See You in Bavaria

Augsburg, Germany, is a quaint little town in Bavaria about an hour from Munich. It was the childhood home of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and is one of Germany’s oldest cities, tracing its history to 15 B.C. This is where one of the biggest tradeshows in our industry is held. Interlift, two years ago, had more than 20,000 attendees and 574 exhibitors from around the world. In addition to the four days of exhibits, there will be 50 lectures on new products and services, as well as international issues. Our Special Section, headlined by Interlift 2019: On the Rise by Victoria Pruitt, will help you organize your visit with lists of exhibitors and maps of the vast exhibition halls. Augsburg has grown dramatically in the 25 years I have been attending Interlift, and its people are very welcoming to the elevator industry, naming the place “Lift City” in our honor.

Our focus this month is on Emerging Technology. This is an appropriate topic for the Interlift issue, as many of the lectures there will concern new technology in our industry. We have for you:

• The Big Picture by Aleksey Gorilovsky and Kirill Knyazev: This Product Spotlight from LiftEye, Ltd. highlights a virtual elevator window system to transform the passenger experience.
• The Future Is Now by Winslow Soule and Ricky Williams: Passenger conveyance systems are now expected to integrate with building automation and management systems. This ability was once available only to the major OEMs, but now smaller contractors can do this, too.
• Ensuring Long-Term IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) Success by Guneet Bedi: The author discusses the options involved in going digital — building it yourself or buying it from experts.
• Inside the Mind of a Hacker by Mark Hearn: This article was from the 2018 International Elevator & Escalator Symposium in Istanbul. The author suggests thinking like a hacker — ask yourself, “What do I have that a hacker wants?” and “What can he do with it?” We are proud to present Ropes and

Traction by Dr. Albert So. This is from the author’s new book, The Elevator: From Basics to Calculus. This is a great introduction to the book, since 99% of all elevators are traction. The article takes the technician from types of ropes to lubrication. It is a Continuing Education (CE) resource worth 1 hr of CE credit.

Above and Beyond by Kaija Wilkinson is our cover story. The project focuses on the Washington Monument’s 50-year-old equipment, which was recently modernized by Delaware Elevator. The American icon has had its elevators modernized before but not to the current extent.

Another challenging piece is Building Bridges, also by Wilkinson. This is a Company Spotlight that describes how Eagle Elevator grew out of Boston into four branches, plus carving out a niche market in the tough and contested area of New York/ New Jersey. Their big job at the Verrazano- Narrows Bridge, which connects Staten Island and Brooklyn, is helping the Wrenn brothers pull it off.

It’s a fabulous issue! We hope you enjoy!