Elevator Technology

The Elevator Technology business area focuses the Group's activities in the area of passenger transportation systems. Its range includes passenger and freight elevators, escalators, moving walks, passenger boarding bridges, stair and platform lifts as well as quality service for all products. Dr. Olaf Berlien, member of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp AG and chairman of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp Elevator AG, is responsible for the Elevator Technology business area.

Service technician of ThyssenKrupp Elevator doing an escalator inspection.

Employees and products around the world

43,000 employees (as at September 2008) at 800 locations in more than 60 countries provide a tight service network close to customers. With its innovative technologies and reliable, energy-efficient, ecological, high-quality products, the Elevator Technology business area sets market standards and ensures that passengers in office buildings, apartment blocks, hotels, shopping malls, airports and stations around the world reach their destinations quickly and safely. In addition to systems for the volume market, the range also includes custom solutions as well as service, maintenance and modernization packages.

Exclusive TWIN elevator system

The TWIN is the first elevator system in the world with two cabs running independently in one shaft – at different speeds of up to seven meters per second and in different directions. This groundbreaking idea has many advantages over conventional elevator systems: virtually no waiting outside the elevator door, no more overcrowded cabs, and minimum stops thanks to the TWIN system and the use of an intelligent destination selection control system. The TWIN also has many benefits for building owners: its higher capacity allows the number of shafts needed to be reduced by up to a third, freeing up additional useful space on all floors compared with conventional elevators.

Innovations for the benefit of the environment

Reducing the energy requirements of its products is a key priority in the Elevator Technology business area. An outstanding example is provided by the eco-friendly passenger elevators for Deutsche Börse's new headquarters in Eschborn near Frankfurt/Main. In keeping with the ecological design of the building, most of the elevators are fitted with regenerative drives. Energy generated when braking the cabs is converted into electricity and fed back to the power supply system. This lowers energy consumption by more than 30% compared with conventional designs. In addition, some of the elevator cabs are fitted with energy-efficient LED lighting. Compared with conventional light bulbs, these lights use up to 90% less energy and last considerably longer. These innovative capabilities along with high service quality and closeness to customers make the Elevator Technology business area one of the most popular choices for passenger transportation systems worldwide.

Chairman of the Management Board of Business Area

Dr. Olaf Berlien: Member of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp AG, responsible for the Technologies division and CEO of the Elevator Technology business area of ThyssenKrupp AG