Why Are Traction Elevators Considered Safer Than Other Types?

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The technology used for vertical transportation is advancing and evolving rapidly. Traction elevators are the outcome of this advanced technology, and they have emerged as the key player that allows older people and people with mobility issues to access the upper floors of a high-rise building. This post discusses the main functionality of these traction elevators, and we will also go through the pros and cons.

WHAT IS A TRACTION ELEVATOR?

The traction lift offered by any elevator service company is also referred to as a cable lift, counterweight lift, or rope lift. The main components of a traction elevator are – 

• Cables or ropes

• A sheave or pulley

• Counterweight

• Motor

Some traction lifts also have gears between the motor and the sheave, while some lifts are directly connecting the motor and the sheave. The cable ropes are made from solid stainless steel for enhanced safety. These cables ensure that even if the strand breaks fail, the cable will be there to hold the cab.

WHAT IS THE FUNCTIONING OF A TRACTION ELEVATOR?

The overall functioning is effortless to understand as the motor is attached to a sheave with the help of a rope or cable. This rope is attached to the lift on one end and the counterweight on the other end. Upon getting a call, the motor turns the sheave, and this motor can move in both directions to move the cab up and down. The cab rises upwards, and the counterweight goes downwards, and vice versa. This counterweight is present to lower the pressure or strain on the motor. This translates into lesser power consumption and better stability. These elevators also come with an overspeeding governor to monitor the speed of your traction elevator.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING TRACTION ELEVATORS?

The traction lifts offered by an elevator service company will come with several benefits or advantages over other types. For example – they are more reliable compared to hydraulic lifts as they come with fewer mechanical parts. There is no fluid system involved in traction lifts, and this means fewer chances of any breakdowns or faults. They are also less space-consuming than hydraulic lifts and require additional space to store oil in reserve. Moreover, traction elevators are faster than hydraulic lifts, and this makes them ideal for high-rise buildings. Safety systems are also believed to be better in traction lifts than hydraulic lifts. They come with an overspeeding governor to prevent the cab from overspeeding or falling.

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A Quick Guide to Functions and Uses of Hydraulic Lifts

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We all use hydraulic lifts and elevators very frequently in our daily lives. But only some of us are aware of how these elevators function. A wonderful scientific approach works behind the overall functioning of these hydraulic lifts or elevators. Let us understand this science in this blog post.

WHAT IS A HYDRAULIC LIFT?

A hydraulic lift is a heavy-duty elevator built for long-term and frequent use. It has a straightforward working mechanism that involves using hydraulic power for controlling and power generation. They are accommodating in moving people and goods vertically, and this is mainly due to the piston that moves inside the cylinder. An electric motor is installed to pump the oil into the cylinder with immense pressure that moves the piston up to elevate the hydraulic lift. 

According to experts in lift modernisation works, hydraulic lifts are ideal for 5 to 6-storey high properties. Earlier hydraulic lifts were powered by water pressure, but modern-day hydraulic elevators and lifts are supported by a piston that moves inside the cylinder due to the pressure generated by oil.

Apart from hydraulic lifts, traction elevators use steel ropes, pulleys, etc., to move up and down.

WHAT ARE THE USES OF HYDRAULIC ELEVATORS?

Hydraulic lifts can be seen in almost every building, and while installing them, two factors have to be considered - the height to reach and the operation speed. As mentioned above, even after lift modernisation works, a hydraulic lift can move up to six storeys high, and the operational speed is also significantly low.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF HYDRAULIC ELEVATORS

HOLED HYDRAULIC LIFTS

To install a holed hydraulic lift, lift modernisation professionals must drill a hole to accommodate the entire cylinder and the piston. This piston will be attached to the elevator cab to push it upwards when the oil is released into the cylinder. The maximum travel distance is 60 feet.

HOLELESS HYDRAULIC LIFTS

No holes are needed to install these hydraulic holeless lifts, and this factor sets them apart from the former. The stipulation is that this version of hydraulic lift can travel a maximum of 40 feet. They can be classified further as telescopic hydraulic lifts, non-telescopic hydraulic lifts, and roped hydraulic lifts.

WHAT COMPONENTS HELP IN THE FUNCTIONING OF A HYDRAULIC LIFT?

Here is a small list of the main components that assist hydraulic lifts.

• A hydraulic cylinder enclosing a piston

• A reservoir for oil storage

• A pump for generating fluid energy

• A motor for generating mechanical power

• Valves for manipulating fluid flow

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Key Differences Between Hydraulic and Traction Elevators

There is always a kind of argument going on between those favouring traction elevators and those in the favour of hydraulic elevators. 

Both these options are better in several terms, but since there is always another side of the coin; both these versions have their share of cons or disadvantages as well.

