Types of commercial lifts and their uses

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Introduction

Commercial lifts can help ensure businesses and organisations meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act, complying with Part M of the Building Regulations.

Traction lifts

Passenger traction lifts are designed to be reliable and easy to install, they include advanced components and have good build quality. Traction lifts are one of the most popular types of lifts as they use considerably less power than hydraulic systems, whilst achieving high speeds.

With a wide variety of traction passenger lifts available, they are suitable for loads from 320kg (4 persons) and up to 2000kg (26 persons). Traction lifts offer maximum flexibility of design with gearless and geared motor room-less options. They also offer excellent ride quality due to their precision speed control and noise reduction.

There are numerous types of Traction lifts, including:

Goods lifts

Goods Lifts are designed to deliver high performance and an optimal ease of use in a variety of working environments, including:

• Hotels.
• Restaurants.
• Heavy goods warehouses.
• Commercial kitchens.
• Retail environments.
• Offices.

Goods lifts reduce the risks of injury caused by manual lifting, and they offer low power consumption which is a highly cost-effective solution for businesses. With low pits and low headroom features, Goods lifts are suitable for easy installation in existing buildings.

There are a wide range of commercial Goods lifts, including:

• Dumb waiters
• Service lifts
• Trolley lifts

Low pit lifts

Low Pit Lifts have the same characteristics of conventional passenger lifts, including sliding doors and one touch controls. Low pit lifts are popular as they can be used in a wide range of environments which include retail stores, offices, schools, and public access areas.

A limitation of this type of lift is its speed, which is limited to 0.15m per second. Building regulations and site conditions have resulted in the pitless lift option becoming popular with retail shopping centres, this is due to their easy installation and integration.

There are many types of Low Pit Lifts, including commercial lifts, which are some of the most cost-effective lifts, offering prestigious passenger lifts, low-rise wheelchair lifts, and hard-working good lifts for businesses, for both indoor or exterior lift systems.

Find out more

Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• A brief history of lifts over the years.
• Considerations When Installing a Residential Lift.
• Disabled access lifts.
• Firefighting lift.
• Home lifts.
• Lift motor room.
• Lift Standards: EN 81-20 and EN 81-50.
• Lifts and Their Special Operating Modes.
• Lifts for office buildings.
• Low pit lifts.
• The importance of service lifts.
• The science of lifts.
• The world's fastest lifts.
• Top factors to consider when planning to install a lift.
• Types of lift doors.
• Wheelchair platform stairlifts.