Your underground lift …

… the hidden helper in load transportation

  • Inconspicuous & space-Saving
    optionally coverable with pavement, tiles & more
  • Versatile
    from pallets to trash cans to cars
  • High load capacity
    from 500 kg to 10,000 kg

+49 5939 96796-90

Get advice now or enquire directly:

Get an offer

+495939 96796-90

Get advice now or enquire directly:

Get an offer

Quick quotes
On average, our customers receive their quotes in just 1.8 business days, including any potential questions.

5-year warranty
We have confidence in the quality of our products. That's why every customer receives not just a 12-month warranty, but a minimum of 24 months. Opt for a maintenance contract with us, and this period extends to 60 months.

Flexibility
Whether you desire a unique platform geometry, special extras, or just a different colour, we bring to life what is possible and permissible.


Enquire about the most common variants

Get a free quote for your underground lift in just two steps. Feel free to note any customizations, such as a different payload or dimensions, in the 'Change requests' field:

Payload:1,500kg
Width:1,500mm
Length:3,000mm
Effective stroke:3,000mm

Request variant 1!

Payload:1,000kg
Width:1,500mm
Length:2,500mm
Effective stroke:3,000mm

Request variant 2!

Payload:1,500kg
Width:1,400mm
Length:2,000mm
Effective stroke:3,000mm

Request variant 3!

Payload:by request
Width:by request
Length:by request
Effective stroke:by request

Request variant 4!


Inhaltsverzeichnis

[ein-/ausklappen]

What is an underground or canopy lift?

An underground lift is essentially a goods lift with a roof. With this type of elevator, the shaft head is sealed using a cover, also known as a canopy.

An underground lift is suitable whenever a "hidden" elevator is desired: whether to integrate the lift as inconspicuously as possible into the surroundings or because it is not possible to install an enclosure at the upper stop. This could be the case, for example, if the lift is located in the area of a public sidewalk or if the space on the ground floor needs to remain accessible for vehicles.

What is transported with a canopy lift?

While an underground or canopy lift can generally transport the same loads as a traditional goods lift, it is preferred for the transportation of:

  • trash bins and containers,
  • pallets with beverage crates, or
  • cars and motorcycles.

The underground elevator's characteristic as a "hidden" helper is beneficial here: Only a small metal edge at the upper stop indicates that there is a lift in the underground, as the canopy lift`s roof can be covered with bark mulch, paving stones, tiles, or parquet according to preference. Thus, this type of lift is ideally suited, for example, to conceal trash containers in urban areas or to accommodate one's car in a retractable garage in confined spaces.

Is passenger travel allowed on underground lifts?

The answer to this question is: No, passenger travel is not permitted. 
In canopy lifts, there is no enclosure at the upper stop, which is common in other goods or passenger lifts. As a result, there is a risk of falling during the lifting movement (once the canopy no longer seals the shaft) and a risk of crushing during the lowering process (when the canopy settles back down).

To ensure safety, responsibility is placed on the operator. They must ensure that no persons are in the danger zone. Therefore, the underground lift can only be operated from the upper stop, with a view of the danger zone, and only in deadman mode by a trained person. Operating from the cabin or from the lower stop is not permitted.

Occasionally, we are asked if a camera system can be used instead of a control at the upper stop to monitor the stop. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate this request. While a camera system can observe whether a person is approaching the danger zone, the possibilities to truly keep the person out of the danger zone are too limited.

Typical areas of application for underground lifts

While our goods lifts are often found in industrial and commercial settings, the case differs with our underground lifts. Especially when the canopy elevator is used for trash bins or car transportation, it is increasingly utilized in residential settings.

But underground lifts are also found in city centers, especially where the use of public space for storing trash bins is no longer permitted or desired. Often, a new shaft is connected to the basement to transport the trash containers directly from the lower level to street level. At the same time, the area above the elevator can continue to be used as a pedestrian walkway while in the resting position.

In addition to their use as waste lifts, canopy elevators are also employed in delivery areas of kitchens and storage rooms of restaurants. Often, constrained spatial conditions are decisive factors, as the underground lift allows valuable space to be utilized at the upper stop. 

For the same reason, canopy lifts are popular as retractable garages. Additionally, vehicles can be parked without the parking space being visible from the outside: The canopy or roof can be covered with paving stones, bark mulch, or tiles, depending on whether the underground lift is used indoors or outdoors.

