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The construction of the new Zugspitze cable car is a project of superlatives. Since December 2017, the completely redesigned aerial tramway has been transporting up to 580 passengers per hour to Germany's highest mountain. The enormous drive power required for the cable car, which is extremely steep in places, calls for heavy-duty large gear units: Two units from the X series from SEW-EURODRIVE drive the haul rope, which hoists the cabin to an altitude of 2,943 meters with the power of a full-grown diesel locomotive.
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Three years of planning and three years of construction were necessary to future-proof passenger transport from the Eibsee valley station to the Zugspitze. The operating company Bayerische Zugspitzbahn Bergbahn AG decided on a complete new build. The contract was awarded to the Swiss cable car company Garaventa, which merged with the Austrian cable car manufacturer Doppelmayr in 2002. The Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group has built over 14,000 cable car systems in more than 90 countries to date. Nevertheless, the new Zugspitze cable car is an outstanding prestige project that breaks three world records: the single steel support, at 127 meters, is the highest of its kind. Between the support and the mountain station, the cable car traverses 3,213 meters of cable, which has never been achieved before, and the 1,945-meter difference in altitude on this section of cable is also unique worldwide.
The collaboration with Alfred Imhof AG and SEW-EURODRIVE is working excellent. As a manufacturer, it is very convenient for us to always have the same competent contact person. We know that both sides are on the same page and can trust that the collaboration will work. It's enjoyable.Markus Reichmuth (r.)
Shortly before reaching the summit, the cable car's ascent becomes breathtakingly steep: the uphill cabin climbs a gradient of 104 percent, gaining more than one meter in altitude for every meter it moves forward. At the same time, the second cabin approaches the valley station, meaning that the cable car operates in shuttle mode. Both are connected via a traction cable loop, which is driven in the valley station. Two 800 kW three-phase motors are connected via elastic claw couplings from KTR, each with a three-stage spur gear unit of type X3FS280 from SEW-EURODRIVE. “We need the power because we have an extreme route profile here,” emphasizes project manager Markus Reichmuth from Garaventa. Behind the coupling, there is a flywheel with a diameter of almost one meter and weighing a good ton. The flywheels ensure better control behavior of the drive system. The large gearboxes connected to them, each weighing almost six tons, have a nominal torque of 240,000 Nm and can transmit a power of 1,024 kW. They are kept within a defined temperature range by an oil-air cooler. On the output side, a switchable bolt coupling weighing over three tons ensures the power connection to the rope wheels. An emergency drive can engage on the rear side of these wheels via tooth couplings.
Another gear unit from SEW-EURODRIVE is installed in the mountain station on the Zugspitze: The three-stage helical bevel gear unit of type X3TH210 with a rated torque of 90,000 Nm is located on the drive of the emergency gondola. This could be placed on the suspension cables to rescue passengers if the two main gondolas can no longer be moved. However, this is extremely unlikely – each of the two main motors and the two hydraulically operated emergency drives can also drive the cable system on their own if necessary. The enormous drive power required is generated by two three-phase motors, each with a rated output of 800 kW. They are connected to a 400 V medium-voltage grid. In the event of a power failure, diesel generators in the two-megawatt emergency power system can provide the necessary drive power. In normal operation, the two main motors and the large gearboxes of the X series work together to accelerate the gondola system to up to 10.6 m/s – that is almost 40 kilometers per hour. Each cabin can hold up to 120 passengers and is held by two suspension cables with a diameter of 72 mm and a mass of 145 tons. The suspension cables have a breaking load of over 600 tons and were manufactured from 5,500 kilometers of wire. The cable car is approved for temperatures down to -30°C and operates in wind speeds of up to 8 on the Beaufort scale. Passengers reach the top of the mountain in around nine minutes.
As a leader in quality, technology, and market share in ropeway construction, Doppelmayr/Garaventa operates production sites and sales and service branches in more than 40 countries around the world. To date, the company has implemented over 14,800 ropeway systems. Doppelmayr/Garaventa customers receive top quality in modern design, user-friendly solutions, and the best support—from the initial idea to the completed project.
The new Zugspitze ropeway is a flagship project for the manufacturer Garaventa, as well as for the drive specialists at SEW-EURODRIVE in Bruchsal, which is represented in Switzerland by the general agency Alfred Imhof AG. “Cooperation with Alfred Imhof AG has intensified recently,” reports project manager Markus Reichmuth. “The price/performance ratio and adherence to deadlines are right – and the collaboration is working very well.” Imhof industrial gear specialist Peter Baumgartner adds: “A project like this is more than just an excellent reference – it's a milestone. The cable car to the Zugspitze has a place in the history books.”