Dive Brief:
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German elevator manufacturer Thyssenkrupp has debuted its cable-free, magnetic levitation system in a new 807-foot-tall test tower in Rottweil, Germany, according to New Atlas.
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The Multi system allows groups of elevator cars to move vertically and horizontally through shafts equipped with side rails and can test elevator speeds up to 22 miles per hour. The elevator systems could increase average shaft capacity by 50% and increase the usable space in a building by 25%, according to Thyssenkrupp.
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While the higher cost of the maglev system could slow widespread adoption, developer OVG Real Estate is utilizing the Multi system in its East Side Tower in Berlin, which is scheduled for completion in 2019.
Dive Insight:
From maglev technology to carbon-fiber cables, elevator technology is in a race to keep up with expanding building sizes and increasing consumer demands. Some of the latest innovations aim to reduce machine-room size and offer faster rides with less wait time.
Elevator manufacturers are also focusing on improving the energy efficiency of their products. Earlier this year, Thyssenkrupp began testing a new net-zero elevator system that aims to reduce energy consumption during idle periods by using "hibernation" or "sleep" modes. The company tested the system over several years in a six-story, century-old building in Boston.
Elevator company Kone is also making moves to improve elevator efficiency. Kone debuted its carbon fiber UltraRope in 2013 — a lightweight alternative to steel cables that requires less energy to operate and less room to store, making it capable of handling longer runs. Kone elevators using UltraRope are being installed in the 3,281-foot-tall Jeddah Tower, in Saudi Arabia.
The title of the world's fastest elevator, however, now belongs to Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates' Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea. Visitors there can travel to the top of the 123-story building in just one minute thanks to an elevator installed by Otis Elevator Co.
