Improvements All Around
Dec 1, 2018
Clever solutions for a variety of industry challenges
thyssenkrupp Digitizes Stairlift Sales Process thyssenkrupp Elevator has begun using its HoloLinc, a fully digitalized sales process for the stairlift industry. Developed in partnership with Zühlke and Microsoft, it is equipped to 120 sales representatives to, the company says, “significantly speed up the process, from measurement to delivery.” Sales executives will receive a HoloLinc toolkit, comprising a Microsoft HoloLens, a tablet, a portable printer and other technical accessories.
HoloLinc was rolled out in October following a pilot in the Netherlands with more than 300 successful installations. It is now being used in the U.K., Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and France, with Norway and Japan to follow next year. Not only does thyssenkrupp say the technology will make delivery times up to four times quicker, it calls it “the new industry standard” as “the first real example of mixed-reality to be applied in large-scale field services.” Customers can see exactly what the product will look like in their own home and customize it to their specific requirements, helping speed the ordering process from 40-70 days to 14.
Microsoft also provides its cloud platform Azure as part of the process. With Zühlke, thyssenkrupp says, it becomes possible to use HoloLens as a measuring instrument with “maximum precision.” It also said the digital data processing eliminates the risk of human error when measuring and forwarding the determined values. The Internet of Things-based mixed-reality technology, it added, brings Industry 4.0 and virtual reality to the present “in the most tangible and productive fashion.”
High-Torque Dynamometer System
Michigan-based SAKOR Technologies Inc. now offers high- torque dynamometer systems to perform fully automatic performance and durability testing. Designed to provide full real-world in-use simulation of elevator mechanical systems to test new concepts, the system features a 70-hp AccuDyne™ AC motoring dynamometer that can test at up to 3,000 lb.-ft. of torque, as well as the built-in capabilities of SAKOR’s DynoLAB™ data acquisition and control system. These components allow designs to be subjected to many times the stress they would see in normal operating conditions.
Designed to handle a wide range of elevator physical motor sizes and capacities, the SAKOR dynamometer measures such mechanical parameters as speed, torque and vibration. Motor and inverter electrical performance can be evaluated using the included precision three-phase power analyzer. The SAKOR dynamometer attaches directly to the motor being tested and is used to simulate the drum-and-cable system so the motor and control system “see” what they would handle if attached to an elevator. Engineers can communicate with the test system controls using a Controller Area Network bus, commanding the dynamometer to load the torque and speed being tested to simulate shaft load.
Fire-Rated Glass Landing Door
Minneapolis-based H&B Elevators recently released its patent-pending KlearPhyr™ landing door. Its 90-min. fire-rated glass door panel is Underwriters Laboratories (UL) tested and approved. The metal-framed glass allows complete visibility into the hoistway and cab. It features multiple possible variations for special material claddings, color finishes, sizes and opening types.
Inflatable Elevator Door Safety Wedge
Calculated Industries of Carson City, Nevada, has announced the release of the AirSHIM™ Slim, an inflatable elevator door safety wedge and leveling tool the company says will enable elevator service professionals to more conveniently and comfortably secure elevator doors for servicing and inspecting. Instead of bending down to position conventional wedges under the doors, the mechanic places the tool between the door and jamb at waist level to hold it open. Once the service call is complete, the mechanic simply deflates the safety wedge and slides it out of the jamb.
The company says the tool also works as an air jack in tight spaces to adjust or support objects up to 150 lb., which is useful for installing and leveling parts or aligning bolt holes in hard-to-reach spaces. Its small size of 3 in. X 6 in. makes it easy to carry in a pocket, and its design allows it to span a gap from 3/32 in. to 1 in. Its internal FirmFlex™ “stiffener” limits folding, allowing insertion into tight spaces, and its lifting surface limits folding or wrapping around loads with narrow edges. It offers one-handed operation using a simple squeeze bulb pump and precise bleeder valve that allows for variably adjustable gap widths. It’s made from a thermoplastic polyurethane material with rounded corners that gives it a durable but soft body that avoids scuffs and damage.
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