Essentially, our underground lift can transport all types of goods. Therefore, our canopy lifts are occasionally used for transporting items such as bicycles, laundry carts, or garden furniture.

All in all, the canopy lift comes into play whenever aesthetics are crucial or when an enclosure at the upper stop is not feasible.

How does an underground lift work?

The basic operating principle of an underground lift can be compared to that of a simple hydraulic lift table.

Just like with an usual scissor lift table, the first step is to start the electric motor. Then, an attached pump transports oil from the tank into the hydraulic cylinders: the platform rises, along with the canopy or roof. Only for greater lifting heights, it may be useful to briefly leave the roof on the shaft and only raise it shortly before reaching the upper stop.

While simply opening a lowering valve is enough to initiate the lowering process in a standard scissor lift table, additional safety valves must be unlocked in a canopy lift. Subsequently, the weight of the platform and the setups ensures that the hydraulic cylinders retract, causing the platform to descend.

How much does an underground lift cost?

When making a purchase, price plays a significant role. Therefore, we would like to delve deeper into this topic at this point.
Please note: As we specialize in manufacturing customized underground and canopy lifts, each price is also individual. Therefore, we can only provide a rough cost estimate and cannot provide a price down to the exact euro.

However, to give you an idea of the costs, we would like to address the various influencing factors and calculate an example for a typical variant.

What influences the acquisition costs?

The costs of an underground lift are significantly influenced by the following factors:

  • Platform size: There can be an interesting phenomenon with platform size: Depending on the ratio of platform length to lifting height, it may sometimes be more cost-effective to opt for a longer platform. We are happy to advise you to find the best option for your project.
  • Load capacity: Regarding load capacity, it's relatively straightforward: If you desire a higher load capacity, it will lead to higher costs
  • Lifting height: In general, a greater lifting height leads to a higher price.
  • Installation location of the elevator system: Unsurprisingly, the installation location also affects the overall costs: The further the installation site is from our company headquarters, the higher the installation costs.
  • Design of the canopy: There are various options for the design of the roof: For example, it can be designed to be accessible for a truck to drive over or prepared to accommodate paving.
  • Number of required extras & safety devices: If, for example, only an electromechanical safety lock for a door provided by the client is needed, this is cheaper than manufacturing and installing the entire lower enclosure by us.
  • Location of use (indoor or outdoor): Lastly, the indoor or outdoor use influences the purchase price. For outdoor use, we employ electronics with a higher protection class and a different type of surface coating. Therefore, an underground lift for outdoor use is more expensive than a canopy elevator for indoor use.

A concrete example

Based on the multitude of influencing factors, it becomes clear that the price for a canopy lift is highly individual. In fact, we have already implemented projects within a price range of approximately €20,000 to €100,000.

Certainly, let's go ahead and calculate a specific example to give you a better idea of the expected costs.

We assume an underground lift with the following technical specifications:

  • Lifting height: 3,000 mm
  • Payload: 2,000 kg
  • Platform dimensions: 2,400 mm x 1,300 mm
  • Roof made of plain tear plate, walkable
  • Including stop guidance to minimize fluctuations during load transfer
  • Including electromechanical elevator door at the lower stop

Taking into account these performance data, the costs for an underground lift, depending on the installation location and possibly additional desired extras, amount to approximately €38,000 to €45,000. Additionally, there are costs for on-site services such as the construction of the required shaft and the electrical connection.

Ongoing operating costs

In addition to the purchase price of an underground lift, ongoing operating costs are, of course, an important aspect. This includes the energy costs for operating the system and the maintenance or upkeep costs.

If you would like further insights into the magnitude of these cost items, we can recommend our article ‘What does a lift table cost?’.

Can our underground lift be rented or leased?

The short answer to this question is: No, our underground lift cannot be rented or leased.

As many of the technical specifications vary from case to case, there is no standard elevator that can be used almost anywhere. Typically, not only do load capacities and platform sizes vary, but also the type of required safety devices (depending on the installation situation). For example, in one case, a non-thermally insulated stop door may be sufficient, while in another case, a complete enclosure of the lower stop may be necessary.

Is an underground lift cheaper than a traditional goods lift?

