Committee work for safe ropes & cable cars – ROTEC contributes expertise internationally.
For the ROTEC team, committee work for safe cable cars is far more than a formal obligation. It is an integral part of our daily practice.
In our work in many countries and regions of the world, we encounter new technical challenges, different operating conditions and innovative solutions every week.
We not only collect this knowledge, but also actively pass it on.
International responsibility: Engagement with OIPEEC and OITAF
ROTEC has been actively involved in leading international expert bodies for many years. These include the OIPEEC, the International Organisation for the Study of Fatigue Strength of Ropes. Sven Winter has been President of this globally recognized expert organization since 2024.
ROTEC is also active in the OITAF, the International Organisation for Cableway Engineering. Sven Winter is chairman of Study Committee No. II, “Properties and Testing of Ropes”.
These organizations develop technical foundations, discuss research findings, and prepare international standards. Exchange with experts from around the world makes it possible to identify current developments early and evaluate them in a practical way.
National education and knowledge transfer
The ROTEC team also contributes its expertise at the national level. We actively participate in the training and education of prospective operations managers every year at the German Cable Car Association.
The focus is particularly on the practical teaching of safety requirements. Our goal is to convey technical know-how in an understandable way and to optimally prepare future operations managers for their responsible role.
Participation in European standardization bodies
In addition to its association work, ROTEC is heavily involved in European standardization efforts. Last week, our colleague Dirk Moll represented Germany at the meeting of Working Group 14 for the revision of EN 17064.
This standard regulates the safety requirements for cableways used for passenger transport with regard to fire prevention and firefighting. Discussions have taken place at the European level on how fire protection measures for cableway systems can be further improved and optimized in the future.
Furthermore, we are currently contributing our practical expertise to the revision of EN 12927. This standard defines key safety requirements for ropes used in passenger transport. Our global experience from testing and projects is directly incorporated into the further development of these technical standards.
Practice meets innovation: A visit to the C1 cable car in Paris
The last meeting also included a visit to the new C1 cable car in Paris. This urban cable car connects the Direction Villa Nova route with Pointe du Lac and is part of the Île-de-France Mobilités public transport network.
The system impressively demonstrates how modern cable car technology can be integrated into densely populated metropolitan areas. Urban cable car systems place special demands on fire protection, evacuation plans, cable monitoring, and maintenance.
Direct, on-site exchange provides valuable impetus for standardization work and future safety concepts.
Volunteering with responsibility
It is particularly important to emphasize that committee work is generally voluntary. Neither travel nor work expenses are reimbursed. Our continued intensive involvement underscores the importance we place on knowledge transfer.
Every week we deepen our expertise through inspections and projects worldwide. We share this know-how and thus make an active contribution to the safety of cable cars and ropes.
Security through knowledge transfer
The ROTEC team is clear that safety is not achieved solely through testing equipment or individual inspections. Safety arises from continuous exchange, international cooperation, and practical standardization work.
Our daily work and our involvement in committees complement each other perfectly. Those who travel the world can translate global experiences into binding standards. That is precisely our goal.
ROTEC – we make ropes safe.
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