By replacing heavy steel ropes with special carbon-fiber belts that are lighter in weight, Finland's KONE Corp. believes it has altered the course of high-rise elevator systems. Apart from nearly doubling the maximum possible travel height to one kilometer, the new system, launched in London on June 10, significantly reduces rope weight and energy consumption, claims the Espoo-based KONE, which is the world's second-largest elevator and escalator maker. The technology advancement comes at a price premium, which KONE will not divulge.
Weight reduction has been the key aim of the nine-year development of the patented KONE UltraRope system, says Johannes de Jong, the company's head of technology for major projects. As buildings get taller, elevator “rope weight can mount up to 65% to 70% of the total moving mass when payload remains at below 10%,” he adds.