How Tech Innovation Can Make Vertical Transport Greener

Rightly so, energy efficiency is a hot topic in all areas of the construction industry. It’s something we have always tried to focus on with regards to lifts and escalators, or indeed with any method of transporting people from A to B. More and more construction briefs will be centred around focussing on how they may build in such a way to reduce the impact on the natural environment around them, preserve or re-use resources and in all other ways keep their projects ‘green’. 

We previously wrote about this subject in the following posts “Vertical Transportation & Energy Efficiency” which you can find here  and “An A-Z of how Vertical Transport can help you go green”.

In January of this year SODIMAS Lift Manufacturers paid us a visit at Dunbar & Boardman HQ in London to discuss the 3 green solutions they’re working on inclusive of their Solar Powered Lift initiative.

Standby mode

For a co-owner type building, the lifts energy consumption is close to the consumption necessary to its standby mode, the lift remains on standby for the majority of the time.
On average, this kind of lift is used to a maximum of 1 hour per day.
The proposed solution is to install one or two solar panels, depending on the levels of sunlight in order to supply this standby energy.

Safety mode
 

The installation of batteries and solar panels supplies sufficient back up energy for the lift travel in the event of a power failure. When using this solution, the lift is automatically brought back to the nearest level and opens its doors allowing passengers to exit. It's then kept on standby until a technician reaches the site to repair/resets the lift.
 

Stand-alone mode
 

Completely stand-alone, the operating lift is independent with both mains and solar power supplies.  Switching from one energy source to another is automatic and smooth for the passengers. At any given moment, the lift is able to travel without having to rely on the proper working order of the power supply network.

The number of photovoltaic panels and batteries depends on the levels of sunlight and the necessary electrical power for the functioning of the lift in the absence of electrical power.

Through these technical changes, It is possible to develop an approach to eco-design and sustainable development in order to reduce its environmental impact.

Other manufacturers are also creating such Sustainable Development products such as Otis and Schindler.

Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. Are you currently planning a project that will involve vertical transportation?  We would be happy to discuss with you. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via garyavis@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.

Image credit: http://bit.ly/1SiunJL

Who Built the First Solar-Powered Elevator?

If you are a regular reader of this blog you’ll know that we like to highlight the people and companies responsible for industry firsts. This week is no exception, we return to the theme of solar-powered forms of vertical transportation. Given the desire of society in general and the vertical transportation industry in particular to increase our use of solar power as an energy efficient solution it is perhaps surprising that the first solar-powered elevator was installed as recently as 2013. 

Who built the First Solar-Powered Elevator?

It was Schindler who built the first solar-powered elevator during 2013. The solar-powered elevator was installed in a building in Barcelona and is an adapted version of Schindler’s 3300 model elevator. It can operate solely on solar power or powered by the grid or a combination of both.  Schindler have been pioneers in the creation and then installation of solar-powered elevators in Europe and they also installed the first in America too. The first solar-powered elevator installed in the United States was installed at the Akridge commercial real estate firm in Washington DC in 2015.  Schindler are at the forefront of solar technology. They are also a partner in the Solar Impulse Project, which is a project developing a solar powered aeroplane to fly around the world.

How does it Work? 

Solar panels are installed on the roof of the building to produce the power for the elevator. The size and exact specification of the solar panels was determined only after the anticipated passenger traffic and energy usage has been estimated. The solar panels capture energy that can be used immediately or stored in batteries or resold to the national grid. Solar-powered elevators are able to work off stored power in the event of a power outage.

What are the Benefits of Solar-Powered Elevators?

A solar-powered elevator reduces energy costs and avoids peaks in power usage that usually occur at the start and end of the working day in commercial buildings. In addition, solar-powered elevators can continue to function using stored energy in the event of a blackout. 

Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. Are you currently planning a project that will involve vertical transportation?  We would be happy to discuss with you. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via garyavis@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.
 

