Sigma
Sigma Elevator Company Caption | ||||||||||||||||
General information
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Sigma Elevator Company is a South Korean manufacturer of elevators, escalators and moving walks.
Overview
A subsidiary of Otis Elevator Korea (OEK), Sigma was formed in 2000 as a brand of Otis Korea products for overseas markets, so the elevators are basically rebadged Otis Korea products. Otis Korea itself was initially set up in 1999 after Otis took over LG Industrial Systems's elevator division. From there, it became LG-OTIS Elevator Company until 2003 when it changed name to OTIS-LG Elevator Company and again in 2006 into Otis Elevator Korea, the current name of Otis's Korean subsidiary.
For more than ten years, it had a factory in Changwon, South Korea which had been operating since it was first started by GoldStar (Otis Korea's predecessor) in 1968. However, it was sold to LG Electronics in 2013 and production was relocated to China, so almost every Otis Korea and Sigma products relied from China, unless customers really want Korean made products. It is estimated that the factory is located in either Dalian, Hangzhou or Tianjin. Because of this, Sigma products have often been criticized for having poor performance and higher breakdown rate compared to previous products that were produced at the Changwon factory. The same case also happened to the Otis branded products in South Korea.
Sigma also has a factory in Dalian, China which is being operated by its Chinese subsidiary, Dalian Sigma Elevator. The factory has been operating since the LG Industrial Systems era in 1998.
In 2019, Otis Korea established a new research and development (R&D) center in Songdo International City, incheon, South Korea[1][2][3], and it is said that local production has resumed in this new facility. With the opening of this new facility, there is a chance that Sigma products would be produced in South Korea again, but until now many new Sigma products are still coming from China.
Sigma in Indonesia
Sigma entered the Indonesian market shortly after the brand itself was established. It entered the country through PT. Jaya Kencana, who was previously a distributor of GoldStar and later LG elevators since 1983. They are still a distributor of Sigma elevators.
In Pekanbaru, Riau however, Sigma is distributed by PT. Seltech Putera Perkasa since 2011, which has no relationship with Jaya Kencana.
Sigma is a very popular brand in Indonesia. It is widely seen in residential buildings, shopping centers, hotels and sometimes office buildings throughout the country. It is considered to be the second most popular Korean brand in Indonesia after Hyundai.
Elevator models
Note: Models listed in Italic have no known names.
2000 to mid 2000s (First generation)
- The design of elevators of this generation was basically brought from late models of LG Industrial Systems elevators shortly before it was bought by Otis in 1999.
- Button beep is included in all Sigma elevators as a standard feature. Depending on the models, the beep sound is shorter for Di1 elevators and slightly longer for Di2, DS-4 and Di5 elevators. Bed and freight elevators generally have the same beep as Di1 elevators.
- Almost every elevators have car call cancel feature as a standard feature, which allows the user to deselect the wrong floor by pressing the same button again once.
- The controller used in nearly all Sigma elevators is the SKA control, which was initially developed by GoldStar.
- Nearly all Sigma (and also LG-OTIS branded) elevators have L-shaped door keyholes.
- Even after Sigma was established in 2000, a number of LG-OTIS branded elevators were exported to Indonesia and other Asian countries until around 2004. These elevators are simply branded as "LG" on the car operating panel, and the LG-OTIS name is usually only seen in components that are not visible to the public, such as the motor.
Di was Sigma's main lineup of passenger elevator models for low to mid rise buildings, produced from 2000 until 2012. It was originally developed by LG Industrial Systems in 1997.
FEC
Formerly known as FEI until mid 2001, this is a freight elevator model originally developed by LG and was designed for industrial buildings and shopping centers. Most elevators of this model are installed with third party controllers and electrical components such as Samil Eltec rather than Otis Elevator Korea. It is a very rare model in Indonesia, and almost all of them are found in shopping malls.
Known installations in Indonesia:
- Mall Artha Gading, Jakarta (2004, one has been modernized by Nidec)
- Central Park Mall, Jakarta (2009)
- Baywalk Mall, Jakarta (2012)
Mid 2000s to 2012 (Second generation)
- In this generation, several updates were included such as newly updated fixtures, new design, sharper chimes and brighter floor indicators.
- Likewise, almost all elevators have button beep, which typically sounds shorter for Di1 elevators and slightly longer for Di2, Ds4 and Di5 elevators. Car call cancel feature was also included as a standard feature, except for certain unnamed models.
- SKA controls were applied to almost all elevators except for a few other models and Sigma branded Xizi Otis elevators.
