British Engineering elevated to new heights

Oleo International is developing a new high speed buffer range from its manufacturing facility in Coventry, in the UK. The buffers, once completed, will be positioned at the bottom of elevator shafts to provide a vital safety mechanism for elevators in some of the tallest skyscrapers all over the world.

China is currently leading the world when it comes to new high-rise buildings and is now the world's largest market for elevators. However, many countries are seeing an increase in the construction of skyscrapers and at the same time building managers require faster elevators to enable efficient movement of larger numbers of people around these vast buildings.

While Oleo already designs, manufactures and installs buffers that support elevator speeds of 11.62m/s (41.6km/h - 25.8mph) there are currently none on the global market that are capable of supporting elevator speeds in excess of 20m/s.

Oleo has developed a new telescopic elevator buffer designed to be used at such high speeds and still capable of safe average deceleration of 1G. The buffer's first commercial installation will be unveiled in 2014.

Key to the unique technical advancements in Oleo's design is the shift from a single phase unit to two and four stage telescopic buffers. Telescopic technology allows for smaller buffer sizes than conventional designs, giving Oleo's new HSL range an easy installation process and reducing installation costs by saving critical space in the elevator shaft.

In order to ensure that the HSL elevator buffer range operates to optimum efficiency, Oleo has constructed its very own test tower on site (pictured). The dedicated elevator buffer test tower is the largest such facility in the world, measuring 33m tall and will be unveiled in an official ceremony in spring 2014.

Jamie Pratt, Managing Director - Elevator Division at Oleo said: "We have been working on our HSL range for the last two years with the aim of engineering an adaptable design suitable for the world's fastest elevators and the end result is capable of exactly that. As world leaders in energy absorption technology, this innovative new product range will ensure that we continue to provide the very best elevator buffer safety systems all over the world."

Elevators operate with a variety of safety systems for which a buffer is a vital component. The HSL range is available in multi-stage heights and is compatible with elevator speeds from 5 metres per second through to 20 metres per second. The project has been years in the making with Oleo specialist engineers carrying out extensive R&D at its plant in the UK.