Elevatoring in the Time of the Virus

In early January, we decided to have Elevator World’s Annual General Meeting virtually. It wasn’t because we had to, but because our CEO wanted to try out some new technology. The camera was fun to set up, and we instantly found it was great for having conferences with editors of our international magazines – all at once, instead of one at a time. Now, two months later, we feel like it was a stroke of brilliance (or clairvoyance). Who knew all meetings would be like this for the foreseeable future?

As we go to press, it is a troubled time for all of us around the world. Day by day, we are being asked to physically cut ourselves off from others to avoid contamination from the coronavirus. Humans are social animals, so this is hard for us, but it is not nearly as hard as it might have been 50, or even 25, years ago. We have computers, smartphones, FaceTime, Slack and Zoom video conferencing. There is no reason to panic — panic is more contagious than any virus. Many of the things we learned in kindergarten will help us now: wash your hands, don’t touch each other, be respectful of others, be kind, and be patient. We need to follow the motto of our English friends, who, during the World War II bombings, advised each other to “Keep calm and carry on.”

This issue is full of technical and practical articles. The focus topic is Cabs and Doors, with four entries:

Cabin Design by Muharrem Çakirer: the author outlines how designers must be careful not to create obstacles, while enhancing accessibility.

Meeting Code Changes With Game Changing Technology by Cornelius Walls: this article highlights new changes in the code that call for 3D door detection and discusses how this technology also helps prevent trips and falls.

Loewe Circular Lift by Lee Dean: this features the beautiful, round elevator in Loewe’s new flagship store on Bond Street in London that was built to match the stone staircase beside it.

Door Driver With Increased Safety and Predictive Maintenance by Emre Köroğlu and Mehmet Ermin Ercan: because most accidents to technicians occur in the shaft, Merih Asansör developed a door driver that can be remotely controlled and monitored.

We also have two excellent articles on escalators: How to Set the Escalator Main Drive Chain and Longer Life for Escalator Steps.

Robert Kaspersma of Liftinstituut wrote a fascinating article on how some new technology may be a barrier to maintenance and inspection in Innovative Designs: Challenges for Inspection and Maintenance. Meanwhile, Maintenance of the Future by Rob Wurth suggests installing a noninvasive box on equipment that uses sensors to provide data for the maintainer and building owner. If you want an up-close look at some of the newest technology, see the amazing photos from our interview Into the Future with thyssenkrupp MULTI CEO Michael Cesarz.

Thinking Forward by Matt Irvin focuses on the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s annual predictions for 2020. According to the month-by-month view of the world’s newest buildings, there are big things ahead.

Perhaps my favorite article in this book is Gained in Translation by Yuval Valiano-Rips. It involves a very old friend of mine, Lubomir Janovsky, the author of Elevator Mechanical Design, and a new friend, Mr. Rips, who took a year to translate the book into Hebrew. The article is about the journey afterward — to take a translated book to Janovsky. This is truly a “feel-good” story in which elevator people come together.

Our hearts go out to our readers around the world. We will continue to try to give you the news quickly through our websites and digital newsletters and more in-depth in our magazines. I look forward to when social distancing is a thing of the past, and we can once again reach out and touch someone. Be safe!