LS Cable & System introduced 'i-check', the first platform in the industry that allows remote cable management by applying Internet of Things (IoT) technology. It is a system that can dramatically reduce fires caused by short circuits and power outages. The company's mid-to-long term plan is to expand cables to the core concept of 'asset management' and emerge as a core platform for managing the life cycle of cables.
Kwon Jung-ji, Senior Researcher at LS Cable & System's Distribution Research Center, said, "General companies have been using analog methods such as storing cable history management as documents until now," and added, “LS Cable & System has made cable history information and management possible in real time on one platform.”
With the i-check, an IoT sensor is attached to the cable and detects abnormal conditions such as overheating and short circuit. It prevents power outages and fires caused by cable abnormalities. Administrators can also check cable status in real time via web and mobile. It also sends push notifications when an abnormal situation occurs.
LS Cable & System also developed a method to digitize and manage cable information. By recognizing a special QR code with a dedicated reader or mobile device, users can easily check the cable manufacturer, maintenance history, and remaining service life.
LS Cable & System has been planning and developing i-check for roughly three years. This is because managing electrical equipment has become increasingly important. Particularly in the semiconductor and display industries that deal with hospitals and high-tech facilities, power management can determine a company's core competitiveness.
Researcher Kwon said, “Electrical equipment failures are often go unnoticed, and when a failure occurs, it can grow to become a large-scale failure,” and emphasized, “Recovery takes a lot of time when this happens and economic loss is high, so a system that can prevent and diagnose accidents is very important.”
In particular, high-voltage cables are a key medium that supplies electricity to industrial sites and public facilities. Safety diagnosis and maintenance had to be performed in-person, which required a lot of cost and time, until now.
i-check built a sound and vibration monitoring system using optical cable sensors. It detects the slightest changes in sound and vibration of the line. The fire monitoring system detects carbon monoxide that is generated when a cable or nearby power facility catches fire and sends a push notification. Fires are monitored by observing abnormal temperature rises with a temperature sensor.
i-check is actively being commercialized. Since launching the i-check system, LS Cable & System has been closely discussing the introduction of the system with about 10 domestic and foreign companies. Companies in various fields such as semiconductors, displays, petrochemicals, telecommunication services, and steel have shown an interest.
In the future, LS Cable & System plans to continue developing i-check in the direction of having multiple management functions with one sensor. In the long term, its goal is to install a 'cable health index' function that can even detect the health of the cable.
Researcher Kwon said, “In the past, the industry only sold cables to customers, but in the future, their roles will expand by introducing a system that manages the life cycle of cables,” furthermore, “We are making various attempts with the idea of becoming the Google of the cable industry.”
[i-check System Components]
By staff reporter sora park (srpark@etnews.com)