All categories
Featured selections
Trade Assurance
Buyer Central
Help Center
Get the app
Become a supplier

About products and suppliers

An elevator is an open or closed platform lift for transporting people and items between multi-story floors. Builders didn't install it in the past because no government regulations were in place. Moreover, elevator service is costly to install and maintain. However, since the 1990s, the legislation mandated the installation of elevators so as not to discriminate against persons with physical disabilities.

Types of dumbwaiter lifts

A traction lift can be geared or gearless. The first type has gears that power the wheel to keep the ropes moving. On the other hand, the second type doesn't have mechanisms; therefore, it can move at 2,000 feet per minute. It's suitable for skyscrapers. A roped hydraulic elevator uses a piston and ropes to boost the movement of the elevator platform, but it can only move people and freight for about 60 feet. Residential elevators are an example. A traditional hydraulic lift has a pit to support the retracting piston, but like its roped counterpart, this conventional elevator can only travel up to 60 feet. Some home elevators can have telescoping pistons to allow the lift to move to 50 feet.

Elevator companies also offer a machine-room-less lift for mid-rise residential buildings because it doesn't need much room during installation and is energy-efficient. These residential lifts have a machine room above the shaft for easier maintenance access. A vacuum home lift is a recent development that doesn't require a pulley system or cables because it's air-driven.

How does an elevator work?

Elevators don't change their purpose over time. They still transport people and freight across floors. Modern elevators have upgraded control systems to boost their safety and speed. Generally, they require a counterweight to account for 40% of the rated load for balance. This counterweight limits the load carried by the lift. A steel freight elevator makes it robust and durable. Modern lifts are also equipped with emergency phones so that passengers who get trapped inside can contact the operator in an emergency. Their ceiling may have a trap door for a possible escape.

Haven't found the right supplier yet ? Let matching verified suppliers find you.

Get Quotation Now

FREE

Request for Quotation