hero conveyors escalators
Asset monitoring / Conveyors & escalators

Keep material and people moving.
Watch the drive from the MCC.

Conveyors, escalators and moving walkways run long hours with availability targets. Artesis follows their motors, gearboxes, chains and belts from the electrical panel — and spots process and usage problems along the way.

99%Monthly availability target on the airport walkways below
4 escalatorsMonitored online in a metro pilot
0 sensors on the driveCurrent and voltage measured in the MCC
01 / The challenge

Long runs.
Tight availability targets.

Escalators and walkways in airports and metros face regulatory availability targets; conveyors in mines and plants feed the whole process. Their drives sit in pits, trusses and tail ends that are awkward to reach.

Chain, gearbox and belt problems develop slowly, then stop the line. Because the drive motor carries the whole load, its current reflects mechanical condition, load changes and even how the equipment is being used.

01

Connect at the drive’s control cabinet

e-MCM uses the existing current and voltage signals. Nothing is mounted in the truss, pit or along the belt.

02

Learn normal operation

Baselines reflect real passenger or material load, including idle and night-time running.

03

Act before the next stoppage

Findings flag chain, gearbox, alignment and electrical problems — plus unexpected stops and unnecessary running.

02 / Featured case · Metro

An escalator alarm with
a cause beneath the station.

DOCUMENTED FIELD CASE
TODAY’S ARTESIS VIEW / POWER SPECTRAL DENSITY
Current Artesis AMTPro power spectral density with learned normal and high envelopes

In the current software, the spectrum is judged against learned normal and high envelopes, fault domain by fault domain. Screen from a 2026 report on another asset. Select to open full size.

TODAY’S ARTESIS VIEW / AI ANALYSIS FINDING
Artesis AI analysis report section reading Loose Foundation Analysis, with the spectral evidence behind the finding

The AI analysis report now names foundation looseness automatically, with the spectral evidence behind it. From another asset.

0

Faults in the escalator itself
The spectral pattern matched a tunnel boring machine’s cutters working a few metres below the escalator.

Not a failing escalator — a tunnel being bored.

1,500 σPeak parameter deviation
17:00Daily onset
DailyRepeat pattern

The alarmOn a metro escalator, one parameter suddenly rose to about 1,500 standard deviations above normal. By the next morning everything was back to normal — then it happened again, several days in a row.

The analysisThe spectrum showed a pattern typical of foundation vibration. The rise started around 17:00 each day.

The causeA new rail tunnel was being bored only metres below the escalator. The machine started late in the day, and the passing of its cutters shook the escalator foundations.

  1. 1Parameter spikes every evening
  2. 2Foundation-related pattern
  3. 3Traced to tunnelling below

Source: Artesis metro escalator case study. Visuals are current Artesis AMTPro and AI report views from another asset, shown for reference. Operator and project names withheld.

03 / More field cases

Chains, scrapers
and escalators left running.

3 SECTORS
Artesis MCM transmission element trend of a metro escalator rising while the drive chain was deliberately loosened
Metro · Drive chain

A loosened chain, seen in the current

In a joint test with the escalator maintainer, the drive chain was deliberately loosened at night. From 00:15 the transmission-element parameter rose as expected — visible in the trend while staying below the alarm level for the short test.

Test
Controlled chain loosening
Outcome
Chain slack visible in the trend
Artesis MCM current trend of a mining conveyor belt drive showing a step change in load
Mining · Belt conveyor

A worn belt scraper, found by the load

Artesis saw the load on a conveyor drive fall. Maintenance found the belt scraper worn and no longer pressing with enough force — a process problem found from the motor current.

Signal
Load level vs baseline
Outcome
Scraper replaced
Airport · Moving walkways and escalators

Long-standing misalignment, finally found

At a major international airport, walkways and escalators must run at least 99% of the time, every month. Beyond early warnings, MCM units uncovered long-standing problems — including motor control issues and shaft misalignment — so they could be corrected to reduce wear and future downtime.

Target
≥99% availability per month
Outcome
Misalignment corrected
Metro · Usage and energy

Unauthorised stops and a stair that never slept

Online monitoring of four metro escalators showed one standing still for much of the day, and another running continuously — even when it should have stopped at night — wasting about 50 kWh a day.