When comparing a goods lift with a underground lift of similar size and load capacity, the underground lift is typically more expensive.
While an additional enclosure is required at the upper stop for a goods lift, the enclosure can usually be manufactured more affordably than the roof of the underground lift. The reason for this is the additional weight of the canopy, which must be lifted by the lifting mechanism. This requires a more robust design of the lifting mechanism.

Custom underground lifts - simply fitting

Just like with our scissor lift platforms, work lift tables & co., we also prioritize lightweight, individual customization with our canopy lifts.

Load capacity & platform dimensions

One of the most important aspects is that the new underground lift meets your requirements in terms of load capacity and size.
With us, you can find underground lifts with load capacities ranging from 500 kg to 10,000 kg and dimensions ranging from a europallet to a platform length of more than 6 m.

Securing the lower stop

The lower stop of an underground lift must be secured to prevent any person from being unnoticed in the danger zone.
Often, this is achieved through a masonry or concrete shaft combined with an electromechanically secured elevator door. Upon request, we can offer not only the corresponding lift door but also the complete enclosure for the lower stop.

Individual design of the canopy

The roof of an underground lift offers numerous customization options. Essentially, two questions are paramount:

  1. Should the canopy be traversable in the retracted position?
  2. How well should the canopy visually integrate into the surroundings?

Regarding traversability, various solutions are possible: from a simply walkable version to one that can withstand a 40-ton load. Simply inform us in your enquiry which axle or wheel load should be considered.

When it comes to the visual design of the canopy, we can offer various options:

The canopy can either be entirely made of chequer plate or equipped with a surrounding edge. The surrounding edge allows for the selection of a suitable flooring material that harmonizes with the surroundings. Examples of possible flooring materials include:

  • paving stones
  • bark mulch
  • tiles
  • ...

Individual coloration

For our underground lifts, we offer powder coating in the colour spectrum of the RAL Classic colour palette, from which you can freely choose.
However, we always recommend hot-dip galvanizing of the platform for outdoor use to ensure high corrosion protection.

Different access systems

We place particular emphasis on the control unit of underground lifts. This is for the following reason:

Most canopy lifts are used as cellar lifts and accordingly connect the outdoor area with the basement of the building. Since nobody wants to create an entry point for burglars, we do not use standard industrial controls outdoors, but instead use controls with an embedded profile cylinder. This means that opening the control housing without a key is not possible (or only by damaging the control unit). Additionally, simple bypassing of the key switch is prevented in this way.

Additional security is provided by the use of RFID control. As the name suggests, an RFID chip is used here to enable operation of the lift. 
The clever part: The evaluation unit of the RFID unit is located in the main control cabinet of the underground lift, and the signals from the reader unit to the evaluation unit are transmitted encoded. Therefore, even breaking open the control housing for bypassing is not sufficient.

What safety devices does a canopy lift have?

As you may have already noticed, safety is of paramount importance in our machinery and equipment. Alongside a suitably robust mechanical design, various safety features are naturally included:

Securing the control unit

One of the most fundamental safety measures is restricting access to the control unit. After all, we want to prevent burglars from gaining access to the building or unauthorized individuals from operating the underground lift.

Therefore, as mentioned earlier, the canopy lifts are secured against unauthorized use either with a key or an RFID chip.

Enclosure of the lower stop

The operation of the underground lift always occurs from the upper stop. However, a potentially dangerous situation could arise at the lower stop, for example, if a person moves unnoticed beneath the raised platform.

For this reason, the lower stop must be secured against unauthorized access. This is achieved through a combination of complete enclosure and electromechanical safety locking.
Typically, three sides of the underground lift are shielded either by a concrete shaft or a metal enclosure. Access is through an elevator door with integrated safety locking. Opening the access door is only possible when the platform of the underground lift is at the lower stop. Conversely, the lift can only operate when the access door is closed and locked.

Burst pipe protection directly on the cylinders

Of course, the underground lift must be secured not only against incorrect operation but also against possible technical defects. Therefore, we rely on a combination of lowering brake valves and electrically unlockable valves for our lifting devices.

Even if a hydraulic supply line were to break completely, lowering the platform without an active lowering command is impossible. However, if the lowering command has already been given, the lowering brake valves prevent lowering at a speed exceeding the permitted nominal speed.

For more information on this topic, please refer to our article 'Protective devices on lift tables: hydraulic valves'.

