German company ThyssenKrupp has announced the launch of its Microsoft Azure Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled MAX solution to increase transport capacities in buildings. With the ground breaking predictive maintenance solution MAX installed worldwide, time savings for elevator passengers could be equivalent to 108 centuries of new availability in each year of operation, the company said.
ThyssenKrupp has dubbed its ‘Elevator’s MAX as a “game-changing predictive and pre-emptive service solution” that extends remote monitoring capabilities to dramatically increase current availability levels of existing and new elevators. Utilising the power of Microsoft Azure IoT technology, MAX will make it possible for an elevator to “tell” service technicians its real needs, including real time identification of repairs, component replacements, and proactive system maintenance.
MAX is a major milestone in ThyssenKrupp Elevator’s business strategy, said the company in a release. In the 18-month launch period the company aims to connect some 180,000 units in North America and Europe, with the US, Germany, and Spain as pilot countries and other key countries in Europe as well as in Asia including India and South America following shortly after. In two years, the offering will be expanded to all continents, becoming available to some 80 percent of all elevators worldwide.
Worldwide, over 12 million elevators make seven billion trips and move over one billion people every day, as per figures put out by ThyssenKrupp. Yet every year, maintenance needs render elevators unavailable for a total of 190 million hours (or 216 centuries). MAX promises to dramatically improve elevator availability and overall system efficiency.
With MAX, data collected in real time from millions of connected ThyssenKrupp elevators will be sent to the Azure Cloud platform, where an algorithm will calculate the remaining lifetime of key systems and components in each elevator. ThyssenKrupp’s team of over 20,000 global service engineers and technicians will then be able to rely on MAX as their wingman, making it possible to inform building owners in advance when key systems or components will need to be repaired or replaced, program interventions, and thereby avoid out-of-service signs on elevator doors. In a MAX-connected building, people will wait less time for elevators, resulting in decreased stress and more quality time.
According to Andreas Schierenbeck, Chief Executive Officer of ThyssenKrupp Elevator, MAX comes after the introduction of absolute breakthrough mechanical technologies such as the TWIN elevator and the rope-less MULTI technology for future buildings, designed to reduce the elevator footprint and release vital space for additional rent revenues in buildings.
Image Credit: ThyssenKrupp