What are the Basics of Complete Elevator Systems?
Elevators are mainly transportation elements that carry people or some other loads. The difference from other transportation assets is that elevators are stable in a structure and operate vertically. The developments in the elevator industry became a key factor in construction technologies that elevators let the new buildings get longer as much as the physics allows.
The speed of elevators has increased from 0,6/0,7 km/h to 70 km/h in the last century which made building skyscrapers possible. Elevators eased the lives of not only ordinary people but also the wheelchaired, disabled, pregnant, elderly, and even babies with strollers. In simple words, we can say that elevators gave their users freedom of movement.
Elevators can be controlled by anyone easily and no training is necessary. This makes safety the first and the most important issue about using the elevator. Thanks to the developments in technology, accidents are rare; but possible accidents may cause serious injuries or deaths. So elevators need to be fully safe and to achieve this, every elevator should provide the essential safety regulations. The main aim of the complete elevator systems is to ensure the compatibility of these necessary safety regulations.
What is the Complete Elevator System
The complete elevator system is a kind of standardization warranty system. Like ISO or other types of quality warranty systems, the complete elevator is a concept that ensures that all the parts of an elevator individually and the whole system fulfills all of the international standards and local regulations. All the responsibility belongs to the supplier including the design.
As we know, an elevator system consists of a number of sub-systems and thousands of small parts. All these parts are different materials and it is nearly impossible for a manufacturer to produce them all. So, the materials are manufactured at different factories and the suppliers gather them and construct the whole system. As the elevator is a system, a design process becomes crucial for the establishment. Because of this, in the complete elevator system, an engineer should design a perfect system in that all the parts should harmonize, and also the whole system should comply with the required standards.
Advantages of the System
According to complete elevator systems, good engineering companies like ISF Elevator and Engineering Company are managing these in a sequence:
- First, identify the necessities and desires of a new elevator system,
- Make the mechanical calculations and choose the best complete elevator solution to fit them,
- Design a perfect project for the elevator system,
- Manufacture or collect all the needed parts that are suitable to the desires, regulations, and standards,
- Make sure that all the parts are transferred to the construction area safely,
- Assemble the system, and make it operative according to the desired standards and quality warranty systems.
The two major issues with establishing elevator systems are cost efficiency and safety regulations. The aim is to decrease the risks to zero by creating a system that complies with all the safety regulations and making these as cheap as possible. In the complete elevator system, the manufacturer does his job by producing parts, the engineer does by calculating and designing the system and the laborer does by establishing the system and making it operative. In this way, the best efficiency is ensured.
The Standards of Complete Elevator Systems
The procedures that we should follow to create a fully safe and proper complete elevator system are defined by the Elevator Directives, which are continuously reviewed and in the Harmonized Standards, Fire and Earthquake Regulations, and the Regulations of the Local Authorities, which are updated in line with directives. These regulations are to make sure that the elevators should be:
- Manufactured,
- Established,
- Controlled,
- Used and
- Maintained strict rules.
When it comes to international standards; a committee called TC10 established by the European Committee for Standardization in 1971 created the main standards for the construction and safety rules of elevators and also constantly make reviews and updates about them. The two main standards are:
- EN 81-20 Safety requirements for the construction and installation
- EN 81-50 Test and examination requirements for certain lift components
These are the main standards that are followed nearly all around the world for complete elevator systems. Only the United States, Canada, and Japan are not following these, but they also have their own similar standards for themselves. On the other hand, having these standards is not a complete solution. Some of the countries are misusing or not fully complying with the standards. But these standards are compulsory especially in order to trade in the European Market.
Other Standards
Of course, these are not the only standards. Or, in order to comply with these standards, there are also some other standards to follow. Some of the important ones are:
- EN 81-70 Accessibility to lifts for persons including persons with disability.
- EN 81-28 Remote alarm on passenger and goods passenger lifts.
- Also, EN ISO 13857 Safety of machinery
- EN 12385-5 Stranded ropes for listings
These are not the only standards to follow. Some elevators may differentiate according to the purpose, like car elevators or patient elevators. There are some other standards for fulfilling other requirements like:
- EN 81-71 Vandal-resistant lifts
- EN 81-72 Lifts for firefighters
- Also, EN 81-77 Lifts are subject to seismic conditions
As we can see, there are so many rules and safety regulations about installing and using elevators. The best and most efficient way to have an elevator system is to choose complete elevator system. And the best way to have this is to find a professional design company to do all the necessary things and deliver a perfect system for you. ISF Elevator Company and its experienced personnel are capable to make all the arrangements and deliver the best solutions. To achieve the best, work with the best. For more information, please contact us.

ISF Elevator – Content Producer