ThyssenKrupp develops world’s first rope-free elevator system: After 160 years, the era of rope-dependent elevators may finally be over.

ThyssenKrupp's latest offering, named MULTI, will allow several cabins in the same shaft to move vertically and horizontally.

GMCS Editorial:  Take just one moment today and remember Robin Williams in the Dead Poet’s Society.  That moment when he stood upon his desk and asked the class why was he standing on his desk?  ”To be taller?” No! “I climbed on my desk to remind myself that we must always look at things from different angles.”

This is exactly the type of creative and innovative idea that comes from standing on your desk and looking at the world from a different angle.  This concept has the potential to change everything that we know about design, structure and architecture, not just in the vertical, built environment, but in our living space as we know it.  This is the definition of innovation.

I urge all of my clients and students to take a moment and stand on your desk today.         

 

ThyssenKrupp develops world’s first rope-free elevator system: After 160 years, the era of rope-dependent elevators may finally be over.

A 2013 analysis of two-dimensional elevator traffic systems likens the present use of one cabin per elevator shaft to using an entire railway line between two cites with a single train—an avoidable inefficiency.

ThyssenKrupp's latest offering, named MULTI, will allow several cabins in the same shaft to move vertically and horizontally, which the company says is “a new and efficient transport solution for mid- and high-rise buildings.”

The mechanism is made possible by applying the linear motor technology of the magnetic levitation train Transrapid to the elevator industry.

In a manner similar to a metro system operation, the elevator design can incorporate various self-propelled elevator cabins per shaft running in a loop, increasing the shaft transport capacity by up to 50%, making it possible to reduce the elevator footprint in buildings by as much as 50%.

The elevator requires no cables, and uses a multi-level break system and inductive power transfers between shaft and cabin. This allows the elevator to occupy smaller shafts than conventional elevators, which can increase a building's usable area by up to 25%. The overall increase in efficiency also translates into a lower requirement for escalators and additional elevator shafts, resulting in significant construction cost savings as well as a multiplication of rent revenues from increased usable space.

Although the ideal building height for MULTI installations starts at 985 feet, this system is not constrained by a building's height.

“Building design will no longer be limited by the height or vertical alignment of elevator shafts, opening possibilities to architects and building developers they have never imagined possible,” the company said in a release.

MULTI is based on the concept of ThyssenKrupp TWIN's control system and safety features, but includes new features such as new and lightweight materials for cabins and doors, resulting in a 50% weight reduction as compared to standard elevators, as well as a new linear drive—using one motor for horizontal and vertical movements.

Operating on the basic premise of a circular system, such as a paternoster, MULTI consists of various cabins running in a loop at a targeted speed of 5 m/s, enabling passengers to have near-constant access to an elevator cabin every 15 to 30 seconds, with a transfer stop every 164 feet.

Source: BDC Network