Analogue

Issue 24, August 2021

Engineered to Meet the Growing Demand for Modernisation and Maintenance of Lifts and Escalators
致力提高升降機及自動梯現代化及維修服務質素以應所需

In Hong Kong, a city with high population of tall buildings, lifts and escalators carry millions of passengers each day. With the rapid advancement of lift technology, expediting lift modernisation is conducive to bringing more comfortable experience to users and enhancing safety of the public.

To promote lift modernisation, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region launched a HK$4.5 billion Lift Modernisation Subsidy Scheme (LIMSS) over six years, starting from the 2019-2020 financial year, through the provision of financial incentive with appropriate professional support to building owners in need of modernisation of lifts.

At present, about 80% of the 68,000 lifts in Hong Kong have yet to be equipped with the latest safety device and requirements. It is therefore expected that the actions taken by building owners to invest in lift modernisation activities over the coming years will drive demand growth in this sector.

As early as 2017, Anlev Elevator Group (Anlev), a subsidiary of ATAL Engineering Group, had anticipated that there will be a growing demand for lift modernisation and replacement works in ageing public housing estates as well as lift installation in new public housing estates. With solid experience and strong technical capabilities in making lifts safer, more comfortable, and eco-friendly, Anlev became a qualified contractor for Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) to serve the city’s public housing residents by offering a one-stop solution, that includes design, manufacturing, sales, installation, modernisation, and maintenance of all forms of vertical and horizontal transportation systems.

Lifts Modernisation for Fu Shan Estate
Anlev won its first public housing estate contract in 2019 for passenger lift modernisation works at Fu Shan Estate. In response to our “green” commitment to HKHA, Anlev adopted the new environmentally-friendly “scaffoldless” solution – which makes the lift installation process both safer and faster.

Our engineering team was also able to offer innovative capabilities to improve the energy efficiency of the lift system by reducing energy consumption by as much as 60% through the implementation of a gearless lift machine and AC Variable Voltage, Variable Frequency (VVVF) lift drive. In addition to minimising the buildings’ ecological footprint, this technology also improves lift performance, reliability, and riding comfort for the residents of Fu Shan Estate.

Comprehensive Repair and Maintenance of Escalator at Government Premises
Other than public housing estate projects, Anlev was also awarded the contract for the comprehensive repair and maintenance of escalator at government premises. This is a testament to our outstanding safety and quality performances, which is backed up by our in-house research and development team, who are always ready to respond to changing trends and drive innovation. We are currently getting approval from our client, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), to adopt our state-of-the-art ‘Predictive Maintenance and Remote Monitoring System (APMRMS)’, which enables remote real-time performance tracking and adaptive maintenance to reduce downtime. This in-house developed technology, which utilises ‘Internet of Things (IoT)’ and big data analytics technology, can reduce breakdown rates by as much as 20%, ultimately enhancing the safety of its users.

As a leading player in the market, Anlev has been recognised as an innovative and sustainable engineering provider, dedicated to total quality management. As such, we have been accredited with the highest level of safety and quality performance in both the Lift Contractors’ and Escalator Contractors’ ratings for a consecutive period of 8 years since its launch by EMSD.

In addition, Anlev was recognised by Elevator World and won the first place in “Escalator: Modernisation” category of “2021 Project of the Year” contest for the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System modernisation project, being the only company from Asia on the winners list.

Managing Director of ATAL Engineering Group, Ir Raymond Chan said, “Whilst we have the engineering know-how and access to cutting edge technologies that allow lifts and escalators to operate more economically and in a more eco-friendly manner, our service philosophy is very straightforward: to keep all equipment operating at optimum availability, maximum efficiency, and absolute safety. Our team is well-placed to meet the mobility needs of building owners who have and will benefit from our innovative solutions.”

With the expansion of Anlev’s manufacturing plant in Nanjing expected to be completed by 2022, the greatly increased production capacity, backed by our safety and quality excellence, will ideally position Anlev to capture opportunities amongst current and future generations of building owners looking to modernise, replace or maintain their lifts and escalators.

Left: New technologies have been applied to enhance lift performance, reliability, and ride comfort for the residents

Middle: ATAL is developing APMRMS to enhance safety and reliability of escalators

Right: Anlev has been accredited with the highest level of safety and quality performance in the Lift Contractors’ and Escalator Contractors’ ratings for 8.5 years