In Control

Brazil’s Infolev continues to innovate as it enters its 26th year.

Infolev Elevadores was founded in 1991 by Paulo Becker Aranha and Fábio Becker Aranha, engineers who graduated from São Paulo University. The company entered the market with a novel proposal to offer products with nonproprietary technology. Some customers were dissatisfied with the technical barriers enforced by the major multinational elevator manufacturers.

Using their own technology, the pair registered and installed their first controller, IFL-750, the following year. It was a line of computerized electronic controllers that substituted the relay controllers used at the time, as well as energy-saving duplex controllers. As these products were embraced, demand grew, and the factory moved to larger premises, a more-than-3,500-m2 operation in the central part of São Paulo.

But this was just the beginning. Over 16 years, the company had to move and physically grow to meet the needs of diversified production, becoming one of the largest manufacturers of controllers and related components supplying the most prominent multinationals. 

As early as 1994, the company began to spread the word among customers and potential customers about the advantages of equipment modernization to reduce off-service issues and enhance safety.

The company began to use a system based on ISO 9000 and received quality certification from ABS-Quality Evaluations of the U.S. Consequently, Infolev is one of the few Brazilian companies qualified to supply products to the most demanding world markets and more than 500 installation companies.

In the new century, the company diversified its product offerings, starting production of complete solutions for elevator modernization, infrared barriers and digital position indicators. The Genius controller was launched in 2008. It features surface-mount technology, a 32-bit processor and a failure register indicating date and time, as well as serial calling. Later, the company began to modernize escalators and moving walks using the control model SCALA and launched its LCD position indicator. A branch was opened in Rio de Janeiro to optimize customer service and board repair for it.

Infolev’s 20th birthday was celebrated with customers and friends in 2011 in seven Brazilian cities. The following year, the company rolled out a failure information system, SMS.

When more than 10,000 technicians were trained and more than 30,000 controllers were installed, Infolev started production of push-button stations and a system for car-weight detection.

Infolev’s most recent birthday was its 25th in 2016, celebrated during ExpoElevador that year in São Paolo on July 14-15. Its booth hosted a full house throughout the event. The company took the opportunity to introduce several novelties like touchscreen push-button stations, high-resolution indicators and remote-control calls, as well as reflect on its evolution and outlook.

In addition to the much-celebrated presence of a “robot” invited to attract even more visitors (ELEVATOR WORLD, October 2016), a new product, the RF CALL control, developed mainly for residential use, was presented. RF CALL is a mini control with three buttons. It is small and unnoticeable, but provides the elevator remote operation for three different levels: ground floor, garage and destination floor. The user anticipates the elevator call with no need to press the button by the elevator entrance on each level, including on the ground floor. It is also useful in a building’s garage: upon arrival by car, it is possible to call the elevator from the parking lot. The device works by means of a receptor installed in the landing indicator that can be operated by 256 registered controls so all users in a residential building can take advantage of RF CALL.

Today, Infolev’s mission is to continue to develop technologies to improve the vertical-transportation industry, achieve better energy savings and foster the professional development of its employees. It has been recognized in the market for its innovations, tailor-made customer service and investment in education and training.