Safety shutdown just before immersion of the canopy

As mentioned earlier, submerging or laying the canopy onto the shaft opening is a delicate moment. There is a particular risk of crushing for the feet of the surrounding individuals between the canopy of the underground lift and the surrounding ground.

For this reason, our canopy lifts stop approximately 150 mm before reaching the final laying position. This is intended to alert the operator once again to inspect the danger area and instruct any present individuals to move to a safe distance.

Maintenance supports

An underground lift must not only be safe during regular operation but also during any repair or maintenance work. Therefore, we supply all lifts with maintenance supports. The maintenance supports are dimensioned to be able to stop a fully loaded cabin traveling at the nominal speed.

If the lift platform were to unintentionally lower after entering the danger zone below the raised platform, the maintenance supports previously set ensure a so-called ‘minimal living space’.

Lockable main switch on the main control

The ability to de-energize the system through a main switch is especially important during maintenance work. A lock prevents the system from being unintentionally re-energized.

How much space does an underground lift require?

The answer to this question is not straightforward. Depending on the ratio of lift height to platform length, for example, a differently sized pit may be required for the lift. 
Additionally, platform dimensions vary for all underground lifts, with platform size typically being significantly influenced by the load to be transported.
As a general rule, an allowance of roughly 200 mm for the supports is added to the platform width. Additionally, a clearance gap of 15 - 25 mm is required around the platform, and potentially an external space for housing the control cabinet and hydraulic unit.

Before you begin your space planning based on these measurements, we recommend having a brief discussion with us. Especially for canopy lifts, it may be more cost-effective to opt for a slightly longer cabin.

How is the underground lift protected from weather influences?

In most cases, the underground lift is used outdoors. However, how can the underground lift be protected from weather influences to ensure a long lifespan?

Protection against water

First, let's focus on the surface coating of the individual components. Although electrolytically galvanizing is more elaborate compared to painting or powder coating, hot-dip galvanizing offers better resistance. For this reason, our underground lifts outdoors are always equipped with a hot-dip galvanized platform, a hot-dip galvanized canopy, and a hot-dip galvanized subframe.

The need for an appropriate coating for canopy and platform is obvious: after all, they have direct contact with the environment and must withstand both mechanical stresses from loading and unloading as well as chemical exposure from road salt, rain, and snow.

But why do we also opt for a hot-dip galvanized design for our subframes? 
Underground lifts are never completely waterproof, and moisture can enter the shaft during use. While the shaft should be equipped with a drainage system or a sump pump, these may become clogged from time to time. To prevent a minimal water level in the pit from becoming a problem, we also hot-dip galvanize the substructure.

To optimally protect the canopy lift, we rely not only on an appropriate surface coating but also on a well-thought-out design of its surroundings.

Ideally, the terrain around the underground lift should slope slightly to withstand heavy rain better. Furthermore, we recommend using a circumferential rain drain or a pit edge protection with an integrated rain drain (further information on minimizing water ingress can be found in our article: 'Sealing an underground lift').

The remaining portion of rain or meltwater that enters the pit must be removed through drainage. The type of drainage suitable and permitted depends on the specific installation situation and local regulations. Possible options may include drainage pits, pump sumps, or simple tailrace channels, depending on the groundwater level.

Protection against cold

Typically, high outdoor temperatures pose no problem for the underground lift. Therefore, we specifically address the issue of cold weather.

Especially concerning the ingress of rainwater, one might consider simply attaching a rubber seal to the underground lift canopy. However, our experience shows that this can lead to problems in cold weather: If the rubber seal is not lubricated at shorter intervals in low outdoor temperatures, there is a risk that it will freeze to the surface and be damaged during the next lifting operation (which is why we also recommend a ground-side water protection).

Furthermore, cold temperatures can lead to complications with the hydraulic drive, as hydraulic oil becomes more viscous at low temperatures. To circumvent this issue, we recommend placing the hydraulic unit inside the building and using thinner hydraulic oil outdoors.
If extremely low temperatures are not uncommon at the installation site, the use of a tank heater could be considered.

How does the order processing at Janzen Lifttechnik GmbH typically proceed?

After discussing the design options of an underground lift, the question arises: what happens next after your enquiry? When can you expect an offer? What does the further project process look like? And what steps need to be taken on the construction side?

How do I get a suitable offer?

