Elevators have a running rich history that was fostered by man’s need to move people and objects. Modern elevators’ first known use dates back to the 19th century and has evolved from being steam-powered to hydraulic and now electrical powered. Today, it is of no surprise that many building facility companies and elevator installers make use of the elevator IoT solution to provide a seamless user experience for their clients. In this post, we take a look at how an industrial cellular router utilizes IoT to make elevators smarter.
Industrial cellular router and IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT) is no longer the technology for the future, but rather, of the present. It basically refers to an ecosystem of connected physical devices utilizing sensors embedded in those devices to gather and share data vital to their usage and operability with limited human interaction, all geared towards ensuring efficient performance and better overall user experience of said devices.
Physical device(s) can’t exist alone. They need to be able to share and transmit the data they generate to where relevant information is collected for end-use. This is where an industrial cellular router comes in. It serves as an IoT gateway platform between devices and the connected network (internet or intranet).
Elevator IoT solutions are accomplished by connecting an IoT cellular router to an elevator’s sensors to accumulate and transmit some relevant data like; Elevator state, temperature, elevator door state, adequate weight load requirements, etc. These data, if correctly interpreted can result in efficiency of end-use, better user experience, and cost savings on the elevators’ maintenance.
Predictive maintenance and the role of elevator IoT solutions in predictive maintenance.
Predictive maintenance is an event one probably experiences more times than they would realize. In simple terms, it refers to the monitoring of the condition and performance of a device or appliance to know when it would likely fail. Predictive maintenance utilizes real-time data collected from the sensors present in a device to establish optimum conditions and evaluate current performance as against this optimal condition.
Elevator IoT solution is a fundamental component of predictive maintenance in elevator systems. A typical example of this is the case of system failure in elevators due to voltage fluctuations, here, temperature fluctuations measured by the infrared thermographic sensor can help identify latent issues before they cause any system failure. Effective use of IoT solutions for elevators for predictive maintenance can help:
1 – Reduce the device maintenance time
The biggest advantage of elevator IoT solution is saving time. Industrial cellular routers can monitor the change of elevator operating conditions in real-time, such as heat, friction or noise, and send these data back to headquarters which uses these changes to predict when the elevator needs maintenance.
2 – Pinpoint faulty parts
By connecting the industrial cellular router, professionals can receive the continuous data flow from the monitoring equipment, and diagnose the problem before it reaches the elevator, so as to avoid wasting time on the test and troubleshooting on scene.
3 – Lessen the cost of spare parts and supplies needed for maintenance
The industrial cellular router provides remote real-time monitoring equipment, which can not only avoid making emergency service calls but also save the actual service cost. At the same time, continuous monitoring of equipment can save a lot of costs by upgrading the industrial cellular router.
4 – Enhance the overall lifespan of the elevator.
The industrial cellular router can provide more data for professionals to learn each elevator components so as to better maintain the elevator and improve its service life.
Conclusion
The implementation of elevator IoT solutions by building facility companies and elevator installers is becoming more rampant, but to gain the most from this emerging technology, the right components like; the industrial cellular router must be used. The Robustel R3010 industrial cellular IoT gateway with its superior features provides a robust solution for elevator monitoring and performance evaluation. Robustel is a leading global manufacturer of industrial quality solutions for the IoT and M2M market.