Interview to Wolfgang Adldinger, Wittur Corporate Director for Lift Norms by Christian Obenhaupt.
Wolfgang Adldinger is the Corporate Director for Lift Norms and his time at Wittur reaches back over 20 years.

For starters, why are norms so important for us, why do we need them?

Norms describe and ensure a certain level of safety and quality standards that companies (our customers and suppliers like us) have legally to fulfill in order to bring their products onto a market. Norms can be considered as a strategic management tool because they can enable or restrict access to different markets, reduce costs, eliminate waste and improve efficiency.

Who is responsible for creating all the elevator norms?

There are national and international bodies being responsible for creating norms. Generally speaking, the EU Committee for Standardization (CEN) is directly in charge of 33 countries and certainly is the most influential organization in the world regarding elevator norms. There are other bodies like the PALEA for Asia Pacific or the NEII for North America but the CEN is the main driver. Currently there are 45 norms (37 in place and 8 under development). They have been drafted by the Technical Committee (TC10) of the CEN, which is composed by delegates from all the MNC’s. Wittur is the only component supplier in this committee and is represented by myself as a delegate of the European Lift Association ELA.

Most of us have heard about the new EN 81-20/50. What is so special about it and how well prepared is Wittur for the big change?

The changes that come with the EN 81-20/50 are the most drastic ones worldwide in the past 30 years. The target is to have them as a new basis for a global safety standard. They were jointly created between experts from many countries like the US, India, China, Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and of course EU countries and others. This means that the changes will be applicable one to one in many of these countries. There are radical changes concerning safety and technical requirements of many products and also in their type examination and testing methods. With Wittur being a member of the TC10, great opportunities lie ahead. The new requirements are partly very tough to achieve and many small and medium sized companies might be struggling at first to fulfill all of them. This is where Wittur can use its competencies to assist in getting ahead. We have been working on the implementation of the new requirements into our products and solutions since day one.

Are there any other trends to be expected in the near future?

Not in such a great dimension. Normally, norms on a national level can be changed or updated within five years, internationally every ten years. The norms are then typically completed by amendments, of which only three are allowed. Once there are three, a completely new norm has to be drafted, which happened in the case of the EN 81-20/50. So within the next 10-15 years, no major changes are expected. All the more it is really important that we make use of the opportunities coming with the current change.

Last question: How did you end up being an expert in this field?

In my professional career I was always involved in the field of safety and quality related processes where norms and directives are mandatory to work with. Over the years I gained a lot of know-how and acceptance in the elevator market as an expert. In 2004 I joined the TC10 as a first - and until now the only - representative for a component manufacturer. But living in a world of norms doesn’t mean I don’t have a normal life. I have a great passion for Italy, its food and people and whenever I can I find my retreat there to step away from all the norms.

Thank you very much for your time!