Everything starts with your enquiry, of course. If you already know exactly what you want, we recommend either using the general enquiry form or the specific enquiry form for one of the three common variants (any modification requests will, of course, be taken into account).

If you have a tender document and/or plans of the installation situation, sending an e-mail to info@j-lifte.com could be a suitable option.

If you need advice and are unsure, for example, about which platform dimensions are right for your application, we are happy to assist you by phone at +49 5939 96796-90.

Once we have received your enquiry, it will be reviewed and processed by a technically experienced staff member so that you receive a suitable offer promptly. The average processing time for offers is 1.8 working days.

How does the process continue after placing the order?

After you have chosen our offer, your order will be recorded and forwarded to our design department as a job. Typically, you will receive your shop drawing within 2-3 weeks. This includes information about the required pit, the laying of empty conduits, and the dimensions of the ceiling break or shaft dimensions.

Once you have reviewed the planning and it meets your requirements, please give us a brief feedback, and the order will be integrated into the production process. If you would like to learn more about the manufacturing process, I recommend our article 'How a scissor lift table is made …'.

Parallel to the production of the underground lift, you can have the necessary on-site work carried out. This includes, for example, laying the electrical supply line and creating the required pit.

About two to three weeks before the possible installation date, we will contact you to clarify organizational details. The actual installation of the underground lift is typically completed in two to three days, depending on the circumstances on-site.

After installation, the future operating personnel will be instructed, and the canopy lift will be approved.

As we are frequently asked the following question: The installation is carried out by our own personnel, so you can be assured that the installers on-site are truly familiar with the underground lift.

What work needs to be carried out by the client?

Although we would like to take on as much work as possible, it is not always feasible. While we are mechanical engineers at heart, we are not construction contractors. Therefore, certain tasks need to be carried out on-site. These include, among others:

  • The construction of the required lift pit according to the geometric dimensions provided by us.
  • Providing an electrical handover point (such as a CEE socket or a lockable main switch) as an interface between the building and our electrical system.
  • If necessary, the construction of a shaft including the necessary empty conduits or a suitably sized ceiling break. 

Additional tasks may be required depending on the desired location of installation (such as obtaining a road closure permit, addressing fire safety issues, or determining the necessary safety measures against oil leakage).

For an overview of further on-site services, please refer to our page: 'On-site services'.

Is retrofitting an underground lift possible?

If you want to retrofit an underground lift, the following conditions are crucial:

  • You have a sufficiently large footprint to accommodate the lift, including its housing.
  • You can create a pit and, for instance, have no issue with groundwater infiltration.

Often, a preceding shaft is suitable for retrofitting. This means a new basement shaft is constructed in front of the existing building, where an appropriate underground lift can be housed.
This approach has the advantage that neither usable space within the existing building is sacrificed nor wide access paths need to be created. Additionally, it generally facilitates the installation of the canopy lift.

However, as we are mechanical engineers and not building experts, it is advisable for such planning to involve a discussion between your architect and us to explore possible execution options.

Underground lifts and fire protection

Given that most underground lifts establish a connection between the basement and the exterior, fortunately, when installing a canopy lift, one rarely needs to consider fire protection issues. However, the situation is different for traditional goods lifts, as they often combine two different fire compartments within a building.

Nevertheless, let's briefly address the topic of fire protection. 
First of all, we are not fire protection experts, and due to the variety of regulations, this is not a topic one can quickly grasp. Therefore, please consider the points listed here only as suggestions and consult a professional if needed.

The combination of elevator technology and fire protection is not always straightforward. Fire compartments are separated by room-sealing components such as doors, which are resistant to fire and/or smoke. However, for our underground lifts, we need to use flush-fitting revolving doors on the shaft interior, which have no protrusions. Sliding doors, common in passenger elevators, are not suitable for us. The available revolving doors only have a fire-retardant effect at best but do not support fire protection classes (as is the case with a T30 door, for example).

Now one might consider counting the elevator shaft as part of the fire compartment of the lower stop. Thus, no fire compartmentation would be required between the lower stop and the elevator shaft, and a simple elevator revolving door could be installed.
However, this is not permissible for the following reason: The new fire compartment would require fire compartmentation between the elevator shaft and the upper stop. That means the canopy would need to have a fire protection class. Unfortunately, this is excluded due to the unavoidable air gap and the necessary requirements for the canopy.

