Project Details
Introduction
Hin Chong was engaged by the new owner of a light industrial building in Singapore to carry out a full cargo lift modernisation, part of a broader retrofitting programme undertaken immediately after the property changed hands. We had maintained both the cargo and passenger lifts at this building for more than a decade under the previous owner, and the new owner chose to continue the relationship on the strength of that service record.
This case study covers the cargo lift (goods lift) modernisation. The companion passenger lift replacement at the same property is documented separately.
The Challenge
Problem
The cargo lift had served the building for over 25 years. For a goods lift in regular use, that is well past the point where ageing components become a liability. Ride quality had deteriorated markedly, with pronounced jerking during travel that made it difficult to move goods and materials smoothly between floors.
Breakdowns were becoming more frequent, and each failure hit harder than the last because spare parts for the legacy system were increasingly hard to source. Obsolete components meant longer downtime, higher repair costs, and a growing risk that a single major failure could put the lift out of service for weeks.
For the new owner, who was already investing heavily in upgrading the entire property, leaving the cargo lift on its original 25-year-old systems was not an option. The lift is essential for moving heavy goods between floors, so any extended outage would directly constrain the building's operational capacity.
Solution
We proposed a full cargo lift modernisation covering both the control system and the driving system - a complete renewal of every major electrical, electronic, and mechanical component.
The modernisation scope:
Control System (Electrical & Electronic)
- New microprocessor-based controller and drive
- Replacement car operating panel (COP) and hall operating panel (EBOPS)
- Modern display indicators
- Complete rewiring throughout
Driving System (Mechanical)
- New high-efficiency main motor
- Replacement of all main wire ropes
- Modern overspeed governor for enhanced safety
The work was sequenced to coincide with the wider building retrofit so the lift outage aligned with other trades on site. The cargo lift modernisation was completed across October 2025.
Key Results and Outcomes
The modernised cargo lift now delivers the reliability and ride quality the new owner needed:
- Extended lifespan: At least another 20 years of service from fully renewed systems
- Obsolescence eliminated: Every component is current-technology with readily available spares
- Reliability restored: Breakdown frequency greatly reduced, supporting uninterrupted goods movement
- Ride comfort improved: The jerking that previously affected goods handling has been eliminated
The new owner was particularly pleased with the smoother travel, which directly improves day-to-day logistics for tenants moving materials between floors.
Conclusion
This project reflects how Hin Chong supports property owners through ownership transitions. Having maintained these lifts for over ten years under the previous owner, we understood the equipment's history and condition in detail - knowledge that let us modernise decisively rather than reactively. For ageing cargo lifts in industrial buildings, a full modernisation is often the most cost-effective way to add decades of reliable service while removing the burden of obsolete parts.
