The Newest Moving Walk

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May 2011 | ELEVATOR WORLD | 5

iwalk The Newest Moving Walkby ThyssenKrupp Elevatorby Carmen Maldacena, EW Correspondent

Technology

The So Paulo Metro is the stage where the iwalk,

an innovative moving walk, was recently launched by

ThyssenKrupp Elevadores of Brazil. This new means of

transportation was conceived and built in Spain as a solu-

tion to facilitate the assembly, transportation and installa-

tion of conventional moving walks. It is a green model

that follows a sustainable concept and adds passenger

comfort. Six iwalk units were installed to link two So

Paulo metro stations, ultimately improving the travel ofthousands of subway users in the congested metropolis.

Full view of the six iwalks

iwalk

Passengerscommuting in the

So Paulo Metro

Within the framework of the citys metro expansion

ThyssenKrupp Elevator added the iwalk to its escalator

and elevators to contribute to the swift movement of pas

sengers (ELEVATOR WORLD, August 2008). Your reporte

got a firsthand experience riding the iwalks during a recen

visit to the new stations, which also feature glass gates o

the platform edges: a shiny transparent tunnel that protect

riders during the arrival of driverless trains.

Technological/Green SolutionThe iwalk is a global novelty that offers solutions fo

heavy-duty transportation systems. It features techno

logical developments and bears a green i in its name t

indicate its sustainable principles.

The new equipment was installed in the metro to lin

two stations Consolao in Green Line 2 and Paulista i

Yellow Line 4.

There are six heavy-duty moving walks located at th

end of the platform at the Consolao station. They ru

along a 120-m tunnel to reach the top of the escalator

that will take the passengers in both directions to th

recently opened Paulista station. The original moving walis equipped with new improvements. The combplat

height has been significantly reduced to 7 mm (compareContinu


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to the 40 mm of standard models). This provides an easier

walk on its surface and a safer passage between the fixed

and mobile sections of the equipment for passengers

pulling wheeled items over the combs. The iwalk claims

to be the only moving walk that offers this characteristic

on the international market.

The iwalk was designed to be environmentally friendly.Its driving system minimizes lubrication by oil drops (the

pallets do not need lubrication) and reduces the number

of components, as well as the power consumption of the

machine. The moving walk remains in standby position

when not in use. With ThyssenKrupp Energy Control intel-

ligent technology, the speed increases gradually only when

the rider treads on the iwalk. This system is also used in

conventional moving walks supplied by the company.

Easy Installation/Flexible Transportation

Another convenient characteristic of the iwalk is the

systems division into modules, which makes manufacture

and installation easier and more flexible. The reduced

number of components includes transportation advan-

tages and facilitates assembly at the jobsite. As a compact

product, it can be transported in containers sparing some

of the room usually needed to store regular moving-walk

components at building sites. With this new concept, it is

possible to install moving walks where they were once

unfeasible. Moreover, the fewer components used, the

faster the assembly. The practice of complete assembly inthe factory has been replaced by a serial production of the

central sections that are assembled to the entrance and

exit platforms at the jobsite.

The iwalk does not require a special structure, since it

can be installed on existing floors. This is possible because

it is self-contained in its own guide rails where the palettes

run, avoiding costly guide-rail adjustments that are nec-

essary in traditional installations. This moving walk requires

only a 380-mm-deep pit, whereas the conventional models

need an approximately 1.15-m-deep pit.

Attractive Design/Added Comfort

The design of the iwalk had to be in accordance with

the simple, yet elegant architectural trends of today. With

Central safety walkway

iwalk balustrades in detail

A side view of ThyssenKrupps new moving walks

Riding at full speed on the iwalks

iwalk The Newest Moving Walk by ThyssenKrupp ElevatorContinued


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May 2011 | ELEVATOR WORLD | 5

the platforms from the rails in all the stations. The gate

open with those of the trains, avoiding accidents an

other operating complications. The illumination system

is efficient with electronic reactors, high-performanc

reflectors and fluorescent lamps.

The Faria-Lima station is equipped with four stainless

steel ThyssenKrupp machine-room-less (MRL) elevatorfor accessibility and 10 escalators. Your reporter observe

how the metro employees were trained on the use of th

elevators so that they could instruct passengers with spe

cial needs. The recently opened station uses new driver

less trains manufactured by Hyundai in South Korea

Their automatic operation is safer, and the speed is alway

kept within the permitted ranges according to need. Th

trains are not divided into separate wagons; they are a long

articulated corridor so that passengers can circulate freel

between the sections. Passengers have a full view of th

whole train and can see it traveling into the tunnels.

Once the group and your reporter arrived at Paulist

station, we went up the escalators, then directly onto th

iwalks that took us along the passageway to flow int

Consolao station. In Paulista station, in addition t

the six connecting iwalks, there are six panoramic eleva

tors and 18 escalators (also supplied and installed b

ThyssenKrupp Elevadores).

ViaQuatro is responsible for the operation and mainte

nance of Line 4. This private/public partnership will inves

more than US$2 billion in the line. When it is finished,

will cover 12.8 km with 11 stations.

Acknowledgments:Journalist Isabel Munhoz Silvareand photographer Dario de Freitas.

Faria-Lima metro station with safety glass partitions on the platform edge

Boarding platform at Paulista station: detail of the platform and train gates coordi-

nated for boarding

ThyssenKrupps MRL elevato

Model Synergy operated

by a gearless machinelocated inside the shaft.

The Paulista Station machin

has a capacity of 600 kg

and speed of 1 mps.

this aim, the balustrades and handrails follow curving

lines with no edges, complemented with the use of glass

panels rendering a slim, transparent and light structure.

The installation of a moving walk to connect two stations

intends to provide the subway users with a faster and

more comfortable passage through the tunnel. At a

speed of 0.65 mps, it takes 3 minutes to reach the oppo-site end.

The combplate design facilitates improved accessibility

for those using wheelchairs or similar wheeled items.

Traveling in the So Paulo Metro Network

In 2008, your reporter discussed the overall figures

regarding the extension and modernization program by the

Companhia do Metropolitano de So Paulo that involved

an estimated investment of BRL21 billion (US$12.3 billion).

During this visit, ThyssenKrupp Elevadores and the metro

companys representatives accompanied your reporter on

a ride from the new Faria-Lima to Paulista metro stations,

both located in Yellow Line 4. This is among the first lines

in Latin America to feature glass partitions to separate

Documents

The Newest Moving Walk