KONE Elevator: Safer, Smarter & Technology Enabled Solutions

What is trending in elevator safety is Technology and Innovation; from vertical transportation perspective, it means looking at safer, smarter, and technology enabled building solutions.
Amit Gossain, Managing Director, KONE Elevator India

The elevator industry is in the midst of several game-changing advancements that could revolutionize the way elevators operate in buildings. We are experiencing elevators a lot more differently now, and Covid-19 is pushing us to fast-track digital transformation, making elevators safer, more sophisticated and cutting-edge. The focus will be on touchless elevator control solutions to enhance safety, security, and convenience. Digitalisation is hastening demand for artificial intelligence-based analytics to make smarter proactive maintenance decisions that take people to flow to a whole new level.

There is no limit to the kind of exciting technology led innovations we can expect in the elevator safety. Smart digital buildings will help bring people together, be conducive to collaborative working by increasing interaction, and save precious resources.

At KONE, safety is one of the highest priority areas and our equipment is designed to both maximize passenger safety and enable an easy inspection to ensure safe operations at all times. We ensure that our safety policies are clearly communicated to the employees and sub-contractors to preclude deviations in any process. Risk assessment and regular safety audits are done at every stage.

I believe that with the advent of Covid-19, the entire focus of the industry is now on hands-free seamless access through built spaces. The most common surfaces that we touch in our daily life are the door handles and elevator buttons. Probably, these are the surfaces that are most susceptible to the spread of viruses.

Analytics in Elevator Safety Technology

The touchless safety solutions that are currently available, like KONE’s Health & Wellbeing Solutions, are trending the most. We have also seen a rising demand for our AI-based 24/7 Connected Services as this solution provides valuable information on upcoming maintenance needs and identifies any potential issues before they cause problems. It connects the elevators or escalators to our cloud-based service and uses artificial intelligence-based analytics to make smarter proactive maintenance decisions. By keeping constant watch 24/7, we can respond quickly in case of sudden failures.

KONE Care Maintenance is designed to detect issues before problems arise, reduce hazards, and prevent accidents from taking place. We also use one of the most advanced preventive Maintenance methods in the industry - KONE Modular Based Maintenance (MBM). Every KONE Service Technician takes ownership of quality and is driven by continuous quality initiatives and training. It is important that our employees and customers return home safely every day.

Health and Well-being Solutions

During the Covid times, we had launched health and well-being solutions as a response to the pandemic. Considering physical distancing measures as well as the need for people to be able to move around in shared spaces safely, KONE’s technical know-how and innovation came together to create solutions that can be used to encourage physical distancing while enabling a safe and convenient return to public settings. These solutions that can be added to all KONE elevators range from Escalator Handrail Sanitizer, Elevator Call using mobile phones, to Elevator AirPurifier.

A New Era of Connected Elevators

We have launched the world’s first ground-breaking class of digitally connected KONE DX Class Elevators, which will redefine the elevator experience. The rise of a new era in the industry, KONE DX Class is a game-changer, that is bound to transform how people experience elevators. With built-in connectivity for improved people flow, KONE DX Class promises an experience that connects at every level.

KONE DX Class revolutionizes the role of elevators in future smart buildings. We are living in an increasingly digitalized world where everything is connected. The elevator is no longer merely a way to travel between floors, but an integral and integrated platform that offers intuitive, flexible, and connected experiences that extend from the lobby throughout the building.

We have worked closely with our customers to develop and define our new elevator series so that it can best meet their fast-changing needs. New technologies give us opportunities to create an integrated and easily adaptable building experience. As buildings evolve, the elevators can also evolve in ways we have not seen before.

Safety is a joint effort

Safety involves everyone from technology and maintenance service providers to building owners and equipment users. We have global policies, processes, and guidelines in place to enable that our business activities, including subcontractor operations, are organized and conducted in a structured and globally harmonized way. Using elevators properly helps ensure a safe and comfortable ride for everyone.

Everyone who uses an elevator needs to be conscious of their own behaviour, for example being patient if the elevator is full, and wait for the next ride, not blocking closing elevator doors, always accompanying children, not playing in and around the elevator, and following the instructions inside the elevator. At the same time, building owners and maintenance service providers are responsible for making sure that the equipment is professionally maintained and kept in good condition. At KONE Elevator India, when we design and conceptualize elevators, we design them for the future. We pride ourselves on our deep understanding of both equipment and customer needs. This ensures that the equipment is kept running smoothly throughout its lifetime.