Lift modernization and replacement

Lift modernization and replacement: how it works

Modernization starts with a survey. We pull out the passport and check the guide rails and their fixings, the landing doors and their locks, wear on the ropes and traction sheave, backlash in the gearbox, the steelwork and the electrics. Then an expert organization issues a report: extend the service life, replace some components or replace the lift entirely. Until that report exists, any cost estimate is guesswork.

Modernization changes the design so as to raise the lift's safety and technical standard while keeping its main characteristics: rated load, speed and number of stops. In practice, the controller is most often replaced with a microprocessor-based one, variable frequency control is fitted to the main drive and the door operator, and the car enclosure, doors, call stations and indicators are renewed. Afterwards the lift stops level with the floor, runs more quietly and uses less electricity when accelerating.

Full replacement is justified when the mechanical parts themselves are worn out. We dismantle the old equipment, remove the scrap metal and install new equipment to fit the existing shaft dimensions - major building work is usually not required. The exception is a shallow pit or low headroom: in that case either the pit is deepened or a model with a reduced rated speed is chosen. We agree on this option before the contract is signed, not while the work is under way.

Everything concludes with testing, a declaration of conformity for the installed equipment and a new entry in the passport. For OSBBs and housing cooperatives we also prepare a defect report and cost estimate - without them you cannot apply for co-financing, and programme requirements change every year, so we check the form before submission. The period when the entrance is without a lift is agreed in advance, and we try not to let it drag on.