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thyssenkrupp Unveils Latest Technology to Transform Global Elevator Service Industry

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MAX is already on track to be connected with 180,000 units by the end of 2017.

MAX is already on track to be connected with 180,000 units by the end of 2017.

thyssenkrupp recently announced its use of Microsoft HoloLens technology in its elevator service operations worldwide. The special mixed reality device is set to empower more than 24,000 of the company’s service technicians to do their jobs more safely and efficiently, and keep people and cities moving better than ever before. Currently, the global elevator service industry is valued at over $US 44 billion per year and more than 12 million elevators transport over 1 billion people each day.

Using HoloLens, service technicians will be able to visualize and identify problems with elevators ahead of a job, and have remote, hands-free access to technical and expert information when on site – all resulting in significant savings in time and stress. Initial field trials have already shown that a service maintenance intervention can be done up to four times faster than before by using the device.

Andreas Schierenbeck, CEO of thyssenkrupp Elevator said: “With elevators transporting over one billion people each day, the service industry has a critical role to play in keeping cities moving. We remain focused on leading the transformation in this industry; introducing the latest technologies, processes and training to enable technicians to do a better job with less stress and more fun. Our goal is to dramatically increase efficiency, raise elevator uptimes and speed up service interventions to ensure mobility equipment is always running as it should, providing each passenger with the safest and most comfortable travel experience possible.”

Commenting on Microsoft Corp., he added, “This application of HoloLens in our service operations was made possible through our collaboration with Microsoft, and the close integration with their software experts has even allowed us to explore dedicated HoloLens apps to meet thyssenkrupp’s specific requirements.”

Sam George, Partner Director, Microsoft Azure IoT, added, “The successful launch of IoT- enabled MAX was the first step in thyssenkrupp’s journey to not only transform their business but also its 100-year-old industry. Predictive maintenance, powered by Microsoft Azure IoT, enabled thyssenkrupp to offer time savings to worldwide elevator passengers equivalent to 95 million hours of new availability per year of operation. Today, we are proud to have once again collaborated with thyssenkrupp to bring another game-changing solution to market together.”

Scott Erickson, General Manager for Microsoft HoloLens, commented: “As the first fully self- contained holographic computer running Windows 10, Microsoft HoloLens has been helping companies and industries innovate in entirely new ways. By utilising the out-of-the-box Skype experience without any additional development required, thyssenkrupp’s 24,000 service engineers can now do their jobs safer and more efficiently. Triaging service requests ahead of the visit and getting hands-free remote holographic guidance when on site has reduced the average length of thyssenkrupp’s service calls by up to 4 times.”

The launch of HoloLens and MAX is timely given that global revenues from elevator-related services are forecast to rise 4.9 percent per annum through 2019 to $US 56.3 billion.

In this regard, Andreas Schierenbeck noted: “Rapid urbanisation across the globe means that our cities are getting bigger and taller, making it essential to tap into the power of technology to reduce overcrowding and move people in the most efficient way possible. By harnessing the power of IoT with solutions like MAX and HoloLens, thyssenkrupp is able to step further into the digital era and transform the way the elevator industry offers maintenance services.”

Launched by thyssenkrupp in 2015 as the industry’s first predictive maintenance solution, MAX is already connected with thousands of units in the pilot countries of US, Germany and Spain, and is on track to be connected with 180,000 units by the end of 2017. The successful implementation in the pilot countries has also set the stage for rollouts in additional countries by the end of 2016.

Iconic buildings whose elevators are already cloud-connected through MAX include the One World Trade Center. The building has elevators that travel faster than Usain Bolt, capable of moving from the ground floor to the 102nd floor in just 60 seconds, and regenerative drives that convert energy produced when elevators decelerate into electricity that can be used to significantly reduce the building’s energy consumption. Now equipped with MAX and HoloLens, the tower is setting new standards for sustainability and building efficiency.

JCB Shows Resilience in the Face of Continued Market Uncertainty

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JCB Chairman Lord Bamford pictured with the newly launched JCB Hydradig.

JCB Chairman Lord Bamford pictured with the newly launched JCB Hydradig.

JCB achieved underlying earnings of £214 million during 2015 despite difficult market conditions in most developing markets around the world and slower than expected growth in North American and European markets. Overall, the global market for construction equipment dropped by 14% during 2015. Market conditions in the first half of 2016 remain fragile with the exception of India, where there has been a return to growth after four successive years of market contraction.

Earnings for the full-year 2015 on an EBITDA basis were £214 million (2014: £294 million) before one-off restructuring costs of £10 million (2014: £11 million). Sales turnover was £2.34 billion against £2.51 billion the previous year, and total machine sales during 2015 were 59,844 (2014: 64,028).

JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said: “JCB’s trading performance during 2015 was resilient in the face of a further deterioration in market conditions around the world, particularly in the economies of Brazil, Russia and China. The global market is still uncertain and fragile during this year. ”

JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said: “In spite of difficult market conditions, we remain positive about the future. Recent product launches are proving to be very successful, particularly the revolutionary new JCB Hydradig, designed and engineered specifically for use in congested urban environments.”

Milan’s Torre Arcobaleno restoration is completed to mark Expo 2015.

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DCIM105GOPROThe modernisation work of the famous Torre Arcobaleno (Rainbow Tower) at Porto Garibaldi has been completed and was recently presented, under the patronage of Milan City Council and in association with the Rete Ferroviaria Italiana and Gruppo FS Italian e-railway authorities.

Dating back to 1964 and once upon a time an anonymous water reservoir on the site of the important FS Milano Porta Garibaldi railway station, the Tower was first renovated ahead of the football World Cup held in Italy in 1990, a project that turned a downtrodden public works into a highly recognisable urban beacon. Since then, the Torre Arcobaleno has been a highly significant building for the city, a distinctive symbol of Milan’s colour and creativity, and has gradually become known as a major landmark.

