Schindler X8 Tanıtım Turu Zirve Noktasına Ulaştı

İsviçre'nin Grindelwald kasabasının üzerindeki Männlichen'de Schindler, mevcut binalarda asansör kurulumunu yeniden ele alan bir yolcu asansörü olan X8'i sergiledi.

Sascha Göbel tarafından, EW Europe muhabir

A modular house, two floors, two fully operational elevators, set against the alpine backdrop of the Männlichen: This is how Schindler staged the X8 — the Swiss group’s latest product innovation — on June 22-26. Initially, it will be aimed at the Swiss and Italian markets. No elevator pit, no overhead, no load-bearing concrete shaft, a drywall elevator front, door-integrated controls, 230-V single-phase power and elevator configuration in less than 5 min. In short: Schindler is bringing fundamental innovation to the elevator sector.

The ambition is clear: Elevator installation should become more predictable, faster and less dependent on the shell construction phase. The Schindler X8 reduces the requirements placed on the building and the construction process to such an extent that an elevator can be ordered late, delivered quickly and installed with minimal labor. Especially in existing buildings, this is more than a convenience — it can determine feasibility and economic viability.

The Schindler X8 is therefore more than a simplification of conventional elevator installation. It marks a technological leap: with a dynamic car brake, an autonomous door with an integrated operating fixture, a reimagined approach to functional safety and a multilayered operating system as the elevator’s digital architecture.

In Grindelwald, Switzerland, the Schindler X8 Roadshow reached its high point. The same installation had previously been shown at Design Week and at Global Elevator Exhibition in Milan, as well as at Swissbau in Basel. The system also seeks proximity to the premium segment in terms of design: Its design lines have received the Red Dot Award and the iF Design Award.

On the mountain, technical details became tangible that had rarely been at the center of the communication so far. A 230-V AC supply is sufficient; at the connection point, it is converted to 48-V DC. Forty-eight volts fall within the range of safety extra-low voltage, creating a safety advantage for the shaft electrics. The drive operates as a hybrid system. For power peaks, a buffer storage unit supplements the grid supply. It lowers connection costs and keeps the car moving to the next landing in the event of a power failure.

The mechanics also follow the principle of reduction. The car and two counterweights run on only two rails; the rail cross-section is shared where conventional systems require four rails.

Two compact, electronically synchronized drives replace one large drive. As a result, the overhead remains low — and the elevator moves closer to the building instead of imposing its own massive structure on it.

This break with convention is most evident in the dynamic car brake. It combines holding and safety functions directly on the car, moving away from conventional concepts in which central braking and safety-gear functions are more closely tied to the drive and shaft architecture. This was made possible because Schindler rethought key elevator components — resulting in numerous patent applications.

Shaftless – Almost

Schindler's claim of "no pit, no overhead" sounds like the laws of physics have been suspended. The data sheet specifies a 150-mm pit and a 2,400-mm overhead: minimal, but still present. Planners will therefore continue to account for both — just on a much smaller scale.

The real novelty lies elsewhere: The concrete or steel shaft supplied by the building is no longer required. Schindler provides a load-bearing drywall front with integrated doors; loads are transferred through the rail structure into the building, not into the drywall walls. This reverses the construction sequence: Walls and floors can be completed before installation begins; a wall opening is sufficient. For retrofits in existing buildings, this is the decisive lever.

The self-supporting monorail system with individual brackets and front fixation further reduces building-side requirements, because central loads are carried through the elevator structure and less conventional shaft structure is required.

The door architecture follows the same logic. The autonomous door with an integrated operating fixture reduces interfaces between the building, the door front and the elevator system. It no longer appears as a separate component that requires extensive coordination, but as a pre-integrated part of the Schindler X8 front.

The system seeks proximity to the premium segment in terms of design.

Short delivery times require a high degree of industrialization. Six design lines, recognized with the Red Dot and iF Design Awards, can be configured and ordered in a short period of time. The user experience includes the “Uniarrow” control, which replaces conventional push buttons. Visually, the result is a smooth, calm surface instead of visible operating logic.

Regulatorily, the Schindler X8 is deliberately positioned in the upper segment. It is placed on the market under the Elevator Directive 2014/33/EU and is harmonized with EN 81-20/-50 — unlike many home elevators, which fall under the Machinery Directive. This enables a travel speed of 1.0m/s, while platform lifts often remain in the range of 0.15 to 0.5m/s. Maintenance is digital: with around-the-clock remote monitoring, predictive maintenance and over-the-air updates.

The foundation for this is a new, multilayered operating system. It is the digital backbone of the Schindler X8 and connects control, sensors, safety logic and service access into an integrated system architecture. This structure is complemented by a wireless backbone that aggregates condition data from various sources and expands the system's diagnostic capabilities.

Functional safety is therefore not merely a regulatory obligation, but part of the product architecture. Safety functions, software, sensors and connectivity were designed from the outset as an interconnected system.

Laser-based car positioning also fits into this logic. It provides precise digital position information and supports the new system architecture.

Dağda

On the Männlichen, visitors could also see the logistics behind this promise. The product owner summarized it as “1+1+1”: one week of production, one week of delivery, one week of installation.

The Schindler X8 achieves simplicity not by making physics disappear, but by reducing interfaces: less shaft, less shell construction, less dependence on construction progress. Pit and overhead are reduced to a minimum; the conventional shaft is eliminated — and with it one of the slowest and most expensive parts of many elevator projects. Whether this creates a new market segment will not be decided by the installation on the mountain, but by the market’s response.

Teknoloji mevcut.

Teknik özellikler
Rated load 480 kg (6 persons)/630 kg (8 persons)
Speed 1.0 m/s
Max. travel height 30 m
Landings Up to 10
Floor-to-floor height 2,500–4,000 mm
Power supply 230 V, single-phase (Plug & Play)
Pit/overhead 150 mm/2,400 mm
Doors Center-opening, 800/900 mm
Directive/standards Elevator Directive 2014/33/EU · EN 81-20/-50
Design lines Luna, Mineral, Savanna, Terra, Forest, Volcano