Found
Unexpected stops, 24/7 running
Energy
≈ 50 kWh / day wasted
Metro · Portable AMTPro tests

Three more escalators, three findings

Spot tests from the MCC on three further escalators found a transmission-element fault (action within 3 months), a combined transmission and stator fault, and a stator fault (each within 6 months).

Cases are individual outcomes from Artesis field deployments between 2008 and 2016. All visuals are from Artesis software. Operator names are withheld.

04 / What we detect

Fault modes, signals
and evidence strength.

Evidence strength reflects how reliably a condition produces an observable electrical pattern in typical conveyor and escalator installations — not a guarantee of detection.

ConditionWhat changes in the signalEvidenceField case
Drive train · mechanical
Chain slack and wearTransmission-element parameterGoodMetro chain test
Gearbox and transmissionTransmission-element indicatorGoodMetro AMTPro tests
Shaft misalignmentAlignment-related patternGoodAirport walkways
Foundation and structureFoundation and structure-related patternGoodMetro escalator →
Motor · electrical
Stator windingsCurrent imbalance well above voltage imbalanceStrongMetro AMTPro tests
Motor controls and supplyPer-phase RMS, voltage imbalance, harmonicsStrongAirport walkways
Rotor barsRotor-related pattern in the current spectrumStrong—
Process · usage
Belt scraper and load changesLoad level versus learned baselineGoodMining conveyor
Unexpected stops, 24/7 runningRun/stop pattern and energy useStrongMetro escalators
05 / Outside the envelope

Where electrical signatures are weaker.

We state the limits up front, so monitoring is set up where it adds most and paired with the right complementary checks.

Very long conveyors

Idler and roller faults far from the drive may not change the drive load enough to be seen.

Belt splices and tracking

Splice damage and belt tracking are better covered by belt inspection systems.

Handrails and steps

Handrail drive and step issues show only if they affect the main drive load.

Multi-drive conveyors

Each drive is monitored separately; load sharing needs care in the baseline.

Observed patterns are interpreted by qualified personnel; they guide investigation rather than replace it. AMTPro spot tests need near-constant speed (±1% frequency) during capture.

06 / How you deploy it

Continuous where it matters.
Portable everywhere else.

Online · permanently installed

e-MCM

  • Critical escalators, walkways and main conveyors
  • 24/7 learning, trending and alarms
  • Supports VFD applications
  • Results in OmniSight across sites
Portable · route-based

AMTPro

  • Route checks across stations and auxiliary conveyors
  • Spot tests from the MCC in minutes
  • Automatic condition report per test
  • Energy impact estimate in every report

Artesis Insight explains the finding.

Artesis Insight turns spectra and trends into plain-language explanations and next steps. Your team does not need to be an ESA specialist to act on a result.

Illustrative maintenance guidance

Check the drive chain.

A rising transmission-element parameter on an escalator suggests chain slack or wear. Check chain tension and sprocket condition at the next maintenance window.

After action
Confirm the parameter returns to its learned level after adjustment.

Example wording only; not a live alarm or a reproduced AI report.

07 / Applications

Wherever material or people move.

Belt conveyorsChain and apron conveyorsEscalatorsMoving walkwaysBaggage handling drivesStacker and reclaimer drives
Do we need anything in the escalator pit or truss?

No. Everything is measured in the drive’s control cabinet.

Can you see chain problems?

Yes. In a controlled test, deliberately loosening an escalator drive chain showed up clearly in the transmission-element trend.

Does passenger load cause false alarms?

Artesis learns the normal load pattern, including peaks and idle running, before judging changes.

Can monitoring help with availability targets?

Yes. The airport case used MCM units as part of its strategy to meet a 99% monthly availability target.

What information is needed to start?

Motor nameplate data, drive arrangement, typical duty cycle, starter or drive type and the measurement points in the cabinet.

Bring your conveyors and escalators into view.

Tell us about your drives and availability targets. We’ll suggest where to start.

Talk to Artesis ↗

Contact Info

58 Thomas St, New York, 10013 USA

+1 443 315 2056

enquiry@artesis.com

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