As anyone who works in a building with more than four floors can tell you, vertical travel via the elevator can be fairly inefficient.
To remedy this, ThyssenKrupp Elevator created TWIN, a new system where two elevator cars share the same hoistway. According to the developers, TWIN handles more traffic, improves grouping, and reduces energy consumption. It also saves builders money on machinery costs and maximizes the amount of floor space since fewer elevator shafts are needed.
The cars have their own equipment (traction drive, ropes, counterweight, controller, and governor) while they share the same guide rails and landing doors. The cabs will always have a minimum separation of at least one floor.
Several notable buildings are using TWIN, including the United Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and the European Central Bank in Frankfort, Germany.
More information is available on TWIN’s brochure.
Related Stories
| Oct 13, 2010
Tower commemorates Lewis & Clark’s historic expedition
The $4.8 million Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower in Hartford, Ill., commemorates explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark at the point where their trek to the Pacific Ocean began—the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
