Events around the World

The venerable Interlift continues to grow in Germany, as Dubai, U.K. and Iran prepare other gatherings for 2015.

Interlift Announcements

Interlift 2015 organizer AFAG Messen und Ausstellungen GmbH has announced a new record for the biannual trade fair: space booked includes the new Hall 4 and the CUBE, to total 42,500 m² in the Augsburg Trade Fair Centre in Augsburg, Germany, for October 13-16. This is an increase of 1,500 m² from the space booked at the 2013 event. More than 250 companies (including 20 new ones) had already registered to exhibit as of November 2014. Additionally, some international companies participating for the first time are presenting their products as part of countrywide cooperative stands. Aside from the usual delegation from China (which is to send its largest group so far to Augsburg), South Korea is also showing greater interest in sending more exhibitors to the show. The Italian presentation, organized by the Italian elevator components association ANICA, will be increasing its size by 100 m².

Numerous lectures on six groups of topics, for which papers are being called, have already been received. The deadline for submissions is April 17. Finally, the Exhibitors’ Reception will be moved from the traditional Tuesday evening to a Wednesday, October 14. AFAG and co-organizer Trade Fair Advisory Council reason that the extra day will make the organization of the evening much easier, now that it has grown to include more than 600 guests.

For more information, to register or to submit a paper, visit www.interlift.de.

Surging Demand Gives Birth to New Dubai Expo

A new elevator/escalator exposition is coming to Dubai in light of surging industry demand in the Middle East. The Elevators & Access Control (E&AC) show is planned on May 18-20 at the Dubai World Trade Center, to be held in conjunction with the facilities-management event FM EXPO

Approximately 700,000 elevators are expected to be installed in the Middle East North Africa region by 2018, and 16 skyscrapers are being built there – nine in the U.A.E. alone. The vertical-transportation industry within the Gulf Cooperation Council countries is expected to see a compound annual growth rate of 5.39% during 2013-2018.

The expo promises to bring companies and customers together to help fulfill demand. EA&C Senior Project Manager Jaafar Shubber observes:

“We decided to co-locate E&AC with next year’s edition of FM EXPO to provide additional benefits to both visitors and exhibitors. [An elevator] is used, on average, up to 100,000 times a year and covers thousands of kilometers. Because of this excessive demand, [elevators] need to be regularly maintained and, in many cases, modernized or even replaced. This highlights why launching E&AC 2015 alongside FM EXPO will provide even more reasons to visit and participate in the show.”

For more information, visit www.middleeastelevators.com.

Lift Symposium Organizers Issue First Call for Papers

The University of Northampton and Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers Lifts Group have issued their first call for papers for the Fifth Symposium for Lift and Escalator Technologies, planned on September 23-25, at Highgate House in Northampton, U.K. The event brings together vertical-transportation experts who share peer-reviewed papers and speak on various topics. For more information, or to submit an abstract, visit the symposium website at www.liftsymposium.org.

Iran Liftex Announced

The next iteration of Iran Liftex (formerly “Lift Iran”) will be held at the Tehran International Exhibition Center in Tehran, Iran, on May 16-19. Dubbed “The Fourth International Exhibition on Elevators, Escalators, Lift, Conveyors and Related Components and Equipment,” the event is expected to draw at least 200 active and reputable local companies and organizations from Iran, Turkey, China, South Korea, Italy and the U.A.E. to its 10,000-m2 floor. For more information or to register, visit websites: www.liftex.ir and www.iranfair.com.

Asian Activity

Testing center opens in South Korea, Vietnamese bank building chooses Schindler.

Geochang Elevator R&D Center Opens in South Korea

Korea Testing Laboratory has opened Geochang R&D Center, intended to be the cornerstone of a global elevator-industry hub in Geochang County, South Korea, home to more than 20 elevator companies, The Korea Times reports. Approximately 1,000 industry and government officials attended a November 2014 ribbon cutting for the facility, which is aimed at giving a competitive boost to small and medium-sized manufacturers that lack their own R&D and testing facilities. A 102-m-tall tower at the center can test elevators at speeds of up to 540 mpm and simulate conditions such as a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and 45-mps wind.

