Planned ten years – built in 100 days

It is unique in Europe, built in record time and its inauguration was fittingly celebrated: we are talking about the new test laboratory for safety components of the Cobianchi Liftteile AG.

The time had at last come on 19 July 2019: the new indoor test laboratory, with which free fall experiments of up to 25,000 kg are possible, was inaugurated at Cobianchi. Ideas had been collected and rejected for over ten years, the planning was refined for five years and this year the work was completed in just 100 days.

In his ceremonial speech, Cobianchi managing director Rudolf Ramseier spoke about the history of how the test installation came about at the current company headquarters in Oberdiessbach in Switzerland.

In the existing test tower in Thun, it was only possible to test up to 5,000 kg at the maximum triggering speed of 5.06 m/s,

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Expand range of large scale heavy duty safety gear

"However, we wanted to expand our range of large scale heavy duty safety gear." The red test tower in Munich had already been out of order for over ten years, while TÜV-EMI in Budapest was not suitable on account of the distance.

The smallest volume that 25 t could have was the subject of lengthy consideration, how big the drop frame for it would have to be, in what steel scaffold the frame should travel, the foundation that would be necessary for the scaffold and what drive would be perfect.

Ten years of planning and consideration

"Finally, the schedule for the project was meticulously noted on a beer coaster," Ramseier reported. Various adversities between 2013 and 2015 repeatedly delayed the implementation.

In autumn 2018, after ten years of planning and consideration, realisation finally appeared feasible. The Board of Directors of the company then had to consult on whether the laboratory construction was actually still wanted. The decision was reached very rapidly in October 2018, Ramseier revealed, "Tina Germano and I then clarified things on the hop with cups of coffee in our hands."

First free fall experiment successful

The red tape was cut by Manfred Negru (TÜV South, conveyance technology department), Dennis Lindeboom (Liftinstituut Niederlande), Svetlana Spiryaeva (RusCertific Russia) and the guest of honour Konrad Regner – previously TÜV South Munich and the co-builder of the red test tower in Munich.

After this, Hermann Gehrig and Dominik Helfer triggered the first free fall experiment before the eyes of about 100 ceremony guests. The new test laboratory was baptised by Tina Maria Germano and Rudolf Ramseier – both managing partners of Cobianchi Liftteile AG – with name RDHT-02.

Joint dinner in the panorama restaurant

At the inauguration ceremony, the Cobianchi managing director welcomed the VFA board of directors chairman Achim Hütter, interlift project manager Joachim Kalsdorf and the former technical corporate director lift & norms of Wittur, Wolfgang Adldinger.

After the inauguration ceremony with banquet, a shuttle bus brought the ceremony guests to the valley station of the Niesen funicular railway, which transported everyone up the 2362 m high mountain. At a joint dinner in the panorama restaurant, the day came to an end with an impressive sunset against an Alpine backdrop.

www.cobianchi.ch

Test laboratory in time lapse: In Hall 5, Stand 5153, interlift visitors can view the test laboratory almost 1:1 on the hall wall and see in time lapse how the building site developed over 100 days on the hall wall, company boss Ramseier reported, "We would like to present you our new heavy duty solutions, our deep freeze products (- 32° C) and our bulky safety gear."

The test laboratory serves the testing and inspecting of safety gear/buffers/safety components in the lift sector and general conveyance technology. It consists of a steel scaffold within which test weights up to 25,000 kg can be lifted with a hoisting system. The safety gear is mounted below the mounting of the test weights. By opening a hook (matching crane hooks), the test weight drops vertically downwards in free fall.

The safety gear trips automatically at a predetermined speed and brings the test weight to a standstill. This concludes the test. The test weight can then be lifted by the hoisting system from the locked brake and another test can begin.

Manufacturer: Serapid Deutschland GmbH and Trost Metallbau
Breaking ground: 6.3.2019
Inauguration: 19.7.2019

Used for construction:
117 tons concrete
4.48 t reinforcing steel
22.5 t steel supporting structure
7 t weight of drop frame
18 t weights for the fall frame load
Pit depth: 2,000 mm
Pit length: 6,200 mm
Pit width: 3,600 mm
Total tower height: 9,600 mm
Power: 22 kW
Thrust chain drive: 4x LinkLift100R
Test load from 7,000 to 25,000 kg
Test: Free tall test
Hoisting speed: 0.05 m/s, frequency-controlled
Working stroke: 4,600 mm