How do we reconcile fire protection and an underground lift then? 
Many of our clients opt for a preceding room or a preceding fireproof door. At the lower stop, a small anteroom is created directly in front of the lift, which can also be used as a location for the hydraulic unit. The anteroom and the elevator shaft are considered part of the fire compartment of the upper stop and are separated from the rest of the basement by a fire protecting wall. Access to the anteroom is through a fireproof door. Since the fireproof door is not directly at the elevator shaft, it does not need to meet lift-specific requirements (such as an electromechanical safety interlock with sufficient performance level). No fire protection requirements need to be considered for the elevator revolving door, as the elevator shaft and the anteroom belong to the same fire compartment. If this concept is considered in the planning phase and sufficient space is available, we believe this is the simplest way to combine fire protection and the installation of an underground lift.

A small tip regarding the hydraulic unit: If you prefer not to place the hydraulic unit and main control in the anteroom, the piping to the hydraulic unit can be designed to comply with fire protection regulations upon request. For example, the Conlit 150 U system from Rockwool has been used in several of our projects.

Is the underground lift burglary-proof?

Truly burglary-proof access to a building is probably unattainable. However, with proper design, an underground lift should at least not be the primary choice for entry.

What should be avoided? Whenever an underground lift connects a basement to an outdoor area, traditional industrial controls should not be used. A burglar with some basic electrical knowledge could bypass the key switch with a simple screwdriver and gain access to the building. If you have a simple industrial control panel outdoors, always remember to de-energize the system.

Especially in publicly accessible outdoor areas, a different type of operation is more sensible: It is advisable to have at least a control panel with an embedded profile cylinder. For these cases, we use control boxes that can only be disassembled with the corresponding key. Thus, bypassing the profile cylinder is only possible if damage to the control unit is accepted.

To be prepared for vandalism as well, we offer an additional security feature: RFID access control. The control panel buttons are only activated if authorization has been proven using an RFID chip beforehand. The clever part here is that the verification of whether a specific chip has sufficient authorization is not done within the control panel but in the control cabinet of the underground lift, which is securely located inside the building. The transmission of the corresponding information is encoded, making simple bypassing impossible.

Maintenance, spare parts & malfunctions

Even if ideally no malfunctions occur with your underground lift, it doesn't hurt to address the topic of spare parts & disruptions.

How often does an underground lift need to be serviced?

Depending on how deeply you delve into the topic of maintenance, daily, monthly, and yearly tasks need to be carried out for an underground lift. While daily maintenance is limited to a visual inspection (for example, checking for visible damage to the controls), the yearly maintenance marks the first ‘serious’ maintenance.

During the yearly maintenance, for instance, the hydraulic oil is replaced, and the bearings are inspected for excessive play. For more information on maintenance tasks, please refer to our article 'Maintenance work on scissor lift tables' or consult the documentation provided with our machines.

Who can perform maintenance on a canopy lift?

In principle, maintenance on the underground lift can be carried out by any appropriately trained specialist. Therefore, you have the option to commission a local company that specializes in hydraulics, electrics, and mechanics and has the necessary skilled personnel.

If you prefer to have your canopy lift serviced by the manufacturer, perhaps to extend the warranty to five years, we would be happy to provide you with a suitable offer, including a corresponding maintenance contract. To minimize maintenance costs, we always combine multiple appointments in your region, thereby incurring only proportional travel costs.

Does Janzen Lifttechnik GmbH offer a 24-hour service?

Due to a simple and robust construction, we are fortunately able to keep the number of disruptions low. Last year, out of a four-digit number of active systems, we had just under sixty reported malfunctions (which included, among other things, pressed emergency stop switches).

Nevertheless, it is possible for a problem to arise that you cannot handle alone. In such a case, it is advisable to first call us at +49 5939 96796-90 or send a short email to info@j-lifte.com. Phone calls are possible during regular office hours. Currently, we do not offer a 24-hour service.

A significant portion of the malfunctions that occur can often be clarified and resolved over the phone. For the remaining percentage, we promptly organize a technician so that you can get your underground lift back in operation as soon as possible. The timeframe for "as soon as possible" is unfortunately broad, as it depends, among other factors, on whether individual components need to be manufactured anew (for example, if the control system was damaged by water).

Does the control system of the underground lift have a remote maintenance module?

