Products and procedures provide greater design options, efficiency and energy savings.
Upgraded Gen2
Otis’ New Gen2® elevator, available in Europe, is built upon the energy- and space-efficient Gen2 system and provides enhanced connectivity, as well as a greater array of texture, color, lighting and materials options. There are now more than 400,000 design combinations available using the CabCreateTM tool. The New Gen2 debuted at the MIPIM international real-estate show in Cannes, France, in March. Designed to streamline the elevator experience for building owners and passengers, in turn saving time and energy, the New Gen2 features:
- The eCallTM mobile application, which enables people to call and direct an elevator from their smartphones, saving time and eliminating the need to push buttons.
- For users without eCall, the OneCallTM dashboard, which provides intuitive floor selection from a simple-touch keypad in the elevator landing.
- The eViewTM screen inside the cabin that enables building managers to provide customized information such as news, weather reports, traffic information and recorded playlists.
Patrick Blethon, president of Otis Europe, Middle East and Africa, stated:“By integrating new technologies and functionalities in the heart of our cabins, we’re keeping pace with the digital world and are increasingly able to adapt to future uses and demands to improve the user experience in elevators – the heart of buildings.”
Onsite Escalator Step Repair
Hamburg, Germany-based Weber Tec offers onsite repair options for escalators and moving walks, all of which are designed to enable faster, more direct and more cost-effective onsite intervention. It has introduced a new repair procedure known as EsCare for damaged step sections. This procedure is intended for public facilities such as railway stations, airports, shopping centers and local transportation terminals. Thanks to the adjustable angle of the machine used and its carefully balanced weight, the mobile repair system is easily transportable on escalators and moving walks. Repair consists of the section concerned being sandblasted, after which the system completely removes the resulting loose debris and remains of oil and grease. The step section is restored using a specially developed filler material designed to return the damaged component to its original state once the procedure is complete.
Other benefits of the process include:
- No costly dismantling or subsequent reassembly
- No freight costs
- Minimized downtime
- No need for in-house/onsite transport
- Immediate restart of the escalator system once repairs (usually lasting one to two days) are complete
- The filler material has strong adhesive power; high impact, shearing and peeling resistance; and low flammability.
- Low noise emissions of the repair machine (equivalent to those of a vacuum cleaner)
Controller Updates
Siemens has added a range of new modules and functions to its Simatic S7-1200 basic controllers. One of the new products, the Energy Meter module SM1238, precisely records energy flows. The controllers have also been enhanced with the new Safety CPU 1212FC for failsafe applications in the lower power range, and their firmware has been updated with the latest version of the TIA Portal V14 engineering framework and expanded to include additional functions. The new release, version 4.2, now includes the Media Redundancy Protocol and a data backup/restore function for the 2-port 1215 and 1217 central processing units (CPUs). Another notable development is that failsafe CPU versions now also support the Profisafe protocol.
The new energy meter module records measured electrical values, such as voltages up to 480 VAC in a one- or three-phase network with a direct connection but without a transformer. The user can freely adjust the diagnostic parameters for over- and undervoltage, overload, tolerance value and tolerance time. An external 1- or 5-A current transformer with a conversion factor of up to 10,000 is used to measure the current. The new CPU is able to handle standard and safety-related automation tasks, such as protective door monitoring, in a single device, which also reduces the amount of wiring required. Supporting Profisafe enables safety-related devices to be connected via Profinet, which also reduces wiring outlay, saves space and allows for more flexible safety concepts.
Updated Proximity Sensors
Carlo Gavazzi has improved upon its ICB Series inductive proximity sensors. The sensors provide up to three times the sensing distance of their predecessors: 10mm (M12), 20mm (M18) and 40mm (M30). The part numbers are now laser engraved on the front of the sensors, which boast better diagnostic LED indication. The back hubs of the sensors are now illuminated, rather than there being an illuminated dot on the side, which, in previous models, could become obstructed.
The sensors’ microprocessor-based design allows calibration after assembly, which facilitates greater temperature stability, reliability and repeatability. The microprocessor design also simplifies OEM customization requests such as output types, switching frequencies and timing functions. With up to a 2,000-Hz operating frequency, the sensors are suitable for high-speed counting and monitoring rotational speed.
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