The lift is the most commonly used form of transport in the world. Italy boasts a remarkable record in this field: it is the country which has the greatest number of lifts installed in the world, around 870,000 to date, performing almost 100 million journeys per day. Of these 870,000 lifts, more than half have been operating uninterrupted for more than twenty years, carrying out no less than 300,000 journeys and 400,000 km inside the shaft.
WHY MODERNIZE?
In 20 years the lift in a block of flats performs on average 300,000 journeys and covers no less than 400,000 km inside the shaft.
After so much use it is likely that the reliability and aesthetic appearance of your lift no longer keep up with the times. In these cases it is a good idea to assess the functional and aesthetic modernization proposals of FARMA: lift systems: versatile solutions which allow you to effectively make changes to any lift and significantly improve its appearance and how well it works.
LIFT SYSTEM SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS – MINISTERIAL DECREE. 23/7/1999
The age of Italian lifts - with the possible safety implications – led to the issue of the ministerial decree of 23rd July 2009, related to the "Improvement of the safety of lift systems prior to directive 95/16/CE". As a result of the decree all lifts installed before 1999 must be adapted to meet with the same safety standards of lifts installed after 1999.
For more information on the content of the decree and to find out about lift owner duties, download the PDF.
Functional modernization
Are you happy with how your lift performs? Is your lift as fast as you would want it? Is it always perfectly level with the floor? Has your lift got nosier as it has got older?
It is normal that lifts which have been operating for over 20 years start to suffer from regular failures, caused by an overall and steady deterioration of the main lift parts. Corrective maintenance of parts which are already worn away will help the problem but not cure it in the long run. It also involves an increase in spending, which does not pay off in terms of greater reliability and comfort.
By fitting new high-tech devices, FARMA FARMA is able to offer versatile solutions for functional modernization which will achieve significant improvement in the comfort, performance and safety of your lift. FIND OUT ABOUT OUR FUNCTIONAL MODERNIZATION SOLUTIONS HIDE
The functional modernisation solutions include:
- Winch replacement
The winch is the heart of your system; it is the motor that, with its ceaseless motion, has enabled you to appreciate the comfort of your lift for all these years.
For all these years the winch has worked non-stop in all weather conditions, in winter and summer. The car's break system and break lining, also connected to the winch, has stopped the car millions of times. It is normal that after such strenuous work, carried out for so many years, your winch has become noisier and noisier, is subject to overheating and frequent oil leaks – with a consequent increase in corrective maintenance costs.
In recent years technology has made huge steps in the field of lift winches too. Along with advances in technology, huge steps forward have also been made in terms of environmental awareness, forcing us to make choices based as much as possible on respect for the environment and conserving natural resources.
The new FARMA winches significantly save on energy, thus helping to preserve natural resources. They use non-polluting, environmentally-friendly oils and new breaking systems which do not release toxic dust when used.
- Installation of the VVVF Soft Start system, which enables accurate floor levelling every time.
Does your lift not level up well with the floor? Does it start and stop too suddenly? In all likelihood your lift works at one speed, a system that was very common in installations that go back to the early 1980s.
This type of lift does not have a second speed setting for slowing down. The answer to this problem lies in the VVVF Soft Start, an electronic system which enables the lift to stop gently and line up accurately with floors, regardless of the car load. This electronic system not only lets you appreciate a clear improvement in the user-friendliness of the lift, but also a clear improvement in its safety, especially if the lift is used by the disabled, the elderly or young children. Accurate floor levelling is paramount for the safety of these users: elderly people and little children could easily trip up when getting in and out of the lift if there is a gap between the car and the landing ; wheelchair-bound disabled users could have difficulty getting in and out of the lift or may even be unable to use the lift entirely.
Added to all of this is a significant energy saving, as the winch works better when the lift starts up and slows down. This improvement is reflected in the reduced use of the components of your lift, which means you save money on maintenance costs in the long run.
Accurate floor levelling and stopping has been evaluated by the Italian Standardisation Body “UNI” as the top high risk factor for the safety of lift passengers. The VVVF Soft Start installed by FARMA has special concealed cables and conforms with the new European directive on electromagnetic compatibility.
- Control panel replacement
The control panel is your lift's brain. It is the electronic system which has uninterruptedly governed lift operation since the lift was first put into use. Since that moment it has received millions of stimuli, putting a strain on the electronic components and their resistance to fatigue and heat.
After years of intensive work the contacts tend to stick, causing dangerous dysfunctions in the operation of the lift and increasing the risk of accidents. In all likelihood lift break down call-outs caused by a malfunction of the control panel have increased over recent years, with a marked lengthening in the amount of time the lift stays out of order. As time goes by it has become increasingly difficult to find original replacement parts on the market for old control panels , and customers are forced to opt for costly replacement parts which are made upon request by specialist workshops.
The technology of control panels is that which has benefited the most from the technological progress of recent years. The brain of the new control panels is made up of electronic cards, which can be easily programmed, and an internal diagnostic system which makes it easy to detect any problems.
FARMA lift control panels are made in Italy by Global Lift Controller in Varese, which FARMA has a shareholding in. This means that our technicians have directly contributed with their suggestions to developing the control panel, with obvious advantages in terms of speed when searching for any failures and carrying out preventive maintenance work.
- GLCX operating card installation
FARMA lift control panels can be fitted right from the very beginning with the new GLCX operating card, which makes it possible to monitor the performance of your lift from a distance. In other words, the operation and performance of your lift will be monitored by our technicians 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In this way you can plan preventive maintenance inspections according to the real needs of your lift, and if the lift breaks down you can find out in advance what has caused your lift to stop. This cuts down the repair time for our specialist technicians, with an obvious saving of repair costs.