If a simple phone call is no longer sufficient, there is the option for you to grant us access to the control system of the lift. We prepare each of our lifts so that it can be integrated into your network and subsequently communicate with us.
Through remote access, we are able to identify if a sensor state is unusual, if the system has been overloaded, and so on.
ast year, we were able to resolve nearly 4/5 of all malfunctions directly via phone call through the use of this technology.

How long can I get spare parts for my lift?

Legally, we are obligated to provide spare parts for our systems for ten years. Naturally, we are committed to ensuring spare parts availability beyond the minimum duration. For this reason, we store a digital twin of every delivered system. This enables us to access the exact configuration of even older systems at any time and potentially replicate any individual components that may exist.
Safety copies of these digital twins are created daily and stored on eight different physical media at various locations. Consequently, data loss should be highly unlikely.

Speaking of individual components: this is likely one of the greatest strengths of our underground lifts. Unlike other manufacturers of underground lifts, we utilize standardized industrial components for the control system, which can be found at any well-stocked electrical wholesaler, rather than relying on individually produced circuit boards.
This means that if needed, you can order a new limit switch or even a new PLC directly from the wholesaler, without being solely dependent on us in terms of price or availability.

Frequently asked questions & our answers

How fast can an underground lift travel?

To avoid falling within the regulatory scope of the elevator directive, a speed of 150 mm/s must not be exceeded. However, based on our experience, it is advisable not to increase the speed of the underground lift beyond 80 mm/s. At these speeds, smooth rolling of all bearing points is ensured, thus guaranteeing a long service life.

Do you offer tender documents for download?

Under tender documents for download, you will find suitable tender templates.

Can one purchase used underground lifts?

Unfortunately, we neither sell used underground lifts nor keep ready-made underground lifts in stock. Especially when connecting two floors, numerous different parameters need to be considered, all of which influence the design of the underground lift.
Therefore, it is relatively unlikely that a customer's underground lift can be installed unchanged at another customer's location.

Is Janzen Lifttechnik GmbH a manufacturer or a distributor?

We are a manufacturer, and both the design, steel construction, and final assembly take place in Germany, specifically at our location in Lower Saxony.

Can the underground lift be driven over in the retracted position?

This entirely depends on your preferences. The following types of loads are possible: ranging from simple pedestrian access to the canopy in the retracted position to an axle load of 16,000 kg.

Is automatic operation possible with underground lifts?

Automatic operation is not permitted with underground lifts due to the lack of an enclosure at the upper stop. The use of automatic operation would pose a high risk as it could lead to the operator moving away from the control station, resulting in the unmonitored hazard zone.

Is passenger transportation possible?

No, underground lifts are not authorized for passenger transportation.

Who is allowed to operate an underground lift?

Underground lifts may only be operated by a restricted group of individuals:

  • The operator must be at least 16 years old.
  • The operator must have received instruction on how to use the system.
  • The operator must be mentally and physically capable of operating the system, taking into account any temporary impairment (e.g., due to alcohol consumption).
  • The operator must have read and understood the documentation of the underground lift.
Is a separate machine room required?

A separate machine room for the drive unit is not mandatory. However, in publicly accessible areas, it is indeed advisable to prevent tampering with the system.

Can the underground lift access more than two floors?

In theory, an underground lift can access more than two floors if the lower floors are secured with an approved safety enclosure. However, in practice, such a case is extremely rare and has not been implemented by us so far.

How loud is the underground lift or the drive unit?

The noise level of the actual underground lift is comparable to that of a standard scissor lift table. At the lifting device itself, besides the acoustic warning signal, only rolling noises and minimal noises from the flowing hydraulic oil occur.
The hydraulic unit generates a noise level of 70 dB(A) at a distance of 1 meter and a height of 1 meter when it is mounted in the standard oil leakage oil pan on the floor. Depending on the frequency of use and operating times, it may therefore be advisable to house the hydraulic unit in a separate room.

Can Janzen Lifttechnik GmbH also manufacture the required elevator shaft including the pit?

Unfortunately, no. For this purpose, the engagement of a construction company is required.

Can an underground lift be installed in an existing building?

Yes, this is generally possible as long as the required pit and necessary ceiling break can be realized.
In such cases, an elevator shaft is often attached to the building, and a subsequent breakthrough to the building's basement is created.

Does Janzen Lifttechnik GmbH offer an annual maintenance service for installed underground lifts?

