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Foundation

On 1 July 1996, Stavros Kamarakis and Hans-Werner Walbert founded KW Aufzugstechnik GmbH in Eschborn, a town in the Rhine-Main region near Frankfurt am Main.
Both founders contributed their experience and technical expertise to the company. Stavros Kamarakis, with his decades of experience in lift technology, particularly in lift installation and modernisation, and Hans-Werner Walbert, who as an engineer had in-depth knowledge of electrical engineering, complemented each other perfectly.
What began as a classic garage company, with modest beginnings and the challenge of gaining a foothold in a highly competitive market, they succeeded in moving the company forward through innovative ideas, passion and personal commitment.

Our milestones in development

The history of KW Aufzugstechnik GmbH is characterised by a constant series of developments. In 1997, just one year after the company was founded, the SAG-60 soft start device was launched on the market. Two years later, the first frequency inverter series GOLIATH-60 was launched. These products were specially designed for use in lift systems and were aimed at the special requirements of this sector.

The SAG-60 soft-start device was developed to ensure the smooth start-up of hydraulic pumps, which not only reduced wear on the mechanical components, namely the contacts of the contactors, but also significantly increased mains compatibility.

The high-quality housing and compensation electronics already guaranteed compliance with the EMC limit value of EN 55011 Class B at that time.

The GOLIATH-60 series of frequency inverters represented a further technical leap forward. These inverters enabled precise control of the lift motors, which led to improved performance, reliability and energy savings in the lifts.

Of particular note was the robustness and adaptability of the GOLIATH-60 frequency inverters to a wide variety of asynchronous machines, which made them attractive for worldwide use, especially in markets with high development needs such as Asia.

China, which was in a phase of rapid economic growth in the 1990s, was a key market for KW Aufzugstechnik GmbH. The demand for modern and reliable drive systems increased rapidly, and the innovative frequency inverters were right in tune with the spirit of the times. At the same time, the device helped to save energy, which made an important contribution to the emerging debate on energy efficiency in Europe at the time.

For KW Aufzugstechnik GmbH, 2001 marked another step forward in the company’s history, namely the introduction of its first in-house lift controler .

An outstanding feature of the DAVID 2001 was its modular and decentralised architecture, i.e. the central lift controler, car controler and interior panel controler communicate with each other via bus connections. The flexible system was easily adaptable to a wide range of lift applications.

However, the development and market launch of DAVID 2001 not only represented a technological breakthrough, but also marked the beginning of a successful product family.
The generation of computers that began with DAVID 2001 has been continuously developed and adapted to the latest technological advances. This ultimately led to the development of the DAVID 613, the current version of this lift control.

Our company locations

With the growing success and steadily increasing demand for its products and services, it was necessary to further expand the production and administrative structures.
Today, KW Aufzugstechnik GmbH has two modern production sites that enable the company to respond efficiently and flexibly to customer requirements. These sites endeavour to use the latest technologies to ensure that KW Aufzugstechnik GmbH remains at the forefront of innovation in the future.
From its humble beginnings as a two-man operation, KW Aufzugstechnik GmbH has developed into a medium-sized company that today employs 100 people. Every step along the way has been characterised by hard work, technical development and the relentless pursuit of improvement.

Our values and goals

The narrative of KW Aufzugstechnik GmbH is based on a clear mission:
Through innovation and effectiveness, we develop high-quality control systems and inverters that offer our customers digital and ecological added value.

We always take our customers’ individual requirements into account and work closely with them to create solutions that fulfil their expectations.
Customer proximity is not just a buzzword for us, but a central component of our corporate philosophy. By working closely with our customers, we ensure that our products are not only technically leading, but also practical and user-friendly.

Our quality standards

KW Aufzugstechnik GmbH has always focussed on the highest quality standards in order to offer its customers first-class products and services. A key milestone on this path was certification to ISO 9001 in 2008, an international standard for quality management systems that emphasises our commitment to continuous improvement and customer-oriented processes.
For us, quality is not just a goal, but an obligation that runs through all areas of our company. Our quality standards are based on the same principles that apply in safety-critical sectors such as the aircraft industry.

Our products and services

KW Aufzugstechnik GmbH offers a wide range of products and services that are specially tailored to the diverse requirements of the lift industry.

Digital software products for the entire life cycle of a lift system

In addition to our physical control systems, we offer a range of digital software products that cover the entire life cycle of a lift system:

Calculation: Our software solutions support the precise and efficient planning and calculation of lift projects. They enable all relevant parameters to be taken into account and economically and technically optimised decisions to be made.

