KONE is a world leader in the lift and escalator industry. This Finnish manufacturer has more than a century of experience and employs 60,000 people in more than 60 countries, serving more than half a million customers. KONE products and solutions are widely used around the world and are used by more than one billion people every day.
Use of KONE lifts and the RACS 5 access control system
KONE's high level of reliability combined with the functionality of its lifts makes them a prevalent solution in skyscrapers, hospitals, factories, or multi-apartment buildings. The RACS 5 access control and building automation system is offered in the same market. The integration of both solutions naturally complements the functionality they offer, bringing many additional benefits to their users.
Ways to integrate the RACS 5 access control system with KONE lifts
The integration of the RACS 5 access control system with KONE lifts can be implemented using:
- RCGIF communication protocol v1.12,
- GCAC communication protocol v1.8, and
- KONE Access Rev. 8.5 database protocol.
In the first scenario, i.e. integration via the RCGIF protocol, the RACS 5 system assigns a user with the appropriate rights to a lift that will take them to a specific floor. After identification, the display of the entrance reader (gate, tripod) indicates the lift the user should go to move to their default floor. As a result, the movement of people within the facility is managed in an optimised manner. Automation introduces additional comfort for the user, who knows exactly where to go.
In the case of integration via the GCAC protocol, the user selects a floor from those to which has access rights. The floor selection must be preceded by the identification on a reader in the lift panel installed before entering the lift. This functionality increases the level of security in the facility by systemically restricting access to floors to which the user is not authorised.
Integration via the KONE Access protocol offers the functionalities of the two previously mentioned solutions, but it is not an online integration, in which a permanent and fast communication link must be provided between the access control system and the lift system. It is a database integration in which user settings are sent from the RACS 5 system to the lift system at the operator's request or automatically at a specified periodicity.
Benefits of integrating the RACS 5 access control system with KONE lifts
Integration of RACS 5 with KONE lifts allows the access control system to cover not only the doors but also the floors of the lift system. The use of integration translates into an increase in both the level of security in the facility and the comfort of the users. This solution is operating successfully in several high-rise buildings in the centre of Warsaw, or the Danish Danhostel.
