designers and manufacturers have
been trying to answer the question,
"Where is my lift car, and how fast
is it going right now?"
Over the years, a
fundamental principle that
detected only the critical
positions with absolute
reliability in the shaft head,
shaft floor and door zones, was
established. Optical sensors or
magnetic switches with a fixed
As for its other installation in the elevator shaft
encoders, and with associated tape with
Wachendorff
offers the
holes or magnets that confirm
standardized the pre- and shutoff points of the
CANopen lift control units have been installed in
profile for the every elevator. At the same time,
SilentMove,
shown here.
the speed of the car is measured
and controlled using encoders and
drives.
It is possible to imagine that all
elevator manufacturers have
developed countless variations of
this basic principle with the aims of
optimizing safety, assembly and
maintenance requirements at the
lowest possible cost. However, the
additional requirements of ride
comfort, positional accuracy and
energy savings were added over
time. Ideally, passengers will not
feel the car's starting and braking
and would like it to stop completely
flush with the floor. A uniform and
balanced control system also allows
additional energy to be saved.
Finally, elevator manufacturers'
desire for faster and more flexible
installation and the requirement of
clients to, in principle, reduce
100 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
installation time also became
increasingly important.
As international standardization
also continues to develop, it is no
longer enough to detect the car
only in the critical positions.
Rather, it has become necessary to
know the precise speed and
position of the previous "zero-
visibility phase" and be able to
precisely regulate it. Over time,
these new requirements have
resulted in various technical
solutions for measuring position
and speed in the shaft to improve
elevator performance with respect
to positioning and leveling.
Apart from many variants in the
design, functions and
characteristics that result from the
very different approaches around
the world, some basic solutions
have been established on the
market:
♦♦ Optical scanning using sensors
installed on the car, in
combination with a reading tape
mounted in the shaft
♦♦ As above, but as a magnetic
system
♦♦ Optical scanning with a perforated
metal tape (also referred to as a
tape selector)
♦♦ A rotary encoder with a deflection
mechanism and a timing belt
mounted in the shaft
SilentMove™ is an example of
the latter system. While it is only of
limited use for high-rise buildings,
it is designed for applications in a
wide range of medium-sized
buildings. This includes residential
elevators or home lifts, hydraulic
Product Spotlight
Robert Wachendorff is CEO of Wachendorff Automation GMBH
& Co. KG and a managing partner of the company. He has many
years of experience in sales and organization and holds an
Industrial Engineering Dipl.-Wirtsch- Ing. From the Technical
University of Central Hesse in Giessen, Germany.
lifts, limited-use/limited-application (LU/LA) systems, cargo lifts
or car lifts.
How It Works
A toothed pulley mounted on the shaft of a rotary encoder,
which in turn is attached to the car, rolls along a timing belt
mounted in the shaft. The timing belt is mounted between the
shaft head and bottom, using very simple but efficient mounting
parts tensioned by a spring. The encoder is easy to incorporate
into the elevator by using a mechanism or bracket in both new
installations and modernizations.
The information generated about the position, like speed and
acceleration of the car, can be transmitted via an interface as
absolute or incremental values to a control and regulation system,
which, in turn, can use this information to map the elevator's
functions. This results in the encoder system's first important
advantages:
♦♦ It is much easier to install a timing belt than magnetic or optical
reading tape.
♦♦ The large tolerance with respect to the plumb line allows for
faster and more flexible assembly.
♦♦ The sensor system is self-contained in a single component. This
eliminates the risk of reading errors with separate sensors and
tapes in dirty hoistways. This is especially true in harsher
environments such as outdoor installations or buildings subject
to corrosive salt air.
♦♦ Compared to the installation of optical sensors or magnets,
commissioning is quick and easy. The installer can easily move to
each floor and accordingly record the door zones and floor
positions as soon as the control system has recorded the values of
the position in the shaft using a reference run. All values for the
run are thus set after a single run. For corrections due to
tolerances, the values can simply be rerecorded. Rather than
having to move about the shaft, the installer can carry out these
tasks seamlessly from the control system or by using a remote
control.
