Dear Elevator/Lift Engineers,
I would like to share my personal experience on the career path of an Elevator Field Engineer, most importantly, the best practices to climb the corporate ladder.

This article covers, how a young field engineer starts from scratch till he becomes a professional field engineer and an inspiration for his team members. It is literally a journey from ZERO to become a HERO in your organization.

To become a Professional Elevator/Lift Engineer, you have to learn the core technology first. You must have full command of each aspect of field operations. Your practical skills and experience will make you different from others and help you inspire your team members and even seniors.
“Do what you love, and love what you do”.

First stage (Mechanical Installation):
Fresh engineers must start with a blue-collar routine. You must love to touch and feel every elevator part with your hands. You must know, how to:
1.      Protect yourself and others (Basic Safety, PPE, risks/hazards & countermeasures).
2.      Read the layout plans/drawings.
3.      Measure the shaft dimensions.
4.      Coordinate for the correction of civil works rectifications to meet the requirements.
5.      Loading, unloading, and hoisting/rigging of material.
6.      Mechanical installation (Starting from template)
You must be able to recognize each component and know how to assemble/install them as per the standards set by the manufacturer.
In the early stage, Elevator technicians are the best teachers. Respect them, support them, become one of their obedient team members and you will start learning techniques.
They may not be able to teach you logic, theories, and principles, but they know how to do things.
The more you work with your own hands, the better skills you will develop.
Elevator installation is a physically hard and hazardous activity. You should master the skills of always keeping the “Safety First” philosophy in your mind.
The first stage may last for a minimum of one year, till you are familiar with various specifications and models.

Second Stage (Testing & Commissioning):
Once you are good at the Mechanical Installation of various Elevator models/specifications, you have to start learning Elevator Testing & Commissioning (T&C), which is less physical but very challenging work.
This is a hybrid job, which involves not only Electrical/Electronics parameters knowledge but also Mechanical Standards, which helps in the fine-tuning/adjustment of Elevators to give them a final shape and make them a masterpiece.

If you believe in Quality work, You should learn the following to become a professional T&C expert / Adjuster (These are the best practices and may vary at the organizational level);
1. Protect yourself and others (Basic Safety, PPE, risks/hazards & countermeasures).
2. Basic Electrical & Electronic concepts & Elevator principles.
3. Read & Understand the internal and external wiring diagrams.
4. Insulation Testing to ensure no leakage, short circuit, or defective PCB or components.
5. Electrical Wiring Layout RST & UVW, safety circuits/components.
6. Start-up and slow-speed operation.
7. Confirmation of safety circuit, components & adjustments.
8. Cleaning, dusting & lubrication (Don’t underestimate its importance)
9. Mechanical Adjustments.
10. High-Speed Operation.
11. Balancing & Load Testing.
12. Signal Fixtures.
13. Functional Testing.
14. Basic troubleshooting and decoding of the error codes.
15. Electrical Parameter adjustment through procedures and maintenance computer.
16. Integration of Elevators with building smart devices/controls (BMS, Card Readers, CCTV, PA, Supervisory Systems, etc)
17. Filling Test Reports.

If you gain enough expertise in T&C, you may grow your career as a “Troubleshooter”, which is an advanced-level T&C job, that involves suitable knowledge, skill, and experience to resolve Electrical, Electronics (Software/Hardware), and Mechanical troubles.
The second stage may last for a minimum of one year, till you are familiar with various specifications and models.