Yet another indication of the size of the new Airbus A380 is given by the fact that the kitchens are literally below stairs on this twin-deck airliner. Meals are moved from the lower to the upper deck on trolleys, via a lift system that employs timing belts as the power transmission medium. Weight and space-saving were key considerations in the design of this highly engineered 'dumb waiter' style trolley lift system, which comprises an aluminium column built in two half shells, supporting pulleys running in high grade bearings.The vertical movement is provided by a high-torque electric motor, which drives the trolley system via self-tracking, polyurethane timing belts. The belts chosen for this application are Brecoflex ATK 10 K6 units, which are available in the UK from Transmission Developments. The Brecoflex construction (a longitudinal extrusion with continuous helical tension members) ensures minimal elongation and very high wear resistance. The specification called for minimal maintenance because the lifts are totally enclosed within the passenger areas and consequently access is difficult.The trolley lift system, which weighs a total of 60kg, was subjected to long term pre-installation tests involving the movement of a 240kg load for more than one million cycles over a vertical distance of 2.94m in under ten seconds per cycle. Transdev claims it can supply the widest commercially available timing belt in the UK. Hitherto, the company has supplied timing belts in customer specified widths of up to 450mm; now, it can supply these belts in widths of up to 800mm. Available in T10 profile with Kevlar tension members, this new range can be supplied in lengths of up to 80m.