Global demand for elevator equipment and services is skyrocketing. According to Statista, the industry has grown from $89 billion in 2015 to $125 billion in 2021. Demand is strong, but keeping up with industry changes comes at a cost to the elevator manufacturing process.
After all, the speed of growth is matched by customer expectations: faster service, reduced costs, and stringent maintenance downtime – all exacerbated by rising competition.
Let us examine some of the key challenges facing the manufacturing process in this rapidly growing industry.
Suppliers and supply capacity
Being dependent on globally located component suppliers requires stringent forecasting and streamlining processes. It is prudent to be prepared to change your critical component supplier quickly, should the need arise. Changes in raw materials and component prices reflect directly in production costs, too. Fixed price contracts are essential to steady profitability.
Evolving skill sets
If not proactively managed, internal skill gaps can be devastating to a business. Advances in automation mean shifts in critical skills required to deliver competitive elevator systems. Is upskilling existing staff sufficient to bridge the gap? Are new specialists being brought in experienced enough, given how young and rapidly evolving Industry 4.0 is? This will likely be an ongoing challenge.
Reactive maintenance
The standards for rider safety are getting higher and higher. As are the expectations to have first-class cabin experiences. Reactive maintenance costs everyone involved; it leads to more shutdowns, slower response handling, and solid solutions for unplanned urgent repairs. Upgrading to smart technologies and investing in IoT solutions may be costly, but the performance efficiencies through ongoing service analyses, fault predictability, and implementing data insights, ultimately pay.
Handling legacy systems
Whether it is maintaining and refurbishing or completely replacing, keeping a building’s elevators ‘current’ is a costly endeavour. Benefits are not always apparent upfront; even if they are, it takes time for them to take effect. Understanding what is possible and presenting all options for modernisation can help guide customers to the best modern elevator solution for their situation. We at tesa know this from experience – we offer next-level bonding solutions that elevate and modernise our customers’ designs, with full customisation to fit the exact needs and specifications.
Compliance
Safety is a critical consideration in elevator manufacturing and management. As such, the pressing complexities of compliance checks cannot be ignored. But keeping abreast of fast-changing regulations, with different compliance codes across regions, comes at a cost that has to be factored in. It is essential in today’s competitive environment to maintain a consistently high standard of product safety and quality, the tesa® 45001 Flame Retardant Tape provides proven flame retardant characteristics in accordance with FAR 25.853(a) app. F part 1 and UL 94 HBF - HF1. It is also free of halogens and antimony-trioxide thus complying with REACH and ROHS regulation.
Keeping up with design trends
Elevators are evolving from functional boxes moving people from A to B, into immersive passenger experiences — focal points reflecting the outlooks and stature of the businesses and establishments they service. Advancements in materials and aesthetic possibilities are leading to increasingly impressive and competitive creative and structural solutions.
Material bonding
With innovation pushing the boundaries of elevator design and engineering, including more glass, in-cabin audio-visual immersions, and touchless interfaces, comes the need for faster-acting, lightweight, powerful bonding solutions. Quality double-sided tape is outperforming alternatives like liquid glues and mechanical fastening across quality, assembly speed, safety, and design criteria.
To take the lead, partner with industry leaders. We work closely with our customers to deliver solutions that ensure class-leading outcomes in terms of support, experience, and impact. We are committed to meeting new needs with proven technologies that can expand your horizons. To achieve this, we offer customised solutions that are tailor-made for your unique business needs.
Working with us at tesa can improve your production efficiency. This is because using adhesive tapes, compared to conventional bonding solutions like glue or mechanical fastening, saves time during production processes and avoids unnecessary waste.
If you would like to take your elevator design to the next level with a customised adhesive solution, get in touch with us using the link below.
