Newcastle Residential Building Extends Lift Lifecycle With Modular Modernisation

The building's aging Otis Gen2 lift had started to become unreliable, with concerns around equipment obsolescence and long-term performance. Seeking a solution that balanced cost, sustainability and resident experience, the owners partnered with KONE to modernise the lift using the KONE ReSolve™ MRL solution.

"The residents and owners were concerned about their aging equipment. They had reliability concerns and there was obsolescence risk with the equipment," says Adam Daly, Modernisation Expert at KONE. "With the KONE modular modernisation solution, we were able to reset the life cycle of the equipment in a fast and cost-effective way without the need of a heavy-duty full replacement of the elevator."

Rather than replacing the entire lift, KONE upgraded key components to improve reliability, safety and performance while reusing existing infrastructure where possible. The project was completed in just three weeks which was half the six-week programme originally committed to the customer - and in turn, it significantly reduced disruption for residents while delivering a faster return to normal operation.

"The team were able to successfully modernise the lift in just 3 weeks, ahead of the 6-week program that we had originally committed to the customer. The overall user experience was significantly improved through new indicators, upgraded signalisation, a refreshed interior lift ceiling, and improved labeling accuracy. Installation of a new car door operator also improved ride times for the customer via faster door times," comments Scott Mellor, Project Manager at KONE.

Behind the scenes, the new KONE KCE controller transformed the lift into a fully connected asset, enabling 24/7 monitoring, predictive maintenance and faster diagnostics. Safety was also enhanced through remote rescue capabilities, online monitoring of emergency lighting and phone connectivity, as well as the addition of an emergency battery drive. In the event of a power outage, the system now automatically moves the lift to the nearest floor, allowing passengers to exit safely while reducing entrapment times.

"The installation of the new KONE KCE controller, enabled a 24/7 connected lift, allowing faster diagnostics, predictive maintenance and overall improved efficiency," Mellor adds. "The user safety is now improved through remote rescue and monitoring features, including online monitoring of emergency lighting and phone connectivity."

For residents, the improvements have been immediately noticeable: "The passenger experience has resulted in a significant improvement - as residents, we have restored confidence in the fact that the lift will be working for a long time to come - and the efficiency of the lift, being able to see where the lift is in its transit between floors and obviously the audio on the opening and closing of the doors, is a welcome upgrade feature as well," says Newcastle resident, Stephen.

Sustainability was another important consideration throughout the project. By retaining and upgrading suitable existing components rather than replacing the entire system, the building reduced waste while maximising the value of its existing asset.

"Sustainability is something we always consider as part of building in this day and age. We are always looking to reuse components where we can, and KONE presented a solution where that was possible and, of course, it was beneficial to the project both financially, operationally, and sustainably," adds Marcel Eggers de Mink, Resident's Project Manager.

The Newcastle project demonstrates how KONE modular modernisation can deliver the benefits of a new lift without the cost and disruption of a full replacement. By extending equipment life, enhancing passenger confidence and introducing connected technologies, KONE has helped future-proof the building while delivering a smarter, more sustainable solution for residents and owners alike.