- All of these models were discontinued in 2012 due to a product lineup reorganization by Otis Korea and the closure of the Changwon factory in 2013. They were all replaced by new models which are now produced in China.
Distributed Inverter (Di)
Sigma continued producing the Di elevators with minor changes until 2012 or 2013, when it was succeeded by the Iris NV (now known as ACRA since 2019).
Solon (Solon Standard / Comfort)
It is a machine room less elevator model for low to mid rise buildings. There were two variants; Solon Standard for general application and Solon Comfort for basic application with limited specification ranges and options. Most of Sigma machine room less elevators installed throughout the 2000s are of this model.
Another machine room less model of Sigma. It is essentially a rebadged Otis GeN2 elevator; it used the same coated steel belts that replaced conventional steel ropes, gearless machine and other related equipment. This model is extremely rare in Indonesia, with only one installation has been found.
Released in 2006, this is a low entry passenger model for low to high rise buildings that was manufactured by Dalian Sigma Elevator in Dalian, China. Discontinued in 2012 and was succeeded by Iris NV. It was mainly installed in high rise apartments in Jakarta as well as low to mid rise commercial buildings and hotels.
Di B'rite
A cost saving and lightweight version of Di1. It is a passenger only elevator model designed for low rise buildings with 10 floors or less. The capacity is limited to just 750 kilograms, and various options and features are omitted. The buttons were made by third-party company and only a segment-type display was available for the floor indicators. In South Korea, this model is known as SA1[4].
Rebranded Xizi Otis elevators
Jaya Kencana had also installed very few numbers of Sigma branded Xizi Otis elevators, of which almost all of them are freight elevators (Xizi Otis FOVF model). These are essentially rebranded Xizi Otis elevators with Xizi Otis design, fixtures, chimes, etc.
Known installations in Indonesia:
- Blok M Square, Jakarta (service elevators)
- Teater Besar Taman Ismail Marzuki, Cikini, Jakarta (service elevator in the backstage area)
- Lindeteves Trade Center, Glodok, Jakarta (2021, new freight elevators)
- Gramedia Expo/Dyandra Convention Center, Surabaya (service elevator)
2013 to 2019 (Third generation)
- Starting from this generation, Sigma elevators are produced in Dalian, China. This is because Otis Korea, who owns Sigma, had sold its Changwon factory to LG Electronics in 2013 and moved its production to China. This has led to Sigma products often being criticized for having poor performance and relatively higher breakdown rate compared to previous products that were produced at the Changwon factory before it closed its doors in 2013.
- Four new major models were released at this time; Iris NV, Solon NV, Muse NV and Iris 3. Iris NV replaced the Di1 and Di2 models while Iris 3 replaced the Ds4 and Di5 models. Solon NV and Muse NV are essentially improvement of the original Solon and Muse models respectively. In 2019, Solon NV was renamed Solon Premium. Sigma had also released a low cost machine room less model known as EMRL1000 but it was discontinued a few years later, presumably due to poor sales. There are also a few unnamed China made models with a completely different design and fixtures. In 2019, Iris NV was replaced by a new model called ACRA.
- Minor changes were also applied to these elevators, which include completely new chimes[5]. Iris NV and Solon NV elevators use controllers supplied by Shanghai STEP from China. The SKA controllers from Otis Korea are no longer used for these elevators.
- Until 2015, some early "3rd generation" elevators have button beep which sounds slightly different than the previous beep. This feature is no longer available for elevators installed after 2015.
- Car call cancel now requires two times press on Iris NV and Solon NV elevators due to the application of Shanghai STEP controllers.
- Nearly all elevators have triangle shaped door keyholes.
Released in 2012, it is the current model of Sigma elevator for low to mid rise buildings, as well as a successor of both Distributed Inverter (Di) and the Dalian made Iris models. Most of Sigma elevators installed since 2012 are of this model. Discontinued in 2019 and replaced by Sigma ACRA.
Solon NV (Solon Premium)
It is the successor of the original Solon machine room less elevator model. Most of the modern Sigma machine room less elevators installed in Indonesia since 2013 are of this model. In 2019, it was renamed to Solon Premium.
Machine room less elevator based on the Otis Gen2 Premier. It is the successor of the original Muse model.
MRL E1000
A low cost machine room less elevator model for low rise basic residential and commercial buildings. It is a model that was said to be a true cost-effective model and many features and options were simply omitted to reduce cost. Discontinued sometime in the mid 2010s, probably due to poor sales[6].
Iris 3
It is a high speed model for high rise buildings, and a successor of both Ds4 and Di5. It is relatively rare to see in Indonesia.