However, one disadvantage also shows why the encoder
system can only be used to a limited extent at higher speeds and
elevations: even if the system reduces noise using vibration
dampers, noises are generated at high speeds. Although they may
be below the defined requirements, they are, nevertheless,
measurable.
Additional special requirements in many of the
aforementioned applications (home lifts, hydraulic lifts, LU/LA
systems, cargo lifts or car lifts) make SilentMove attractive. First,
in some cases, only a few centimeters or steps need to be bridged.
Here, a system with magnets or optical sensors cannot provide
good positional accuracy, and the other systems are too complex
in terms of installation and handling. Only the flexibility of the
installation options for the timing belt and the associated freedom
of attachment fully solve this application's problems.
With hydraulic elevators, the precise detection of the position
and the speed, especially when starting up and braking, can result
in significantly greater ride comfort with regard to the uniformity
of the acceleration and landing of the car. Above all, the position
May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 101
 Product Spotlight of the floor can be approached very precisely.
These features allow the customer to reach the
floor faster and more accurately, while consuming
less energy. With all applications, the highly
accurate position makes it easy to adjust the door
zone individually, thus minimizing the time
between the car's stopping and opening the door.
The rotary encoder is also compact, a design
Specifications that requires both high bearing loads and
♦♦ Noise Produced: 68 technologies to ensure the device does not take up
dB too much space. In Wachendorff Automation
♦♦ Accuracy: 0.1 mm GMBH & Co. KG's WDGA series, two key
♦♦ Speed limit: up to technologies make it possible to accommodate an
800 ft/min absolute multiturn encoder in a 36-mm housing:
♦♦ Height limit: up to EnDra® and QuattroMag®. The EnDra multiturn
400 ft technology uses a Wiegand wire consisting of a
♦♦ Belt system: nonslip hard magnetic sheath and a soft magnetic core.
due to steel The absolute position per revolution (single turn)
reinforcement; is measured with a magnet on the rotating shaft
Teflon coated and four hall sensors. When the magnet's field
♦♦ Encoder: moves along the wire due to the shaft turning, the
incremental or soft magnetic core wants to follow the field, while
absolute magnetic via the hard magnetic shell prevents this from
CANopen, SSI or happening. An increasingly large field difference is
RS485 interface created in the wire (similar, for example, to
♦♦ Certification: UL drawing a bow). As soon as the external field
listed matches the coercivity of the outer shell, the shell
is demagnetized, and the voltage in the core jumps
dramatically. This speed-independent pulse is
generated twice per revolution and converted via a
coil into electrical impulses. These signals create
enough power to operate a low-energy fram
accumulator and provide information on the
number of rotations completed. No additional
external energy is needed for this revolution count.
When external voltage is available again, an
intelligent microcontroller calculates the correct
Energy Conservation
Skeleton Technologies of
Grossröhrsdorf, Germany, has
partnered with Spanish
company Epic Power to
offer the Kinetic Energy
Recovery System
(KERS). The product uses
silicon carbide-based DC/
DC converters to recover
energy in braking applications.
Skeleton says it can reduce the power
consumption of elevators by up to 50%.
102 www.elevatorworld.eu • May - June 2019
value from the position and number of rotations
and sends this value to the control unit. Our
QuattroMag single-turn technology is based on
four hall sensors, in conjunction with a patented
algorithm that calculates the magnetic field
generated by a diametrically arranged magnet in
such a manner that any interferences from the hall
signals cancel each other out. These technologies
make the product useful even in highly accurate
and dynamic applications that, in the past, only
optical systems could handle.
The control and sensor system requirements for
residential applications are not comparable with
those for the high-rise sector. While a highly
accurate position measurement is desired to
prevent trip hazards or unevenness, higher safety
requirements are only needed to a limited extent,
because of the relatively low lift speeds and low
elevations.