Image credit: Schindler.com

Industry Pioneers: Peter Ellis - the Father of the Paternoster

Peter Ellis was born on 1 August 1805 at Shaw's Brow (later renamed William Brown Street) in Liverpool. He was the third son in a family of seven; his parents were Peter Ellis Senior and Ann Ellis (née Appleton). Peter Ellis Senior was an architect who worked on the construction of Courts in an area now buried under Lime Street Station. It was perhaps no surprise when Peter followed in his father’s footsteps and became an architect. He was first mentioned in Gore's Liverpool Directory in 1834 as an architect with an office on Renshaw Street but prior to that he had learned his trade working with his father developing terrace properties for residential use. 

What did he do?

Ellis had a fairly prolific career and worked on many buildings in the Liverpool area in from the 1820s right up 1884, the year of his death. He died at the age of 79 at his home at 40 Falkner Square on 20 October 1884. Of all the buildings that he worked on he is best known for two of his commissions; Oriel Chambers built in 1864 and 16 Cook Street built in 1866. The Cook Street building had a spiral staircase, cantilevered out from the main building and clad with sheets of iron and glass. Oriel Chambers took its name from the type of windows used was in the construction. Oriel Chambers became Ellis’ most notable contribution to the architectural community in the United Kingdom and around the world. Oriel windows are a type of bay window that project from the main wall of a building but do not reach the ground. Oriel windows are supported by corbels, brackets or similar and are most commonly found projecting from an upper floor but have also been used on the ground floor. 

How does this relate to the Vertical Transportation industry?

Designed and built by Ellis, Oriel Chambers contained the world’s first Paternoster-style lift. Ellis received a lot criticism from the architectural community for Oriel Chambers at the time of its construction and his career suffered a loss of momentum.  Many years later Oriel Chambers was praised for being one of the first office buildings to use an iron framework structure and oriel windows and Ellis was finally acknowledged as a pioneer. The innovative design has also been recognised as a precursor to Modernism and a source of inspiration for John Root’s early Chicago skyscrapers. From a vertical transportation perspective, Ellis is recognised as the Father of the Paternoster lift.  Ellis had filed a patent* for a ‘continuously moving lift’ in 1866, it was granted the following year and the Paternoster lift at Oriel Chambers was installed in October 1869. Paternosters went onto become very popular during the first half of the 20th century, particularly in Eastern Europe. You can read more about paternosters in our post, ‘here’.

Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. Are you currently planning a project that will involve vertical transportation? We would be happy to discuss with you. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.

Double Deck Elevators: Where was the first one?

 Double deck lift within the Eiffel Tower

A Double-deck elevator is a type of elevator where two cabins are attached to each other. One In a typical example, one of the elevators cabins will stop at even floors and the other elevator cabin can stop at the odd floors. They are also useful for  for delivering high volumes of people to a Sky Lobby in super high rise buildings. Double-deck elevators save time and space in high-occupancy buildings by mounting one car upon anotherhaving two cars in the same vertical shaft. The efficiency of Double-deck elevators serving all floors, can be further enhanced by the use of a destination control system.

The first Double–deck elevator was installed in The Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1889. by The Otis Elevator Company.  Charles and Norton were carrying on the work of their father, Elisha.  The Eiffel Tower has double-deck elevators built into the legs of the tower, serving the ground level to the first and second levels. Even though the shaft runs diagonally upwards with the contour of the tower, both the upper and lower cars remain horizontally level. The offset distance of the two cars changes throughout the journey.

There are four elevator cars of the traditional design that run from the second level to the third level. The cars are connected to their opposite pairs (opposite in the elevator landing/hall) and use each other as the counterweight. As one car ascends from level 2, the other descends from level 3. The operations of these elevators are synchronized by a light signal in the car. 

Where are other examples of Double–deck elevators?

List of structures with double-deck passenger elevators:   

   

Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. Do you have a current or planned project that includes Double-deck elevators? We would be happy to discuss any such requirements and how we may be able to assist. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.

How did the Schindler Group become so successful?

 

Today the Schindler Group is one of the top four elevator manufacturers in the world, has over 50,000 employees in over 100 countries. Schindler manufactures, installs and services elevators and escalators. Schindler elevators and escalators move 1 billion people every day but it wasn’t always this way. How did the company get started?