Freight and car elevator
Sigma freight and car elevators have no known model names, and the maximum capacity is 3000 kilograms. One example of a Sigma car elevator can be found in the backstage area of JIExpo Convention Centre & Theater in Jakarta which has a 3000 kilograms capacity[7].
2019 to current (Fourth generation)
Released in 2019, this is the current model of standard passenger elevator model with machine room as well as a successor of Iris NV. The arrival chime sound is the same as the Chinese Otis elevators made by Otis Electric Elevator, which sounds like an iPhone notification tone. This model uses Otis ACD series controllers.
ACRA 2.0
This is basically an improvement of ACRA. It was launched on 6 March 2024.
Solon Premium
It is one of the two machine room less elevator models currently sold by Sigma. Formerly known as Solon NV.
Solon 2.0
It is basically an improvement of Solon Premium. It was launched on 6 March 2024 along with ACRA 2.0.
Muse NV
This is a rebadged Otis Gen2 Premier elevator sold under the Sigma brand.
Iris 3
It is the current gearless high speed elevator model for high rise buildings.
2019 to current (Fourth generation)
- Starting from this period, Sigma elevators are now produced at Otis Electric's factory in Hangzhou, China[8] as the Dalian factory has closed down since 2016 due to poor sales in the Chinese market and the Changwon factory has been sold to LG Electronics in 2013. In other words, Otis Electric (the successor of Xizi Otis since 2016) now also produces Sigma branded elevators for export markets still wanting for Sigma products apart from regular Otis products.
- Since they are now produced by Otis Electric at their Hangzhou factory, the current Sigma elevators use Otis's controller (probably Otis ACD). In addition, there are certain features are very similar to Otis as if they are rebadged Otis Electric elevators, and the chimes are the same as the ones used in current Otis models. Not only that, but Otis's own fixtures are also offered in certain Sigma models as an option. Fireman switches are the same as Otis.
Released in 2019, this is the current model of traction elevator with machine room for low to mid rise buildings as well as a direct successor of Iris NV. It seems that Otis's controller (assumed to be ACD series) is applied to this model.
Solon Premium
This is basically the same as Solon NV that was released in 2011. It is unclear whether this model uses Otis or Shanghai STEP controllers.
Muse NV
This is essentially a rebadged Otis Gen2 elevator that is sold under the Sigma brand.
Iris 3
This is the current high speed gearless model of Sigma for high rise buildings. The design and fixtures from Otis OH 5000 elevators can be applied to this model.
Other models
Almost all of these models were produced in China.
This is a Xizi Otis/Otis Electric freight elevator model that is sold under the Sigma name.
Unknown model (possibly freight model)
Not much is known about this particular Sigma elevator model. The fixtures consist of round stainless steel buttons with a blue light, and LCD floor indicators with white segments over a blue background. One example was found at Grand Heaven Funeral Home in Pluit, Jakarta but it was replaced into a Shanghai Mitsubishi elevator in 2020[9].
Unknown Chinese model
No model name is known for this particular Sigma elevator, but it has been confirmed that this model is manufactured in China. It has a very distinctive fixtures. The buttons are square with an angled bottom and a blue/white illumination, while the floor indicators use white LED dot matrix display which bears a similarity with Kone's LED dot matrix. At least one example has been found in a building in Semarang.
Non-proprietary Sigma elevators (generic)
There are a few Sigma elevators in Indonesia which use components made by third party companies. These elevators typically use Shanghai STEP buttons and other generic parts not made by Sigma.
Known installations in Indonesia:
- Lindeteves Trade Center (LTC) Glodok, Jakarta (freight elevators)
- MEX Building, Surabaya
e-route
e*route is the name of destination dispatch elevator system of Sigma. It is an extremely rare system in Indonesia, with only two places have been known to have this system as of July 2023:
- Alila SCBD, Jakarta (2017)
- Grha Pertamina, Jakarta[10]
Modernization
Sigma modernization
- Main article: Sigma Modernization
Elevator modernization by Sigma only applies for GoldStar (LG) elevators manufactured in the 1980s and 1990s, although early Sigma elevators from the 2000s can also be modernized. The design is basically the same as the regular Sigma models for new installations.
Nidec modernization
Some GoldStar/LG and Sigma elevators have been modernized by Nidec, a Japanese brand of electric motors whose presence in Indonesia is currently represented by PT. Inovatif Trans Teknologi (ITT) since the 2010s[11]. These modernizations mainly use parts and components manufactured in China.