Here in this post, we will study the both sides of these two versions to eventually find out as to which one is the better one of the two.

TRACTION ELEVATORS-

• One of the biggest differences between hydraulic and traction elevators is in the way in which the cab travels.

• In the traction elevators, the cab can be raised or lowered by the help of steel ropes or belts that run on the pulley system.

• Because of this system, this version uses less energy, can serve mid to high-rise buildings and moreover, they even ride smoother. 

• One more point is that because of these mechanisms, the motor doesn’t have to move as much weight, making it much more energy efficient than hydraulic systems.

• One more thing that deserves a mention here is that they can be geared or gearless and both model types are driven by Alternating Current (AC) or Direct Current (DC) electrical motors.

• There are geared and gearless, two types of traction elevators and in the geared version, there is a gearbox attached to the motor that drives the wheel and moves the ropes.

• On the other hand, there is the gearless version where the traction elevators can reach speeds up to 2,000 ft./min and in fact, they are more energy efficient than geared traction elevators.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATORS-

• According to the sellers of low rise lifts, this version is totally different from traction elevators and in this version; the cab is moved by using a fluid-driven piston.

• This piston is mounted inside of a cylinder and the fluid could be oil-based and in most cases, vegetable oil is brought into use.

Compared to traction elevators, hydraulic systems are:

• More affordable to install

• Less expensive to maintain and repair

• Better for transporting heavy loads

• Intended for low-rise applications

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Important Steps to Take Before Commercial Lifts Installation

A number of things could influence the overall cost of getting commercial lifts installed and therefore, it is very important that before you get one installed, you carry out a small research. This research should be basically on whether the chosen lift is going to fit your purpose not and what would be the overall cost of this installation. Here in this post, we will have a look at some common factors that will influence the final cost. 

The Basic Points To Consider Are:

Meeting the Codes

• According to the experts, no matter they are home or office lifts or residential or commercial lifts, it is very important that they meet the Building Code of Australia for Disabled Access. 
• However, an important point to take into note is that this will vary depending upon the application and here, a building surveyor would be able to tell you about the mandatory requirements of a project.
• At the same time, the residential, as well as commercial lifts, must conform to a recognized lift code such as AS1735 or EN81.
• Not to mention that these installations should also meet AS3000 for electrical installations.
• When all these things are decided and you are also determined about the size and rated load, you will be in a better position to discuss the project and its requirements with the supplier of commercial lifts.
• These suppliers will give you a firm quote along with the drawings of the upcoming project and here, you will have the option of choosing the company of your choice.
• It’s important that before starting the project, even the minutest details are discussed face to face because experts believe that with it, costly mistakes can be averted straightaway.

When Comparing Prices The Following Are The Main Points:

• What speed does the lift travel at and is it appropriate for the size and use of the building?
• What finishes are offered within the quote?
• What structure is required to support the lift? 
• Does it have its own support structure?
• What is the quality of the motor, drive, and electronics?
• Does the company have spare parts and a quality maintenance department in your city?

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Reduce Electricity of Commercial/Residential Lifts with These Tips

In a commercial building, it is said that an elevator or lift consume only 5-7 percent of the total electricity, but this too can be saved by a number of steps. The best thing about these steps is they work equally on commercial as well as residential elevators and lifts for houses and some important points have been mentioned here.

Hardware Improvements

• With several small and major improvements of the overall mechanism or the hardware, you can make sure that commercial, as well as residential lifts, can be made to consume less electricity.
• The biggest step you could take is replacing the old school hydraulic lift with a traction elevator that travels up and down on a steel rope.
• With traction lifts, you will not require a dedicated machine room because the entire mechanism or machine is kept on the top of the cabin.
• This way, you actually get a more usable space, less heat and consumes less energy.

Other Hardware Improvements you could make include – 

• Motors – Replacing old obsolete DC motors with AC motors
• Lighting – Replacing fluorescent tubes, incandescent and halogen lights with high-efficiency, low-heat LED lighting.
• Doors – Using door drive motors that can go into standby mode when not in use.
• Starters – Replacing old starters with new ones can help in greater energy efficiency.
• Landing systems – Replacing old landing systems that use magnets or tape with new ones.
• Lights & Fans – These can be turned off if the lift is stationary.

Software Improvements

According to the sellers of commercial and residential lifts, the biggest change here is switching to software that can accommodate any kind of hardware or software based changes.

Some important changes to make in the software to decrease the energy consumption of lifts for houses – 

• Use Standby Mode – Automatically powers down lighting and all non-essential operations.
• Destination Despatch Control – Groups elevator stop requests, creating fewer stops, minimising wait time.
• Data Logging – Provides tools that allow for traffic studies to be performed. 

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