In 1874, twenty years after Elisha Otis was demonstrating his elevator brake at the New York World’s Fair two Swiss gentleman, Robert Schindler and Eduard Villiger founded a general partnership company in Lucerne, Switzerland. The company was called Schindler and Villiger and the company opened a mechanical workshop on an island in the Reuss River in Lucerne, Switzerland. The workshop produced lifting equipment and other machinery.

Few details of the early lives of Schindler and Villiger are known. The Swiss reputation for privacy is well earned. Once the company was established Schindler and Villiger wasted no time in building the business and increasing its scope of activities.

Key Schindler Dates:

 

1878: The first Factory regulations include a 63 ½ hour week, a 14 day notice period, and accident insurance.

1883 Moved to the newly built 300 m^2 plant at Sentimattstrasse in Lucerne. The products are laundry equipment and water driven elevators

1890: Delivery of first Hydraulic freight elevator.

1892: Eduard Villiger leaves the partnership. The company continues under the name of Robert Schindler Machinery Manufacturer. / The first electric elevator with belt drive is built. Schindler's most important customers during its first years were large hotels and production plants, first in Lucerne and later throughout Switzerland.

1894: Introduction of the 59-hour week.

1895: The factory is extended and an iron foundry is added.

1899: Schindler elevators were equipped with worm gears and controlled by a pull rope.

1901: Robert Schindler sold the business to his brother Alfred Schindler, who became the new sole proprietor and changed the firm's name accordingly.

1902: The first electric passenger elevator with automatic push button control is delivered. 

1906:  A new business partner, Fritz Geilfuss, joined the company and it became a partnership, Schindler & Cie.

1906: Schindler opens its first subsidiary in Berlin.

1907: Agency in Lausanne established.

1908: Schindler builds houses for 50 Schindler workers in Littau. Agencies in Zurich and Basel established.

1909: Delivery of first multi speed electric elevator, driven by an Oerlikon two speed motor.  Schindler and Houplin is founded in France.

1910: The first elevator with a single-phase commutator motor is delivered. Agencies in Bern and Argentina established.

1911: – Agencies in Turkey, Algeria, Russia and Italy established.

Why were Schindler successful when many others failed? As this timeline demonstrates international expansion and product innovation laid the foundations for the future success of Schindler. After 1911 Schindler expanded into more European countries and by 1931 had even reached China. In the late 1960s expansion through corporate acquisitions became the preferred strategy and many smaller companies were acquired around the world. This proved to be a very successful strategy that explains their presence in over 100 countries today. 

Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. Do you have a current or planned project that includes elevators? We would be happy to discuss any such requirements and how we may be able to assist. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.

What can we learn from the career of Elisha Otis?

The vertical transportation industry would not be what it is today without Elisha Graves Otis. Born in 1811 the youngest of six children to Stephen Otis and Phoebe Glynn in Halifax, Vermont. He is acknowledged as the creator of the industry because of his invention of the elevator ‘brake’ (safety gear) that prevented elevators from falling if the hoisting cable failed. This invention made high-rise buildings a practical reality and his sons, Charles and Norton, went on to build a company that became a global giant.

Early career

His career was very varied. He worked as a wagon driver, carpenter and owned a gristmill that he converted to a sawmill. He also worked as a builder of wagons and carriages and as a doll maker for Otis Tingely.

Persistence

Elisha was involved in many business ventures both as an employee and business owner and was dogged by uncertainty, financial insecurity and ill health and yet persisted with his inventions and tinkering.

Problems present opportunities

While working for Otis Tingely in Albany, New York he struggled to meet the daily quota of making twelve dolls per day. His response was to invent and patent a mechanical doll turner that enabled him to produce dolls four times faster - he could produce 50 per day. He was rewarded with a $500 bonus.

Failure was his best teacher

It was his failure at running his own sawmill due to an inability to attract enough customers that ultimately prepared him to capitalise on his greatest opportunity with the elevator brake. 

