Mitsubishi Electric Announces the Grand Opening of 'SOLAE,' the World's Highest Elevator Testing Tower
TOKYO--(Business Wire)--Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (President and CEO: Setsuhiro
Shimomura) announced today it will start operation of the world's
highest* elevator testing tower, named "SOLAE," on January 25, 2008,
and on the same day, the company will open an attached showroom and
other facilities.
* As of December 20, 2007
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Summary of the New SOLAE Elevator Testing Tower
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Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Inazawa Works
Location (1 Hishi-machi, Inazawa City, Aichi
Prefecture, Japan)
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Height 173.0m
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Number of Floors 10 floors above ground, 1 floor underground
(Equivalent to 40 floors of a building)
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Area 440 square meters
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Start of Construction December 26, 2005
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Completion of Tower September 26, 2007
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Attached Facilities 3 floors above ground, with a showroom and
other testing facilities
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Total Investment 5 billion yen (including related facilities)
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Aim of Constructing the New SOLAE 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 SOLAE 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 SOLAE 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 SOLAE 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 (TOKYO: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
Customer Inquiries
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
Inazawa Works
Junichi Yamabayashi, +81-587-24-5502
General Affairs Department
http://www.mitsubishi-elevator.com/
Media Contact
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
Yurika Fujimoto, +81-3-3218-3380
Public Relations Division
prd.gnews@nk.MitsubishiElectric.co.jp
http://global.mitsubishielectric.com/news
Copyright Business Wire 2007
