As the proverb goes, “necessity is the mother of invention”. Every few years with the increased space crunch, especially in the cities, there are inventions in every field including the E&E (Elevator & Escalator) industry. This blog highlights the latest or the new technologies available in the E&E industry, their advantages and disadvantages. Some of these technologies are elaborated in the paragraphs below.

Double-deck elevators

Though the technology of Double-deck Elevator was invented way back in 1931, the reason this technology is detailed here is because till date there is not a single Double-deck installation in India. A few technical details of a Double-deck Elevator are:-

• Double-deck Elevator is an elevator with two cabs attached together, one on top of the other which allows the passengers on 2 consecutive floors to be able to use the elevator simultaneously,
• By virtue of the design of this Elevator, passenger capacity per hoistway increases significantly,
• For conventional Double-deck Elevators, the floor rise of each floor has to be equal but customized option of Elevator serving unequal floor rise is available at an additional cost.

Some of the advantages are:

• With accurate design, the number of hoistways could reduce considerably
• During peak period, when both the decks are fully loaded, energy is saved,
• Upper deck could be used as passenger elevator and during non-peak hours the lower deck could be doubled up as service / goods elevator

It has a few disadvantages which are given below:

• During non-peak hours, even though the traffic is less both the decks will be operational,
• Equal floor rise could be a constraint,
• For efficient usage of the double-deck system, even number of floors is preferred, and
• There is no standard / code in India as of now

Twin Elevators

TWIN Elevator system is a proprietary product invented by ThyssenKrupp in 2003. TWIN is the system in which 2 Elevator cabs run independently in 1 hoist way. The ideal scenario is where the upper cab serves the upper half of the building and the lower cab is serves the lower half of the building (number of floors served is a function of the traffic analysis results).Some technical details of TWIN elevator system are:

• TWIN Elevator system if designed efficiently could result in saving of around 25% space,
• TWIN is designed on a TÜV-tested safety concept to satisfy even the most stringent requirements, and
• This system is suitable specially for hotel, office, mixed-use buildings

Some of the advantages are:

• With accurate design, the number of hoist ways could reduce considerably
• Both the cabs use the same single hoist way, same set of landing doors and guide rails,
• Unlike in a Double-deck Elevator where even during non-peak hours, both the decks are run, in the TWIN system, one of the cabs could be parked and only 1 cab could be utilized,
• Upper cab could be made to serve the lowest landing (with proper pit design)

A few disadvantages are:

• Standalone TWIN system is not completely efficient unless there is a supporting transfer system,
• Ideal for buildings with 2 entry levels / zones
• There is no standard / code in India as of now

Multi System

MULTI system was announced in 2017 and is a proprietary product of ThyssenKrupp. This system is the world’s first rope-free Elevator system, in which multiple cars move in a single hoist way horizontally as well as vertically.Some technical details of MULTI system are:

• Through the use of magnetized cabins, which operate in the same shaft on an electromagnetic track which enables the cabs to travel sideways as well as in the up and down direction,
• Leveraging the linear motor technology developed for the magnetic levitation trans-rapid train, the cabins move up one shaft, travel horizontally, and then come down another in a continuous loop,
• Exchanger mechanisms like railway switches help to guide the cars, which are mounted with carbon-fiber bearings called slings that allow them to change direction,
• Since this system runs on magnets and motors, fewer and smaller hoistways are required in comparison to conventional cable operated Elevators
• Not having cables might seem that the system is less safe but that’s not the case. The linear motors are safe because they need to be energized before they move. That means that without energy, the cabins can’t move. That’s why the cabins are equipped with batteries in case of energy breakdown. In addition, a multi-step braking system is designed that doesn’t allow cabins to move freely.

Some of the advantages are:

• Endless possibilities with the architectural design as the building can be served both horizontally and vertically for passenger / goods movement,
• If the building is designed well, the number of hoist ways could reduce considerably

A few disadvantages are:

• Not suitable for low rise / mid-rise buildings where the footprint is small,
• Cost effectiveness needs to be evaluated, and
• There is no standard / code in India as of now

Jump Elevators

Jump Elevators / Lifts were developed by Kone Elevators in 2001. It is a self-climbing Elevator system that is installed as soon as the first levels of completed floors are constructed. It allows hoist way construction and Elevator installations to continue at higher floors while the Elevator is operating in the same hoist way at lower floors, below a protection deck. They are a good alternative to external hoists.Some technical details of Jump Elevators are given below:

• Jump Elevators / Lifts use the permanent hoist way,
• Jump Elevators / Lifts are fitted with automated doors as any other regular Elevator / Lift, making the usage safer,
• The mobile machine room contains the hoisting machine and the Elevator controls. It moves upwards as the building progresses,
• The double protection deck is used to protect against any possible falling of objects & is locked to pockets in the hoist way walls,
• The deflection deck is attached to the slip form very close to the formwork position, deflecting any objects or possible wet concrete that may fall to the shaft,
• The installation platform is used to install the guide rails and other elevator components, and
• The separation deck isolates the working area from the operating elevator below it

Some of the advantages are:

• With proper planning, construction process could be faster,
• Labour, material & tools reach their destination floor faster,
• As against an external hoist used during construction, jump Elevator / Lift has an all-weather operation, and
• Façade can be completed faster

A few disadvantages are:

• Needs proper planning during the construction phase, and
• This product is limited to few suppliers only

IOT & Ai for Elevators and Escalators

Elevators and Escalators have become an inevitable part of most of the tier 1 and 2 cities across the globe. And with increased number of installations, managing the service, operation and maintenance is a big task for the suppliers. IoT and AI enabled Elevators and Escalators help in many of those tasks such as:

• IoT enabled Elevators / Escalators can gather data related to electrical circuits, load weighing, number of trips, number of door cycles, wait times, traffic trends, ride analysis, harmonic analysis, etc.,
• Data collected, aids in improving the preventive maintenance schedule,
• The systems help in keeping track of wear and tear,
• IoT devices enable real-time data transmission to the designated mechanic which can allow the mechanic to proactively attend to the problems,
• IoT devices monitor the equipment 24/7 and serve as the eyes and ears of whoever is responsible for maintaining the equipment,
• IoT data can help improve the innovation / research process of the manufacturers,
• Monitoring the equipment often, can also lead to increased life cycle,
• AI is helping anticipate the problems and manage the traffic flow better in the Elevators & Escalators