The Lift - a complex System

For most of the people a lift is just an electrical powered travel medium for a relaxed tackling of differences in altitude inside of buildings. Not more and not less…. Most of them will aware that there is a need of regarding technique behind the functionality of the system, but it will be little-noticed by someone to think about the technical sophistications are hidden behind the cabin walls.

Specialists as engineers, consultants, architects, technicians, or like me, as an editor of a branch-specific professional magazine, are mainly familiar with the technique of lifts and know about the components – beside the visible once inside the car – are hidden all behind that. But to be always up to date with the latest engineering and also to apprehend all the specific refinements of the complex lift systems (facts you can not cover in the daily business routine), even professional lift-profs and those who want to become such, get opportunities for well-known advanced education.

In-service training seminars, depending on the state of knowledge

… and how can you do it more easy and more effective than getting the elementary knowledge from the well known professional competence comprehensive explained? Therefore the VFA has – with the active support of its members - generated an in-serving training seminar in the last year, which imparted large knowledge in this field (suited to the according state of knowledge). In November 2008 the last basic class A1 of 2008 took place in Bergisch Gladbach at company Böhnke + Partner.

Basic class A1

About ten professional lift-profs, from engineer to the technicians and up to me, participated at the end of 2008 on this three-day basic class. The contents of teaching were multi-layered and became competent and precise explained by the experts Gerd Stemmler and Jörg Hellmich (both should be well known in this business due to their long standing activities) in casual atmosphere.

Starting with the safety related basics (overview and comment to all relevant technical regulations), following with the detailed technical basics of a lift-system (different lift- and drive-systems and their complex calculations, where as the hydraulic lifts additional become treated  again as a separate subject), the safety related components (door locks, catches, speed governors, buffers etc.), the mechanical components (ropes, cabin, counterweight, guide rails, guide shoes, doors, shaft, machine room as well as acoustic and sound insulation) up to the electrical engineering (drive, controller, EMC and lightning protection) the participants obtained detailed descriptions (also by means of exhibits) of the different components. No question kept unanswered. Requests were taken up by the advisors and at large discussed.

Feedback in 2008

According to VFA-manager Undine Stricker-Berghoff the comment of the participants of the training from last year was throughout positive concerning the performance of each referent and the content of teaching in specific. “Especially they liked the practical sections as the factory-tours and the real presentation of single components” said Stricker-Berghoff. All of the previous participants appreciated as well the composition of the students. They all had the chance to exchange their knowledge and so to get a look into other fields of activity. This exchange of experiences among participants and referents was excellent to support the consolidation of the contents of teaching.

Seminars in 2009

It goes without saying that the VFA buoys this offer, which is greatly important for this branch, to convey professionally basic knowledge as well as its consolidation, also this year for interested specialists. Consequently in the upcoming months of this year further classes will follow:
Basic class A1

• 12. to 14. May (Ziehl-Abegg, Künzelsau)
• 30. Juni bis 2. Juli (Handwerkskammer Hamburg)
• 22. bis 24. September (Siemens, Hannover)

Vertiefungskurs A2

• 24. bis 26. März (Schaefer, Sigmaringen)
• 3. bis 5. November (Ort wird noch rechtzeitig bekannt gegeben)

Aufbaukurs B

• 25. + 26. November (VDI-Haus, Stuttgart)

Wer seine bisher erlangten Kenntnisse also noch vertiefen und gegebenenfalls auch noch einen zertifi zierten Abschluss erlangen möchte, der sollte sich für weitere Informationen an den VFA wenden und sich für einen entsprechenden Kurs entscheiden. Anmeldungen zu den einzelnen Kursen nimmt Anja Gietz unter: 040/ 72 73 01 50 entgegen. Der VFA empfiehlt sich frühzeitig anzumelden, da im vergangenen Jahr gänzlich alle Seminare nach kürzester Zeit ausgebucht waren und pro Kurs nur eine beschränkte Teilnehmerzahl gewährleistet werden kann, um allen Wissbegierigen gerecht werden zu können.

Weitere Informationen: www.vfa-interlift.de