Automated Maintenance System for Elevator Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Elevator and escalator maintenance routines lack consistency across mechanics and fail to provide a comprehensive summary of system performance over time, often relying on manual checks that may vary in execution and frequency.
Innovation Solution
An automated maintenance system that performs and records maintenance tasks, provides them to a mobile device with identifiers and status updates, including automated and manual tasks, and utilizes sensor data to schedule maintenance, ensuring consistency and real-time tracking of maintenance status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual maintenance checks are performed by mechanics, then maintenance tasks can be completed with basic equipment, but consistency in execution varies between mechanics and over time
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyance system performs self-diagnosis and self-monitoring through integrated sensors and controllers that automatically detect faults and track maintenance status, eliminating reliance on varying human judgment and ensuring consistent maintenance execution
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where sensors monitor system parameters, controllers analyze data against maintenance criteria, and results are communicated to mechanics and facility personnel, ensuring consistent maintenance decisions based on objective system state rather than variable human assessment
2Loss of information
If maintenance is performed only on scheduled visits, then mechanics have flexible scheduling, but system performance is only assessed on the day of visit rather than over time
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors continuously monitor system parameters between maintenance visits, and the controller continuously analyzes data and updates maintenance status, providing an unbroken chain of performance information that captures system state over time rather than only at discrete visit points
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary that continuously collects sensor data, processes it against maintenance criteria, and maintains a persistent record of system performance and maintenance status, bridging the time gap between actual maintenance visits and providing comprehensive historical performance information
3Productivity
If automated maintenance tasks are implemented, then maintenance consistency improves, but system complexity and initial setup requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs multiple functions including fault detection, maintenance status tracking, criterion evaluation, and communication with various devices, consolidating what would otherwise require separate specialized systems into a single multi-functional unit that improves productivity without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges sensors, controllers, databases, and communication interfaces into an integrated maintenance management architecture where components work together as a unified system, achieving automated maintenance functionality while reducing the complexity that would result from separate disparate systems
4Loss of information
If comprehensive maintenance tracking is implemented, then maintenance history and performance data are preserved, but data management and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controller serves as an intermediary data management system that continuously collects sensor information, processes it against maintenance criteria, and maintains structured records of system performance and maintenance status, bridging raw sensor data and comprehensive maintenance history while managing data complexity centrally
Data Source
AI summary
A method for automating maintenance of a conveyance system includes performing automated maintenance tasks on the conveyance system; storing results of the automated maintenance tasks in a maintenance database; and providing maintenance tasks to the mobile device, each maintenance task including a maintenance task identifier and a maintenance task status.