Mitsubishi Electric Announces the Grand Opening of "Solaé," the World's Highest Elevator Testing Tower |
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Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Div.
500 Corporate Woods Pkwy.
Vernon Hills, IL, 60061
USA
Press release date: December 20, 2007
Tokyo, December 20, 2007 - Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (President and CEO: Setsuhiro Shimomura) announced today it will start operation of the world's highest* elevator testing tower, named "SOLAÉ," on January 25, 2008, and on the same day, the company will open an attached showroom and other facilities.
* As of December 20, 2007
Summary of the New Solaé Elevator Testing Tower
Location: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Inazawa Works (1 Hishi-machi, Inazawa City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan) Height: 173.0m Number of Floors: 10 floors above ground, 1 floor underground (Equivalent to 40 floors of a building) Area: 440 square meters Start of Construction: December 26, 2005 Completion of Tower: September 26, 2007 Attached Facilities: 3 floors above ground, with a showroom and other testing facilities Total Investment: 5 billion yen (including related facilities) 2/2
Aim of Constructing the New SOLAÉ Elevator Testing Tower
The Inazawa Works, Mitsubishi Electric's "mother" factory for its worldwide elevator business, not only manufactures more than 10,000 units of elevators and escalators annually, but also develops the latest technologies for products in the global market. To assure the performance and quality of these elevators, we previously had six testing towers to examine our products, including a 65 meter high tower that until now was the tallest at Inazawa Works.
With the recent increase of higher buildings in countries around the world, however, there is an increasing demand for a more high-speed and high-capacity elevator. The new SOLAÉ testing tower will contribute to propelling the development of elevators that fulfill such demands.
Furthermore, the new tower, which can be seen not only from within the Inazawa city limits but also from neighboring areas and even aboard the Shinkansen bullet train, is expected to be endearing to local citizens and become a symbolic landmark of the community.
Features of the New SOLAÉ Testing Tower 1) World's highest elevator testing tower as of December 20, 2007, at 173.0 meters in height 2) Unique design: the lower part of the tower with a twist of 45 degrees 3) Illuminated at night 4) Stable testing environment made possible by oil dampers and an anti-vibration system that prevents the tower from vibrating due to wind
Features of Attached Facilities
The showroom attached to SOLAÉ is designed chiefly for customers who are considering installations of elevators, escalators or building management systems. The building has three floors, with the showroom on the first and second floors, and reception rooms on the third floor. The third floor is also connected to the testing tower.
The new showroom on the first and second floors includes the following: 1) On the first floor, there are four zones: an area introducing Inazawa Works, a historical zone with the restored first elevator of Mitsubishi Electric as well as photographs of other memorial elevators, a zone with an interactive exhibit of various kinds of elevators and its latest technologies, and an area introducing our escalators.
2) The second floor has three zones: a section using actual elevator parts to select one's own design for cars, ceilings and other parts in the elevator, a zone introducing the maintenance services of Mitsubishi Electric, and a zone with an interactive exhibit of the company's security related products.
Future Developments
Mitsubishi Electric will further accelerate R&D on safety, reliability, and ride comfort, as well as expand the company's elevator business through development of cutting-edge products, such as the world's fastest elevator that travels at more than 1000 meters per minute, as well as high-capacity elevators that can carry a large number of people at once. Specifically, we will work on developments in the following areas:
1) Large-size traction machines and parallel-driving power systems for high-speed/high-capacity elevators 2) Safety systems, including long-stroke buffers and large-size safety gears 3) Durability and performance of ropes and traction machines 4) Technologies to lessen vibration/wind noise generated when elevators travel at high speeds
The tower will enhance the company's accumulation of cutting-edge technologies and product development capabilities, with an aim to accomplish future concepts for our elevators.
About Mitsubishi Electric
With over 80 years of experience in providing reliable, high-quality products to both corporate clients and general consumers all over the world, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TSE:6503) is a recognized world leader in the manufacture, marketing and sales of electrical and electronic equipment used in information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation and building equipment. The company recorded consolidated group sales of 3,855 billion yen (US$ 32.7billion*) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.
*At an exchange rate of 118 yen to the US dollar, the rate given by the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market on March 31, 2007
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