Safe and trouble-free cable car operation

Sisag AG is one of the most important providers of electrical control and information systems for cable cars in Switzerland and a major supplier of control and automation systems for transport and industry. Based in Uri in Switzerland, the company develops process control systems to meet the strictest demands on reliability, availability and safety for passenger transport, road traffic and automation.

Sisag offers the SisControl platform for cable car operators in ski resorts. Thanks to the IoT solution, they can see all of the data for their cable cars and electrical systems at a glance so that they can make fact-based management decisions. Sisag AG is thus contributing significantly to the digitalisation of cable car operations with its IoT solution. The company looked to bbv when it came to developing the platform.

SisControl: All cable car data at a glance

The IoT platform SisControl offers full transparency for cable car operators. The functionalities include:

• Area overview: overview of the operating situation
• Remote access: the expert system is just a click away
• SisTIQ: ticket purchase via smartphone
• Wind monitor: public wind map
• Cable car data: important information at a glance
• Alerts: operation-related notifications
• Passenger information: open facilities, slopes, restaurants and more
• Network monitoring: monitoring of the IT infrastructure
• Breakdown info: information for passengers in the event of an emergency
• Control centre: central monitoring and operation of cable cars
• Media centre: management of screens and content

Dashboard visualises data and forecasts

Speed was of the essence from the very beginning, with the project aiming to deliver an initial prototype within the shortest possible time so that it could be exhibited at the INTERALPIN industry trade fair, the world’s largest trade fair for alpine technologies. The experts at bbv therefore developed an architecture based on Microsoft Azure using an agile approach so that the product can be used quickly and extended continually to account for additional requirements.

The ropeway controls are connected to the Azure IoT hub and transmit selected data to the Azure cloud in encrypted form. The data is divided here: Wind or motion data is displayed directly to maintenance staff on the dashboard or as an alert on the mobile phone or in the web browser. In addition to current data, the dashboard also displays forecasts from weather services and projections of visitor numbers so that proactive measures can be taken for ropeway operation.

The operating data is in turn stored for comprehensive evaluations. For example, status data from sensors on components: These warn of impending damage or provide reminders of service intervals. This is important information for providing replacement parts and for planning maintenance work. To ensure the best possible user experience, bbv also developed a user-friendly mobile and web interface that can be extended quickly and easily as needed.

Agile development: first prototype after two weeks

The first prototype was ready after just two weeks. Various stakeholders tested this version straight away, with their feedback flowing directly back into the development. The Sisag development team was therefore able to determine the functions their customers wanted at an early stage.

“bbv’s knowledge of the cloud and IoT really helped to speed up our development. After just four months, we were able to launch SisControl as an innovation at the world’s largest trade show.”

Marco Zgraggen, CEO, Sisag AG

SisControl provides cable car operators with a comprehensive platform for monitoring their cable car systems. Thanks to the clearly laid out IoT dashboard, those responsible have constant access to the latest data and forecasts for their systems and can react quickly to unforeseen events. SisControl therefore contributes significantly to smooth operation and greater safety in ski resorts.

Project insights

• Comprehensive monitoring: From machine data to wind maps to alerts in the event of malfunctions: SisControl provides all the relevant information for operating cable cars in a user-friendly dashboard.

• Fast and reliable: Consistent use of cloud services meant that the platform could be developed quickly and with high quality and safety. The SisControl prototype was presented after just four months. And the first customers for the new platform had already been won after a further two months.

• Innovation: Sisag set up its own control centre to allow remote monitoring of the cable car systems – with SisControl as the core application. In this way, the IoT platform contributes directly to the development of further digital services.

• Serverless: The use of Azure functions enabled serverless computing and consequently simplified deployment. The system can be scaled up economically if needed.

Our services in the project

The PDF version of the Sisag AG Success Story can be found here.