Schlieren Aufzügefabrik AG | |
---|---|
Founded |
1895 (Zürich, Switzerland) |
Acquired by |
Schindler Group (1960) |
Status |
Defunct |
Schweizerische Aufzügefabrik AG, Schlieren-Zürich was an elevator manufacturing division of Schweizerische Wagonsfabrik AG in Schlieren-Zürich (SWS), a Swiss railway wagon manufacturer.
History
The company was founded in 1895 as Firma Geissberger & Cie, then four years later it became known as Schweizerische Wagen- und Wagons-Fabrik AG, based in Zurich. Just one year later, the company moved its base back to Schlieren, and in 1901, there was another renaming, to Schweizerische Wagonsfabrik AG in Schlieren-Zürich (SWS).
SWS took over Aufzüge- und Räderfabrik Seebach AG (ARSAG) in 1917. In 1928, the company changed name to Schweizerische Wagons- und Aufzügefabrik AG, Schlieren-Zürich which they started manufacturing their own elevators.
In 1959, Schlieren invented "Aconic" (stands for "anti-Contact-Electronic"), a semiconductor based and transistor-controlled elevator technology without moving parts. It was the first fully transistorize controlled elevator system in the world. This system was claimed to have silent ride, longer life and worked quickly without wear and tear. One of Schlieren's Aconic elevator installations was installed at the laboratory of Technischen Universität (Technical University) of Delft in the Netherlands in 1969. However, the elevators were later modernized by Schindler[1].
In 1960, SWS was acquired by Schindler Group and was integrated into Schindler as a subsidiary company after Pars Finanz AG (the holding company of Schindler) had purchased 30% of the share capital of SWS.
After the integration, Schlieren elevator division focused on standard elevator doors and cabs until 1985 when SWS was absorbed by Schindler and subsequently defunct.
Notable installations
Main article: List of notable Schlieren elevator installations
Fixtures
- Main article: Schlieren Elevator Fixtures Guide
Trivia
- In Finland, their elevators were distributed by Valmet and were known as Valmet Schlieren.
- In Denmark, their elevators were distributed by Thomas Schmidt and known as Thomas-Schmidt Schlieren.
- Thomas Schmidt merged with Lifton (a Danish company) and became TS-Lifton for a while. Later, Kone took over Lifton and was known as KONE-Lifton until the company was completely discontinued.
- Their elevators were also exported to Hong Kong during in the late 1950s under the name China Engineers. Some of the remaining Schlieren elevators in Hong Kong nowadays are either maintained by Mitsubishi or other companies.
- Farsta-Terassen had alot of Schlieren elevators with automatic doors and are high-speeds. Schlieren's solution to Westinghouse's Selectomatic or Express's DMR are to use transistor controllers (known as Aconic, see History section above) to control and move their more advanced elevators in tower offices. They became very rare nowadays. Out of all made Transistor-Controlled Schlieren elevators being made, there is one turned off elevator being left inside Farsta-Terassen. The fate for this elevator is uncertain, as it is one of the most rare models, and could be extinct with this remaining one being modernised!
Gallery
Nameplates
Notes and references
- ↑ Technischen Universität NL (German)
External links
Major elevator and escalator companies | |
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Full list of companies | List of elevator and escalator companies |
Operating | Fujitec • Hitachi • Hyundai • Kone • Mitsubishi Electric (Shanghai Mitsubishi) • Otis (Otis Electric • Sigma) • Schindler • TK Elevator • Toshiba |
Defunct | Dover Elevators • Express Lift • Orenstein & Koppel • Thyssen • thyssenkrupp • Westinghouse |
Other companies | Third-party elevator maintenance companies |