Lift Report

Elevator engineering has in recent years been characterized by individual components becoming ever smaller. Initially it was “just” the D/d ratio between the drive sheave and the rope that moved ever closer to a value of 40 – and in some special, individual cases even beyond that, enabling the use of drives without downline gearing. Over and above that, the machine room itself has been eliminated in the meantime in many installations; various components were shifted into the hoistway. Front-running companies in this technology have been on the market for more than 10 years. The potential cost savings when erecting a building without a machine room are quite obvious.

Sometimes technologies have one recognizable driver for development, some aspect of performance that is characteristic to a certain product. A good example of this is the packing density of mass memories used in computer industry. Starting from paper tapes, magnetic tapes, magnetic discs and optical media, they are now approaching a level of performance where an entire movie in HD-format can be packed into a single DV-disc.

This article is intended to point out the advantages, diversity and flexibility of the open DCP (drive control and positioning) standard used in the elevator industry. It will, however, not go into extensive detail or require any comprehensive theoretical background on the reader’s part. This article is to provide decision- makers assistance in achieving an objective picture of the technology and its advantages.

The interlift 2007, the worldwide leading trade fair for elevator technology, is presenting, as was to be expected, numerous novelties and innovations. Since the last interlift in 2005 there have been five main topics which occupied this sector: The improvement and the standardisation of the safety standards for elevators in Europe, evacuation in case of catastrophes, and – to be seen within the context of the worldwide discussions about climate change – the introduction of energy efficiency in elevators and escalators. Numerous interesting possible solutions aimed at these main topics will be presented by the over 470 exhibitors at the interlift 2007. But in addition, new and further reaching ideas and products will be showing the highly innovative energy of this sector at the interlift and demonstrate the considerable technical progress, which has been made within the timeframe of only two years.