cially at those critical times of boarding and
disembarkation.
SIMPLY PLUG IT IN?
With regards to the Oasis duo, KONE used
its tried-and-true Plug-in installation method. This means that elevators are pre-assembled inside the pre-manufactured shafts at
the KONE factory in Hyvinkää, Finland, and
then brought in as modules to the shipyard,
lifted into position and welded to place.
This solution enables the early completion of the elevators; several of the elevators
can serve the ship as logistics elevators already during the construction phase.
Hera admits that the whole process –
especially the part where the modules are
transported in one piece to the shipyard –
may sound like a bit of a challenge.
“We have learned to master this process well and are very happy with the results,” he says.
GRACE GOES GREEN
The greenest reference to date is cruise ferry
Viking Grace which started operations in
January. KONE delivered a total of 14 KONE
MonoSpace machine-room-less elevators and
KONE MiniSpace elevators with compact machine-room, all powered by the KONE EcoDisc
hoisting machine. These eco-efficient elevators are equipped with regenerative drives,
which will utilise the braking energy of the elevators and generate it back as electric power.
“This will save up to 30 % in energy
costs,” says Hera, adding that Viking Grace’s
elevators are the most energy-efficient in the
world. This is fully in line with the green profile of the ship, as Viking Grace is hailed as
the most environmentally friendly passenger
vessel to date.
In order to provide the optimal People
Flow onboard the vessel, KONE assessed the
passenger traffic with thorough calculations.
According to Hera, KONE uses sophisticated
traffic calculation tools to achieve smooth logistics on the seas:
“We work with the size and the layout
of the ship and consult the ship-owners about
the various options.”
SAMI J. ANTEROINEN
20
seatec 2/2013