Press Release
12.16.2020

In 2020, Thyssenkrupp Elevator’s MAX predictive maintenance solution further established itself as the industry’s most transformative service technology

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• MAX, the industry’s first cloud-based, predictive maintenance solution, saved thousands of hours in downtime on more than 84,000 elevators in the U.S.
• Other 2020 highlights included the launch of three MAX subscription packages and the donation of MAX Premium predictive services to select hospitals during COVID-19
• In addition to MAX, Thyssenkrupp Elevator’s robust digital and touchless portfolio played a prominent role in helping many North American buildings safely reopen

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ATLANTA (December 16, 2020) – While 2020 created many challenges for building owners and managers across North America, no vertical transportation company was better equipped to meet those challenges than Thyssenkrupp Elevator. Specifically, its MAX predictive maintenance solution, the industry’s most widely adopted IoT service solution, helped thousands of customers across North America keep their buildings safely operating.

Since its introduction in 2015, Thyssenkrupp Elevator has installed MAX on more than 84,000 elevators in the U.S. and 130,000 elevators worldwide, collecting data on components, systems and performance, which in turn has helped property managers achieve higher elevator and escalator uptime and longer product lifespans. Some of the most iconic buildings in North America rely on MAX to keep their elevators up and running.

“I have worked in the vertical transportation industry for three decades starting as a technician, and I can confidently say that there has never been a product introduction more important to elevator service and passenger safety than MAX,” says Kevin Lavallee, President and CEO of Thyssenkrupp Elevator North America. “Seeing the explosive growth of MAX in such a short period of time truly reinforces how important safety is to our customers, and we are grateful they have put their trust in our industry-leading products, technologies and expertise to keep their tenants safely moving.”

In January 2020, Thyssenkrupp Elevator introduced three digital subscription packages for MAX. More than 5,000 digital subscription packages have been sold already as property managers embrace the future of elevator service and prioritize the safety of their tenants and guests.

A healthcare customer on the West Coast recognized the importance of MAX and invested in 16 MAX subscriptions – four MAX Premium and 12 MAX Pro – on their 66 elevators spread out across 19 locations.

MAX Premium, the highest service level package, offers an exclusive team monitoring feature, which includes an expert team performing a regular review of a building’s elevator usage, predictive analytics and other relevant data. The team then provides preventive maintenance planning to maximize uptime, which keeps traffic moving at maximum efficiency. If the team predicts an upcoming elevator failure or issue, they will pre-emptively send a technician to investigate and address the issue.

Shortly after the pandemic began spreading across the U.S., Thyssenkrupp Elevator donated its MAX Premium service to select hospitals to help front-line medical workers in the fight against COVID-19. The donation of the MAX Premium elevator service was critical in ensuring the safe transportation and movement of patients, key medical personnel and supplies as it allowed Thyssenkrupp Elevator technicians to monitor machine health remotely while providing them with the ability to identify and address equipment issues or potential service interruptions before they occur.

“In 2020, MAX went from a nice-to-have technology to a must-have technology as property managers for hospitals and commercial buildings across the U.S. increasingly recognized how smart building management provides safety and confidence for passengers, especially in a pandemic,” says Jon Clarine, Head of Digital Services for Thyssenkrupp Elevator North America.

MAX wasn’t the only tool property managers relied on as they strategically managed the reopening of their buildings during the pandemic. Across North America, implementation of Thyssenkrupp Elevator’s AGILE elevator enhancement suite of solutions increased significantly. AGILE allows building managers to more intelligently group and assign passengers to elevators, move people more rapidly to their destination, adjust passenger flow in real-time and personalize touchscreens and kiosks.

AGILE is a high technology approach to the industry’s destination-based dispatching system, which shortens ride times with fewer stops and less congestion. With AGILE, building managers can dedicate elevators to specific high-traffic areas as user demand changes while also saving on energy during periods of low demand.

Thyssenkrupp Elevator also launched a Social Distancing Service specifically to address one of the key reopening challenges for building managers. The software helps tenants stay safe by limiting passenger counts in elevators so they can maintain maximum physical distance. The service monitors a building’s elevator traffic so property managers can balance building congestion risk while ensuring a small number of passengers are assigned to an elevator. Once an elevator reaches its newly established capacity limit, the software will either direct passengers to another elevator or they will have to wait for that elevator to return. Using the data captured by MAX, building managers can use that actionable intelligence to better balance passenger wait times and social distancing needs through a simple algorithm adjustment.

Thyssenkrupp Elevator also partnered with air quality companies to address the inside of an elevator – specifically, installing air purifying devices that feature Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization (NPBI) technology. NPBI uses an electronic charge to create a high concentration of positive and negative ions, and the generated ions travel through air inside elevators and attach themselves to pathogens including virus and bacteria. That contact disrupts surface proteins, rendering them inactive and unable to replicate. The device safely and continuously cleans elevators with no harmful byproducts and reduces odor inside elevators. Not only can this simple upgrade be easily installed within the intake system on top of the elevator, but there is no routine maintenance or cleaning required.

“From new projects to modernizations and service, in 2020, Thyssenkrupp Elevator did what we’ve always done for our customers – we came through for them when they needed us most,” says Kevin Robertson, Senior VP, Sales for Thyssenkrupp Elevator North America. “Our digital and touchless solutions, like MAX, are here to stay and will continue to provide property managers across North America with peace of mind.”

For more information on Thyssenkrupp Elevator’s touchless solutions, go to https://www.tkelevator.com/us/coronavirus/.