Exploring TÜV SÜD Lift Manager

Thanks to new technologies, the lift industry is experiencing a transformation. Among the most significant innovations is predictive maintenance solution that uses sensors, data analytics, and IoT technologies to collect and analyse performance data in real-time, to diagnose problems and detect future equipment faults.

This technology allows lift maintenance teams to monitor performance without being physically there, and quickly identify any issues or anomalies, before any breakdowns. This early detection enables service technicians to take preventive measures to address issues before they cause any disruptions, and ultimately results in improved lift reliability, availability, and operational efficiency.

Singapore first

The Republic of Singapore is a good example of a country taking predictive maintenance of lifts seriously. On 29 July 2022, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) released the world’s first Code of Practice (CoP) for the Design and Performance of Remote Monitoring & Diagnostics Solution (RM&D). It sets out minimum standards for lifts using RM&D/predictive maintenance solutions. Lift owners equipped with a compliant solution may now apply to the BCA to reduce their routine monthly maintenance to a quarterly maintenance visit. To obtain approval, the solution provider must demonstrate that their system meets BCA’s requirements.

TÜV SÜD Lift Manager is a BCA compliant solution, offering lift operators, OEMs and service providers a unique sensor-based predictive maintenance and condition monitoring solution that is manufacturer-independent and non-intrusive. This means that Lift Manager offers transparency in evaluations, as well as impartial advice and recommendations tailored to your specific needs and requirements. Regardless of age, brand, or model, Lift Manager is compatible with every type of lift, including those currently in service. This solution is therefore particularly beneficial for heterogenous lift fleets that consist of different brands and situated in various locations.

TÜV SÜD currently undertakes more than 500,000 lift inspections annually, and our sensor-based predictive model uses data collected over 80 years to detect patterns and failure points with high accuracy. As real-life case studies, we have installed Lift Manager in our new ASEAN headquarters in Singapore, and retrofitted it into the lift system of a research and business park in Singapore.

Reducing labour and maintenance costs

By having a predictive maintenance regime that anticipates the failure point of lift components, and being able to efficiently replace them before they fail, lift owners can minimise lift downtime and maximise the lifetime of components, thereby optimising total cost of ownership.

This of course greatly reduces the frequency of routine lift maintenance, therefore minimising labour and maintenance costs. According to a pilot trial between JTC and TÜV SÜD, the implementation of predictive maintenance solutions saw a 25% improvement in workforce productivity for the repair and maintenance of lifts.

The Lift manager difference

TÜV SÜD Lift Manager is a brand-independent solution that is very simple to install and requires minimal effort. TÜV SÜD’s expertise ensures the safety of lift users and operators by identifying optimal sensor placement and mounting three non-intrusive sensors on each lift to monitor its health. By constantly monitoring a lift’s conditions, Lift Manager can detect potential safety hazards, thereby preventing accidents and ensuring that lifts remain safe.

When Lift Manager identifies an anomaly, it triggers an alert on the dashboard based on the Remaining Time to Downtime (RTD), a metric that provides an estimate of the time remaining before a lift component is likely to fail. By monitoring the RTD, lift technicians can proactively address potential issues before they cause unexpected downtime, resulting in increased lift availability and reduced maintenance costs.

REMAINING TIME TO DOWNTIME (RTD) ALERTS

Lift Manager has been proven to save 30% on maintenance costs. As Lift Manager identifies the root cause of lift failures, and recommends actions to prevent those failures reoccurring, our predictive maintenance solution significantly improves lift reliability, thereby reducing the need for costly lift repairs. By taking a predictive maintenance approach with Lift Manager, lift owners can optimise their maintenance schedules, reduce the frequency of unnecessary lift maintenance, and save costs.

The future of predictive maintenance for lifts

The Lift Manager solution is a comprehensive combination of IoT know-how and TÜV SÜD’s independent and integrative approach that fuses data analytics and lift domain expertise. Using our technical know-how of integrating software, sensors and cloud services, TÜV SÜD has created a powerful and high-performing integrated solution for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. Lift Manager offers lift operators, OEMs and service providers a unique solution to determine optimum maintenance activity and reduce costs.

Related service: Lift Manager