Kone Elevator India plans to double the number of connected elevators in its India portfolio within a year, using remote monitoring, artificial intelligence and machine learning to reduce technical downtime and prevent passengers from being trapped inside lift cars.
The company currently has about 30% of its elevators in India connected to systems that allow data-based monitoring and remote control. That represents around 50,000 lifts, according to Kone global president and CEO Philippe Delorme, who spoke to The Times of India.
Connected elevator technology allows engineers to analyse operating data, identify signs of potential failure and undertake preventive maintenance before a technical problem becomes a breakdown. The system can also support the remote rescue of passengers in certain situations, the company said.
Delorme said elevators are equipped with automatic rescue devices that can move a lift to the next floor and open its doors when there is a power interruption. However, he said battery problems or mechanical faults can prevent those systems from working, leaving passengers trapped. In such cases, remote control can help engineers move the elevator and release those inside, he said.
Kone is already using artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict faults and failures. The company said connected technology had helped resolve 80% of issues at a boutique hotel in Kolkata after its introduction. At a hospital in the city, the reported resolution rate was 98%.
The company’s expansion plans come as building owners and facility managers face the operational challenge of maintaining elevators in high-use environments. Kone said nearly half of the 1.8 million elevators in its service portfolio worldwide are connected. In India, the company is also working on replacing lifts that are 30 to 40 years old.
Delorme said elevator usage in India was significantly more intensive than in the United States or Europe. A lift that records about 100,000 starts a year in Europe may record more than 500,000 in India, he said. Heat, humidity and dust add to the operating pressure on equipment, making modernisation important for safety and reliability, according to the company.
Kone has operated in India for around four decades and, according to the report, has overtaken Otis in the Indian market. Otis installed the country’s first elevator at Kolkata’s Raj Bhavan, formerly known as Government House, 134 years ago. Globally, Kone ranks behind Otis and Schindler, followed by ThyssenKrupp Elevator, Mitsubishi and Hitachi. Kone and ThyssenKrupp Elevator have also announced a merger that is expected to create the world’s largest elevator company.
Kone’s next step in India is to expand the number of connected lifts while continuing to modernise older equipment. The company’s stated objective is to use the technology to improve preventive maintenance, reduce downtime and support passenger safety in buildings with heavily used vertical-transport systems.
