Fail Safe debuts sill-mounted elevator alignment system at IAEC Forum

By AI, Created 10:40 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Fail Safe Elevator Systems launched a new alignment detection system at IAEC Forum 2026 in Orlando, aiming to reduce elevator leveling drift that can create trip-and-fall hazards. The retrofit-friendly design moves the reference point from the shaft to the door sill and adds AI-assisted pattern recognition and sensor redundancy.

Why it matters: - Elevator leveling drift can leave a car above or below the landing, creating trip-and-fall risks for passengers. - Fail Safe Elevator Systems is targeting a long-standing failure mode in conventional shaft-mounted alignment systems. - The new design is built to retrofit into elevators already in service, which could make adoption easier for existing buildings and service providers.

What happened: - Fail Safe Elevator Systems announced the commercial launch of the FailSafe Alignment System at the International Association of Elevator Consultants Forum 2026 in Orlando, Florida. - The system was developed with engineering partner Croxel Inc. - IAEC Forum 2026 runs May 5-7, 2026, and the Fail Safe exhibit is showing live demonstrations. - Elevator consultants, service contractors and OEM partners are being invited to inquire about the product.

The details: - The system replaces conventional shaft-mounted leveling sensors with a sensor array installed in the elevator door sill. - The sill is fixed in concrete at each floor, which anchors the reference geometry to a more stable location than the shaft. - The system uses an AI-assisted pattern-recognition detection algorithm to handle interference, variation and installation tolerance. - Multi-sensor redundancy is built into the array to improve fault tolerance if an individual sensor fails. - The alignment signal asserts at the precise leveled position and deasserts only after the car moves beyond the code-specified tolerance band. - Fail Safe says the system is designed for retrofit deployment using standard, non-proprietary controller interfaces. - The design is intended to work alongside controllers already in service without controller-specific modifications. - Scott Akin, founder and CEO of Fail Safe Elevator Systems, said the company is addressing a recurring industry problem rooted in shaft-mounted systems that cannot keep a stable reference. - Albert Garvett, co-founder and chief development officer of Fail Safe Elevator Systems and co-founder and CEO of Croxel, said the architectural shift from shaft-mounted to sill-mounted is the core innovation.

Between the lines: - The product is framed as a hardware-and-software fix for a problem that has been familiar to elevator service technicians and consultants for years. - By moving the sensing reference from a settling shaft to a concrete-anchored sill, Fail Safe is betting that mechanical stability matters more than traditional placement. - The AI-assisted detection layer appears aimed at making the system more resilient in real-world conditions where thresholds alone can be unreliable.

What’s next: - Fail Safe is using IAEC Forum 2026 as a launch platform and demonstration venue. - The company is seeking interest from consultants, contractors and OEM partners as it moves toward broader commercialization. - The system’s retrofit positioning suggests the next step is pilot deployments in existing elevator installations.