ISO 8100 and digitalization shape the future of the elevator industry
photos by VFA-interlift
The 2025 spring meeting of the VFA “Arbeitskreis Normen” or AK Normen, (Standards Working Group) in Nuremberg, Germany, on April 3 was dominated by groundbreaking comprehensive developments for the elevator industry. Key topics included the imminent finalization of the global ISO 8100 standard and the rapid advance of digitalization and its impact on technology and regulation.
Achim Hütter, VFA-Interlift, emphasized the importance of active participation in standardization committees, especially in view of the comprehensive changes brought about by ISO 8100-1/2. This ISO standard, developed under European leadership, will contain numerous new technical requirements, for example, on alternative means of support suspension and extended safety functions. It will be crucial to be correctly informed at the right time. The VFA Academy is planning corresponding training courses starting in fall 2025.
Another dominant topic was digitalization. Peipei Wang, VFA-Interlift, used patent trends to show that intelligent elevators with Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and cloud integration are dominating innovation. At the same time, technological change requires urgent action: Ralf Gebhardt, Telegärtner, pointed out that approximately 400,000 elevator emergency call systems in Germany will have to be converted to 4G/5G by July 2028 due to the shutdown of the 2G mobile network. However, this switch also offers opportunities for modern networking services.
The regulatory environment in Germany and Europe is also evolving and requires attention from market participants, for example in the context of the EU Machinery Regulation, cybersecurity and the evaluation of the Lift Directive. The close interlinking of standardization, technology and the relevant legal requirements present the industry with challenges that can only be overcome by working together.
Participation in the AK-Normen working group is highly recommended in this context.
The next meeting of the VFA AK Normen will take place on November 13, in Hamburg, Germany.
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