- Replacing manual shaft doors and car doors with semi-automatic or automatic shaft doors and cab doors.
Is access to your lift as quick and easy as you would like? Do disabled users, elderly people and little children have problems getting in? Can a wheelchair user use the lift safely? If you answer no to one or more of these questions then in all likelihood your lift has manual shaft doors and car doors, which were a standard in lifts 30 years ago.
Replacing shaft doors and car doors with automatic or semi-automatic doors means the lift will be easier to use and can be used safely by elderly people, the disabled and young children too. Automatic and semi-automatic doors are guaranteed to work quietly in a way which manual doors do not.
The sound of lift doors violently slamming shut will be a thing of the past. Replacing shaft doors and car doors also means replacing the the shaft locks, which are statistically the main cause of lift system break down call-outs in Italy.
The kit used by FARMA for transforming swing doors into automatic or semi-automatic doors means new doors can be fitted without removing the existing door frame. This means a notable reduction in the cost of fitting the new doors and absolutely no building work.
- Infra-red optical barrier installation
If you have decided to replace the shaft doors and car doors with automatic or semi-automatic doors you will most probably have decided, if possible, to fit electronic eyes on the car door. Why not consider further increasing the safety of your lift? How? By fitting the FARMA infra-red optical barrier, a system with 40 infra-red rays which cover the entire length of the car door and create a real safety barrier.
The system means that the doors cannot close if an object or person interferes with the infra-red barrier, or that the doors immediately open if the barrier is interfered with while the doors are closing.
The FARMA infra-red optical barrier stops accidents from occurring should the doors accidentally close, allowing the disabled, the elderly and young children to use the lift safely. The FARMA infra-red optical barrier can be fitted quickly and there is no need for building work. A small added investment for your peace of mind.
Aesthetic modernization
Are you happy with the appearance of your lift? Is it worn, dirty and damaged? Can you still read the lift request buttons and the buttons in the car?
Your lift is the business card of your building. Very often it is the first contact that people have with your house or the building where you have your offices or business, and we all know how long-lasting first impressions can be. If your lift is neglected, it can give the unpleasant sensation that the whole building is neglected.
FARMA can offer versatile solutions for aesthetic upgrading which will give your lift a new appearance in keeping with the times, making it easier to use at the same time.DISCOVER THE AESTHETIC MODERNIZATION SOLUTIONS HIDE
The aesthetic modernisation solutions include:
- Replacing the old car with a new car in platinum or stainless steel
Replacing the old car of your lift with a new FARMA car will mean you immediately forget the appearance of your old lift.
FARMA cars come in a wide range of coverings and materials. From painted sheet metal to plastic laminate, from stainless steel to wood. Visit the section “lifts” and “customised lifts” on this site for some examples of our cars.
- Replacing the current car buttons with LED car buttons which indicate floor and direction.
Are you no longer happy with the appearance of your lift? Are the lift request buttons and the car buttons worn, difficult to read and dirty? The buttons are the parts that get used the most in your lift and can often be subject to vandalism too.
Worn out buttons can give your lift the unpleasant sensation of decay and neglect, which is reflected in a sensation of general decay throughout the building where the lift is. The diode bulbs that make up the button panels of lifts dating back to the early 1980s frequently burn out.
A button panel with burnt out bulbs gives the sensation of general neglect, which is reflected on the rest of the building. The new FARMA lift request buttons and car buttons fit perfectly into your lift, from both an aesthetic and functional point of view.
FARMA button panels have long-lasting, low-energy-consumption bulbs. This means the bulbs need to be changed much less often, with a clear improvement in the overall functionality and appearance of your lift. Replacing the lift request buttons and the buttons inside the car also makes the lift more user-friendly for disabled people and the elderly. The brighter LED lighting and Braille on the panel mean the visually-impaired can use the lift as well.
- Replacing lift request buttons with new lift request buttons that indicate floor and direction.
Are you no longer happy with the appearance of your lift? Are the lift request buttons and the car buttons worn, difficult to read and dirty? The buttons are the parts that get used the most in your lift and can often be subject to vandalism too.
Worn out buttons can give your lift the unpleasant sensation of decay and neglect , which is reflected in a sensation of general decay throughout the building where the lift is. The diode bulbs that make up the button panels of lifts dating back to the early 1980s frequently burn out.
A button panel with burnt out bulbs gives the negative sensation of general neglect ,which is reflected on the rest of the building. The new FARMA lift request buttons and car buttons fit perfectly into your lift, from both an aesthetic and functional point of view. FARMA button panels have long-lasting, low-energy-consumption bulbs. This means the bulbs need to be changed much less often, with a clear improvement in the overall functionality and appearance of your lift.
Replacing the lift request buttons and the buttons inside the car also makes the lift more user-friendly for disabled people and the elderly. The brighter LED lighting and Braille on the panel mean the visually-impaired can use the lift as well.
How much will it cost me?
Modernizing your lift system is a small investment which will soon pay off. Frequent maintenance work, very frequent with old-fashioned systems, rarely solves the problem.
In addition, as a result of an exclusive agreement with a leading banking group, FARMA customers can receive financing for up to 100% of the cost of maintenance work with favourable conditions, even if it is an apartment block requesting the loan. |
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DOWNLOAD THE JULY 23 2009 DECREE