Case Study

Visitors to a Brazilian city can now reach new heights with views over the region thanks to a new tourist attraction reached by a panoramic lift controlled by an Optidrive Elevator variable frequency drive.

Reaching 30 metres high at the top of the Morro Cechinel mountain in the Municipal Astronomical Park, above the city of Criciúma, the Realdo Guglielmi Viewpoint was opened in November 2023. It allows the city’s residents and tourists the opportunity to admire the views over the city, mountains, and sea.

The R$4.2 million architectural project was part funded by the Federal Government through the Ministry and Caxia Economica Federal.

Smooth, quick, and safe

The developers wanted to ensure the panoramic lift taking visitors to the top of the viewing point provided a smooth, quick and safe ride for passengers.

Elevator specialist, Panoramico Elevadores, was hired to carry out the work. They used an Optidrive Elevator VFD to control a 7.5kW (10HP) PM gearless motor with 380V power and an IP20-rated enclosure.

Aguinaldo Oliveira of Panoramico Elevadores, said: “The application from the outset had to be as smooth and safe as possible for the elevator users. This would be part of the experience of riding to the top of the viewpoint. We used the Optidrive Elevator drive because of its ability to provide precise control of the motor, including accurate and smooth stops for the passengers.

“The drive’s ease of configuration and reliability in controlling the PM motor were fundamental to the success of the operation.”

He added: “It now means the population has accepted the project very well, enjoying the views from the elevator before heading out on to the viewpoint where there is also a glass floor. They now have a super 360 degree view of the entire city of Criciúma and the surrounding mountains and sea.”

Easy set and commissioning

Invertek Drives Optidrive VFDs are well known for their ease of use and setup, as well as their reliability. In October last year the company launched its next-generation lift drive, Optidrive Elevator Core.

The viewpoint is named after Realdo Santos Guglielmi, a local business leader born in 1941 who founded and owned large investments in the region and left marks on the history of the municipality of Criciúma.

Marcus Silva, the Head of Sales at Invertek Drives for Latin America, said that the Realdo Guglielmi Viewpoint is a crucial new focal point in Criciúma. “The project has been planned for some time, and it was important for it to operate smoothly and safely from opening day,” he said.

Reliability and accurate motor control

“The Optidrive Elevator was the primary choice for the project due to its reliability and accurate motor control. The team is delighted that it is helping the residents and visitors of this area in Brazil to admire the region from such a structure.”

Optidrive Elevator is a dedicated drive for geared and gearless lift applications. It has a compact design which is ideal for use in elevator applications. Its five independent S-Ramps allow fine tuning of ride and performance and jerk free travel.

Additional features include high motor switching frequency for quiet motor operation which is imperative in residential environments.

Other advanced features include anti-rollback in open and close loop operation, and brake release monitoring, in addition to others.

More details can be found at www.invertekdrives.com/variable-frequency-drives/optidrive-elevator/features