KWeb – monitoring and preventive maintenance: Our digital monitoring tools allow operators to monitor the condition of their lift systems in real time. The software analyses operating data, detects potential problems at an early stage and supports the planning of preventive maintenance measures. This increases uptime and reduces maintenance costs thanks to timely interventions.

KWebshop – online shop for components: To facilitate the maintenance and repair of lift systems, we offer a user-friendly online shop through which our customers can order spare parts quickly and easily. This ensures that necessary components are quickly available and downtimes are minimised.

Control systems for various areas of application

Our control systems cover a wide range of applications, from residential buildings to high-rise lifts and specialised industrial lifts.

Residential buildings: For use in residential buildings, we offer compact and efficient control systems that are tailored to the needs of tenants and operators. These systems guarantee reliable and energy-saving operation that is characterised by high user-friendliness and a long service life.

Highrise lift systems: In high-rise buildings, where speed, precision and safety are of the utmost importance, our control systems set new standards. They are designed to transport large loads quickly and safely over many floors and integrate state-of-the-art technology for smooth travel and precise stopping positions.

Industrial lifts: We have robust and reliable control systems for the demanding requirements of industry, particularly in sectors such as chemicals, the automotive industry and critical infrastructure. These systems are designed for extreme conditions and offer maximum reliability to ensure operational safety in critical environments.

Special lift systems: A particular highlight of our portfolio are the control systems for special lift systems, such as car lifts, inclined lifts, but also ship lifts, such as those used on cruise ships.

Control systems for various areas of application

Our control systems cover a wide range of applications, from residential buildings to high-rise lifts and specialised industrial lifts.

Residential buildings: For use in residential buildings, we offer compact and efficient control systems that are tailored to the needs of tenants and operators. These systems guarantee reliable and energy-saving operation that is characterised by high user-friendliness and a long service life.

Highrise lift systems: In high-rise buildings, where speed, precision and safety are of the utmost importance, our control systems set new standards. They are designed to transport large loads quickly and safely over many floors and integrate state-of-the-art technology for smooth travel and precise stopping positions.

Industrial lifts: We have robust and reliable control systems for the demanding requirements of industry, particularly in sectors such as chemicals, the automotive industry and critical infrastructure. These systems are designed for extreme conditions and offer maximum reliability to ensure operational safety in critical environments.

Special lift systems: A particular highlight of our portfolio are the control systems for special lift systems, such as car lifts, inclined lifts, but also ship lifts, such as those used on cruise ships.

Digital software products for the entire life cycle of a lift system

In addition to our physical control systems, we offer a range of digital software products that cover the entire life cycle of a lift system:

Calculation: Our software solutions support the precise and efficient planning and calculation of lift projects. They enable all relevant parameters to be taken into account and economically and technically optimised decisions to be made.

KWeb – monitoring and preventive maintenance: Our digital monitoring tools allow operators to monitor the condition of their lift systems in real time. The software analyses operating data, detects potential problems at an early stage and supports the planning of preventive maintenance measures. This increases uptime and reduces maintenance costs thanks to timely interventions.

KWebshop – online shop for components: To facilitate the maintenance and repair of lift systems, we offer a user-friendly online shop through which our customers can order spare parts quickly and easily. This ensures that necessary components are quickly available and downtimes are minimised.

Our team

At KW Aufzugstechnik GmbH, we attach great importance to an open, informal and dynamic working environment. Our flat hierarchical structure enables all employees to actively contribute their ideas and work together on new solutions.
Our team is a living example of diversity in action: the people who work for us come from 26 different countries. This cultural and professional diversity enriches our company enormously.
Another key aspect of our corporate culture is continuous learning and personal development.
Lifelong learning is not just a buzzword for us, but a fundamental principle that enables our employees to grow both personally and professionally.

Sustainability

Sustainability is a central component of the corporate culture at KW Aufzugstechnik GmbH. We are aware of our responsibility towards the environment and therefore consistently focus on sustainable solutions in all areas of our company.
Since 2019, we have further minimised our ecological footprint by introducing a fleet of electric vehicles. These electric vehicles not only help to reduce CO₂ emissions, but are also a clear commitment to clean and sustainable mobility.
In order to operate this fleet efficiently, we have installed our own charging stations at both of our company sites, which are also available to our employees.

However, our sustainability efforts are not limited to transport. We have implemented photovoltaic systems as a renewable energy source at our production sites. These systems utilise the power of the sun to cover a large part of our energy requirements.
On sunny days, we are able to generate the energy we need ourselves, which not only makes our operations more sustainable, but also less dependent on external energy sources.