The new Kone elevators ... efficiency up by 35 per cent.
Kone raises the bar for efficiency
Kone’s new volume elevator range further raises the benchmark on eco-efficiency. Starting from this year, the company says the series will form a substantial part of its future offering.
01 July 2012
KONE, an innovative leader in the elevator and escalator industry, has introduced its new volume elevator offering, setting yet another benchmark for the industry with leading eco-efficient performance, premium ride comfort, award-winning design, and improved space efficiency.
The new range is expected to cover approximately 60 per cent of Kone’s elevator offering, and will gradually replace the firm’s current volume elevator offering globally.
“The new volume elevators are the core of our product offering and will thus have a significant impact on our business. These products will come to represent a substantial part of Kone’s elevator supply over the coming years,” says Matti Alahuhta, president and CEO of Kone Corporation.
The new elevator range further strengthens Kone’s competitiveness in the new equipment markets. “Today, we are the second biggest elevator and escalator provider in our industry,” he says.
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The new products will be available starting from later this year. The portfolio includes the machine room-less Kone MonoSpace for the global markets, and Kone N MiniSpace with a small machine room for the Asian market.
In keeping with its pioneering eco-efficiency image within its industry, Kone has developed new MonoSpace elevators that are up to 35 per cent more energy efficient than its previous industry-leading elevator platform. The improvements are made possible by the completely renewed Kone EcoDisc hoisting machine, a highly efficient drive, and enhanced standby solutions.
“The construction and real estate customers are demanding when it comes to energy-efficiency and green building certification schemes like Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and Breeam (BRE Environmental Assessment Method). With our solutions, the carbon footprint of buildings can be cut to an even greater extent,” says Heikki Leppanen, executive vice-president of new equipment at Kone.
The renewed EcoDisc hoisting machine is complemented by a wide range of upgrades that are designed to deliver industry-leading ride comfort: a new motor control system, a renewed braking system, a redesigned hoisting system, and an improved car structure.
“This means that the noise levels, both inside and outside the elevator cars, are as low as possible, the ride is smooth with no vibration, and that the floor levelling is perfectly accurate. Ride comfort is an important part of user experience, and our vision is to deliver the best user experience,” adds Leppanen.
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Award-winning ... the KSS 280 (below). |
One significant improvement is also a comprehensive test for ride comfort, now conducted on every Kone elevator before handover. This is a unique service in the elevator industry, he says.
Kone’s volume products have received an A-class energy rating according to the VDI 4707 guideline – the benchmark for elevator energy efficiency.
Awards
Kone has won two awards and two honourable mentions in the “red dot award: product design 2012” competition. The awards were given for the elevator signalisation series KSS 280 and KSS 800 and the honourable mentions for the Kone Design Collection and renewed elevator car, all launched last month.
The KSS 280 and KSS 800 signalisation series bring novel design to elevators with their minimalistic and user-friendly design. The KSS 800 introduces easy-to-use destination control to the wider public and, therefore, improves traffic efficiency in buildings. Both series focus on accessibility and usability, which becomes obvious in the landing fixture with rounded corners, clear forms and large key buttons.
Meanwhile, the Kone Design Collection presents six trendy design themes for elevator interiors for both new construction and renovation projects. The wide range of ceilings, wall materials, floors, handrails, mirrors and other accessories offers a rich visual variety to create customised designs.
The renewed elevator car’s horizontal paneling makes the interior appear more spacious than before.
“We are honoured to have received these awards for our latest innovative designs,” says Anne Stenros, director of design at Kone. “The new design solutions offer a wide selection of unique elevator car interiors as well as user-friendly components and accessories to create highly customised ambiances and experiences.”
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The red dot jury praised Kone’s winning solutions for harmonious design, innovative technical processes that provide customising options, intelligent operating concept, excellent technical performance, and strong focus on accessibility.
Kone, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, has been committed to understanding the needs of its customers for the past century, providing industry-leading elevators, escalators and automatic building doors as well as innovative solutions for modernisation and maintenance. The company’s objective is to offer the best ‘people flow’ experience by developing and delivering solutions that enable people to move smoothly, safely, comfortably and without waiting in buildings in an increasingly urbanised environment. In 2011, Kone had annual net sales of €5.2 billion ($6.57 billion) and on average 35,000 employees.