Yes, we would be happy to provide you with a suitable offer for annual maintenance.
Additionally, there is the option to have the maintenance and inspection of the accident prevention regulations carried out by our own specialized personnel or by a specialized company.

Do underground lifts need to be inspected by a Technical Inspection Authority?

Considering a maximum permissible conveying speed, underground lifts are not subject to the elevator directive and therefore do not fall under the category of systems requiring inspection. Therefore, while inspection by a Technical Inspection Authority like TÜV or DEKRA is possible, it is not mandatory.

However, this should not be confused with the general obligation to inspect. All work equipment must undergo regular inspections (usually annually) as part of accident prevention regulations testing. This also applies to the commercially used underground lifts manufactured by us.

How long is the warranty for my underground lift valid?

As standard, we provide a warranty of 24 months for our underground lifts. When a maintenance contract with the corresponding duration is signed, this warranty extends to 60 months.

Can I receive a CAD model of the underground lift?

Upon completion of the workshop planning or design phase, we would be happy to provide you with a CAD model of your underground lift. For the exchange of 3D models, we typically use the .stp format, and for 2D models, the .dxf format. Alternative formats are possible upon request.

How good is the spare parts supply?

This point is likely one of the biggest advantages of our products. While it is uncommon in the elevator industry, we earn our money from selling and installing new underground lifts rather than from service contracts and related spare parts supply.

For this reason, we use market-standard components in our canopy lifts as much as possible. We control the various stops using commercially available sensors. The evaluation is also not done through a manufacturer-specific circuit board but through a programmable logic controller, as found in any well-stocked electrical wholesaler.

Therefore, you are not solely reliant on us for spare parts supply. If you prefer, you can also obtain the necessary spare part from us. All standard components are in stock with us.

How long does it usually take to receive a quote?

On average, our customers receive their quote after 1.8 working days.

What load capacities are possible with an underground lift?

The actual achievable load capacity depends on various factors, such as the exact platform dimensions, the lifting height, and the design of the canopy.
Load capacities typically range from 500 kg to 3,000 kg. However, load capacities of up to 10,000 kg can also be implemented.

Payload:1,250kg
Width:1,770mm
Length:2,190mm
Effective stroke:2,270mm

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Payload:750kg
Width:1,670mm
Length:1,670mm
Effective stroke:3,650mm

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Payload:1,000kg
Width:1,500mm
Length:2,700mm
Effective stroke:3,300mm

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Payload:1,000kg
Width:1,175mm
Length:2,770mm
Effective stroke:3,000mm

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Payload:1,300kg
Width:1,500mm
Length:2,500mm
Effective stroke:3,000mm

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Payload:500kg
Width:1,850mm
Length:700mm
Effective stroke:2,150mm

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Payload:1,500kg
Width:1,620mm
Length:3,070mm
Effective stroke:3,420mm

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Payload:4,000kg
Width:2,250mm
Length:3,600mm
Effective stroke:4,000mm

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Payload:1,250kg
Width:1,770mm
Length:2,190mm
Effective stroke:2,270mm

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Payload:800kg
Width:1,625mm
Length:1,770mm
Effective stroke:2,340mm

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Folding elevator doors

How can a large access opening for a goods lift  be combined with a small anteroom? One possible solution: folding elevator doors. Thanks to additional hinges, the door panels can be folded together in a space-saving manner while maintaining the large opening for loading and unloading.

Elevator operation with RFID access control

Especially when your scissor lift table or goods lift is used in areas where unauthorized individuals may have access to the controls, access control plays a crucial role. In addition to traditional controls with profile cylinders, we also offer a solution with an RFID chip. The clever part: The chip's evaluation is securely done inside the building (in the control cabinet of the elevator system), and the signal exchange for operation is encrypted. Thus, even attempts to bridge cables by damaging the control would fail.

Compression and rebound at the upper position

This video demonstrates to what extent the compression and rebound of hydraulic lift tables can be minimized when using an upper limit stop.
Further information on possible solutions against the compression and rebound can be found in our article: 'Compression and rebound of scissor lift tables'.

Do you need an advice?

The possible uses of goods lifts are just as diverse as their equipment variants. On the one hand, this variety of variants is nice, on the other hand, it naturally makes it difficult to correctly select the right lifting table. To make this process easier, you can simply leave us your telephone number here and we will call you back ...