Getting to Know Numerous Interesting Facts About Commercial Lifts

A commercial lift or elevator is basically a vertical vehicle that is used for transporting people as well as goods between several floors eliminating the pain of climbing stairs. The process of commercial lifts design & installation should be done carefully otherwise it may lead to major accidents. The first lift was first invented by Archimedes in 3rd century BC. However, the first passenger lift came into use in the 17th century.
Commercial Lift

Design of the lift
In the pre-historic age, lifts operated with the help of chains or ropes. With the advancement of technology, the mechanisms of operating lifts have improved tremendously. Nowadays, lift comprise of a cab commonly known as carriage or cage which is mounted on a flat surface. It operates within a covered space popularly known as shaft. In the past days they were operated by hand or steam pistons. The mechanism of commercial lifts design & installation varies according to the different types of lifts. The design according to the variety of lift is explained below.
  • Hydraulic or push lifts: Lifts are pushed up or down by a piston in this system. The piston is placed inside a cylinder and it gets constant supply of fluid from fluid pumping system. The system contains a tank, valve and pump wherein, the pump helps the fluid to enter the cylinder. The fluid gets collected in the cylinder creating a pressure which helps the lift to rise and after reaching the destination the motor closes the valve which conversely prevents the flow of fluid to the cylinder. While going down the valve again allows the fluid to return back to the reservoir. The process of operation is quite simple yet efficient. They generally can travel up to 2-8 floors at an average speed of 200 feet per minute. The several types of hydraulic lifts are as follows.
a)      Holed hydraulic: Here the cylinder enters below the ground level to the depth equal to the height and the lift it is allowed to rise.
b)      Hole less hydraulic: It uses piston to raise or lower the carriage. It has piston attached to any one side of the cab.
c)      Roped hydraulic: It does not need to be lowered below ground level and can travel up to 60 meters. Here there is slight risk of breaking of the rope. Thus, these lifts require governors. The governor helps to stop the carriage in case it shows any unusual activity.
  • Traction lifts: They are the most common type of lifts that are used in high-rise buildings. Here rolling steel ropes move over a grooved pulley. The weight of the cab is balanced by some other heavy object. Most of the time two lifts operate simultaneously in different directions to balance the weight. Instead of the rolling steel ropes, flat steel belts are currently used. They are light and can operate easily. The types of traction lifts are as follows.
a)      Geared traction lifts: Here the gearbox helps in movement of the wheel.
b)      Gearless traction lifts: Here the motor is directly connected with the wheel.
  • Climbing lifts: They have the electrical power device along with the carriage and are used in construction sites.
  • Pneumatic lifts: They work by the principle of air pressure controlling. They are generally used in indoor environment.

Safety Measures to Be Taken During Installation
Commercial lifts design & installation is a very risky job and should be done only by highly trained professionals. Few of the safety measures that should be taken during installation are listed below.
  • The workers should always wear body harness and safety belts.
  • The weight of the workers along with the equipment should never exceed the load limit of the lifts.
  • The workers must follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

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