The elevator installer can save considerable
time and material not only regarding the individual
costs for the positioning system, but also thanks to
the short installation time and, in particular, the
interface design. Many microcontrollers used in
controls and drives come equipped with interfaces
that are already integrated and can be upgraded to
a required interface with only a few more
components. This provides the control unit
designer with a suitable means of communication
between encoder and control system at almost no
extra cost. In addition, the WDGA encoders offer
the versatile and proven CANopen protocol or
proprietary adaptations, as well as common
interfaces, such as RS485 or SSI.
www.wachendorff-automation.com
www.adamselevator.com c
Used with a regenerative variable-voltage,
variable-frequency drive (VVVF), the graphene
ultracapacitors in the KERS recirculate and store
energy, which can then be recalled from the
system's ultracapacitor pack when the elevator
needs it.
KERS can be applied to new installations or
retrofitted to existing lifts. As a rule, the systems
have a capacity of up to 15 kW. If, however, more
stored energy is desired, it can be made possible
by installing multiple systems in parallel.
www.skeletontech.com c
Product Spotlight

Monoblock Elevator
Control Unit Launched
Arkel Elektrik of Turkey has sold its failure; customer just needs to connect an
integrated control unit, Arcode, since 2013. uninterruptible power supply to it.
Known for combining the main controller board; ♦♦ Only 17 wires for traveling cable
variable-voltage, variable-frequency (VVVF) AC ♦♦ Automatic tuning of a geared or gearless
drive; and automatic rescue machine from any make with no need to remove
device (ARD) in a single ropes.
package, it was a catalyst for ♦♦ Connection with an overload device using the
the company's growth. The pretorque function
company's new monoblock ♦♦ Software update by Secure Digital card
elevator control unit ♦♦ Built-in floor-announcement and music systems
Arcube combines a VVVF ♦♦ Serial or parallel car or shaft installation options
drive unit, control board, ♦♦ Synchronous and asynchronous machine
ARD logic and all other support
panel elements as a single www.arkel.com.tr/en c
unit. Monoblock
technology's design helps
overcome
the inherent
limitations of
conventional elevator control
®
Arcube is EN 81-20 panel systems. It is smaller than a
compliant. briefcase (422 mm high X 537
mm wide X 200 mm deep), only
20.2 kg and prewired. Made on a
robotic assembly line for The innovative safety system for
reliability, it also eliminates the
motor contactor for noiseless
the prevention of finger trapping.
machine-room-less installation.
With a goal to lighten and
minimize the panels used for
lifts, Arkel offers the Arcube in 4,
5.5, 7.5 and 11 kW motor power
models. Other features include:
♦♦ Ability to work up to 16
floors, 1.75 mps and with two
lifts in group operation
♦♦ Car positioning with or
without motor encoder,
providing accurate floor
leveling irrespective of load
and direction
♦♦ Evacuation operation to the Your Premium Partner for High Quality
nearest floor in case of power Elevator Doors, located in Munich, Germany.
www.meiller-aufzugtueren.de

May - June 2019 • ELEVATOR WORLD Europe 103

Advertisers Index
Aksöz Makina .....................................................................................1
Alberto Sassi S.p.A. ..............................................................................3
Ametal ...............................................................................................31
Arkel ................................................................................................. 17
Aybey Elektronik ................................................................................ 49
Cobianchi ...............................................................Front Cover İnside
Elmas...............................................................................................9
Giovenzana International B.V. .......................................................... 21
International Elevator & Escalator Symposium ..................................43
Kleemann .......................................................................................... 25
Liftinstituut ...........................................................................Back Cover
Merih ..................................................................................................5
MEILLER ..........................................................................................103
Montanari ................................................................. Back Cover İnside
NAEC ................................................................................................. 79
Prysmian S.p.A. ..................................................................................59 LOOKING FOR
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The Elevator Show Dubai ................................................................... 67 INDUSTRY INFORMATION?
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