As a vertical transportation tool, elevators have accompanied the rapid development of the real estate industry for over two decades, and China has now become the world's largest elevator producer and consumer. Elevators have become an integral part of our lives, accompanying us on our daily journeys.
There are many types and styles of elevators we use daily, such as elevators in residential buildings, escalators in shopping malls, ramp elevators in supermarkets for pushing shopping carts, and outdoor sightseeing elevators. These elevators have specific terms and names in the industry, and they are classified into different categories according to different classification methods. Let's take a closer look at elevator classifications.
Definition of elevator
An elevator is a permanent transportation device that serves several specific floors within a building, with its car moving on at least two rigid tracks perpendicular to the horizontal plane or at an angle of less than 15° to the vertical. There are also escalators, where steps are mounted on a continuous track, commonly known as moving walkways or escalators. These are fixed lifting devices serving designated floors. This is the definition of elevators, escalators, and moving walkways from Baidu Encyclopedia. For those in the elevator industry, using such a general term for elevators can easily cause confusion. Therefore, vertically running elevators are called "straight elevators," and elevator professionals usually refer to them as straight elevators. For most people unfamiliar with elevators, the term "elevator" is used interchangeably with all elevators, no longer distinguishing between escalators and moving walkways. To clarify, the term "elevator" here refers to straight elevators.
Straight elevator classification
Now that we've defined elevators, let's talk about their classification. The traditional main classifications of elevators are as follows:
I. Classification by Purpose:
1. Passenger Elevators;
2. Freight Elevators;
3. Medical Elevators;
4. Service Elevators;
5. Sightseeing Elevators;
6. Vehicle Elevators;
7. Ship Elevators;
8. Construction Elevators;
9. Special Elevators.
Special elevators are further divided into explosion-proof elevators, mine elevators, firefighter elevators, etc. Of course, these classifications all categorize vertical elevators. The names of these elevator types are self-explanatory.
Elevator Classification by Speed
1. Low-speed elevators: Elevators with a speed of 1 m/s or less;
2. Medium-speed elevators: Elevators with a speed between 1 m/s and 2.5 m/s (excluding 2.5 m/s);
3. High-speed elevators: Elevators with a speed between 2.5 m/s and 5.0 m/s (excluding 5 m/s);
4. High-speed elevators: Elevators with a speed between 5.0 m/s and 10.0 m/s (excluding 10.0 m/s);
5. Extra-high elevators: Elevators with a speed of 10.0 m/s or higher;
With the continuous advancement of elevator technology, elevator speeds are constantly breaking historical records. The latest Guinness World Record for elevator is held by the ultra-high-speed elevator in the Chow Tai Fook Financial Centre in Guangzhou, with a speed of 21 m/s. The classification by speed is also specific to elevators.
Classification by Machine Room Location
1. Machine Room Elevators
2. Machine Room-less Elevators
The machine room contains the elevator drive unit, control cabinet system, main power box, steel cable head (steel belt), and speed governor device. In ordinary buildings, if the elevator goes to the 25th floor, the machine room is located on the 26th floor; this is called a machine room elevator, and it's the most common type. There are rumors of elevators with a lower machine room, but such elevators only exist in theory. This classification is specific to elevator types.
Let's focus on the current machine room-less elevators. Machine room-less elevators move the elevator drive unit, control cabinet system, main power box, steel cable head (steel belt), and speed governor device from the original machine room to the shaft or other floors, eliminating the need for developers to build a dedicated, enclosed machine room. Developers save on machine room costs when building construction. The development of machine room-less elevators represents a major innovation in elevator technology. The emergence of machine room-less elevators has also created a new market: the installation of elevators in older residential communities. Therefore, manufacturers capable of developing machine room-less elevators are undoubtedly more competitive in the market. At that time, machine-room-less elevators also had some limitations, with a lifting height of less than 80 meters.
Classification by Drive Method
1. Hydraulic elevators, mostly used for freight transport, with decreasing numbers of units currently in use.
2. Traction elevators
3. Rack and pinion elevators
4. Screw elevators
Nowadays, most elevators are traction elevators; rack and pinion and screw elevators are extremely rare.
Elevators can be classified by whether or not they use gears in their main unit
1. Geared elevators
2. Gearless elevators
Geared elevators are gradually being phased out; modern elevators mostly use gearless main units.
Elevators can be classified by control method as follows
1. Handle switch control
2. Button control
3. Signal control
4. Collective control
5. Parallel control
6. Group control elevator
Modern elevators utilize the latest technology for centralized control. Parallel and group control simply involve centralized signal collection and processing for two or more elevators, facilitating more efficient scheduling during operation. In office buildings or commercial buildings with numerous elevators and fluctuating passenger flow, elevator group control technology, leveraging big data and cloud platforms, is poised for significant growth.
There are also other elevator classification methods. With advancements in elevator technology, older classifications are no longer applicable. Some older elevators have been replaced by new technologies, such as geared elevators and AC-driven elevators. Elevator car door opening mechanisms also utilize AC frequency and voltage regulation.
Furthermore, elevators are categorized by function: those with energy-saving devices (regenerative versus non-regenerative) and those with emergency rescue functions. These are not included in today's classifications.
Escalator Classification
The above six categories are all based on straight elevators. Below is a classification of escalators.
I. Classification by Lifting Height
1. Small Escalators: 0-5 meters
2. Medium Escalators: 5-15 meters
3. Large Escalators: Over 15 meters
For more accurate data, small escalators are listed starting from 0 meters, as Japan holds the Guinness World Record for the shortest escalator, with only 5 steps and a lifting height of less than 1 meter.
Based on the location of the escalator machine cabin
1. Upper-mounted machine cabin
2. Lower-mounted machine cabin
Based on load capacity
1. Standard escalators; found in shopping malls and supermarkets.
2. Public transportation escalators, such as those used on overpasses during holidays and in subway stations.
3. Heavy-duty escalators, used in high-traffic areas such as high-speed rail stations.
Based on installation location
1. Indoor elevators
2. Outdoor elevators
Escalators can be classified by their angle of inclination
1. 30° escalators
2. 35° escalators
3. Other angles, such as 27.3° and 0° sidewalks.
Based on the type of guardrail on both sides of the escalator
1. Glass guardrail
2. Metal guardrail
Classified by escalator width
1. 600mm
2. 800mm
3. 1000mm
The width of an escalator generally refers to the width of the steps or treads that a person stands on, and there are three standards.
