Maintenance tips&tricks

    How to avoid marine elevator breakdowns?
    Elevator problems aren’t always obvious, but being aware of common ones can help keep your marine elevators operational. Pay attention to maintenance: if there is a lack (or none) of maintenance performance of the marine elevator will go down and fatal errors will happen more often:
  • Increased operating cost (repairs after breakdown are more costly than just before)
  • Less availability
  • More complaints of users
  • Most importantly: safety will be compromised!

Most Frequent Breakdowns...
One of the most common symptoms of a system error is the door contacts, interlock contacts and door operator errors. As components wear and age, they more readily go out of adjustment, either shutting down the system or interfering with its operation.

This is particularly true with the landing door, car door and door operators. Door operators undergo tremendous wear and tear in daily operation. Each time the marine elevator stops, the door operators are activated at least two times, more frequently if occupants manually hold the doors open. Also because of vibration of the vessel an extra attention has to be made to the tightness and adjustment of the lading door locks and interlocks.

Fact: nearly 75% of the service calls are for malfunctioning door operators.

Doors aren’t the only source of frequent problem. It is important to track the frequency and costs of all problems by writing every error in a log book. That way your service technician can trace the problem much easier.

If the number of service calls is high or increasing, consider replacing or upgrading the door operators. Door operators are fairly easily replaced or upgraded, without requiring a significant amount of downtime.

    One extra advice
    Consider vandalism as well: marine elevators seem to suffer of vandalism or misuse even without knowing it. In the example of the doors the following should be observed:
  • Use the door open button to reopen the door instead of holding the door by hand or foot
  • Do not keep the door open for a long period by blocking the safe guard
  • If there is a preference key switch in the cabin, use it
  • In case of hand moved hinged doors: adjust the door closer in a way that the door does not "slam" shut.

 


One of the most
common symptoms
of a system error
is the door contacts,
interlock contacts
and door operator errors.