Known Nidec modernizations in Indonesia:
- Pasar Pagi Mangga Dua, Jakarta (2018, originally 1988 GoldStar DO and DF elevators)
- Apartemen Rajawali Edelweiss, Jakarta (2019, originally 1993 GoldStar HVP-I elevators)
- Mall Kelapa Gading 1, Jakarta (2019?, originally a 1989 GoldStar DF elevator)
- Mall Artha Gading, Jakarta (2017?, originally a 2000s Sigma freight elevator)
- Mall Daan Mogot, Jakarta (2019, originally 1997 LG LVP elevators)
Notable Sigma elevator installations
Trivia
- In the past, Sigma elevators were often installed in properties developed by Agung Podomoro Land (APL), one of the largest property developers in Indonesia. Apart from their famous Central Park Mall in Jakarta, some properties such as Blok M Square, Seasons City and Harco Glodok which are considered lower to middle class shopping centers are installed with Sigma elevators. However in recent years, it seems that APL has switched over to Mitsubishi for most of their newer properties such as NEO SOHO, Madison Park Apartments, Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua, etc. The latest APL property installed with Sigma elevators is Harco Glodok, and is probably the last one installed with said brand.
- There was a touch screen like fixtures set called MiniTouch, which was launched in 2008 and won the iF Design Award in 2009[12]. It features 10-key numerical touch sensitive buttons as well as two interactive LCD screens; one on the button panel and another installed separately above it. In Indonesia, MiniTouch fixtures were once installed at Menara Satu Kelapa Gading, Jakarta[13] but in 2016 they were completely removed and replaced by conventional push button fixtures. MiniTouch is so far the only Sigma/Otis Korea fixtures set that had been given an official name.
Accidents and incidents
- In March 2017, one of the two elevators at Blok M Square, Jakarta fell down due to overloading, injuring all passengers inside[14]. The elevator involved was a Sigma Iris from 2008, and both elevators were replaced into Sigma Iris NV after the accident.
- On 24 April 2023, a woman died after falling down through an elevator shaft at Kualanamu International Airport, Medan after she pried the elevator car door open. Her dead body was found three days later after airport employees smelled a stench from the dead body coming from the elevator shaft. The airport authorities were criticised for the neglect and slow response of the investigation process[15].
Gallery
Notes and references
- ↑ 오티스, 인천 송도에 첨단 R&D 센터·생산시설 건립 (Korean) - Yonhap News
- ↑ The World’s Largest Elevator Company, Otis Elevator Company Completed Construction of Otis Korea R&D Center and Production Facilities - IFEZ Journal
- ↑ Otis Elevator to build R&D center in Songdo, Incheon - Pulse
- ↑ Sigma Di B'rite brochure (archived)
- ↑ For Iris NV, Solon NV/Premium and Iris 3 elevators, the chimes sound almost like the ones commonly heard in older SJEC elevators from China. ACRA elevators have the same chime as the newer Chinese Otis elevators produced by Otis Electric Elevator, which sounds like an iPhone notification tone. For Muse NV elevators, the chimes sound almost like Kone elevators
- ↑ Sigma MRL E1000 brochure (Archived)
- ↑ Our Facilities#Giant Elevator - JIExpo Convention Centre & Theater
- ↑ Manufacturing Facilities - Sigma Elevator Company
- ↑ (GONE) POSH SIGMA Traction Scenic Lifts at Grand Heaven Funeral Home, Jakarta - YouTube
- ↑ "Sistem DDS Pada Lift di Grha Pertamina" - Instagram post by pt.jayakencana - Instagram
- ↑ About Us - ITT Nidec
- ↑ Mini-Touch Elevator operating panel - iF Design Award 2009
- ↑ (R) Sigma Traction Elevators at Menara Satu Sentra Kelapa Gading, Jakarta (Main, Retake 5) - YouTube
- ↑ "Greater Jakarta: 25 injured in elevator incident in Blok M" - The Jakarta Post, 18 March 2017
- ↑ Woman falls through elevator gap at Medan airport, found dead 3 days later - Coconuts Jakarta
External links
- Official website
- PT. Jaya Kencana - sole agent/distributor in Indonesia
- PT. Seltech Putera Perkasa - sole agent/distributor in Pekanbaru, Riau, Indonesia
Major elevator and escalator companies in Indonesia | |
---|---|
Full list | Click here |
Operating | Fujitec • Hitachi • Hyundai • Kone • Mitsubishi (Shanghai Mitsubishi) • Orona • Otis (Xizi Otis) • Schindler (XJ Schindler) • Sigma • TK Elevator (Marohn TKE) • Toshiba |
Defunct | Dong Yang • GoldStar / LG • Haushahn • Indolift • Lift Munich • Thyssen |
See also | Third party elevator companies |