Press Release

03.23.2018

thyssenkrupp opens high-speed elevator test tower as part of its new plant in Zhongshan, China

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• The test tower is one of the highest in the world at 813 feet and will test highspeed and rope-less elevators
• The opening ceremony for the plant reinforces thyssenkrupp’s continued investment in China, innovation and R&D around the world

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Today, global manufacturer thyssenkrupp marked another major milestone in its innovation ambition with the opening ceremony of its newest plant and test tower in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, China. The launch demonstrates the company’s continued investment and development in China following the opening of its multipurpose facility building in Shanghai in 2016. It also provides a new impetus for the company’s sustained development in China and around the world.

The undeniable star of the opening ceremony was the magnificent new test tower. Standing at 813-feet-high (31 floors above the ground), it is one of the tallest test towers in the world, and serves as a symbol of the company’s strength in R&D and leadership in elevator innovation.

With 13 shafts, the tower can be used to test new concepts and product pilots – including a new high-speed elevator that will reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, as well as the world’s first rope-less elevator system, MULTI. In order to carry out robust tests for stringent safety requirements, the tower also has an AMD (Active Mass Damper) system, which can both significantly reduce the extent of tower swing caused by changes in weather conditions, and also mimic motions of extreme meteorological conditions, such as earthquakes and typhoons. thyssenkrupp already has a test tower in Germany – where the company is headquartered – which was inaugurated last October.

As one of the fastest growing and most populated countries in the world, it is no surprise that China has become thyssenkrupp’s largest market in Asia. thyssenkrupp Elevator had sales of 17.8 percent in China in the last financial year. With a focus on urbanization and making cities the best possible places to live, thyssenkrupp Elevator has continued to invest in the Chinese market and the elevator business is its core focus of investment.

CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of thyssenkrupp, Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger, commented: “Our new Zhongshan test tower and plant are a testimony to thyssenkrupp’s commitment to investing in research and development in China and our dedication to innovation. This clearly shows China’s enormous importance for our business as well as the great value and future promise of this partnership.”

thyssenkrupp Elevator started its development in the Chinese market in Zhongshan City and has forged ever-deepening ties with the city since then. The opening of the new Zhongshan plant symbolizes the new development stage of thyssenkrupp Elevator in China.

Andreas Schierenbeck, CEO of thyssenkrupp Elevator, said, “It is always our great ambition to be close to our customers, and the testing and development process is really important to ensure we can flex to what people really want and need. China is an exciting territory to be operating in, with as many as 500,000 units being installed each year – so it was a natural choice for us to build our first international test tower there.”

By further improving its manufacturing and R&D capabilities in China, thyssenkrupp Elevator will provide more innovative technologies, quality products and services for the Chinese market, contribute to China’s urbanization construction and create a more efficient and convenient urban life for the Chinese people.