A number of top companies came together with those handling the first refurbishment since 1990 to enable this unusual urban structure – clad with more than 100,000 coloured ceramic tiles – to regain all its original brightness of 25 or so years ago to mark the amazing presence of Expo 2015. The partner firms in the Torre Arcobaleno renovation project, carried out with the supervisory approval of the City of Milan Public Works and Urban Furnishing Department as the guests of the Italian State Railways, were Bazzea – B Construction Technology, Condor, Fila Solutions, Mapei and Marazzi.

Now as then, in 1990, the project was prepared and the works organised by the Architecture Division of the Milan firm Original Designers 6R5 Network, represented by Francesco Roggero, Albino Pozzi, Rita Alfano Roggero and Kiyoto Ishimoto. The renovation – all the costs of which were met by the project’s partner companies and architects – is a gift to Milan and the millions of visitors it will be welcoming during Expo 2015. The works were completed in just 71days, employing 37 workers.

The colours of the Torre Arcobaleno express the desire to inhabit our planet intelligently.

The colours of the Torre Arcobaleno express the desire to inhabit our planet intelligently.

The Torre Arcobaleno forms part of the Wonderline project by Original Designers 6R5 Network, which has been running for a number of years, linking initiatives in the world of art and architecture with the theme of Colour. The colours of the Torre Arcobaleno express the desire to inhabit our planet intelligently, creating a harmony between technology, nature, innovation and tradition. The Garibaldi zone of the nearby Piazza Gae Aulenti is the acknowledged nerve centre of the city’s Business, Fashion and Modern Architecture scenes.

The zone, now restyled by futuristic skyscrapers, has adopted the Torre Arcobaleno as its “Colourful Ceramic Totem”, there to remind people of Italy’s Master Potters and the craft origins of an industry famous all over the world for its Italian Excellence.

MIPIM Asia announces top winners of 9th annual awards

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MIPIM Asia, the property leaders’ summit in Asia Pacific, recently announced the final ranking of the 36 finalists in the 9th edition of the annual MIPIM Asia Awards.

The winners of the MIPIM Asia Awards, which recognise excellence and innovation in real estate development in the Asia Pacific Region, were announced during a gala dinner on December 1 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Hong Kong with Mrs Carrie Lam, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR government as the Guest of Honour. The final Gold, Silver and Bronze rankings were awarded to the 36 projects previously announced, which had been selected by an international jury of 16 industry experts.

JTC's Fusionopolis 2 won an award in the "Best Mixed-Use Development” category.

JTC’s Fusionopolis 2 won an award in the “Best Mixed-Use Development” category.

 

The jury can, in total independence, base its selection upon various and unlimited criteria such as infrastructure and transport access, integration into the environment, originality of the concept, technical and architectural quality, and services offered. Nicholas J. Loup, President of the Jury said, “It was a very competitive process this year with a number of high-quality and interesting projects among the finalists. I am delighted to announce the final rankings of the 9th edition of the MIPIM Asia Awards and we are excited to see how several of these projects are changing the urban landscape in Asia Pacific.”

The winners spanned across 12 distinct categories such as Best Mixed Use Development, Best Innovative Green Building, Best Refurbished Building and more and a complete list of the 2015 winners can be found at www.mipim-asia.com/en/the-programme/awards/

Things To Know Before Selling Your Scrap Metals

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The most common complaint from customers is that scrap dealers are unable to pay for the scrap metal sold. The issue gets worse when employees do not want to be involved in the transaction since scrap metal transactions are considered a very sensitive issue for most companies.

You can avoid unnecessary and time consuming trouble by simply following the tips below:

  • Always remember that scrap metal price is not everything. Ensure that the scrap dealer has built reputation and is able to pay for your scrap metal.

In Singapore context, one way is to check through ACRA for the scrap dealer’s capital. For sample purpose, please refer to the screen shot below, it stated clearly that the capital of this company is S$9,000,000.00 (in red frame).

In case you find the capital of a company is less than S$10,000.00, you will really need to consider whether the company is able to pay for your scrap metal. Assuming you have 100 Ton of scrap metals monthly, with current scrap metal price at S$250/ Ton (total amount per month will be S$25,000.00). Moreover, This amount does not include when the dealer buys from other customers, say 50 more customers. How much capital should this scrap dealer have in order to be able to purchase and pay to all their customers? Simple calculation will result in a total amount of S$1,250,000.00 (100 Ton x S$250/Ton x 50 customers).

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  • Do you know that a scrap dealer must be able to assist you in keeping track of the tonnage of your scrap metal sold?

You may ask for a monthly report of the tonnage of your scrap metal sold. You can utilise this report for auditing and accounting purposes. In addition, you will be able to know whether you have too much or too little scrap metals at each project sites.

  • Are you dealing with an honest and trustworthy scrap metal dealer?

Is there any unpaid transaction? Are they delaying your payment? Make sure there will not be any missing payment to your company.

  • It is recommended to use third party weighing service when you are selling scrap metal to protect your own interest?

Most of the large scale construction companies are using third party weighing service. This is done to compare the differences in weight measured at the scrap dealer’s yard. Better be safe than sorry.

  • Remember to adhere to all regulations set by the local authority.

In Singapore, all transactions of scrap metal MUST be done via crossed cheques payment strictly.

 

This article was originally posted on http://ylssteel.com.sg/.

About YLS STEEL PTE LTD

With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, YLS Steel Pte Ltd is currently one of the largest ferrous scrap metal recycling companies in Singapore. Together with wide range of steel material available, YLS Steel offers you one-stop solutions from steel material rental to scrap metal recycling for your projects.