Responsibilities and functions
The LA.T.I.F. Ropeway Technological Laboratory of the Autonomous Province of Trento was established in 1971(Regional Law 3/68) by the Region of Trentino - Alto Adige, which at the time was responsible for safety in the field of public ropeways.
Subsequently, after being divided into the two technical control offices of the provinces of Bolzano and Trento, it passed definitively to the latter in 1976. The factors that promoted the realisation of this structure at the time are still valid today, namely
- availability, for supervisory offices that are part of the public administration, of equipment and personnel ready to carry out inspections on cableway organs, with maximum reliability and objectivity of judgement;
- proximity of the laboratory to the mountain areas with the highest concentration of installations, with the effect of promptness of intervention and continuous dialogue between the technicians concerned;
- effective contribution to the technological improvement of cableway installations with the possibility of continuous updating and growth of competitiveness of national cableway production;
- creation of a highly specialised environment in a very specific, but important sector within the economy of the Trentino - South Tyrol region: this is a source of prestige and at the same time a concrete move in the area of safety of ropeways.
Today, the LA.T.I.F. is part of the Servizio Impianti a Fune (Ropeway Systems Service), the structure responsible for cableway transport in the territory of the Autonomous Province of Trento, as an experimental section of the Service itself.
The laboratory performs tests for the technical sectors within the Administration and on behalf of third parties, on the basis of the fee schedule established by resolution of the Provincial Council in accordance with Article 32 of Provincial Law no. 7/1987, issuing the relative test reports in Italian and English.
In addition to carrying out testing activities, the personnel participate in the Service's institutional tasks: granting of concessions, examination of projects, testing, periodic inspections and qualification of ski lift personnel. The laboratory's technical staff also collaborates with national and international working groups on ropeway safety and on testing and control procedures.
Since 2000, the laboratory has been equipped with a testing machine that allows the testing of large ropes up to a maximum breaking load of 10,000 kN. This machine allows testing of all ropeway ropes as well as ropes intended for large tensile structures (stadiums, bridges, Ferris wheels, etc.) in addition to ropes for off-shore and lifting in general.
The laboratory is accredited according to UNI CEI EN ISO/ IEC 17025:2018 with Accredia for tests on wire ropes and ropeway components.
Since 2008, the laboratory has been an examination centre approved by CICPND for the certification of personnel expert in non-destructive testing of wire ropes used for lifting, transporting people and goods, and for tensile structures.
Laboratory data
- Available surface area: approx. 3200 m², of which approx. half is covered, comprising a test hall and offices, with a room equipped for courses and examinations
- Equipped mechanical workshop and carpentry for the construction of equipment required for tests and the production of test tubes
- Staff: No. 3 engineers, No. 4 specialised test operators, No. 1 administrator