Schindler Wins Major Contract for VietinBank Headquarters

Schindler has been awarded a 121-unit contract for the new VietinBank headquarters in Hanoi, Vietnam, a pair of 363- and 250-m-tall towers scheduled for completion in 2017. Designed by Foster + Partners, the towers feature glassy façades, with the taller, 68-story tower’s glass roof forming a “V.” Schindler will supply 75 elevators and 46 escalators, including six, 10-mps, double-deck elevators that will be the fastest of their kind in Vietnam. The project is set to have 42 7000 high-rise elevators, 23 5500 elevators and 46 9300AE escalators. Schindler’s destination-control PORT technology will power the system in the taller tower, which will house VietinBank’s offices. Schindler’s Lobby Vision®, which allows single-point supervision of the system, will also be implemented.

Symax Completes New Facility to Serve China, Russia

In September 2014, Symax Lift (Holding) Co. Ltd. completed a new US$9.15-million facility in Wanzhou, China, to serve western China and Russia. The facility is comprised of two production lines and 496,000 sq. ft., including a 174,000-sq.-ft. workshop. The six Chinese provinces the new facility will serve represent 35% of the Chinese population, according to Symax. In addition, the company believes a housing boom in Russia means demand for elevators will grow. CEO Xiaoyan (Sabrina) Zhang observed:

“With our Wuxi flagship facility and the new Wangzhou facility, Symax will be operating in a more efficient and strategically diverse landscape. As a result, our capacity to serve current and future customers will improve.”

Mitsubishi Electric to Supply 15 NEXIEZ Units in Brazil

Mitsubishi Electric subsidiary MELCO Elevadores do Brasil S.A. has been awarded a contract to provide 15 NEXIEZ elevators to a pair of residential towers in São Paulo, Brazil, Mirage Residencial and Plaza Mayor. MELCO will manufacture and install the units, part of a product line designed to be energy friendly, compact, safe and lightweight, for developer EMBRAPLAN ENGENHARIA LTDA.

KONE Debuts JumpLift in North America

KONE has debuted its JumpLift self-climbing elevator in North America. Operating during construction in a building’s permanent hoistway, JumpLift has been used in major high-rise projects in Europe, Asia, China, Australia and the Middle East. KONE received the elevator contract for One Bloor in downtown Toronto in 2012 (ELEVATOR WORLD, January 2013), and now, thanks to meeting stringent code requirements, JumpLift is being used in the construction of the 70-story structure, scheduled to be complete in 2016. KONE observes:

“JumpLift uses a mobile machine room that moves upward as construction progresses. The technology can improve safety and efficiency on job sites and can enable buildings to be completed months ahead of traditional construction times.”

JumpLift’s features include:

• Speed of 4 mps, five times faster than traditional external construction hoists
• A dry, windproof shaft that protects construction workers in inclement weather
• The ability to put completed floors into use, while construction continues above

Larry Wash, CEO of KONE Americas, noted the company’s partnership with Great Gulf is “helping us meet demand in the resurgence of high-rise construction in Toronto.”

Big Order, Business Moves in Middle East

Pakistan stations, and Afghanistan and Oman markets are priorities for the industry.

83 Elevators, Escalators to Enhance Pakistan Bus Stations

Eighty-three elevators and escalators promise to enhance passenger flow through 24 new bus stations in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan, the Pakistan Observer reports. The stations are part of a new 24-km-long public bus route scheduled to be complete by January 30. There are 10 stations in Rawalpindi and 14 in Islamabad. Besides elevators and escalators, they will have ticket stations and automatic platforms.

OAO Mogilevliftmash Resumes Business in Afghanistan

OAO Mogilevliftmash has resumed business in Afghanistan after a nearly three-year hiatus, Belarusian News reports. In fall 2014, the company, based in Mogilev, Belarus, planned to deliver a total of 24 elevators as part of three separate contracts to Afghanistan, with which it has been doing business since 1980. The company observes:

“A trade and service center was founded in Kabul to promote products in this promising market. We have serious plans of cooperation with Afghanistan for [2015]. We are planning to manufacture and deliver several dozens of elevators and elevator equipment for new buildings.”

Fuji Elevators Gets Distributor in Oman

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia-based Gulf Elevators & Escalators Co., manufacturer of Japan’s Fuji Elevators, has tapped Kawas Engineering Co. of Oman to be the sole distributor of Fuji products in Oman, Arab News reports. Gulf Elevators and Kawas officials signed the agreement at Gulf Elevators headquarters in Jeddah. Gulf Elevators CEO Mutaib bin Fahd Al-Tuais said the move is part of the company’s plan to expand its presence in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and beyond. Gulf Elevators states it is the first company to manufacture elevators in the region and is one of the first in the region to receive International Organization for Standardization certification.