Maintenance Is Key to Ensuring the Safety of Ropeway Users

In recent years, ropeways have positioned themselves as an important means of transportation,  especially in large cities. Even Latin America has not lagged behind in its implementation.

These systems have grown significantly in geographically limited areas where conventional transportation service was considered very difficult or unfeasible to implement. As a result, they play a major role in meeting public transportation needs.

Line 1 of Mexico City's Cablebus, which consists of six stations, is used by 56,000 people a day, as it connects the upper neighborhood of Cuautepec with Indios Verdes, one of the busiest areas of the city, since the CETRAM converges there with the Mexicable, Metrobus, Metro, urban routes and the Cablebus, while Line 3, which is under construction and will be completed in the coming months, will cover 5.5km, from Vasco de Quiroga to Los Pinos, and will also have six stations.

This contributes to reducing inequalities in travel times by offering a service that meets the needs of the inhabitants of the upper areas of Mexico City, as it is an efficient, modern and environmentally friendly alternative, since the cost of each trip is MX$7 (US$0.41).

In addition, they represent environmental benefits that translate into better air quality, since they prevent the emission of more than 7,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, which is equivalent to the reforestation and care of 19,643 pine trees for 50 years.

They also have an advantage over other infrastructure projects, since they can be built in a straight line over areas that are difficult to access, as well as crossing obstacles such as buildings, ravines or avenues without problems, although we must not lose sight of the fact that the maximum speed of cable cars is about 30km per hour, which is low compared to other means of transportation. 

However, their commissioning has required the implementation of preventive maintenance on a regular basis to ensure the safety of users, since the cables become fatigued as a result of bending over the pulleys, although the process can be slowed down with preventive maintenance that prolongs their lifespan.

Such inspections are usually exhaustive and are usually performed by a third party. In our case, we work hand in hand with TÜV SÜD, a leading international provider specialized in inspections, audits and certification, which was in charge of reviewing the entire system and granting the certification on July 11, 2021, when Line 1 started operations, with whom we have continued working to date and who even gave the recertification a few weeks ago, when the last preventive maintenance was carried out. 

This included the structural and electromechanical parts, with emphasis on the inspection of mechanical equipment in stations, towers, foundations, drives and brakes, safety functions, recovery systems, emergency generators and mechanical equipment in stations. 

The work included the cutting of around 7m of cable, due to the normal elongation caused by daily use, a process in which 50 people participated, while the hydraulic units of the tensioning carriage and brakes were serviced. This activity consisted mainly of replacing filters and oil, in addition to cleaning the components and, if necessary, refilling the accumulators with nitrogen.

In general, maintenance and lubrication of the ropeway supports are essential to ensure safe and efficient operation, so that the ropeways continue to operate safely; otherwise, they suffer a high degree of wear and are more prone to failure. This is why the materials used in the system must be of high quality, as they must withstand maximum stress. 

Any damage can be detected during inspection, before it becomes a problem, thanks to preventive maintenance, which helps the cable to extend its service life.

But there are also many minor elements that give functionality to the system and ensure its comfort, such as damping and braking systems, speed controls, access structures, ticket offices, corridors, stairs, emergency and fire systems and electrical plants, as well as electrical stations to supply power to the traction system and lighting and communications systems.

In that sense, artificial intelligence (AI) has become an ally of the ropeway industry to search for and detect rope damage, beyond inductive magnetic tests, because even though visual inspection is still performed to assess the specific damage, AI can convert the signal and indicate where the problem is. Today, software tools can also help to plan maintenance. 

However, we must not lose sight of the fact that for a transportation system such as the ropeway to be efficient, the waiting time of users during the maintenance phase must be taken into account, so that the effects are brief and they can resume their use without setbacks.

In summary, preventive maintenance is a fundamental task for any industry or company nowadays. Because systems and devices are of vital importance for most processes, this maintenance prevents breakdowns from occurring, extends the operational life and minimizes interruptions.