Machine Wars

Hello everyone,

In today’s elevator market, the machine is the most important and most technological product in the rail-door-machine trio. Machines have been sold in our country for years based on a certain perception. European-made machines are always sold based on brand perception. Domestic machines are sold with the slogan “domestic product, everyone should use it,” while Chinese machines have recently gained a foothold in the market due to their technological advancements and economical prices, challenging European and Turkish production.

In the past, there was a strong perception in Türkiye that Chinese products were cheap. This was due to the shops that sold cheap products imported from China, which we refer to as “Dollar stores.” Over the years, changing this perception has not been easy.

Today, especially with the developments in the automotive industry, it is evident that everyone has developed a positive attitude toward Chinese products. How could it be otherwise? There is a significant difference in quality between a Chinese car with high-end features and its European counterpart with basic features. Looking at the conversations around us, actual sales figures also show that China is steadily moving toward the position it deserves in this field.

Let’s take a look at the situation of Chinese products in the sector:

As in the automotive sector, Chinese-made products, especially in the machinery group, are in fierce competition with both European and domestic production in the elevator sector. In fact, the common ground they share is that a brand that manufactures elevator machines currently produces millions of electric vehicle motors annually. Continuously improving and keeping pace with technology, Chinese products have entered every aspect of our lives with their price-benefit balance.

Gearless machines produced in Europe, including magnets and some other parts, are manufactured in China. As in many other sectors, China also has a significant presence in the elevator sector.

The consumption of Chinese elevator machines has also accelerated in our country. The building stock in China is significantly higher and larger than that in our country. For example, there are very few elevators with a capacity of 800 kg and a speed of 1 m/s. In fact, gearless machines are almost no longer produced there. As they have shifted toward faster and more capable elevators, their technology continues to improve over time.

As a country, we should take full advantage of this situation, the price-benefit balance and technology. I would like to remind you of a hadith on this subject. “Seek knowledge even if it is in China. Because knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim.” (Beyhakî, Şuabu’l-İman-Beirut, 1410, 2/253).

There is not much difference in Chinese-made machines. These machines are currently being offered by many companies in the market. What matters is who the buyers want to purchase these machines from. In this case, the preference goes to individuals and organizations that stand behind the product, have strong stock quantities, are reliable and are dedicated to the sector rather than just trading, and have established a name for themselves. However, we still prefer to support our own products, believing that “local products are the nation’s products,” and use products that have reached the same technological level. European-made products, on the other hand, stand out primarily due to their brand value.