Mountains, City and Sea

U.K.’s Invertek Drives helps provide smooth and safe transit to 30-m-high viewing point in Brazil.

submitted by Invertek Drives
photos courtesy of Invertek Drives

Visitors to a Brazilian city can now reach new heights with views over the region thanks to a new tourist attraction reached by a panoramic lift controlled by a specialised elevator variable frequency drive (VFD). This VFD was provided by Invertek Drives Ltd, which has its global headquarters and manufacturing facility in Welshpool, Wales, and employs more than 350 people.

Reaching 30 m high at the top of the Morro Cechinel mountain in Municipal Astronomical Park above the city of Criciúma, the Realdo Guglielmi Viewpoint opened in November 2023. It allows the city’s residents and tourists the opportunity to admire the views over the city, mountains and sea.

The BRL$4.2 million (GBP673,447) architectural project was partially funded by the federal government through the Ministry and Caxia Economica Federal. The developers wanted to ensure the panoramic lift taking visitors to the top of the viewing point provided a smooth, quick and safe ride for passengers.

Elevator specialist Panoramico Elevadores was hired to carry out the work. They used an Optidrive Elevator VFD from Invertek Drives to control a 7.5 kW (10 hp) permanent magnet (PM) gearless motor with 380V power and an IP20-rated enclosure.

Aguinaldo Oliveira of Panoramico Elevadores said:

“From the outset, the application had to be as smooth and safe as possible for the elevator users. This would be part of the experience of riding to the top of the viewpoint. We used the Optidrive Elevator drive because of its ability to provide precise control of the motor, including accurate and smooth stops for the passengers. The drive’s ease of configuration and reliability in controlling the PM motor were fundamental to the success of the operation.”

Oliveira added that the population has embraced the project. They now enjoy the views from the elevator before heading out onto the viewpoint, which also boasts a glass floor. Visitors to this site now enjoy an amazing 360° view of the entire city of Criciúma and the surrounding mountains and sea.

The viewpoint is named after Realdo Santos Guglielmi, a local business leader born in 1941 who founded and owned large investments in the region and left marks on the history of the municipality of Criciúma.

Marcus Silva, head of Sales at Invertek Drives for Latin America, said that the Realdo Guglielmi Viewpoint is a crucial new focal point in Criciúma. He observed:

“The project had been planned for some time, and it was important for it to operate smoothly and safely from opening day. The Optidrive Elevator was the primary choice for the project due to its reliability and accurate motor control. The team is delighted that it is helping the residents and visitors of this area of Brazil to admire the region from such a structure.”

Optidrive Elevator is a dedicated drive for geared and gearless lift applications. It has a compact design which is ideal for use in elevator applications. Its five independent S-Ramps allow fine tuning of ride and performance, resulting in jerk-free travel. Additional features include high motor-switching frequency for quiet motor operation, which is imperative in residential environments. Other advanced features include anti-rollback in open- and closed-loop operation, brake release monitoring, and more.

Invertek Drives’ Optidrive VFDs are well known for their ease of use and setup, as well as their reliability. In October 2023, the company launched its next-generation lift drive, Optidrive Elevator Core. Invertek is proud of the success of the Brazil project, and looks forward to playing a key role in many more all over the world.

Invertek Drives exports to 80 countries globally through a network of offices and sales partners.