| 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.
Schlieren developed the Monotron elevator drive with transistors in 1958.
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
Elevator fixtures
- Main article: List of Schlieren elevator fixtures
Notable past overseas distributors
- China Engineers Ltd. (Hong Kong, 1950s)
- Thomas-Schmidt (Denmark, often known as Thomas-Schmidt Schlieren)
- Thomas-Schmidt merged with Danish elevator company Lifton and became TS-Lifton for a while. Later, Kone took over Lifton and became KONE-Lifton before it was defunct.
- Valmet (Finland, often known as Valmet Schlieren)
Trivia
- Farsta-Terassen in Stockholm, Sweden had a lot of Schlieren elevators with automatic doors and were high-speeds. Schlieren's solution to Westinghouse's Selectomatic or Express's DMR were to use transistor controllers (known as Aconic, see History section above) to control and move their more advanced elevators in office towers. They became very rare nowadays. Out of all 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.
- Schindler's Dynatron elevator drive, developed in 1965, was based on Schlieren's Monotron drive.
Gallery
Nameplates
Notes and references
- ↑ Technischen Universität NL (German)