Improving a lifts reliability and reducing environmental impact at the same time

Background

When we think of lifts, escalators and moving walkways in a store such as IKEA we often only think of the customer facing facilities. Less obvious, but just as vital, are the back of house lifts and escalator systems used to move stock, catering loads and trolleys from the car park back to the store.

As part of IKEA’s planned lifecycle investment programme, the bistro lift and trolley lift in their BIrmingham store were identified as investment targets. due to their slow speed, environmental impact (they were still using hydraulics) and unreliability after twenty years of seven days a week use.

Brief

Our brief was to develop and manage the installation of new, robust goods lifts to provide a further serviceable life of twenty years. We were asked to use traction instead of hydraulic drives and complete the project with as little disruption as possible to the store and their customers.

Challenges

One of the more challenging aspects of the designs was converting the lifts from hydraulic to traction.  We needed to make provision for a suspended load rather than one supported from below. The project was further complicated by the trolley lift which, with a 5 tonne rated load, meant the overall suspended mass was nearly 18 tonnes.

Process

Our long standing relationship with Ikea has included developing solutions particularly suited to the unique requirements of Ikea stores.

In developing the designs for the two new goods lifts we adapted a number of features that are engineering preferences for lifts across their UK store portfolio.  These include: open protocol control systems, antibacterial buttons, specially strengthened and designed doors and car interiors to protect against trolley damage.

Due to the size of the suspended load involved in the transfer to traction drives, structural feasibility studies were essential. We also needed to optimise the planned layouts in order to maximise the car size. To do this we needed to find a way to compensate for the additional space taken up in the shaft by the necessary counterweights for the traction drive. We resolved this by relocating the supprort services from the basement tank to the top of the lift.

The trading cycles mean that available windows for the project were defined and absolute.  Through careful planning and project management, we managed to deliver both projects within the anticipated programme.

The outcome

The new lifts provide seven day a week service with efficient drives and features exactly suited to the environment they work in.  Ikea’s investment will ensure that lift availability runs at high levels due to the product’s reliability and ease of repair which permits the Ikea operation to continue its business unhindered.

We continue to support Ikea with their estate planning, throughproduct life cycles, and budget and are requested to troubleshoot issues, as and when they occur, in their units or stores. We also oversee the technical management of their lift maintenance contract.