It’s never too late to make your mark

Elisha was 40 years old when he created the elevator brake while overseeing the conversion of a sawmill to a bedstead factory. He was clearing up debris by hand and wondering how to move debris to the upper levels of the factory. Hoisting platforms existed but were unreliable – is response was to invent the “safety elevator” with the elevator ‘brake’. He did not think enough of it to patent the invention initially. The elevator ‘brake’ was used successfully in the factory until the bedstead business failed.

Delight and amaze your customers

Many of the businesses that Elisha had been involved with had failed to attract enough customers. After the bedstead company failed he focused on his elevator brake invention and founded Union Elevator Works in 1852. There were no orders for his invention. His theatrical demonstration of the elevator brake at the 1854 New York World's Fair complete with axe man cutting the hoisting rope was a masterful act of showmanship. When the rope was cut the platform fell only a few inches because of the elevator brake / safety gear. This demonstration led to continuous orders from customers and laid the foundations for the vertical transportation industry.  After the World’s Fair Elisha changed the name of his company to The Otis Elevator Company.

Leave a legacy

Charles and Norton built on their father’s achievements after his death from diphtheria in 1861 and established the company as a global giant. They installed an elevator in Paris's Eiffel Tower in 1889 and another in the Washington Monument the following year. In 1913, the Otis Company installed an elevator inside the 60-storey Woolworth Building in New York City, at that time the world's tallest building.

What have we learned? With grit and determination driven by need we can succeed to break down social boundaries and perceptions.  

Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. Do you have a current or planned project that includes elevators? We would be happy to discuss any such requirements and how we may be able to assist. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.

What should you consider when choosing a car lift? 5 Pointers

Just a few short years ago the general perception of residential car lifts were that they were fantastic devices owned by fictional characters such as Batman and James Bond. In reality both residential and commercial vehicle lifts have been with us for quite some time. Infamously Mitt Romney changed all that in 2012 and threw a spotlight on vehicle lifts when during the American presidential election of 2012 it emerged that he had ordered a car lift for his southern California home.  Car lifts are a smart solution for businesses or individuals that need vertical transportation for vehicles. Do you know what should you consider when choosing a car lift? We have listed 5 pointers below.

1. Dimensions and Weight of Vehicles

It seems obvious but it is important to know the exact dimensions and weight of the vehicles being transported. Any lift chosen will need to have the appropriate load capacity.

2. Dimensions of Lift Car

Similarly the exact dimensions of the lift car will need checked and double –checked: lifting capacity, height and width. Will this lift fit within the property? Does it meet the compulsory legislative requirements of The Lifts Directive, designed in accordance with the EN81/1or EN81/2 standards? Can the vehicle car door be opened?

3. What features are needed for the car lift?

There are a lot of permutations for your car lift; Which power system and door arrangement for should you choose? Do you need all or some of the following: traffic lights at entrance levels, Remote 'key-fob' controls, 'Strip' switch controls to side walls? An oil heater for cold morning starts, Oil cooler allowing increased use, Faster speeds for long travel heights, ventilation for the car and shaft?

However, not all car lifts need to be Hydraulically operated.

4. Reputation of Supplier

There are lots of car lift manufacturers in the marketplace with a wide variety of prices. You will need to do your due diligence before selecting a supplier and without specialist knowledge it can be difficult to properly assess the merits of one supplier against another.  

5. Warranty & Maintenance

What is the full extent of the warranty being provided by the manufacturer? How will the car lift be maintained? These are both essential questions to be answered prior to committing to a car lift solution. You must also consider how often the car lift should be assessed for wear and tear. It is essential that all owners area aware that 6 monthly LOLER inspections being a mandatory requirement.

Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. We have extensive experience of projects including car lifts and can help you make the right choice. For one car lift project we made the vertical parting door system automatic and avoided the need for constant pressure controls. This improved the use of the lift. One current project requires delivery lorries and refuse trucks to be taken from the street to an underground loading bay.

Do you have a current or planned project that includes car lifts? We would be happy to discuss any such requirements and how we may be able to assist. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.