Most cargo lift projects are retrofits: the building exists, the floors are in use, and the lift has to fit around them. This article walks through a two-floor installation we completed for a factory, from the first survey to commissioning, so you can see what the process actually involves and where the risks sit.
The project
The customer needed to move goods between the ground floor and a first floor mezzanine in a factory building. There was no shaft and no space for one, the goods arrived on pallets by pallet truck, and the loading direction had to be straight through so that a truck could roll on at one end and off at the other without turning.
| Item | This project |
|---|---|
| Market | Bosnia |
| Building | Existing factory with a first floor mezzanine, no shaft |
| Model | CL5-2.5 |
| Rated load | 2.5 t |
| Lifting height | 5 m |
| Platform size | 1600 x 2200 mm |
| Pit | 2200 x 2250 x 300 mm |
| Loading direction | 180 degrees, through loading on two floors |
| Structure | Double guide rail with two hydraulic cylinders |
| Control | PLC control panel with floor to floor calling, 24 V control voltage |
| Power unit | 7.5 kW pump station, 380 to 400 V three phase |
| Guarding | 1000 mm platform guardrail with door, external protection frame and landing door on the upper floor |
Step 1: measuring and drawing
The project started with five measurements: the load per trip, the floor to floor height, the goods footprint, the direction of travel, and the space available around the lift. From those we produced a general arrangement drawing showing the rail positions, the pit, the landing opening and the guard positions, and nothing was cut or welded until the customer had approved it.
On a retrofit this drawing stage is where the project is won or lost. Two details matter more than any other: whether the mezzanine floor can take the point load where the lift lands, and whether the pit can be cut without meeting a service, drainage run or reinforcement.
Step 2: the pit and the base flanges
The standard platform runs in a pit of 2200 x 2250 x 300 mm so the deck finishes flush with the floor and goods roll straight on. The base flanges are anchored to the floor with expansion bolts, spaced to match the centre distance of the rails.
Where a floor cannot be cut, we build a pitless version with a ramp or a folding edge instead, which takes floor space in front of the lift but keeps the project possible. That decision is made at the drawing stage, not on site.
Step 3: rails, cylinder and chain
The guide rails are erected in sections and welded or bolted at the joints on the outside only. The inside face of the rail must stay clean because that is the surface the guide wheels run on. The rail is then set vertical and braced to the building with cross beams and triangular brackets at the floor and at the top.
The cylinder is fixed to its base frame at the foot of the rail, the lifting frame is installed inside the rails, and the chain and the separate safety wire rope are connected. The chain takes the working load; the wire rope is the second suspension that keeps the platform in place if anything happens to it.
Step 4: levelling, guarding and commissioning
Four levelling ropes and pulleys keep the platform level through its travel, and this is the step that decides whether the lift feels solid or feels loose. After levelling, the external protection frame and the landing door are fitted on the upper floor, leaving a working gap of 30 to 50 mm between the platform and the floor edge.
The final step is the test cycle: travel to each landing, check that the platform arrives level, test both travel switches, test the emergency descent valve, and confirm that the landing door interlock prevents the lift being called while the door is open. Only then is the machine handed over with its manual.
What the customer received
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| General arrangement drawing | Issued for approval before manufacture |
| Installation manual | Illustrated, step by step, for the customer’s own fitters |
| Safety devices | Two travel switches, explosion-proof valve, relief valve, emergency descent valve, chain plus separate safety wire rope |
| Lifting system | Two 90 x 60 hydraulic cylinders and an LH1244 leaf chain |
| Platform | 120 x 60 x 4 mm frame with a 5 mm anti-skid plate |
| Spare parts | One oil seal and seal ring set plus one travel switch, packed with the machine |
| Packing | Wooden case, about 4000 x 2300 x 1800 mm, about 1800 kg |
| Warranty | 12 months, excluding man-made faults |
What to plan for on your own retrofit
- Check the floor before you check the lift. A mezzanine that carries a distributed load may not take a point load at the landing position.
- Decide the pit early. A 300 mm pit, or a pitless ramp, changes the layout, the guarding and the cost.
- Measure the goods, not the average pallet. The platform has to take the largest load you will ever put on it, including the truck.
- Plan the landing door from the start. The door and its interlock are what make the upper landing safe, and retrofitting one later is expensive.
- Ask for the drawing first. Any supplier who quotes a retrofit without a dimensioned drawing is guessing.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a two-floor cargo lift installation take?
Two people with basic welding and fitting experience usually complete the mechanical assembly in two to four days, depending on the height and the guarding, with the pit and the power supply prepared beforehand. We stay available online for the whole installation.
Can the lift be installed while the building is in use?
Usually yes. The work happens at the lift position, and the upper landing is closed off with the protection frame and door as soon as the rails are up. Most of our retrofit customers keep working around the installation.
What happens if the floor cannot be cut for the pit?
We build a pitless version with a ramp or a folding edge, which the platform lowers onto. It costs more than the pit and takes floor space in front of the lift, but it keeps a retrofit possible in buildings where the floor cannot be excavated.
Next step
Send us the load per trip, the floor to floor height, the goods footprint, the direction of travel and a photograph of the position. We will return a dimensioned drawing and a price on the same document, so you can check the project against the building before anything is manufactured. See the double guide rail cargo lift for the specification, or the cargo lift range for the other structures.