Inside the world's safest transport system
Drive controllers from KEB with special lift features
They are sometimes several hundred meters long, travel at speeds of up to around 20 meters per second, and are generally considered to be the world's safest means of transport: lifts. As varied as the functions and technical characteristics of elevators are, they all have one thing in common: they require powerful and intelligent drive solutions that ensure precision in movement. With this in mind, KEB Automation has expanded the COMBIVERT F6 and S6 drive controllers with special lift features.
Transporting people safely in residential or office buildings, moving heavy goods to the desired location, or transferring smaller service items from A to B in hotels or restaurants: passenger, freight, or small goods elevators make it possible. The demands placed on modern elevator systems are high, because energy efficiency, ride comfort, and seamless system integration are more important today than ever before.
To meet these requirements, frequency inverters are needed, which form the heart of the electronic drive control in modern elevator systems. They precisely control the speed and torque of the motor, regardless of load or lifting height. The result is smooth and energy-efficient operation. KEB Automation has been a long-standing supplier to many well-known elevator manufacturers and, building on its accumulated expertise, has developed drive controllers that are optimized for elevator operation.
High overload capacity
“The COMBIVERT F6 and S6 drives from KEB combine maximum control quality, robust design, and highest flexibility – all in a very small space. Thanks to a software package designed for elevator operation, users benefit from maximum safety and other elevator-specific features,“ says Rüdiger Sabon, sales engineer at KEB Automation. ”Both gear motors and gearless drives and hydraulic drives can be controlled by the lift drives. The inverters feature an overload capacity of over 200 percent and switching frequencies of up to 16 kHz for a highly comfortable ride.”
Visit KEB Automation at interlift 2025 |
Looking for an efficient and safe drive solution for your lift application? Then visit us at interlift 2025 in Nuremberg. From 14 to 17 October 2025, we will be presenting exciting product highlights at our booth D504 in Hall 1. We have summarised what exactly you can expect on site here in a brief and compact overview. Do you have any questions in advance? Then feel free to write to us! We look forward to your visit and to talking to you |
On the software side, the drives feature automatic inertia detection for the entire elevator system and the option of peak arc travel for shortened travel distances. A travel and direction change counter is just as much a part of the specific elevator functions as emergency travel programs in the event of earthquakes or evacuations. The software optimized for this application also includes automatic calibration of motor data and synthetic torque pre-control. Event and error logs are available with time stamps, and an adaptive speed profile can be accessed when network capacity is limited. The universal control system works via CANopen Lift, DCP, serial, Ethernet, digital parallel, analog, and other interfaces.
Easy operation via lift operator
The intuitive operation of COMBIVERT Drives can optionally be carried out using a lift operator (also suitable for remote installation), which is equipped with USB and Ethernet interfaces and provides lift terminology in seven languages. Users can choose between metric and imperial units and benefit from detailed diagnostics and data logging. A 5-level parameter-protected access level and the availability of a user-defined parameter library are further advantages of the operator.
Maximum safety
Safety and reliable operation have always been top priorities in elevator construction. The functional safety of frequency converters – in particular the integration of safe shutdown and monitoring functions – is therefore of key importance. Among other things, brake chopper monitoring with error messages from the lift drives and sensorless emergency operation of synchronous motors contribute to increased safety. "The COMBIVERT F6 and S6 drives from KEB offer safety functions directly in the device – without separate safety relays or external hardware. For example, the two-channel STO signal ensures safe shutdown of the motor torque. In addition, the cable and motor windings are checked before each trip. If the inverter detects irregularities such as a short circuit, ground fault, or wire break, an error is displayed," says Sabon.
Furthermore, designated inputs for connecting the brake monitoring contacts ensure greater safety, as this fulfills the requirements for unauthorized movement (UCM) of the drive. Integrated motor and inverter temperature monitoring, blockage monitoring, and temperature-dependent reduction of the switching frequency also contribute to ensuring that elevators remain the safest means of transport in the world.
Want to learn more?
In addition to lift drives, KEB offers you even more for the operation of elevator systems. We show you everything in our new catalog.
