OREANDA-NEWS. September 28, 2011. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced today it has received an order from Shanghai Tower Construction & Development Co., Ltd. for the installation of the world's fastest elevators, travelling at 18 meters (or 59 feet) per second, in the Shanghai Tower currently under construction in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China.

The current world record for elevator speed is 1,010 meters per minute, which is approximately 16.8 meters (or 55 feet) per second, according to Guinness World Records.

Three sets of elevators will travel directly between the second basement level and the observation deck on the 119th floor. Including these three units, Mitsubishi Electric Group will supply all 106 elevators for the Shanghai Tower, beginning this autumn. The 632-meter tall skyscraper complex will house offices, hotel accommodations, commercial facilities, convention halls, exhibition halls, restaurants and culture and tourism facilities. It is expected to be the tallest building in China when completed in 2014.

Mitsubishi Electric also will install a group of four double-deck elevators that will travel at a world-record 10 meters (or 33 feet) per second between the ground floor and hotel lobby on the 101st floor. In addition, the emergency elevator is expected to become the world's longest-travelling elevator by operating between the third basement and the 121st floor, a distance of 578.5 meters.

The seven elevators expected to establish new speed records will incorporate state-of-the-art technologies to ensure passenger comfort at high speed, such as active roller guides, sleek roof covers that reduce lateral vibration and noise, and pneumatic control to compensate for rapid changes of atmospheric pressure.

High-intensity ropes and cables will enable the world's longest-travelling elevator to operate over a distance exceeding 500 meters. Ceramic braking material will increase resistance to high temperatures and strong impact for maximized safety and reliability.

All elevators capable of travelling at speeds in excess of 2.5 meters (or 8.2 feet) per second also will be equipped with energy-saving solutions, including regenerative converters and group-control systems.

"It is a great honor to be selected to supply all elevators, including a number of record-breaking units, for the tallest building in China," said Mitsuo Muneyuki, executive vice president of Mitsubishi Electric in charge of building systems. "We believe this historic order reflects the global reputation of Mitsubishi Electric's advanced technologies and world-class service."

In response to growing demands on elevator and escalator systems for high-rise buildings, Mitsubishi Electric is steadily developing transportation systems offering increased levels of safety, security, comfort and sustainability.