Smart elevators are the next big thing in elevators

By OEM Update Editorial June 10, 2020 12:45 pm IST

The good thing about being so widespread in different industries is that we get excellent insights into these industries and we also gain an understanding about their current state.

In a discussion, Michael Dehn, General Manager – Sales & Marketing, Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs Pvt Ltd, talks about the upcoming technologies and market developments in elevators and escalators and how being spread across different industries enables the company to gain greater insights about those industries and act accordingly.

How was the International Elevator and Escalator (IEE) Expo this year?
The International Elevator and Escalator Expo is an event that caters to the elevator components industry. Many manufacturers and suppliers of the essential components that are used to build, install and maintain elevators and that are critical for the safety of elevators and escalators present their latest products and technologies here. Components that make elevators and escalators more user-friendly and those that feature new designs so as to make it more luxurious and so on are also displayed at the expo. This year too, we saw a lot of new designs and innovations catering to the elevators and escalators market. The show was packed with relevant people from the industry such as engineers as well as professionals from construction and real estate who were really looking forward to the show, as they can find the latest innovations and technologies that can help them in their daily job.

How does the exhibition offer value to buyers and sellers?
The exhibition provides a great level of transparency to buyers as they can understand who is in the market and what the pricing and offering is. It’s not the cheapest provider who wins; it’s the one with the best offering, best product and best service. The exhibition is where you can convince your buyer that you are the right person for your particular product and/or service. Although some companies are experiencing difficulties currently, the expo is where they can find new prospects to get out of the rut and build visitor traffic.

What are the new technologies that you see in the market?
Smart elevator is a huge buzzword that includes a lot of things different people understand differently. It could mean that the scheduling of the elevator is done smartly so that the elevator can transport more people within a certain amount of time. It could be that the floors are preselected based on a certain pattern, for example, the actual usage. Then there is the Bluetooth technology that has the potential to change people’s interaction with elevators. There are already some predictive technologies that enable elevators to know which floor you want to go to. These are of course just a few of the many aspects of smart elevators, but the interest in this segment is high. Also, the industry’s interest is equally great in products that make maintenance faster and easier. That is also very important.

How is Industry 4.0 contributing to the latest technologies in elevators?
When we talk about Industry 4.0, the elevator industry is thinking more and more about aspects such as usability, user-friendliness, etc., and that is where Industry 4.0 comes in. Smart elevators are definitely something that everybody is talking about. For example, elevators can become much more interactive with the people who are using them because of the smartphones that they carry. Elevators can understand more now, including who is using the elevator. There are a lot of Bluetooth technologies that have come up and that are enabling a greater level of responsiveness to the users.

What are the other events that your company contributes to?
Messe Frankfurt is active in many different industries worldwide. We are active in India with 20 exhibitions that cater to automotive, construction, electrical, advertising, stationery and corporate gifts, textiles and of course, a lot of different core industries including elevators and escalators. The good thing about being so widespread in different industries is that we get excellent insights into these industries and we also gain an understanding about their current state.